The van turns onto a narrow dirt road, barely visible between the trees. They drive for another ten minutes before the road ends at the mouth of a large cave.

  Several other vehicles are parked nearby—some cars, some carriages pulled by creatures Charlotte doesn't recognize. Families unload luggage, kids say goodbye to parents. Everyone looks excited.

  Charlotte feels like she might throw up.

  "All right." Adelia parks the van. "Everyone out. Charlotte, I'll walk you through the portal process."

  They unload their bags and approach the cave entrance. Up close, Charlotte can see symbols carved into the rock—glowing faintly with golden light.

  "Protection wards," Broc explains, noticing her staring. "They keep non-magical people from finding this place."

  Adelia leads Charlotte to the cave entrance. "Now, watch carefully. You need to picture where you want to go—in this case, Linhollow Station. Hold that image in your mind, and a handle will appear. Grab it and step through."

  "Step through what?"

  "You'll see." Adelia closes her eyes, her face peaceful and concentrated.

  A shimmer appears in the air—like heat waves rising from pavement. Then, slowly, a brass handle materializes, floating in midair.

  Adelia grabs it and pulls. The air splits open like a curtain, revealing a tunnel of swirling light beyond.

  Charlotte's breath catches. "That's—"

  "A portal. Your turn. Picture the station. Focus."

  Charlotte closes her eyes and tries to imagine a train station. She'd never seen Linhollow Station, so she pictures the regular train station in her city—platforms and tracks and—

  A handle appears in front of her.

  "Good! Now grab it and step through. Don't hesitate—hesitation makes the portal unstable."

  Charlotte's hand shakes as she reaches for the handle. It's warm under her fingers, thrumming with energy. She pulls, and the air splits open.

  The tunnel beyond is terrifying—swirling colors and lights, no solid ground visible. Just... space.

  "I can't."

  "You can." Aki appears beside her, grinning. "It's actually really fun. Like a roller coaster. Come on, I'll go with you."

  Before Charlotte can protest, Aki grabs her hand and pulls her through.

  The world dissolves.

  Charlotte feels like she's being sucked through a vacuum—pulled and compressed and stretched all at once. Colors explode behind her eyelids. Her stomach lurches. She can't breathe, can't think, can't—

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Solid ground appears under her feet.

  Charlotte stumbles forward, gasping. Her legs feel like jelly. Her head spins.

  "Easy." Aki steadies her. "First time's always rough. You get used to it."

  Charlotte looks around, trying to get her bearings.

  They're standing on a cobblestone walkway. Behind them, the portal shimmers and spits out Broc, then Bainto, then finally Adelia. Ahead, the walkway leads down a gentle slope toward—

  Charlotte's jaw drops.

  Linhollow Station is enormous. The building itself is made of white stone, with soaring arches and stained glass windows that glow with inner light. But that isn't the impressive part.

  The impressive part is the roller coaster.

  It sits on tracks beside the station—a massive, gleaming thing with cars shaped like dragons. Real-looking dragons, with scales and wings and eyes that seem to follow Charlotte as she stares.

  "That's how we get to school?" Her voice comes out as a squeak.

  "Cool, right?" Aki is practically bouncing. "It's the fastest way through the mountains. Regular trains would take days."

  Charlotte's stomach churns. She'd never been on a roller coaster before. She'd always been too scared.

  "Come on." Adelia leads them down the walkway. "We need to check your luggage and get you seated. The coaster leaves in fifteen minutes."

  The station is packed with people. Kids of all ages say goodbye to their families, some crying, some laughing. Charlotte sees creatures she'd only read about in books—a centaur helping load luggage, a house elf directing traffic, something that looks like a small dragon perched on a girl's shoulder.

  Magic. Everywhere. Real and undeniable.

  Charlotte's hands start tingling again. She clenches them into fists, trying to stay calm.

  They reach a counter where a stern-looking woman checks names off a list. "Name?"

  "Charlotte Williams."

  The woman's eyes widen slightly. She glances at Charlotte's scar, then at her golden eyes, then back at her list. "Ah. Yes. First year. Your luggage will be transported separately and delivered to your dormitory after dinner."

  "Thank you."

  They move toward the platform where the dragon-coaster waits. Up close, it's even more impressive—and terrifying. The dragons' scales look real enough to touch. Their eyes gleam like polished onyx.

  "Find a seat." Adelia gestures toward the dragons. "Aki, stay close to Charlotte. Broc, you too."

  Charlotte approaches one of the dragons—a beautiful purple one with a dark leather saddle. She climbs up carefully, settling into the seat. A safety belt stretches across her lap, clicking into place.

  Aki climbs onto a red dragon right next to her. "See? Not so bad!"

  Charlotte's hands grip the saddle so tightly her knuckles turn white. "Aki, I've never been on a roller coaster before."

  "Really? Oh, you're gonna love it! It's amazing—we go through mountains and over waterfalls and—"

  "Aki." Broc's voice comes from his dragon on Charlotte's other side. "Maybe don't tell her all the scary parts right before we leave."

  "Oh. Right. Sorry." Aki grins sheepishly. "It's fun! That's all you need to know. Fun!"

  Adelia appears beside Charlotte's dragon. She reaches up and squeezes Charlotte's hand. "You're going to be fine. Aki will look after you until you're settled. And remember—you're safe at Aelwynne. The protections there are stronger than anywhere else."

  "What if I can't control my magic? What if I hurt someone?"

  "Then you'll learn from it. That's what school is for." Adelia's voice is gentle but firm. "Charlotte, you can't live your whole life afraid of what might happen. Sometimes you just have to try."

  The same thing Vallea had said.

  "Okay. I'll try."

  Adelia kisses her forehead. "That's my brave girl. I'll see you soon."

  She steps back as a whistle blows. All around the platform, families say final goodbyes. Charlotte watches a little boy cry as his mother hugs him. Watches a girl laugh and wave to her father. Watches Adelia walk away, back toward the station, growing smaller and smaller.

  Charlotte's chest tightens. She's alone again. Well, not alone—Aki and Broc are right there. But without Adelia, without Mark and Malina, she feels untethered. Lost.

  "Hey." Aki's voice is soft. "You okay?"

  Charlotte shakes her head, not trusting her voice.

  "It's scary, right? Leaving everyone behind." Aki is quiet for a moment. "But you're not really alone. You have me. And Broc. And Vallea. And you're gonna make more friends at school. I promise."