POV Nina

I don't even know

what your name is, we've seen each other like twice, and you come to climb the roof to ask me how I'm doing?

We are about ten meters from our rooms, the roof must be at least protected from outside noise and there is a wind whistling, it is not possible that you heard me, and where you know from my name, you?

Why did you go up with all that wind then? I don't need you, and besides, what do you care if I cry on the roof of a huge castle with weird and different people inside? I ask angry, not at him but at everything in general.

Because I don't want you to fall! I would feel bad when I could have helped you. And that's not true, Nina, you're not alone. We are precisely in this castle with lots of weird and different people, because we too are weird and different.

You do, not me. Now would you mind leaving me alone?

I won't be able to get you down, am I wrong? And you plan not to eat anything tonight?

No, you're not mistaken, I'll come down when I feel like it, and when I've done that, I'm going to stuff myself with chocolate biscuits, I said to him in a tone that I hoped would be cold, ending my our conversation.

He ends up leaving, sadly, leaving me to contemplate my surroundings. The setting sun casts spooky shadows at the edge of the forest.

This time, I don't hear anyone coming. I don't know how much time has passed since Marc left, too busy with my thoughts.

Jo, calm down, I don't think she needs this right now, Will cuts in his calm voice, It's because of your power, is it? Come on, come on, we're going down to join the others and you're going to explain to us, we're your friends, that's what we're here for.

When he tells me that, I realize how lucky I am to have him as my best friend. He's funny, he's nice, and he's cute. And after that, I think him and Luke hit it off, half the girls at school would probably like to date one of them, or have the same friendship with them that I have.

Zach and Skylar were super worried when they looked for us, Jo told me, Come see us next time, instead of isolating yourself. Even if you don't want to see me because I'm not very useful in this kind of situation, Skylar is always there to listen to you, and we all know that Zach gives the best advice.

I take the hands that my two best friends hold out to help me up. I must have the best friends in this world, I hardly deserve them.

Hailee, Bryan and Lisa went back to their rooms, they said they have things to do, but we doubt it for Bryan and Lisa, Jo tells me with a wink as we go down to my room , And we kept food for you!

Can you imagine, I saved a strawberry tartlet for you, and Brittany gave hers to Jo for you, because she was afraid that I would eat it if she gave it to me, but she wanted to give you his.

Your sister, she's just adorable Will, I'd like the same one, saying that, I manage to smile a little, And leave Lisa and Bryan alone Jo, I know enough about you to put you in the shit if you don't leave them alone.

That's the Nina I love, smiles my best friend.

As I enter the foyer, I see Luke and Aria in the middle of a discussion sitting on the small semi circular sofa, Skylar on the end of this sofa next to Zach, on an ottoman, explaining a card game to him.

Jo rushes to sit in the last remaining spot, between Luke and Skylar so she doesn't have to look for a poof. Me, big lazy that I am, I join the others while Will is looking for a pouf.

Don't think I'm going to get you one, he says to me as he puts the pouf next to me, I love you very much, but no longer at...

Oh, don't worry about that, I'm cutting it, and a little lighter than a few minutes ago. I didn't expect that from you, I finish, slumping down on the big burgundy pouf before he has time to react.

You're making me angry. Go, hop, stand up and find yourself another place.

No.

Please ?

No.

Too bad for you.

He sits down on the ottoman next to me, taking up as much space as possible. I decide to get up when I'm about to fall and sit on top of him.

You don't get rid of me like that, I tell him, sticking my tongue out at him.

Alright lovebirds, Jo throws us as we glare at her, it's cute and all, but you should really tell us what's going on Nina, even if it makes me happy to see you smile.

I explain to them what we discovered with Mr. Burger and I explain to them that it is not at all normal. Then I tell them what I learned about my mother, and that implies that I may not have power. The home gradually empties as I tell them all this.

We're all going to help you, Nina, to release your power, Luke tells me.

And I don't see why you wouldn't, it would be contradictory in a way.

It's true, adds Skylar supporting Zach's idea, Your element is much too powerful for you not to have power.

I smile at my friends, settle down on the floor so as not to bother Will too much and we change the subject, chatting for what feels like hours. I feel tired and decide to go to sleep.

I'm going to go to bed, it will do me good, I say, yawning.

Hold on ! Eat your tarts!

I will also go up, adds Skylar.

We finally all leave the home where we were the only ones for a long time. I start eating my tarts and we part ways with Aria, Skylar and Zach at the bottom of the stairs.

