Chapter 1 (Rewritten)

Until he was forced to find out, Jack Barlow had no idea that he--that shy, awkward kid with hardly any friends--was special.
When new girl Alice shows up at Jack's school, she almost instantly becomes best friends with Jack's best friend Jonas. The two of them are inseparable, until an unfortunate accident separates Alice and Jonas and forces Alice to reveal to Jack that he is a Mage, or a person with a special magical ability. Jack begins attending the Academy of Magic, but even there, his ability sets him from everyone else. He discovers that his friends and everyone he knows are much different than they appear, and his whole perspective is changing. When he can't trust anything anymore, can he even trust himself?