Solaris Ch. 01

Dinner ended and it was time to say goodbye. Lucas wrapped Mia in a big hug "I love you Mia, I know you're gonna do amazing here." He looked at her solemnly and let her go. Lissa's mom was blubbering about how she was so proud of her girls and hugged Mia so tight she couldn't breath for a moment. Lissa's dad pulled her off and gave her a hug as well. Mia saw Lucas give Lissa a hug and noticed how they lingered for a moment. Then the three of them all left with the remaining parents.

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When Mia and Lissa arrived back at their dorm Mia noticed that Lissa took no time at all to get it decorated, Lissa side had a plush hand woven rug on the floor, the bed was absolutely covered in pillows and fluffy pink bedding, the desk replaced with one made of marble and gold, and it is adorned with a set of matching pens and pencils. The shelves are filled with designer handbags and shoes, and the closet is bursting with designer dresses and couture gowns that she insisted she would need. Every detail has been carefully considered and executed, from the crystals on the bedside lamp, to the plush velvet cushions on the window seat. It was entirely Lissa.

Lissa had also taken the opportunity to decorate Mia's side, a plush hand woven rug also adorned her side but rather than colorful it was a solid shade of cream, the bed covered in organic cotton bedding. Every detail has been carefully considered and executed, with a focus on sustainability and modern materials. The shelves are filled with potted plants and hand-crafted pottery, and the closet is stocked with all of Mia's new clothes she had bought with Lissa in the week prior, a little more casual than Lissa's. The window seat is adorned with fluffy organic cotton cushions and the balcony has a new set of furniture to view the stunning view of the castle grounds.

It was lovely, the room made her feel close to her mother but also had their own personal touches. Mia breathed deeply and laid in her bed, she still slept poorly and when her alarm went off she groaned deeply. Lissa was full of energy and was practically bouncing around the room getting ready. Mia stepped into their ensuite and showered. Letting the water wash over her still too tired body. She pinched her nipples and sighed letting herself feel the delightful tingles in her pussy. But before she could go any further in exploring her body Lissa opened the door and began talking about all the new hot guys she was expecting to be there today. Mia snapped out of her trance and thought how it might be nice for someone else to touch her soon.

As Mia and Lissa made their way down to the dining hall for breakfast, Mia's head was absolutely pounding and she had to conceal the dark circles under her eyes. As they ate Lissa was talking to a pretty conjurer sitting nearby.

"So you lived at a resort in the Maldives?" The girl asked Mia.

Mia who was not listening said nothing, Lissa poked her side and made a face for her to respond. Mia jolted and looked at the girl who was slender with a graceful build. She looked about 5 feet 6 inches tall and had a slender waist, long legs, and toned arms and shoulders. Her hair was a vibrant shade of red that complements her fair skin and bright green eyes. She had a heart-shaped face with a small chin, high cheekbones, and a pert nose. She has full lips that were slightly stained from the berries she was eating.

"Uh yeah I lived there with my Uncle, he owns it."

"Wow, that's so cool! No wonder you are so tan!"

"Yeah I-" Mia was cut off by the headmaster who had walked out and began talking about the itinerary for the day.

"Good morning everyone, I hope that everyone slept well and is settling in. Today we will be splitting you up by your dynamic and everyone will get a tour of their respective buildings. You will also get your course list, we will break for lunch and then you will be given time to explore our activities and clubs at the welcome fair. Please find your dynamic and then we will begin!"

Lissa looked at Mia and said "well I guess I'll see you after lunch" the girls got up and made their way to their respective groups. Mia stood with the group of transmuters and quickly scanned the group. It looked like mostly men and some she recognized from Solarius. Mia stared at her phone and she considered texted Francios about getting more Pixie somehow.

"Looks like a real sausage fest here, and not many to look at" a short girl piped up next to Mia. She chuckled "Yeah not sure why so many transmuters tend to be men"

"The whole women in STEM, except instead of tech its transmutation. I'm Lauren by the way."

Mia smiled, "I'm Mia, nice to meet you."

"So you think they are gonna make us all demo today?" Lauren asked.

