Chapter 3: The Unseen Academy
Rory's heart thumped a frantic rhythm against his ribs as he watched the student crumple to the floor. Before he could react, a fiery-haired girl materialized beside him, a wand grasped in her hand. A whispered incantation later, and the student vanished in a soft glow, reappearing moments later on a stretcher carried by unseen figures.
Turning towards Rory, the girl extended a hand, a mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. "Elara Emberstar, Mentis," she said with a grin. "And you, still-standing one?"
Rory, momentarily forgetting his shock, fumbled to shake her hand. "Rory Flintwick, Valorem," he stammered. "Uh, thanks for... that. Wait, where'd you take him?"
Elara's grin widened. "The menders, of course! Though considering it happened right outside the infirmary, I might've just startled them a bit."
A guttural scream pierced the air, snapping Rory's attention back to Elara. Her grin had morphed into a triumphant smirk.
"Looks like someone's learning a lesson about borrowing," she declared, the scent of ozone lingering in the air.
Rory shoved open the door, Elara hot on his heels. A choking scream filled the small dorm room. Mara lay sprawled on the floor, her face contorted in pain. A slimy green goo clung to her arm, emanating a sickly sweet stench.
"Rambus!" Rory exclaimed, his voice laced with concern.
Elara smirked, but it faltered as Mara croaked out an accusation. "You! I know you did this!"
Mara's voice was weak, but her eyes blazed with fury. "You're the only one who knows Morigian magic!" she rasped.
Rory bristled. "Hey! That's a lie! My family's been taught Morigian magic for generations. And besides, that's not Morigian magic."
Elara shot Rory a surprised look. "Wait, you do?"
Rory puffed out his chest. "Of course! It's practically a family heirloom." He turned back to Mara, a frown creasing his forehead. "This... goo? That's definitely not Morigian magic."
Elara let out a surprised laugh. "Right you are. That looks more like Slimy Willy's Revenge."
Mara sputtered, a flicker of embarrassment replacing her anger. "Oh, you are so going to regret this, Emberstar!" she yelled, then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Rory and Elara exchanged amused glances. The tension broken, they burst into laughter, the sound echoing down the empty hallway.
"Alright, alright," Rory chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. "We still need to figure out who did this."
Elara nodded, her smile fading. "Maybe Percival can help us identify the culprit."
"Percival?" Elara tilted her head.
"Yeah," Rory's eyes sparkled with excitement. "He's my best friend," he declared, thumping his chest.
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Then maybe we should find him, so he can help us figure out who those students were."
Rory nodded vigorously. "Hey, that's a great idea!"
Meanwhile, Percival sat slumped in a chair by the grand hall, Fortis Animo. Dust motes danced in the afternoon sunlight filtering through the high windows. Idleness gnawed at him. "Maybe I should explore," he muttered, pushing himself to his feet.
He wandered down a deserted corridor, the silence broken only by the echo of his own footsteps. Pushing open a heavy oak door, he found himself in an empty classroom. The air hung thick with a strange, sweet scent. As he stepped forward, a floorboard creaked ominously beneath his weight. With a sickening crack, the floor gave way, sending Percival tumbling into a hidden chamber below.
He landed with a thud on a cold, stone floor. Groaning, he sat up and blinked in the dim light. The chamber was cluttered with dusty vials and bubbling cauldrons. A single, black door stood at the far end, its surface etched with swirling symbols that pulsed with an eerie blue glow.
Percival scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt from his clothes. As he cautiously approached the door, a vial toppled from a nearby shelf, shattering on the floor. A crimson liquid oozed out, spreading like a spiderweb towards the black door.
A sudden commotion from above broke the silence.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor, followed by the sound of raised voices.
"Are you sure your 'best friend' is here cause I don't see him anywhere?" a clipped British accent questioned.
"He must be here!" Rory insisted. "Or maybe he's in his house already. Let's look in Fortis Animo house!"
Heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway, growing closer. Percival froze, his heart hammering in his chest.
Just then, the chamber door creaked open a fraction, revealing a sliver of darkness beyond. A gust of cold air swept through the room, extinguishing the faint glow emanating from the vials.
