“Azalea, what are you doing kneeling down in the grass and where is the victim?”

Forget telling her stone faced father the truth as he wouldn’t have believed her words anyways. 

So she lied, “Dad, he got up and said he’s fine and walked off. He didn’t want monetary compensation and he was very fidgety almost as if he didn’t want to be found.”

“Hmm…that’s strange. Probably a drifter with a criminal past. Either way that works out better for us as I couldn’t get a decent signal for my phone in this neck of the woods. Let’s go since we are on a tight schedule and we don't have to take him to the hospital anymore .”

After another hour of driving in silence they finally arrived at the turn off for Mercy Academy indicated by the car’s navigation system. 

They hadn’t even gone far when they stopped in front of tall, thick gates that were closed. 

Two armed guards wearing the Mercy Academy crest left the security booth to come out and greet them. 

“Good day sir, no unauthorized visitors are allowed at this point. You may use the car park over there to say your goodbyes and the student will be taken to the head office by an hourly shuttle service.”

“That’s fine dad. I’ll just get off here and send you an email later after registration.”

Azalea opened the car door to go and retrieve the suitcase from the trunk but her father beat her to it. 

He pulled out the heavy suitcase and set it down on its wheels so that Azalea wouldn't have to strain herself removing it from the trunk.

Then Michael pulled Azalea into his arms for a farewell hug shocking them both before he hopped into the car and drove off. 

Wordlessly Azalea watched her father exit the school property before she walked towards the side gate for pedestrians to enter the school.

It had an inbuilt metal detector and she wasn’t carrying any weapons so there was nothing for her to worry about as she sat on a nearby bench and waited for the shuttle to arrive. 

The security guard explained to the bus driver that Azalea was a new student so the driver dropped her off at the information booth. 

A middle aged receptionist greeted Azalea and introduced herself as Mrs. Grant. 

Since there were several of them working inside the information booth Mrs. Grant was kind enough to escort Azalea to the Dean’s office. 

“Welcome to Mercy Academy we are funded by a private organization and not much information is available to outsiders. So I’m aware you must be curious about your new home for the next four years. We offer elite education to mental ability users and as such our school grounds are divided into two camps namely Conduits and Sentries. Both camps have been separated by a very high fence for safety purposes.”

“Why is that?” asked Azalea out of curiosity. 

“To prevent young sentries and conduits who have not fully matured as mental ability users and can't properly control their abilities from interacting and causing havoc to lives or school property.”

While speaking Mrs. Grant led Azalea to the Dean’s office. 

The Dean’s secretary greeted them warmly and told Mrs. Grant that she may return to her post. 

Nodding Mrs. Grant turned and said Azalea, “if you need further assistance just look for me at the information booth. 

After Mrs. Grant left the office, the Dean’s secretary knocked on a door and it was opened by the Dean himself. 

“My name is Dean Anderson, you must be the other new student I have been waiting to meet.”

After the secretary left them alone and closed the door behind her Dean Anderson extended his hand and Azalea accepted and they shook hands politely. 

While Dean Anderson was openly observing the new student Azalea was also doing the same to him and his office. 

Everything about his office was meticulous except for the numerous awards and certificates that lined the walls.

The trophy case was overflowing and many awards were placed on top of the case.

Even though the Dean was probably old he looked young and dressed fashionably so it was hard for Azalea to discern his age. 

He had long brunette hair kept in a ponytail and he wore a neatly tailored navy blue seat that matched the color of his eyes. 

Azalea wasn't even aware of how relaxed she felt in his presence, as Dean Anderson himself was very charming and had a jovial manner that made him a favorite with students. 

Before Huntley Anderson became a Dean he was a teacher himself in a career that spanned decades and even with his current responsibilities he still taught a few classes.

This endeared him to the teaching staff as it made him more relatable to both staff and students. 

“I hear a lot about you from Professor Blythe who also attended the Cup of Dreams ceremony.”

Azalea blinked, she had totally forgotten about meeting Professor Blythe with all that transpired. 

“It seems he measured your mental ability and found that you have a rare talent.”

Separated from her family and having to mix with strangers Azalea had been struggling to hide her anxiety. 

To the staff of Mercy Academy she appeared timid and very nervous, which was why they were trying extra hard to make her feel comfortable around them.

“That’s news to me,” said Azalea. “Can you tell me more about it as I have only just come into my mental powers.”

“Your mother also attended Mercy Academy and was admitted under special circumstances. You are nothing like her, you are more like a slab of dry ice while your mother was a hot firecracker that drew unnecessary attention wherever she went. At your age your mother had already mastered her rare plant ability while others were still learning how to use and focus their mental energies. She didn’t stay long as there wasn’t anything new that we could teach her. Even as a conduit she displayed terrifying mastery of her mental powers that made the Sentries her age jealous. Even when they deliberately tried to intimidate her she never refused a challenge and defeated them all. It was a pity that due to extenuating circumstances that the school was not privy to, she was pulled out by her family and we never saw her again.”

Azalea’s mother was the most aggressive conduit Dean Anderson had ever encountered in his entire life. 

He was glad the daughter was nothing like her mother as such a conduit would simply be too frightening. 

“Did you not like my mother?” asked Azalea.