Just then a deep voice behind Mia piped up "Oh I think they will, they like to know power placements early on" The girls turned to the source of the voice and met the heated gaze of the man standing behind her, his eyes seemed to bore into hers and they swirled with desire and determination. Mia felt her heart race and a surge of adrenaline flow through her veins. She sucked in a breath as she looked at him. He was tall, at least 6'1 with dark wavy hair that gently swooped against his forehead, intense brown eyes, a straight high nose and full lips that looked like they were made for kissing. His jaw was defined and strong, he had light layering of muscles that peaked through his shirt, a strong looking chest and defined arms. Mia's mouth felt like cotton suddenly and she had wondered how long it had been since she last got laid.

"As in which classes we get?" Lauren spoke.

"As in which career path they choose for you" the stranger said.

"Wait wait, I thought WE got to pick that" Mia said exasperated.

"Not anymore, they changed it like 4 years ago after the incident with that enchanter who stole some forbidden runes and then disappeared. The faculty felt that it was too dangerous to leave us to our own devices. So now they pick for you based on ability. You do get some input but it's meant as a way to keep us and the null's safe. Oh and by the way I'm Mason"

"I'm Mia"

"Oh I know who you are, you're a Collymore." He said staring into her, Mia blushed. Lauren spoke breaking their little staring contest "and I'm Lauren" she looked between them and felt slightly awkward. Their professor arrived and the tour was underway. The group walked to the back courtyard and down a path before stopping in front of what looked like an old barn. "This is to be your main building that you will have your transmuter courses in, your general studies classes will likely take place in the main castle, this building holds each line of study for you all."

Mia whispered to Lauren beside her "This ramshackle building is for STEM?"

The professor swiped his card on the reader and doors opened to reveal a beautiful interior, an open floor plan, state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, as well as an advanced computer lab with high-performance workstations and 3D printers. There is also a maker space on the ground floor, complete with tools and equipment for prototyping and design. Mia was in awe of the building, as the tour continued down the hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. The smell of antiseptic and the hum of medical equipment grew stronger as they approached the medical wing. They turn a corner and come face to face with a pair of sliding glass doors, beyond which lies the bustling hub of the medical school. This was the wing that Lissa's mother designed and it looked amazing, she looked at Lauren who had her mouth open in awe. She looked behind her to see Mason staring at her, he smirked and looked away. This man was going to be trouble she thought.

After the tour concluded the group went into a classroom and each student was given a number. When their number was called they were to step behind a screen for their testing.

At least it wasn't out in the open, Mia thought.

Everyone was given a paper that had a list of placements: Material Scientist, Engineer, Chemist, Artisans, Food production, Environmental, Medical. Everyone was told to fill out their forms in order of which they preferred and wait for their number. While she waited Mia thought now would be a great time to nap. She tucked her head into her shoulder and told Lauren to wake her when it was her turn. Just as she felt like she had closed her eyes Lauren nudged her indicating it was her turn.

She stepped up and handed the balding man her paper, her order was as such; Environmental, Chemist, Material Science, Engineer, Medical, Artisans, Food production.

On the table in front of her was a rock, a seed, a balloon, a glass of water, and a knife. The man eyed her paper and without looking up said "Alright I want to see what you can do, miss.. Collymore? You're Lucas' sister?"

She nodded, he tilted his head waiting for her to begin. Mia picked up the rock and focused on it; she then bombarded the atoms of the rock with subatomic particles adding protons and forcing the atomic structure of the rock to change. There was a bright light emitted from her hands, the eyes of the professor widened at her ability. When the light disappeared what was once a rock was now a raw nugget of gold. She placed the gold down and looked at the man, he adjusted his glasses and scribbled something on her paper. "Well done, miss Collymore. You may go now"

Mia returned to her seat, collected her things and walked to the dining hall. She felt a bit light headed from using her ability to achieve that effect but wanted to make the best impression possible. Mia saw Lissa already seated next to Ryan from Solarium, she groaned but sat down.

"How did it go? Have you got your placement yet?" Lissa asked her.

"No we just demoed, they said we will get them emailed" Mia told her.

