MAGIC EXISTED HERE LONG before the Mortals decided it didn’t. And maybe I used to think the same. We thought it was just ridiculous fantasy, the sort of stories adults tell to make kids behave, but—

The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large square houses and villas of Mystic Vale, Lahore. The houses baked in the fading sun, lawns yellowing like old paper. The only person outdoors was a young boy of eleven, sprawled out on the lawn of his own villa, staring at the sky with a look that said, “The heat is ridiculous and so are you.”

He was a lean boy with messy dark hair. His eyes looked black in a shade but in the light, a deep brown showed through. His frame stretched a little, as if he had shot up too fast over the past year, his clothes hanging loose and worn.

Daniel Godfrey’s appearance annoyed his neighbours, who valued neatness. He ignored their opinions and openly criticized their lawns.

Daniel blew his hair out of his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows. He was a student in Lahore, and it was summer holidays now. School started in August which meant he had a few more days left to enjoy.

Though lately, his parents, Ed Godfrey and Rose Godfrey, had been hinting at the fact that he might not go back to school again. They had told him that they were going to send him somewhere else…somewhere he truly belonged…and Daniel had spent every waking moment of his holidays daydreaming about that school.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as someone dropped down beside him. Daniel didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

“Yo,” said Rabeez, Daniel’s cousin and best friend, plopping down on the grass beside him. His skin was a warm caramel, and his dark wavy hair was tousled but somehow still sharp. His amber eyes sparked with mischief. He was taller than Daniel, lean and strong, and moved with the easy grace of someone trained to fight before breakfast.

“Yo,” returned Daniel, smirking, “Bored?”

He turned to glance at Rabeez and saw that his eyes were red.

“Have you been crying?” asked Daniel.

Rabeez hastily wiped his eyes on his sleeve, “No,” he said, slightly alarmed.

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes, you are.”

“Ok, fine, I was crying,” admitted Rabeez, scratching the back of his neck.

“Why?” asked Daniel.

“Well…I was just…watching one of those old Ministry archive films…” began Rabeez.

“…and you cried because the hero died,” finished Daniel, rolling his eyes.

“Yes,” said Rabeez. Daniel heaved a great sigh. Of course—of course—he’d cry on something as simple as a death of a fictional character.

“Seriously dude?” said Daniel, “You’re crying over a movie? Come on! Grow up!”

“Better me than someone losing their mind over nothing…oh wait, that’s you next week.”

“Anyways, what are the adults up to?”

Rabeez rolled his eyes, “Probably plotting how to ruin the last days of our holidays. Classic. But what are you doing here?”

“Well,” said Daniel, laughing, “I just needed some time to…think.”

“Aww, man,” said Rabeez, snorting, “When did you start to think?”

Daniel shot him an annoyed look, “Shut up,” he mumbled.

Rabeez ignored him, “What were you thinkin’ ‘bout?”

Daniel hesitated for a bit, then said, “You know mum and dad mentioned we won’t be going to school again?”

“Yes,” said Rabeez, listening with mock attentiveness.

“…and, er, they said we’d be going to…um…somewhere special…” Daniel continued. He looked up and saw Rabeez was grinning.

“What are you grinning at?”

Rabeez laughed, “My dear not-so-innocent cousin, how old are we?”

“Eleven,” answered Daniel, “But…”

“And where are we supposed to go once were eleven?”

“Er…”

“Where do Ayan, Afaan, Adil go?”

“Um…to school?”

“Which school?”

“Oh…” said Daniel suddenly, the realization dawning over him, “We’ll be…we’ll be going to…to that school?” he said quietly, as if saying it out loud would make it unreal.

“Yes!” exclaimed Rabeez happily, “Yes, we’d be going there! I just can’t wait for the letters—official seals and all. Dad says the owls hate heat, with which I can agree.”

“How can I be so stupid?” muttered Daniel, “I literally watched my three cousins and my brother go to that school when they were eleven and now, I forget it?”

“You probably lost your memory for a bit,” said Rabeez, “Oh, by the way, don’t mention Ismail in front of your mum.”

“Why?” asked Daniel. Ismail was his fourteen-year-old brother…who had sadly died when he was at the same school they were talking about.

Rabeez sighed, running a hand through his hair and asked, “What day is it today?”

“Oh, bingo,” muttered Daniel, “Ismail’s birthday.”

“Yes,” said Rabeez, “Uncle Ed mentioned and she burst into tears.”

