It was Miryana's first day at the Perella Conservatory for the Magical Arts. She'd been dancing longer than she could remember. Then, when she learned that she had flair, it was like a whole world opened up for her. She not only was the best dancer in her …

Miryana's sense of bliss, like everything else in life, was transient. She trailed behind her parents, as they got her established, lightly quarreling all the way. “Why aren't you getting her textbooks used, Greg?” “As you can see, I would if they weren't completely defaced.” “This place …

A girl her own age entered the room. Miryana breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't her parents, back to complain about some imagined slight. She watched from her perch atop her bed as her new roommate explored. Apparently, she hadn't been seen yet. The seconds stretched …