Ryan leaned over and grinned at her "Well hello there, I'm Ryan, Lissa how is it you already have so many pretty new friends? Lissa rolled her eyes at him "She's not a new friend Ryan, it's Mia, remember?"

Ryan's face fell, Lissa wished she had a picture of it. He looked so dumbfounded. "Mia?! When did you..? I mean.. Uh. I thought you moved in with your uncle?"

Mia coldly responded "I did, I got back 2 weeks ago. Only the important people knew of course"

Ryan looked embarrassed and excused himself from their table. Lissa was trying and failing to hide a laugh. Mia's headache had returned in full force and the loud of the dining hall was making it worse. She got up "Lissa I'm not feeling well, I'm gonna go lay down I'll join you later"

Lissa looked concerned "Do you need me to go with you?"

Mia shook her head "no, no I just have a headache. I'll meet you later"

She began to walk towards the stairs and pulled her phone out, rules be damned she NEEDED more pixie this was unbearable. Looking down at her phone she began typing a message to Francos, if anyone knew where she could get some it was him. Mia was staring down at her phone and walking up the stairs but suddenly she collided with something hard and stumbled, feeling her face flush with embarrassment as she lost her balance. But before she could fall, she felt strong arms wrap around her and steady her on her feet.

She looked up into Mason's smoldering eyes and felt a spike of heat run through her. He grinned down at her, his arms still around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

She nodded, her heart racing. "I'm fine," she managed to stammer out. "Thanks."

He chuckled and released her, taking a step back. "Anytime," he said. "I'm always here to catch you."

She felt her cheeks flush even more and looked away, trying to compose herself. "I should get going," she said, gesturing to the stairs.

"Of course," he replied, standing aside to let her pass. "I'll see you around."

She nodded and hurried past him, her heart still racing as she made her way up the rest of the stairs.

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When Mia arrived at her room she quickly shut the door and finished typing her message to Francos "I need more dust, do you have any connections at or near Solaris? I seriously think i'm dying" Mia sent the message and walked over to her bed. Laying on her bed was an envelope. It was made of heavy, cream-colored paper and had her name written on the front in elegant, flowing script. She looked around and the room and after confirming she was alone opened it. Inside was a what looked like an invitation it read:

"Miss Collymore,

We hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to extend to you an invitation to join us for an evening.

This offer is only extended to the most esteemed students and we do hope you'll join us.

If you wish to learn more, walk into the courtyard at 9 pm tonight, tell no one where you are going and wear all black and bring this letter with you.

C.O.H."

There was nothing more in the envelope, she tucked the letter back and set it on her desk. Was the C.O.H. a club on campus? How did they get into her room? Why her? These questions swirled around in Mia's head and she laid in her bed and closed her eyes. She felt restless, her head hurt, she was exhausted. Her phone buzzed just then and she shot up to see what it was.

Francos: "Damn girl that bad? I do know a guy that might be able to help you out, here is his contact 678-438-9874"

Mia practically cheered "Yes!" She said aloud to no one. Mia texted the number "Francos sent me, do you have any dust?"

Ding! "I do but it's $200 per 5g, how much do you want?"

"20g can you meet soon?"

Ding! "Tomorrow, there's too much going on today. Meet me before lunch in the woods near the far left side of the courtyard and come alone. Cash only"

"I'll be there"

She was about to set her phone down when she saw the time, Shit! She was out of time, the event was starting downstairs. She pulled on her shoes and made her way back down.

Mia found Lissa talking to the red haired girl by the doors leading out to the courtyard where the event was being held.

Lissa waved "Mia! You're late, you remember Sophia from breakfast?"

Mia smiled, she hadn't actually but was glad Lissa reintroduced her. The trio began to walk through the event fair. It was bustling with students, as they walked, they stopped to chat with various representatives and to gather information about different organizations that caught their interest. Lissa was interested in the fashion club and Sophie was looking at the soccer team. Mia scanned each booth looking for anything with C.O.H. or anything that stood for it. They were walking past the water polo team when she spotted Mason signing up.