Suddenly, the doorknob rattled violently. A gruff voice boomed from above.
"Wow, wow, little ones, stand back! I have a feeling these aren't your houses."
Percival peeked through the crack in the door. He saw Rory and Elara standing in the corridor, facing a tall, broad-shouldered man with a weathered face and a bushy gray beard. He wore a peculiar uniform adorned with strange symbols.
"Uhm, it is!" Rory protested. "We are in this house!"
The man squinted at them, his gaze lingering on Elara. He lowered his sunglasses a touch, revealing a pair of sharp, blue eyes. "Are you sure?"
Rory nodded vigorously. The man adjusted his sunglasses and pointed at a glowing crystal hanging from his belt. "The crystal says your house is somewhere else. So shoo off, lost…"
The door in front of Percival swung open with a bang, revealing a swirling vortex of shimmering light. He stared in wide-eyed astonishment.
"…until you find it," the man finished, his voice trailing off.
"Rory, look what I found!" Percival exclaimed, his voice echoing in the chamber.
He then noticed Elara and asked, bewildered, "And who is that?"
Rory glanced nervously between Percival and the man. "That's the weird girl from earlier today who was fighting with another girl over a book. The other girl… burned it!"
Elara's face contorted with fury. "First of all, it was my favorite book, and Mara knew about it!" she hissed. "Second of all, call me crazy again, and you can't talk for a whole day!"
Rory, ever the optimist, took a cautious step closer to Percival. "Look what you found, Elara," he said, gesturing towards the open doorway and the swirling vortex of light beyond.
Percival, still wide-eyed, began, "She's cra—"
A sharp elbow from Rory cut him off. "Right," Percival mumbled, clearing his throat.
Elara, her earlier anger simmering, narrowed her eyes. "I can still hear you, Percival," she hissed.
"They're with me," Percival stammered, gesturing to Rory and Elara.
The strange man, a hint of amusement now evident in his gaze, grunted and pushed the door wider. Golden light spilled out, bathing the hallway in an ethereal glow.
Without hesitation, Percival darted through the doorway, Rory hot on his heels. Elara, however, hesitated. With a huff and a muttered curse, she followed them, disappearing into the swirling vortex.
"Where are we going?" Rory called out, his voice barely audible over the whooshing sound of the portal.
Percival, already disappearing into the swirling light, shouted back, "Just follow me! I'll explain when we get there!"
Moments later, the three found themselves on solid ground again. Blinking in the sudden brightness, they looked around in bewilderment. They were no longer in the familiar corridors of Fortis Animo.
Rory and Elara exchanged stunned glances. Elara, still fuming, crossed her arms. "So, we had to run for a bloody door?" she demanded.
Percival, sheepish but determined, nodded.
Rory, ever the mediator, scratched his head. "But why, mate? I know I'm the crazy one here, but you seem crazier than me right now."
Percival threw his hands up in exasperation. "Don't you guys understand?"
Rory and Elara both shook their heads in unison. Percival sighed dramatically.
"Well," he began, "I was bored, see? Stuck in that stuffy Fortis Animo hall. So, I decided to explore a bit."
Elara scoffed. "Why didn't you just read a book?"
Rory chuckled, earning a glare from Elara. "That's a good one," he snickered. "Reading a bloody book."
Ignoring their bickering, Percival continued, "Anyway, I was bored, so I went to this empty classroom. And…" his voice trailed off sheepishly, "let's just say I fell in there."
Elara's voice dripped with sarcasm. "How clumsy can you be? You can't even walk normally in a classroom?"
Percival, stung by her comment, crossed his arms defensively. "There was something broken on the floor! I tripped and fell!" He pointed towards the object in Elara's hand.
Elara examined it closely. "It looks like some kind of key," she said, her tone less mocking.
Rory's eyes widened. "A key for the door we just came through?"
Elara rolled her eyes. "No, you dolt. A key for, I don't know, breakfast?" she said sarcastically.
Rory, ever the peacemaker, chuckled nervously. "You eat keys for breakfast?"
Elara smirked. "Seems you both need lessons in sarcasm. This is clearly a key, not a breakfast item." She handed the object back to Percival.
