Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions

[🎶 Believer – IMAGINE DRAGONS.]

The Headmistress of the Corynthian Academy for Witches, Doctor Nicara Shetty sauntered into the hall of seated students with an air of calm devotedness and confidence. Brilliance shining in her eyes, she was quite the exquisite picture. Maybe a bit too humble for her [S Rank] status as a [Feline Shifter], Dr. Shetty was tigress and pack Alpha. But when was humility a bad thing?

As she moved up the raised dais in front of the Assembly Hall, she was the picture perfect 'hot auntie you went to visit and had a rager for'. Her auburn hair in the light was glossy and up in a classy bun. She wore a lavender pantsuit without the jacket, and the entire male population in the hall were certainly not staring at the rich red carpet that ran up to the aisle from the high doors.

The brief glimpse of her shapely hips and rounded ass before she was hidden out by the glass podium was enough to make many teen boys stretch out on the crimson chairs and adjust their crisp pants.

Dr. Shetty started her speech when the clapping quieted down—she was loved by all her students.

"Good morning, fellow witches of the Institute. I'm sure many of you know this redhead by now," she pointed to her beautiful face and laughter rose in the hall. "—I was there when your doting parents dropped you off in your cut jeans and inked hair, wishing you'd leave this fair academy with some sense of your future." More laughter. ". .

.and I WILL be there when you are caught wanking in the middle of the school garden or turning your illegal slumber party into a spin-the-bottle kissing booth.

I mean—JUST SAYING!"

The hall was raucous now with giggles, and some posh girls sniffled as they held tissues up to their leaking eyes. Dr. Nicara was quite the actress, and the faces she made. . . phenomenal.

All the students agreed she was the most exciting Headmistress in the long history of the [C. A. W].

Even Rafel smiled in his seat. He was in the fifth of the left column dedicated to the First Years. The right column sat the grinning trope of Sophomores to the Fourth Years. They are wore their colors proudly; one girl even had a sash of her Pegasus blue, complete with the totem of the winged horse around her neck. She cheered on for the Headmistress.

"Come on GUYS! AM I THAT FUNNY?"

A booming "YES!" went up at Nicara's engaging voice and the hall was brightened in many glowing teen faces. Even Percival, who had taken the seat beside Rafel, furthest from Rosa and the rest of their gang had lost his moody air.

Rafel looked past his row, across to Ravenna who sat with her fellow Second Years. She was staring at the lovely form of Dr. Nicara like she was a female Prometheus with the [Godflame]. She gave him a little wave. He guessed that was why the young magicians in the making loved Nicara so: she could turn up the heat in a crowd faster than a pyromancer with a lighter.

The good kind of heat!

Rafel knew she brought so much ease to the school activities which could be grueling: the First Years were already falling in love with her. Probably why she'd been Headmistress for such a long time.

Just like that, with her appearance, the lurking fear of Titans Landing had faded, and no one in the Hall was thinking about the Usurper.

"She's quite the woman," Percival leaned in to Rafel.

"The shit she is," came the reply, and both boys shared a fist bump.

"GO TIGRESS!" A blonde Third Year yelled in her row. She was clearly crushing hard on the Doctor.

Nicara had to raise up her hand to quieten the flood of voices in the grand hall. She adjusted her ivory spectacles, saying,

"Now, now, my dears; we must get to the business of the day! Firstly, for those of you who don't know my name—or just wish that I say it again, DON'T LAUGH, I am Nicara Shetty, a Doctor and Professor of the Arcane Arts. And before you ask, no, BOYS; I won't be teaching your class."

"Aww, man. FUDGE!" Mikhail moaned, and laughs broke out around the hall. Rosa poked him in the ribs to be quiet.

The Headmistress briefly met Rafel's eyes in the seats, and she shared a private smile, just for him.

"She's smoking hot. No cap!" Mikhail offered. "And I hear she's descended from the Carpathian bloodline. Who wouldn't want a bite of that?"

The double entendre of his question was not lost on Rafel. But his thoughts were turned to the Headmistress who was speaking out.

". . .a round of applause for our First Years! Come on. May they never stumble in on a weird tryst or miss their classes for suddenly happening on the gym." The laughing was endless. "Please, do give the newbies proper directions!