He saw her and called her over, Lissa eyed him then Mia with a grin and they walked over. They met by the table and Mason reached out to fake steady Mia, he gave her a smile and said "Oh whoa whoa, sorry just in case you know" with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Mia puffed out a breath of fake irritation "I am not THAT clumsy you know" she swatted his chest, his very toned chest she thought.

Lissa and Sophia had the widest grins on their faces "Mia, who is this?" Lissa said with amusement.

"Mason Curran, and you ladies are?"

"Alissa Ellis"

"Sophia Yarrow"

"Mason is a fellow transmuter, we met this morning," Mia explained.

"And when she dove into my arms after lunch" Mason said cheekily.

Mia's eyes widened with embarrassment "I did not, Dive into you, I was looking at my phone and we bumped into each other"

"Sure, sure angel whatever you say" Mason laughed.

Lissa was giving Mia a face like she knew what she was thinking. Mia blushed and then cleared her throat. "So water polo? Have you played before?"

"All my life, it's how I got this sweet physic, '' Mason said with the flex of his bicep.

They all laughed and Sophia said "I'll catch up with you all later, I gotta sign up for soccer before they leave" she hurried off and the others waved her off.

Mia looked around some more before turning her attention back "Have either of you seen a booth that says C.O.H or maybe something that would be an acronym or abbreviation?"

Mason and Lissa looked around but looked sheepish, they both shook their heads. Mason looked away and said "Uh well good to run into Mia, and meet you Lissa. See you around" then he strode away.

It was like his energy changed and he suddenly ran away from her after she had asked about the C.O.H. It rubbed her the wrong way, Mia wasn't sure if she was going to attend this meeting but now she knew she had to.

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The clock read 8:50 pm, Mia had put on a pair of tight black leggings and tank top that hugged her curves in all the right places, showing off her toned legs and slender waist. The leggings were made of a stretchy, high-waisted fabric that contours to her body and highlights her hourglass figure.

The tank top was also form-fitting, made of a soft, stretchy material that clings to her curves and enhances her bust. The top has a low, scoop neckline that reveals a hint of cleavage and draws the eye to her toned shoulders and arms. She slipped on her black vans, grabbed her invite and snuck down stairs to the courtyard. The area of the courtyard she was set to wait had very low lighting, it faced the edge of the woods and she was alone. Mia had a bad feeling in her gut but steeled her resolve and checked her phone, 8:59 pm only one more minute. She stood facing the building and began to shift from foot to foot, getting more anxious the longer she stood. She checked her phone again, 9:00 PM. She let out a frustrated breath, just when she was getting ready to call it quits a bag suddenly slipped over her head. She immediately freaked out and tried to scream but was pulled back against a large body and a hand against her mouth muffled any screams. Multiple hands grabbed at her as she thrashed in their hold, She was dragged away and her hands bound behind her back. She was being carried away.

She was set down in a chair and the bag suddenly pulled off her face. She looked around and saw several others all in chairs with their hands bound like her, she then spotted Mason, Lissa, and Sophia among the group. She made a face at Lissa and Lissa gave her a serious look and shook her head and looked forward towards the robed individuals standing in front and around them. Mia was silent and waited for someone to say something. The individual on the altar then spoke "Welcome pledges, as you all know it is a great honor to be selected. There is only space for some of you to join our ranks. Tonight will begin your first trial to see if you are truly worthy. It is a test of endurance and strength, everyone will have these-" The cloaked figure was handed a set of leg weights, "strapped to your legs, you cannot take them off. The goal will be to make it through the woods and down the hill to the house that sits at the bottom. There, we will be waiting for you. Oh and there are some surprises laid out so do be careful" The figure stepped back and all their hands were untied. Each person had the weights strapped to their legs.

When they got to Mia she asked "What even is this?" Everyone stopped, the room went still as everyone looked at her like she had grown two heads. One figure had begun to approach her but the one who spoke had lifted a hand to stop them and then said "If you want to know more you will need to pass this first trial. Then you will find the answers you seek" He said nothing more. Mia looked to Lissa and she placed a finger to her lips to imply silence. Mia understood and allowed the cloaked figures to strap the weights to her. Mia could trust Lissa with her life, she trusted that if Lissa was okay in this situation she would be too.