Page 6 of An Arcane Education
I stare at the blank email box, trying to figure out what to ask. I have so many questions, yet my intuition is guiding me toward exploring this rather than sending out warning signals. That must mean something for someone who’s usually so cautious.
Before I can overthink it too much, I type my email.
Hello,
Thank you for the acceptance letter. I’m honored by the opportunity, though there is some confusion, as I don’t recall submitting an application to Arcadia Academy. Additionally, I’ve attempted toresearch the institution and have found limited information available online, which raises some concerns about legitimacy.
I would be grateful for any additional details you could provide about the school and the botany program, as well as how you came to find me. I am interested in attending, but I’d like to have all the information before I make my decision.
I apologize if this seems overly cautious, but I hope you can understand my hesitation given the unusual circumstances of receiving an acceptance to a school I didn't knowingly apply to.
Sincerely,
Vivian Harver
I read it over three times, adjusting my phrasing and trying to strike the balance between grateful, skeptical, and professional.
As soon as I click send, I bury my head in my hands. In the span of a couple days, my entire life seems to have changed, and I don’t know how to process it. I’m exhausted, even more so than usual, and part of me wonders if that’s a side effect of this strange power I’ve discovered.
Glancing up at the plants covering my room, I can’t help but wonder if this is a power I’ve always had or if it was awakened yesterday in my moment of crisis.
But even as much as it terrifies me, a glimmer of excitement lingers under the uncertainty. I’ve spent so long living my life in the background and putting everyone else first while I fade into obscurity. But now, I’m realizing there’s something more to me than simply existing as a caretaker and a person whose purpose is to tend to others’needs. I have a power that’s uniquely my own, though that thought is interrupted by another. There must bemorepeople out there with abilities like this, right?
The question leads me down another internet rabbit hole, but it’s impossible to tell if anyone is genuine or if it’s just people deluding themselves into the idea that they’re magical.
Just as I’m about to close my laptop for the night to get some rest, I check my email one last time. There’s one unread message, a response to the one I had sent earlier.
Dear Vivian,
We absolutely understand your skepticism. Here at Arcadia Academy, we exercise discretion with public information due to the nature of our programs.
I am unable to reveal too much in writing, but I can say that the academy seeks out students like yourself who have exceptional abilities, and we are located on a remote island off the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
I’d be happy to arrange a video call to discuss the details of the academy and our curriculum, as well as to answer any other questions you may have. During the call, I’ll also be able to provide a view of campus.
Would tomorrow at 2:00 PM Pacific time be convenient? Please let me know if this time works for your schedule, or feel free to suggest an alternative.
Regards,
Clara Filippini
Director of Admissions
My heart races as I allow myself to consider for the first time that this mightactuallybe real. One phrase in particular catches my attention: “Students like yourself who have exceptional abilities.” The implication is clear, considering my academic records have been rather unextraordinary. Somehow, they know about what happened on my hike.
I should be terrified, considering they’re probably aware I’m responsible for someone’s death, but the email gave no indication that I’d be in any trouble.
I reply quickly, confirming the time, then immediately regret it. This isn’t some online program I can do from home. It’s not even a program that I could come home for at all, except on holidays, considering I’d be a thousand miles away. If I commit to this, I’d be letting down my entire family.
My life has always revolved around putting my own dream aside to help my family. Christopher needs a caretaker, my parents work tirelessly, and Matty shouldn’t have to sacrifice his teenage years to take on a massive responsibility he never asked for. I’m the one holding things together, contributing to the household finances and shouldering the bulk of Christopher’s caretaking. I’m the lynchpin, and if I leave, everything falls apart in one way or another.
Even as the small voice in my head insists I deserve to live my own life, the guilt of wanting to do something selfish swells. If I’m not the one here to take care of everything, how will they manage?
A smaller question, one that I don’t want to consider too deeply, prods at the back of my mind: Outside of myrole in this family, who am I? I’ve only ever defined myself by who I am to other people. I’m the helper, the loving sister and daughter, the one who sacrifices my time and energy and life plans to make everyone else’s lives easier. After spending so many years dedicated to taking care of my family, how would I define myself without it being in relation to the roles I serve for everyone else?
This opportunity may be my one chance to find out.
I spend the entire next morning at war with myself, having switched shifts with a coworker in order to be at home to take the video call. Matty is the only one home with me besides Christopher, with Dave having gone into work early after hearing I switched shifts.
