Magic Academy of Elorah

Prologue How hard it is to be alone — everyone, everyone has left me: “Mom, Dad, little brother”! How much more can I lose? Today, Grandma was taken to the hospital — how bitter it is!!! I'm sitting in the hospital corridor, and it's just as gray and shabby as my life. And yet, everything was great just a year ago: Dad was a successful businessman, Mom a surgeon, and little brother just started first grade! — Ellen, your grandmother's condition has worsened, the doctor told me. — What do I need to do? How can I help? — There's nothing more you can do. It all depends on her now. And out of respect for your mother's achievements, your grandmother has all the necessary medication. — Thank you! — No need to thank me. But I suggest you go get some rest — right now, you hardly look different from a corpse yourself! — Yes, yes, of course… Can I see Grandma? — No, she's sleeping. She mustn’t be disturbed! Stepping outside, I breathed in the frosty air. I needed to stop by the store to buy some groceries — at home, “there's not a crumb in sight”! Tomorrow morning I have to go to the university — exams are just around the corner. And after that, I'll visit Grandma. Coming home, I felt how empty and bleak the apartment was. Of course, I do enjoy solitude… but this kind is cold and hollow. …Days dragged on, one after another, and Grandma still wasn’t getting any better. I tried to keep myself as busy as possible — anything to stop thinking. The phone rang in the middle of the night. — Ellen, this is Dr. Richards. You need to come to the hospital. Your grandmother's condition has worsened. Just in case… come to say goodbye. —I’m coming!- I said with a pounding heart. The whole way there, I could only think about one thing — would Grandma hold on until I got there or not? I sat with her until morning. Grandma tried to comfort me, painting a fairytale picture of my future — she had always done that, ever since I was a child. When I said goodbye and was just about to leave the room, the life support machine started to beep. The doctor and nurses rushed in, and I just stood there, watching… realizing it was the end. — Time of death: 7:40 a.m. Ellen, my condolences. Is there anything I can do for you? — No… I know this procedure all too well. Thank you for everything. The funeral went by in a haze — I don’t remember anything. I didn’t care about anything anymore. Half a year passed. I studied, smiled, and lived on autopilot. One gloomy September evening, I was walking back from my part-time job, so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the approaching footsteps. — “Hey, girl, do you have the time?” a voice called from behind. I saw two clearly drunk guys. I had no desire to respond. I just shook my head and kept walking. — “What, is she mute? Or are we not good enough for her, bro?” — “Let’s find out!” …I was screaming, calling for help… pain, wild hellish pain. And then everything was overtaken by that one feeling — pain. Something strange happened — suddenly, I was looking at myself from the outside. I saw them tear off my coat, saw them assault me, saw blood running down my legs. Then they turned me over, and I saw a deep wound on my back. That’s when I realized — I was dying. They tossed me aside like an object. And there it was: the dark alley, a dirty puddle, peeling walls — and this was where my life ended. No kids. No husband. No family. Only now did I realize how much I wanted to live? But I had missed my chance. How sad. I don’t know how long I just sat there, but eventually, the police came and examined the scene. They packed up my body and sent it to the morgue. I didn’t know what to do… so I followed the vehicle. As it turned onto the avenue, I started noticing strange whirlpools forming in the air — some white, some black. Interesting… what are these? But I didn’t have the courage to test them. Hurrying to keep up with the departing ambulance, I ended up falling into a black vortex. It threw me out — such a strange sensation, like I’d been spun in a washing machine. Barely catching up with the vehicle again, I rushed through the morgue doors — and this time, I got pulled into a vortex again… only this one was white. And that was it. Chapter One. White light. So much light… Then I woke up in a green meadow. All around me was forest — tall, unfamiliar trees. I’ve always loved nature. These trees were ancient and massive. Many of them were deciduous, with a few conifers scattered in between, and various types of shrubbery. Where am I? — Maybe this is heaven? — What do I do now? How do I move forward? — I’m so thirsty… wait, thirsty?! But I died! — Or… didn’t I? Then where am I?! Or what am I? So many questions — and no answers. I sat down on the grass: —I need to calm down and think everything through. Figure things out. It was hot here, and I was still dressed in warm clothes. The first thing I needed was water — and then