»Thank you, Principal Siz. I also welcome everyone present. It was indeed a very exciting phase of school, in which we all learned a lot.«

I start my speech a little hesitantly and thank everyone for the past lunar cycle. I tell them a little about my personal impressions and how sad I am that time passes so quickly.

I wish the third-graders a successful future and the blessing of the Phoenix.

»May the light of the Phoenix illuminate us all,« I finish my speech.

I step back from the desk and Principal Siz takes my place. »So now we come to the part you've all been waiting for.«

The first ten students in the front row stand up and go to the right-hand stairs of the stage. While I do this, I take a red silk scarf from a small table at the edge of the stage. The first-graders' certificates are neatly placed next to each other on a velvet cloth that is also red.

Each piece of parchment has been rolled up and tied with a red ribbon. The name of the recipient of the certificate is written on the ribbon in silver letters.

Principal Siz calls one student after the other and announces their average. They then come onto the stage one by one and I hand them their certificate roll in the middle. I congratulate each one personally once again before they leave the stage again on the left-hand stairs. When the ninth certificate is handed out, the next ten stand up from their seats and stand on the right-hand stairs.

This process is practiced thoroughly several times with all students to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

»Jacklyn Alba, daughter of Laima« is called next. Tense silence falls over the room.

»2.0,« announces principal Siz, her grade.

Young Laima steps onto the stage, trembling, and comes towards me. All the color has drained from her face. I recognize her. She is the girl who showed a classmate his fate some time ago. The incident still weighs on her heart.

She stops a few steps away from me.

»You don't need to be afraid, neither of me nor of your powers. Jacklyn, you have a very special gift, and if you continue to diligently learn to control it, I can see a great future for you.«

A small smile caresses her lips. She overcomes the last few steps between us and surprises me with a sudden hug. Somewhere in the audience, someone gasps in surprise.

But when I hug her too, applause breaks out again.

»I'm really sorry,« she whispers in my ear.

We separate and I give her her certificate. »Congratulations.«

She bows slightly and quickly leaves the stage. The last first-grader is called and receives his certificate.

The second-graders are already waiting patiently at the foot of the stairs. First come the people of fire, followed by those of air, earth, water and finally energy.

»Jaxon Caoihim Rayan, son of the jinns.« My friend enters the stage. »2.4.«

He comes towards me, beaming. I can't help but admire how good he looks in the black pants and red shirt. His brown hair is slightly tousled.

»Congratulations.« I hand him his certificate.

»Thank you, but it could have gone better.«

»Then you should study more and sleep less in the next phase.«

He thinks for a moment and then shakes his head vigorously, a few brown strands falling over his golden vine tiara.

»No, thanks. My grade isn't that important to me after all.«

I smile and he leaves the stage.

»Kyron Loan, son of the sorcerers. 3.4.« A tall young man with short blond hair, red eyes and tanned skin comes towards me. He takes his certificate from me and quickly leaves the stage. The first-graders he passes literally melt at the sight of him.

»Landré Joveryn Nael, son of the sorcerers. 1.1.«

Thunderous applause and cheers break out in the audience. A smaller boy strolls across the stage. His shoulder-length blond hair bounces with every step. He takes his certificate and raises it high to the sky as if he had won a trophy. The audience gets even louder.

Landré is one of the most popular boys in the academy and is as conceited as if he were king. He is followed by a series of sylphs, valkyries and shapeshifters of the air, all the way to the fairies.

»Zacs Cyllian, son of the fairies, 2.9.« My cabin mate Joyce's boyfriend enters and leaves the stage with the natural graceful gait of the fairies.

»Joyce Calira, daughter of the fairies. 2.7.« My cabin mate follows her boyfriend.

»Congratulations, Joyce.« I hand her her certificate roll.

»Thank you, Micah. You won't be mad at us if we don't live in a cabin with you and Alivia in the next phase?« she asks me, surprising me.

»No, why should I?«

She breathes a sigh of relief and leaves the stage without answering my question.

»Trey Jamee, son of the trolls, 4.0.«

I turn my attention back to the students coming. Trey is already standing in front of me, waiting to receive his certificate from me.