Then he leaned in closer and dropping his voice slightly as if sharing a secret, he whispered, “And last night, I heard Adil in his room, and it sounded as though he was crying.”

“Of course he would be crying,” said Daniel, “I mean…Ismail and Adil were best friends.”

“I kinda miss Ismail,” said Daniel with a sad little sigh. “Before leaving for school, he told me he would come back and then we’d play. But he didn’t…”

His voice cracked at the last bit and he looked away. Rabeez awkwardly cleared his throat, unsure what to say.

Rabeez finally broke the silence before it swallowed them whole, “Don’t tell Adil I told you…or else he’ll take the mickey out of me…”

“Don’t worry,” Daniel assured him, “I got you. Always.”

Rabeez grinned, but before they could talk more, Rabeez’s little sisters Anaya, who was ten-year-old, and Sauleha, who was also ten years old, came marching up to them, their brown hair tied up into a ponytail that bounced with every step.  Their freckles glistened under the dimming sunlight.

“Rabeez,” said Anaya, her voice bossy with a hint of annoyance like she’d be somewhere else than here, “And Daniel.”

“Mum’s calling you inside,” said Sauleha, crossing her arms.

“Why?” asked Daniel.

“Dunno,” she shrugged, “Whatever it is, you go and find out for yourself.”

With that, they turned on their heel and went back inside the house.

Daniel and Rabeez stood up, brushing dirt off their jeans.

“Race you to the door?” asked Rabeez, grinning.

“Oh,” said Daniel, “You’re so going to lose…”

And they both sped off towards the house, the gravel crunching beneath their feet. Daniel reached first and pumped his fist triumphantly, “Ha! I won!”

“For now,” said Rabeez sweetly.

Daniel pushed open the door and they entered the hallway, their sneakers squeaking slightly on the gleaming tiles. The portraits of their ancestors waved and grinned and winked at them. The aroma of dinner wafted through the kitchen and into their noses, making their stomachs growl with hunger. Daniel could hear his dad, Edward (Ed), and Uncle Imran (Rabeez’s dad) talking in the living room, probably discussing some boring Ministry stuff.

The door opened and Daniel’s mum, Rose, appeared in the doorway, her long auburn hair pulled back, her black eyes—so identical to Daniel’s—a mixture of excitement and nerves. Daniel couldn’t help but notice that her eyes were a bit swollen and puffy.

“Daniel! Rabeez!” she said cheerfully, “Come over, dears. We were just waiting for you.”

“What for?” asked Daniel curiously.

Rose chuckled, a gentle and warm sound, her eyes twinkling, “You’ll find out, soon.”

She ushered the two of them inside the house. Daniel and Rabeez took off their sneakers and put them inside the shoe rack beside the door and entered the living room.

Daniel’s dad, Ed and Rabeez’s dad, Imran, sat on the off-white couch. Ed’s hazel eyes glinted behind his glasses, legs kicked up on the table. His hair looked like he had just rolled out of bed.

Imran, meanwhile, was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as brown as his children.

The living room had white walls with pencil marks on them, done by Anaya and Sauleha when they had been toddlers and Ed or Imran hadn’t bothered to paint them since then.

The fan spun in full speed on the ceiling as the ceiling lights glistened. Rose had joined Farwa, Rabeez’s mum, in the kitchen again.

Anaya and Sauleha had settled onto the carpet, playing with their dolls. Adil sat on a small settee, nose buried in a thick book, while the twins, Ayan and Afaan, whispered on the floor, Ayan smudging ink across his nose without a care.

“Uncle Ed, and Dad,” said Adil, looking up from his book, “Daniel and Rabeez are here.”

Imran looked up from the newspaper he had been reading and smiled. Ed winked at Daniel and patted the space beside him. Rabeez sat down on the couch near Imran and Daniel flopped onto the couch beside Ed, who ruffled his hair.

Daniel leaned against his father’s side as Ed put an arm around his shoulders, “So, what’s the fuss about?” he asked.

“Let your mum and aunt come,” said Ed, “Then we’ll begin.”

Daniel jumped off the couch and walked over to the kitchen.

“Mum!” he said, “Come really quick!”

“Coming,” said Rose without looking up from her baking, “Just let me get these cookies in the oven.”

“You’ll put red frosting on them, won’t you?” asked Daniel eagerly.

Rose laughed, “Obviously. Wouldn’t dream of changing them.”