Iona MacLeod

The clang of the final bell echoed through the stone halls of Glenbrae Academy a school a secondary school for adults, the sound bouncing off high ceilings and ancient portraits. Students spilled into the courtyard, laughter and Scottish brogues mingling with the crisp February wind. At the center of it all stood Iona MacLeod, her auburn hair catching the sunlight like molten copper, a perfectly executed braid framing her sharp, attentive eyes. She smiled politely, balancing a stack of textbooks in one arm, while effortlessly chatting with the prefects and her classmates. To them, she was flawless, top of every class, captain of the debating team, star of the school ceilidh committee. Popularity clung to her like the tartan scarf draped over her shoulders. Yet no one knew the secret tucked deep beneath her impeccable uniform and bright grin. In the quiet corner of the library, away from the chatter of her peers, Iona slid a notebook from her bag. Its cover was unassuming, but inside, her meticulous handwriting sprawled across page after page, not essays or homework, but sketches of strange, impossible creatures and diagrams of intricate inventions that hummed with life. The brilliance that shone in her academics was nothing compared to the world she was quietly building here, a secret realm of imagination she dared not reveal. The bell for her next class called her back to reality. Slipping the notebook beneath her textbook, Iona’s shoulders straightened, and she joined the cluster of friends waiting by the stairs. Smiles were exchanged, questions answered, jokes shared. To the school, she was perfection incarnate. To herself, she carried a different kind of power, one that could change everything if anyone ever discovered it. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!? Well that’s up to you will you make sure your deer friend Iona’s secret stays hidden or will you be the one to expose her!?