»Congratulations, Trey.«

»Thank you. I think our fight was ultimately the deciding factor. Without you, I probably wouldn't have passed this phase.«

I'm astonished by his statement. I didn't realize that his grades were so bad. He takes my hand, which I'm using to hand him his certificate, turns it over and gives it a gentle kiss. Our audience cheers.

They probably think that there is more between Trey and me than just a newfound friendship. After all the Lux on Earth have finally received their certificates, my best friend is called.

»Levi Aramis, son of the Puks. 2.6.«

He strolls across the stage towards me. Like Jaxon, he is wearing black pants and a red shirt. His fiery red hair sticks out in all directions. He stops right in front of me and I freeze.

Since Alivia mentioned that there was a rumor that something was going on between Levi and me, I haven't seen him.

»And are you giving me my certificate or do you have to fight for it?« he whispers softly, jokingly.

I wake up from my trance and give him his certificate. »Levi, can we talk?«

But he doesn't even hear my question. He is already walking off the stage. I couldn't stop him without running after him or calling out loudly.

One after the other, mermaids, Wilas, water spirits and nymphs collect their certificates. I congratulate each and every one of them on their results.

»Alivia Tessaja Linnej, daughter of the sirens. 1.3,« my friend's name finally comes out.

»You look so absent, Micah,« she says to me quietly. »It's because of Levi, right?«

I nod and hand her her certificate roll.

»Don't worry about him. You know what he's like. In a few days everything will be back to normal. Give him time.«

»And if we don't have that time?«

»Do you know something I don't know?« Alivia asks me worriedly.

I shake my head slightly.

She gives me a quick hug and then leaves the stage. She was the last second-grader. Now comes the ceremonial handover for the graduating students.

But before that, Principal Siz calls out: »Princess Micah Andriana Devin Arien, daughter of the Star Warriors. Graduated with 1.0.«

Thunderous applause shakes the stage floor. Principal Siz steps back from her lectern and comes towards me.

»Congratulations, Micah. You deserve it,« she congratulates me and hands me my own certificate roll.

I accept it gratefully and place it behind the third-graders' certificates. I make sure not to throw it down, as I accidentally did last time.

Principal Siz goes back to her desk and a bouquet of Phoenix roses appears next to her. A restless murmur goes through the rows of the audience as Phoenix roses appear all over the stage. They grow seemingly uncontrollably on every free inch. Only a narrow path connects the two staircases. A beguiling scent fills the hall.

The third-graders are called up one after the other, their final grades are announced and the career they want to pursue in the future is announced. It is our tradition to follow in the professional footsteps of our parents.

But some decide to go in a different direction. They enter the stage, are congratulated by the principal, follow the path through the Phoenix roses and receive their certificate roll from me before they line up next to each other at the back of the stage.

Finally, I give the last graduate her certificate and she joins her classmates. With a light breeze, a fairy takes the table from the stage and the graduates step together to the front of the stage. The Phoenix roses at their feet make room for them and envelop them like a precious treasure.

Principal Siz stands on the right side of the group while I stand to their left. Music sounds and I recognize the melody of our country, commonly known as the Song of the Phoenix.

Even though it is just a series of notes and does not contain any lyrics, it always conveys exactly what it is supposed to. The Song of the Phoenix stands for rebirth, hope, strength, unity and peace, for a life worth living, for a happy life.

The audience stands up as soon as the first notes are played. It is customary to stand during this song, close your eyes and take the hands of those around you.

Everyone tries to establish a connection with our world and with our ancestors. My magic is bubbling inside me. It wants to savor this special moment and enjoy it, like everyone in the hall.

I let it slowly seep to the floor and spread throughout the hall. As soon as it hits the first Lux, I feel emotions that do not belong to me, that are not my own, although they are very similar to mine.

My magic makes its way to my parents, who are holding each other's hands. I feel their love and their confidence, but also fear and sadness. Fear of not being able to give their people what they deserve and of losing loved ones and grief for their lost daughter, who should now be standing among us, with the completion of the second phase at the Phoenix Academy in her pocket.

But Lucca is not here, she is not with us. Lucca is in a place my magic cannot reach. But I will find her and bring her home. And when we gather here again in a lunar cycle to honor the graduating class, my sister will be by my side, listening with us to the heartbreaking melody of the Song of the Phoenix.

