“Guide Luria! It’s half past 7, we need your confirmation for the last preparations and previews for the day. Are you ready yet?” exclaimed Justina, the Chief of Order, while knocking furiously, and nonstop, on the door. “Are you in there Luria? Please, we all need you down there in the next 15 minutes!” shouted one last time, waking me up.

“Yes, yes, I’m coming! Be right there, Chief!” Luria screamed while getting up very startledly. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…” She mumbled continuously to herself. She couldn’t believe she overslept on her first day as First Guide at the Academy. She’s been waiting for this day for the past 8 years! How is it possible she is ruining everything already when the school year doesn’t even started?

“Okay Luria, calm down. You just need to be quick and everything will be just fine.” she told to herself while combing her golden hair. “After all, you must set an example for all the young folks from now on. You are the First Guide, the one that will lead them through their entire school year and advise them in every way they need. You got this.” She continued to encourage herself, while she grabbed her uniform from the hanger on the door of her wardrobe. 

“Yes, but oversleeping isn’t exactly the kind of example you should set for the students, otherwise the classrooms would be really empty, you know?” said that awful voice in her head. She sighed in frustration.

She looked out her bedroom’s window and saw a hundred students lining up on the school’s vast and green frontyard, some were standing and chatting with their friends, while some groups were sitting on the stone roads leading to the entrance, or at the krawberry bushes reading. And that only made her realize that, they are all here to discover themselves, and make friends along the way, meeting goals and fulfilling dreams. 

“This shouldn’t be too hard.” she thought to herself.

She opened the orangewood doors of her bedroom and immediately noticed her Assistant Guide Aliana standing in front of her.

“First Guide Luria, we have little time left before the door’s grand opening, we need to go, now!” started rambling nervously.

“Do not worry Aliana, we have plenty of time for everything. I trust everyone did their job and finished all tasks in time. And what did I tell you about the whole title thing? Just call me Luria, after all we’re going to be teammates for... the forces know how long?” She replied softly, trying to calm her down, while they walked down the stairs towards the kitchen corners.

“Yes, I know... Luria... it’s just…” she stopped herself.

“I know you are nervous, Aliana, don’t you think I’m nervous too?” she replied. “It’s my first day too, you know? I’ve been in your shoes for the past 4 years while assisting your mother, but believe me when I say, it does get a lot easier with time.” she continued. “Specially after seeing all the young and happy faces of the children you get to help, and guide, and advise while they make their own destiny. It helps a lot. And it will help you while you guide them too.”

“I hope you are right, Luria. After all, my mother always told me how kind and thoughtful you were as a Guide. And I know it’s going to be tough to fill in your shoes as an Assistant, but I’m gonna do my best... I promise.” she pronounced while looking the most confident she ever did in the last 2 years they’ve known each other.

“I’m sure you will, Ali. Now let’s find Lomi.” Luria replied, smiling at her.

They walked through the corridors until they got to the kitchen’s doors, and just after opening them, they ran into Klaus, the sub-chef and the Kitchen Chief’s right hand, carrying at least fourteen plates filled with food with both hands.

“Oh, hey Guide! Sorry, I didn’t hear you two coming. If you’re looking for the Chief, he’s in the freezer trying to find a can of starbeans he needs for dessert.” he said while sort of juggling with the plates. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get everything ready for the midday banquet.” he shouted while walking away from them.

“Thank you, Klaus! Do you need any help?” Luria asked.

“No, no, no. I’m doing just fine, Guide, thank you though!” he shouted from the start of the corridors.

They entered the kitchen and saw everyone at their stations working very quickly, almost hypnotized with their task. Some were chopping vegetables, or fruits, others were sealing meat, while stirring something with the moving spell. Everything looked good, but they needed to find Lomi to check it off the list. They walked all the way to the kitchen’s bottom to find the freezer, and inside it, they saw a big, tall, dark-skinned man, searching frantically through boxes of canned goods and looking very worried.

“Is everything okay, Cook?” Luria asked in a serious tone, trying to contain the laughter.

“G-G-Guide L-Luria, hey... no, no. I mean, yes, everything's a-okay!” he replied while nervously smiling.

“Lomi... I wouldn’t dare to punish you even if you lost our yearly supply of Greettu berries. You know I wouldn’t. And those are my favourite. Just tell me what’s going on.” she replied. He looked down and sighed. 

“I... I lost the starbeans cans. They are the main ingredient for my famous starbean tart! The star of the Opening Day’s banquet! And I’m losing my mind trying to find them…” he said, while disappointedly sitting on the freezer’s floor.

“This freezer is big enough for everything to get lost, Cook, you don’t need to worry about that. Have you tried conjuring them? You know starbeans are kind of sneaky.” Luria advised, trying to comfort him.

“Yes, but you know I’m not that good at spellcasting. The last time I did, the whole kitchen ended up covered with algae. That’s why I, and almost everyone in this kitchen, like to do everything with our hands, no magic required. And it works just fine.” he said. He knows what he’s talking about. The food in the Academy is famous all around the System. He’s really good at his job.

