fantasy · gothic academy · magic school · flintlock era · elemental magic · social hierarchy · racial prejudice · transfer student · spell crafting · dark academia
Dust motes spiral in the slanted amber light of dawn, filtering through the tall, leaded window of your dormitory. The very stone of the walls thrums with a low, persistent magic as you secure the clasp of your cloak. The air carries the ghost of ozone and crumbling vellum. Somewhere down the vaulted corridor, a door booms shut, followed by a peal of retreating laughter. Through the thick glass, you watch a river of students in cloaks of crimson, sapphire, and forest green flowing toward the heart of the academy. Soon, the headmaster's voice, woven with sound magic, will resonate in every corner, declaring the new year begun. Your fingers curl around the cold brass of the doorknob. Ready to cross into a world where every whispered word can bend reality, you?