I nervously pace up and down in front of the large double doors. Behind them is the large hall of the Phoenix Academy, normally better known as our cafeteria.

But not tonight.

For the prom, all the tables and chairs have been taken out of the hall and stored in other rooms. On the counter where we normally take our food, there are now piles of small snacks that the guests can easily eat with their fingers without getting their expensive evening gowns dirty.

All of this evening's guests are now gradually arriving in the hall. I will enter the festivities together with my parents and will be announced separately.

So everything is as usual.

I hate this part the most. Everyone will look up at me, literally, because we enter the hall via a wide staircase created especially for this purpose opposite the actual door.

Up there are usually only large double-door windows. A portal was placed on one of the windows using a special spell so that it is connected to another double door. This door normally leads out of the theater hall.

So I walk up and down between the last row of chairs and the double doors, waiting for my parents to come in. With each round I complete, my impatience increases.

Alivia is already in the hall and makes sure that Levi won't be standing too far back when we come in.

As a princess, it is my duty to open a ball with the first dance. To do this, I first have to find a dance partner at every ball, unless we have any guests of honor who insist on the first dance with me.

As I don't have a boyfriend yet, I usually choose Levi as my dance partner. We learned to dance together and glide across the floor together so elegantly, as if we had never done anything else. I love dancing with him, it makes me happy every time. But this time I hope to get something different out of our opening dance together.

I hope to be able to use the time to talk to him. Things aren't like they used to be between us, but I want them to be like that again.

I stop abruptly. I'm so lost in my thoughts again that I didn't notice the doors opening and I almost ran into one of them.

My parents enter the theater together and the doors close again. The next time they open, two waiters will come in, close the doors behind them and open them again shortly after. But it may be a while before that happens.

I look my parents up and down and back again. They look stunning, as always.

My father is wearing a white suit with a purple tie and white dress shoes. His short silver-blonde hair, which almost disappears completely under the silver royal crown, is perfect as always. His ice-blue eyes, which are so similar to mine, radiate pride.

My mother is wearing a floor-length purple dress. Layers of fabric billow out the skirt, making it rustle and move with every step. Her blonde hair is pulled back in an elaborate braided hairstyle that would break my fingers if I tried to copy it. Purple ribbons and crystals are woven into some of the braids. A silver crown with red crystals adorns her head. Her makeup looks just perfect and accentuates her blue eyes.

»You look gorgeous, Micah.«

»Thank you, Dad. I can only return the favor. You look perfect, as always.«

My mother nods, flattered. I think I can't keep up with my parents.

My white dress looks so innocent compared to my mother's. It's strapless and the bodice clings tightly to my torso. It's decorated with small fiery red crystals at the top. A belt made of the same crystals separates the upper part from the skirt, which consists of three layers of soft white fabric. On the top layer, a flame-like pattern spreads out from the bottom edge. Thankfully, my white ballerina shoes have no heels and are invisible anyway because of the floor-length fabric.

Alivia helped me to curl my long silver-blonde hair and to braid small braids with red crystals into it. This way, it falls gently over my back and blows a little behind me with every step, like a little cape.

As always, my forehead is adorned with my silver birthmark, which identifies me as a member of the royal family. There is a touch of reddish eye shadow on my eyelids and my lips are a little shinier and redder than usual, but that's all the makeup I'm wearing.

»We have something else for you, my darling.«

Smiling, my mother approaches me, hiding her hands behind her back. When she is only a few steps away, she stops and shows me what she was hiding from me before.

In her hands she holds one of the most beautiful tiaras I have ever seen. It is made of silver tendrils that have joined together to form a wreath. Like buds on branches in spring, small crystals are embedded in the tendrils that look very similar to those on my dress. I hold my breath in awe.

»It's beautiful, mother,« I whisper.

She steps behind me and gently places it on my hair.

»Just like you,« she whispers to me.

I feel flattered.

»Are you going to ask Levi to open the ball with you again today?« my father abruptly changes the subject.

»That was my plan, yes. Why do you ask?«

»You are a cute couple,« my mother interjects.