“Okay, let me do it for you.” Luria said while smiling at him. “Venite ad me!” she chanted, while the starbeans were the only thing in her mind. Only to see a giant box flying towards her from one of the freezer’s corners.

“Vanisco!” said Aliana firmly while pointing at the flying box with their hand and stopping it from hitting them.

They both sighed. “Thank you, Aliana. Getting hit by a box that big and full of cans wouldn’t be good on the first day of school.” Luria said while sharing a smile with her.

“My cans! Thank you so much Guides. I promise I’ll get everything ready for the midday banquet. Thank you again.” thanked Lomi, almost shouting.

They smiled at him and walked out the kitchen. They only needed to find Justina and Mr. Guhnvadaar and they’re set for the first day. That’s a relief. They walked up the stairs to the second floor to find Justina standing with her team behind her looking flawless and successful.

“I assume by the look on your faces that everything is ready?” Luria asked Justina.

“Of course it is, First Guide Luria. We finished an hour ago. We wanted to make sure every little detail was on point so the students found perfection when going in the dorms.” she proudly replied.

Justina was a perfectionist. A real, hardcore, perfectionist. And her job as the Chief of Order couldn’t fit her best. After all, she has been in that position for the past thirty-five years.

“Excellent, remarkable job, as always.” Luria replied, half to fulfill her need of validation and half mocking her, because she knows that the clean look would only last a few hours until everyone is in their dorm.

Aliana softly clears her throat. “Now that we checked this off the list too, we should look for Mr. Guhndavaar and make sure he has the test ready, Luria.” she said.

Luria nods her head and they start walking up the white marble stairs when suddenly, a dark figure appears in front of them.

“No need to look for me, child, the Quiz is ready as always.” speaks the figure in a serious tone while turning into Mr. Guhndavaar, looking directly at Aliana.

“For the Forces’ sake!” exclaims the frightened assistant.

“Couldn’t you walk down the stairs like a normal person?” Luria asked him. They never had a good relationship. Although, he doesn’t really like anyone besides Headmistress Friedham. 

Mr. Solomon Guhndavaar has been in charge of the Academy’s administration and finances for thirty years and, for the past eighteen years,  he’s been also in charge of the Al’kin Quiz, the test all the first-years must complete to be sorted into their respective classes, wings and dorms.

“As I was saying, the Quiz is all set and ready to be taken... Guide Luria.” he said with something alike despise, but not quite it.

“Wonderful, Solomon. A great performance indeed.” She replied, almost defying him. He made her life a living hell when she was in her school years and now he couldn’t stand she’s almost his direct boss. 

She turned her back on him and walked towards the stairs to prepare for the grand opening. Aliana was confidently walking by her side. Now, on the first floor, she walked to the center of the floor, right behind the railing of the balcony, and while looking at her pocket clock, she knew the time had come.

“Okay, everyone, please gather around.” She shouted, while watching every single being that works in the Academy stand behind the first floor railing. “I wanted to thank you all, beforehand, for what you’ve done to make this first day a great day. Each of you did a wonderful job and I hope that we stay this great team all year long. Thank you, with all my heart.” Luria said while smiling proudly at every single face that was looking at me.

She looked one last time at her pocket clock and she put it away. “Are you ready, Aliana?” Luria asked the nervous girl with red hair, standing right beside her. “As ready as I can be.” she replied.

She smiled one last time, and looked to the stone guards on both sides of the arched and gigantic doors of the Academy.

“Please.” She asked. And after nodding affirmatively, they opened the doors. Only seconds would pass until the main hall was full and packed with students, of all ages and races. After making sure that no one was left outside, she proceeded.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to Aelhollow Academy.” she said, while looking at all the smiling faces beneath her.

“I am Guide Luria. I will be your guidance throughout your whole stay at the school. No matter if you need counseling on something, or if you’re in an academic conflict of sorts. Whatever you need, I’m here to lead you through it. I’m also the direct bridge with Headmistress Friedham.” she concluded.

“Now that we’re done with the introductions, I would like to speak to the newly arrived. So please, those who are not first-years, you’re free to go to your dorms, or wander as you please in the school. You’re home now, and you must have a lot to catch up on with your friends. Just remember to get ready for the Midday Banquet.” and as she was done, most students started going upstairs to the wings while some went to the gardens.

After they left, the only ones remaining were the first-years. Not a big group like last year’s, but still a nice starter group.

“Hello, dears. I know how hard it must be to be far from home, especially the ones of you that come from another planet of our beloved Faedell System. But please, make yourself at home. And remember that if you need anything, you can count on me or Aliana, my Assistant Guide, and know we’ll do our best to help you out.” she said while trying to comfort them with a smile. “Now, you may not know this, or maybe you do. All first-years must take the Al’kin Quiz, a test that will sort you, according to your abilities, into all the courses you will take from now on, not only in your first-year but in your entire five year stay. Apart from that, the quiz will also assign you to a dorm you will share with two other schoolmates, and it will sort you into one of the five wings you will belong to for your entire stay here.” she continued.