Good night, Zach tells us.

Good night everybody.

Together, Jo, Will, Luke and I go up to our rooms and I finish my way alone with my tarts, when I run into someone. I really need to learn to watch where I walk. Catching up with my tartlets in extremis, I apologize, narrowly avoiding choking on a piece of tartlet.

Sorry, I wasn't looking where... oh, hi, Marc.

Did you end up coming down from there?

Leave me alone, I just want to sleep.

Come on Nina, you look like a nice girl.

To end this discussion I enter my room and close the door. I no longer have the courage to take my shower tonight. I realize that I am rather unpleasant with Marc, but he chose the wrong time to come into my life.

I take off my uniform and put on my pajamas before slipping into bed.

However, I can't fall asleep, too many things are going on in my head, starting with Marc. He's been acting weird, he comes out of nowhere the day after my birthday, tries to talk to me and now I'm running into him at 10 p.m.

Then my mother. I don't remember anything about her, my father made me believe for fifteen years that she had abandoned me.

I can't wait for Jo and Will to move too, I feel alone on this floor, and I wonder if they will be able to get my power out of me. Or at least, I would like to know if I have one.

I wonder what powers my friends will have. I would see Luke with something to help people, like a healer, because he was by far the best of the four who did magic first aid.

As I continue to wonder what powers they will have, I finally manage to fall asleep.

It's been three weeks since I learned the truth about my mother. Five weeks that I should have had my power, but nothing has happened so far, except for a few small migraines. I suspect that this could be a symptom warning me that my power is coming, but I have had these migraines for several days without any appearance of my power being made.

My alarm clock rings this Monday morning and I turn over in my bed after turning it off. This time, I know that Jo will wake me up. I hear him give a few knocks against the wall and end up getting up.

Jo's room is right next to mine. Once dressed, when I leave my room to wait for my best friend, she is already outside my door. Together, we go down and we are the first to sit down at our usual table.

The class had already started for a while, which my aunt used to explain to us how the class was going to go, when I had another migraine. These migraines have been appearing more and more often over the past few days. At first, I didn't have more than one in the day, but since yesterday, it's more like two or three times in the hour, even if they last only a few seconds or minutes, the pain pierces my skull.

Seemed weird, I didn't wake up that night and haven't had one since I got up either, but I guess that's called the calm before the storm.

This migraine is worse than all the previous ones, it's like having my skull crushed, and it's been going on now for at least five minutes. My friends know about these migraines, as does my aunt, but Luke still looks askance at me.

Migraine?

Horrible, I answer him in a breath by shaking my head, trying to calm my breathing.

The pain intensifies further to such an extent that I can't answer it and blackheads start to appear.

For a moment, nothing. Then, black, everywhere, through all my senses.

I hear like a distant hum, like coming out of a tunnel, but the pain in my skull remains excruciating.

Gradually, I begin to distinguish voices, panicked, speaking quickly. I don't understand anything, I don't know who they belong to and I can't do anything.

I feel someone take my arm, then the other.

A pretty, slightly high pitched voice ends up saying something like, "I couldn't do it." It almost sounded like Skylar's voice. Skylar! But of course she must be carrying me, probably to the infirmary or my room.

Another, deeper voice seems to answer him something like, "It doesn't matter, we're almost there. before I felt my feet leave the ground. It must be Luke, since he did magic first aid with me.

I don't know what state I am in. If I had passed out, I shouldn't understand or even hear what they're saying, I shouldn't be aware of what's going on, I shouldn't even be thinking. But I'm not totally conscious, I can't move, or speak, or even open my eyes.

I landed on something that felt soft to me, a bed.

Skylar POV

Nina hadn't looked very well for a few minutes. I took her arm, asking her if she was okay, no response.

No answer, but a cry of pain. I see my friend take her head in her hands before losing consciousness, falling from her chair towards Luke. Realizing it a little too late, he can't catch up with her, just slow his fall.

Everyone starts talking at the same time, wants to get closer to her, but the director prevents them, except me, who remains paralyzed on the spot.

Luke, Skylar, take her up to her room. Daniel, go to the nurse and tell her to go to room nineteen in the west wing. Luke and Skylar, you'll stay with her, I'll come later, the headmistress orders us.

Daniel helps us carry Nina to where we need to part. We climb the first three floors, and although I am in very good physical condition, Nina is too heavy for me.