A spark of excitement lit up Percival's face. "Should we try it?"
Elara and Rory exchanged hesitant glances, then both nodded in agreement.
Percival cautiously inserted the key into the ornate slot on the other side of the doorway. With a satisfying click, the portal hissed shut, replaced by a solid, oak door. A faint humming emanated from behind it.
Rory scratched his head in disbelief. "So, all this running and hiding for… another hallway?"
Elara snorted. "Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it. Though…" she trailed off, studying the door. "This doesn't look like any hallway I've seen in Fortis Animo."
Pushing open the door, they stepped inside. The hallway looked familiar yet distinctly different. It was undoubtedly their school, but transformed in subtle ways. The walls, usually beige, were now painted a vibrant red, and strange symbols adorned the ceiling. Gone were the usual portraits of past headmasters; in their place hung swirling tapestries depicting fantastical creatures.
Percival scanned the hallway, his eyes searching. "Where are all the crystals? And I bet Barnaby is using one of them to spy on me!"
Rory chuckled. "He does worry about you, mate. But I doubt he's spying with crystals."
Elara's voice dropped to a whisper. "Guys, I don't think we're at Lunaspire anymore."
Rory scratched his head, his carefree attitude replaced by a flicker of unease. "Yeah, I don't think so either."
They cautiously navigated the transformed hallway, the air buzzing with an unsettling energy. Suddenly, panicked shouts echoed around them. Following the sound, they emerged into a wider corridor teeming with students fleeing in a frenzy.
"Asher's crazy!" a girl shrieked, her voice laced with terror.
"Yeah, he's a psycho! Why'd they even let him in this school?" another student cried, racing past them.
Elara, Rory, and Percival exchanged bewildered glances.
"Who's Asher?" Percival stammered, his voice barely audible over the commotion.
Elara's brows furrowed. "Seems like we're about to find out."
Intrigued and slightly apprehensive, they followed the direction of the fleeing students. The hallway opened up into a large chamber, and a scene unfolded before them that sent a jolt through Percival.
In the center of the room stood a boy with piercing blue eyes, his face contorted in rage. He held another boy, his face contorted in pain, by the arm. A faint crackling sound accompanied bursts of blue light erupting from the first boy's fingertips.
"This looks like the same scene from this morning," Elara murmured to Rory, her voice barely a whisper.
Percival's eyes widened in realization. "The bullying scene? But who are they?"
Rory started to respond, but Elara cut him off with a gasp.
Asher, the blue-eyed boy, seemed to be losing control. The electric energy crackling around him intensified, his eyes glowing a brighter blue. A student, seemingly braver than the others, charged towards him.
"Asher, enough!" he yelled.
Asher whirled around, his anger momentarily breaking. "No, Ignatus, they've gone too far! I've searched everywhere, I can't bloody find it!" He unleashed a frustrated scream, the electric energy erupting in a small burst that sent Ignatus flying backward.
Elara's voice barely rose above a whisper. "Poor guy must be terrified to be electrified by that other guy."
Percival burst out, his voice booming through the vast chamber. "Hey!"
All eyes turned towards him. Asher's head snapped towards him, his electric aura flaring like a startled cobra. The cornered boy whimpered, his eyes wide with terror. Ignatus, who had regained his footing, glared at Percival with a mixture of anger and confusion.
"Who are you?" Ignatus demanded, his voice tight.
Percival blurted out, his voice cracking slightly, "Uhm, we are… uhm, wizards?"
Asher and Ignatus exchanged a look, both scoffing. "Wizards!?" Asher barked.
Elara hissed under her breath.
"Ah, Lunaspire Academy for the… magically challenged, is it?" Asher said with a sneer.
Elara bristled. "It's not a school for the challenged! It's a prestigious institution for those gifted in the arcane arts!"
Asher rolled his eyes. "Like I said, freak academy."
Elara wanted to retort, but Percival cut in before she could. "Uhm, well," he stammered, "we kinda saw what happened. What did you lose?"
The mere mention of his loss sent Asher into another spiral. Electricity crackled around him as he blasted the boy on the floor again. "That mardy git stole my artifact! Without it, I can't control my emotions! My feelings get all mixed up and I lose it!"