shelter for the night. I found water quickly, but finding a place to sleep took more effort. I wandered for what felt like half the day, and eventually found a large hollow in a tree. Not bad at all, considering sleeping out in the open could be dangerous — what if there were predators around? I climbed in and got comfortable. Thankfully, it was big inside. My stomach growled. I can endure it, I thought. It’s good that I’ve always been a little chubby — maybe I can go without food for a while. I’m about 170 cm tall, my hair is cut short like a boy’s — I still look like an unformed teenager, really. All my thoughts drifted to the past — I remembered my parents, my first day at the university… And with those memories, I drifted off to sleep. I had a dream: — A meadow bathed in white light — so magical and enchanting in its unreal beauty. Lush, young grass gently tickled my feet, and huge scarlet flowers filled the air with a dizzying fragrance. Unusual birds, more like people in appearance, sang with voices that mesmerized. — “Ellen…” I turned toward the voice, but saw no one. — “Ellen, Elleeeen! Please come to the waterfall.” I approached, but saw nothing unusual at first. — “Look carefully at the water — someone is about to speak with you!” The voice was inside my head. Suddenly, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen appeared before me. Tall, with long flowing hair, elegant and graceful. Her face was delicate and stunning, with thick, luxurious lashes, icy blue eyes, and full lips. Our models would’ve died of envy on the spot. — “How do you like your new life?” Silence. — “Not saying anything… don’t like it?” I couldn’t speak. Her voice — it sounded like a cascade of wind chimes! I just started nodding uncontrollably. — “You can’t gather your thoughts — understandable.” — “Please, step up to this altar and choose any object.” As I approached the altar, I saw several items: some stones, a flower, and a handful of coins. What could all this mean? What am I supposed to choose? And what if I don’t like any of them? That thought became a question, and I voiced it aloud: — “What if… I don’t like anything here?” — "What is it that you truly want?" — the mysterious woman looked at me with genuine curiosity. — "I’m not interested in stones, or flowers… and certainly not in money." — "Then what does interest you?" I began observing the space around me more closely. Everything was beautiful, almost overwhelming in its perfection — but there, near the altar, something simple caught my eye: a small lizard basking calmly beside a dewdrop that sparkled like a diamond in the sunlight. That’s what I told her. — "The lizard… and the dew." — "Mmm… an unusual choice. And is that really all? Nothing more?" — "No. With effort and hard work, anything can be achieved. I don’t need gifts." She stared at me for a long moment — surprised, perhaps even impressed. — "Strange one, you are… Those who come here from your world usually ask for gold, for power, for pleasures… But you, you want nothing. My will is thus — you shall receive all you’ve chosen. And, for the fact that you asked for nothing, I grant you one wish — anything your heart desires." I bowed my head deeply. — "Thank you… for such generosity." I walked into the kitchen. It was just as dusty, as though no one had stepped foot in there for years. The air was thick, but not unpleasant—just old and unmoved. Surprisingly, in the corner stood an old wood-burning stove, and hanging above it on a shelf was a copper kettle. Everything looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale. On the wall—hooks with pots and pans, a wooden shelf lined with dried herbs I didn’t recognize, but they gave off a calming, earthy scent. I opened the cabinet under the sink—and there it was: a bucket. Metal, slightly rusted, but still usable. Beside it, an old rag, as if waiting for someone to return. “Well then, this is where I’ll start,” I thought, and made my way to the stream I’d seen earlier. As I washed the windows and started tidying up the house, I noticed something: my mind felt lighter. It was as if my old life, the one I left—or maybe the one I died in—was beginning to fade, just as she had said. I still remembered my name, my birthplace… but it all felt distant. Not painful, not sad. Just... no longer mine. When I was done cleaning and had made the main room livable, the sun was already setting. Long orange shadows stretched across the floor. I lit a fire in the fireplace—thankfully, there were logs stacked behind the house—and wrapped myself in a warm blanket, sinking into the tall-backed black leather chair. And that’s when it hit me: for the first time in what felt like forever, I was at peace. Not happy, exactly. But calm. Warm. Safe. As if I had come home, even if I had no idea where I was. And then I remembered: I still had one wish. She gave it to me. And said it could be anything. I sat in silence, thinking.