And no, not to your rooms, you studs!"

A pounding started from a group of boys at the back: Fourth Years, who still hadn't quit their rascally behavior. They stomped on the floors, talking in bassy voices and giving each other manly shoves. They stopped when Dr. Nicara sent them a look.

She was still a pack Alpha after all.

"Now to the main event," Nicara asserted, waving her hand and summoning to her palm a golden script of names. The list of the First Years. It took nothing more than a wrist fleck. Despite being a Shifter, the Headmistress had excellent command of wind magic.

"—The Manifest!

"Okay, here's how it goes: we have three houses of the Institute, namely, SALEM HALL, BRIGHTBURN HALL, and COPENHAGEN HALL. I trust you, First Years have already settled in your coed dormitories. We also have the [Mystic Arcs] you'll each be separated into based on your most dominant element control. Your Mana Core will determine this."

The large screen behind her on the opulent stage shimmered in dazzling stars, and the gigantic image of a girl in a red shawl with a phoenix leaping in flames outshining from her back.

A totem.

"This is the first [Mystic Arc]!" Nicara announced.

A hologram in maroon projected next to the model's picture.

[Ding!]

[PHOENIX ARC]

Another image slid in, this one of a dark boy in blue capes, with a sphere wand.

[Ding!]

[PEGASUS ARC]

The next was a flattering blonde bombshell in a princess gown, a tiara of pure gold on her head. Those on the right row whooped and cheered; those in golden jackets—with the shrieking Griffin badge.

[Ding!]

[GRIFFIN ARC]

The last image dulled the entire Assembly Hall to a macabre dark. A Goth girl with magenta streaks in her purple hair appeared on the screen. Her clothes were distinctly black. She wore a peaked Witch's hat and had a raven pendant dangling down her neck. Even her smile for the picture was scary.

[Ding!] came the final hollow.

[RAVEN ARC]

The screen peeled back to the pure silver holding the Academy's crow crest. The Headmistress took the stage once more as the lights brightened again. She eased into the spotlight, glowing in stars like a [Silver Saint]. Nicara said,

"I will now explain the Arcs:

[Pegasus Blue] arc is totem for water and spirit magic. Should you manifest aquakinesis and touch of healing as your strongest mana, you will fall here.

[Phoenix Red] arc is for fire, lightning and sanguine. Blood magic and pyromancy is paramount. All vampire children among the First Years would automatically fall in here. Demonic factions are dominant in this arc, but please keep an open mind.

The arc crystal which you will touch to manifest does not lie.

[Griffin Gold] arc is totem for wind and [Sunfire], but includes wild magic and control over flowers and vegetation. And I don't want to hear anyone calling it the BLONDE ARC. Yes, they have many Blondies among their faction, but the colors don't make the witch.

The manifest does.

[Raven Black] arc is the last I mention, but not at all at the bottom of mystic orders. The midnight raven is the totem for shadow magic, energy, and the arcane threads; be it dark demonic or pure angelic. We have seen those manifest to this arc level up to become [Thrones] and Cherubim.

Don't sell yourself short because of the Arc you fall into. Our first graduant, the great Magdalena was of Salem Hall and [Raven Arc], but she didn't let the obsidian of her colors ink her future. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all she graduated into a [Supreme Witch] and the first Dark Angel of the Eldorian colonies of her time.

Your various Halls, be it Salem or Copenhagen are made to contain students of all classes and Arcs. Your roommate may be a Sophomore in [Phoenix Red] or a Fourth Year in [Griffin Gold]. This is not a slight, but was instituted by the School Board to facilitate mixing of factions, despite their differences.

We have graduants who were Griffins and Ravens grow to be lifelong friends.

As we know, Magdalena is now ascended, but we are still hoping she drops by in one of our alumni meetings."

The students laughed, though many hearts had become to thrum in anticipation and fear; whatever future they had in the arcane society was hinged on what they would manifest today.

Dr. Nicara Shetty gave a pause to let the rows of antsy First Years cool their pumping pulse. It was a full minute before she held the golden scripts with their names and began to call.

"Coming out from Brightburn Hall, we have our first FIRST YEAR; Bryan Móntehugh!!!"