Ignatus rolled his eyes. "With your precious artifact, you mean. You were already a loose cannon, Asher."
Asher roared, a surge of electricity crackling around him like a furious hornet's nest. "Oh, bloody hell! Ignatius, anyway, I lost it, and now I'm trying to find who stole it and give them a right good revenge!"
Rory, ever the voice of reason, piped up, "What if we help you find the real culprit?"
Asher narrowed his eyes at the whimpering figure on the floor, his electric aura flickering dangerously close. "I'm 100% sure it's him," he declared, pointing a finger at the trembling individual.
Percival, ever the pragmatist, interjected, "Hold on. Maybe it wasn't stolen at all. What if he misplaced it?"
Elara scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Percival, of course it's stolen. Look at him!" (gesture towards the boy on the ground)
Percival frowned. "He said it was stolen, but how do we know for sure? Maybe he just… misplaced it?"
Ignatius snorted. "Run away with it, perhaps?"
Rory continued, his voice thoughtful, "Even if it was stolen, it might still be within Lunaspire."
Asher's face paled. His electric aura sputtered and died, replaced by a look of dawning horror. "Wait, you're right," he muttered, his voice shaky. "Does that mean… I tortured that guy for nothing?"
Ignatius threw his hands up in the air. "I told you that a dozen times, Asher! But you couldn't control your bloody temper!"
Asher bristled, his jaw clenching. "Well, you know well I can't control it when I'm mad!" The guy on the floor remained a whimpering mess, singed marks marring his skin.
Elara knelt beside the whimpering student, her brow furrowed in worry. She examined the singed marks left by Asher's electric blasts.
"Well..." Elara trailed off, unsure how to proceed.
Asher, his voice dripping with venom, scanned the remaining students. A chilling silence descended as their eyes darted away. "If I hear a word about this," he threatened, "and someone snitches, you're all dead!"
Rory tugged nervously at his sleeve. "But Asher, what about the consequences? Threatening the students won't help."
Asher puffed out his chest, a forced confidence in his voice. "Easy. Problem solved. Now, let's move on to the plan, shall we?"
Ignatius sighed, shaking his head. "Seriously, Asher, we seriously need to find a way to manage that anger of yours."
The student on the floor whimpered again, clutching his wounds. Asher, with a grimace, knelt beside him. "You know the way to the school hospital, right?" he muttered.
The student, too terrified to speak, simply nodded and shuffled towards the exit.
As the student disappeared, Asher turned back to Elara, Rory, and Percival, a question mark etched on his face. "Well, that's fixed," he declared. "Any concerns?"
Elara opened her mouth to speak, but Asher cut her off. "No? Alright then, let's keep moving."
Asher marched forward, his shoulders tense. Elara, Rory, and Percival trailed behind him in a worried huddle.
Percival murmured under his breath, "Where are we going?" Ignatius sighed, muttering, "Our dorm, obviously."
They continued down the bustling corridor, the air thick with nervous whispers that followed them like an unwelcome shadow. Finally, they reached a seemingly ordinary section of wall. Asher, however, stopped abruptly.
Rory, ever the impatient one, piped up, "Are we there yet?"
Asher snapped, his voice laced with irritation. "Almost. Just be quiet for a minute, would you? It would be helpful if you weren't so… distracting." Elara rolled her eyes, but held her tongue.
Their hushed whispers died down as they spotted Asher, their eyes widening in terror. Some even flinched back, bumping into each other.
Elara frowned, her brow furrowing. "If it's your first day," she pressed, "how come everyone's scared of you already?"
Asher's jaw clenched, and he refused to answer Elara's question, his silence speaking volumes. Ignatius rolled his eyes. "Let's just say Asher has a… reputation."
Asher held out a hand and a surge of electricity danced across the wall. A section of it shimmered and dissolved, revealing a hidden doorway. In the flickering light of the flames, a small keypad glowed ominously.
Asher punched in a series of digits, muttering "Fire" under his breath. With a hiss and a whoosh, flames erupted from the keypad, momentarily illuminating the corridor. As quickly as they appeared, the flames died down, revealing an open doorway.
Elara, Percival, and Rory exchanged nervous glances as the door slammed shut behind them with a resounding boom. The sudden sound sent shivers down their spines.
"Where is it?" Elara asked, her voice barely a whisper. The hidden entrance was impressive, but it did little to quell her growing unease.
Asher, however, seemed unfazed. He scanned the darkness within the hidden room, a determined glint in his eyes.
Asher snatched a lantern from a nearby wall sconce, its flickering flame casting long, dancing shadows on the walls. They followed him down a short passage, the air thick with the scent of damp stone. Finally, they reached a doorway unlike any other. Panels of swirling water, crackling fire, and swirling earth formed a mesmerizing mosaic barrier.
With a muttered curse, Asher pushed the door open. It creaked ominously on its hinges, revealing their dorm room. He slammed the lantern down on a dusty table, its weak light barely penetrating the shadows. Elara shivered, a prickle of unease crawling up her spine. The room was a chaotic haven, clothes strewn across chairs and strange contraptions overflowing from shelves.
"Where is it?" Elara asked, her voice barely a whisper. The hidden entrance was impressive, but it did little to quell her growing unease.
Asher, however, seemed unfazed. He scanned the darkness within the hidden room, a determined glint in his eyes.
"We still need to find where your thing is stolen," Elara said, her voice firm. Rory chimed in, his voice tight, "And figure out who attacked that student. Beating up a first-year isn't exactly a good look for Lunaspire."
Asher whipped a pillow at Elara, his frustration barely contained. "Quiet, nerd! We don't need a lecture! We need to find this thing!"
Ignatius, ever the strategist, pulled a small whiteboard from his bag as Elara and Asher bickered. "Alright, alright, let's calm down and think. We need a plan to find your artifact, Asher, and figure out who's behind this student attack."
Asher scowled. "We can just zap everyone with electricity until someone confesses!"
Ignatius raised an eyebrow. "Anyone else have a slightly less… explosive suggestion, Asher?"
Percival, his voice tinged with nervous excitement, blurted out, "What if we let Asher… zap the people?" He glanced around at Elara, Ignatius, and Rory, who all exchanged horrified glances.
A grin, more like a manic glint, split Asher's face. "Really? I can… electrocute them? Yeah! Good idea, Percival!" The electricity crackled faintly around his fingertips, a constant reminder of his volatile power.
Ignatius, the ever-logical strategist, shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not, Asher. There are far less… explosive ways to find the culprit." He ran a hand through his unruly mop of brown hair, a nervous habit.
Percival, ever the optimist, piped up, his voice brimming with nervous energy, "Barnaby once told me to exploit people's weaknesses to get them to confess!"
Ignatius, his brow furrowed in concentration, countered, "Or, we could simply investigate and find their secrets without resorting to… torture." He knew Asher's powers were a double-edged sword, both a tool and a potential threat.
Asher slammed his fist on the table, the sound echoing in the cluttered dorm room. His frustration bubbled over, tinged with a hint of desperation. "But where's the fun in that? If I can't zap them, what's the point?" The electricity around his fingertips flickered more intensely.
Elara, the voice of reason, bristled. "Safety is the point, Asher! We don't go around electrocuting people!" Her voice held a firmness that belied her slight frame.
Asher, his anger simmering, flung a crumpled piece of paper at her, a sneer twisting his lips. "Save it, nerd!" His volatile temper threatened to erupt.
Elara, seizing a pause in the tension, decided to take a different approach. "Alright," she began, her voice calmer now, "zapping is off the table. But can you at least tell us why everyone seems so scared of you, Asher?" Her question hung in the air, laced with a hint of curiosity.
Asher scoffs, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "Why should I tell you? It's none of your business, nerd." He throws his head back, the electricity around his fingers crackling ominously. The tension in the room thickens.
Rory, sensing the tension rising, clears his throat awkwardly. "Hold on, we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Rory." He offers a hesitant smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Elara, taking a deep breath to regain her composure, says in a firm voice, "I'm Elara."
Ignatius, the strategist, squints slightly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Ignatius."
Elara crosses her arms, her gaze unwavering. "Alright, zapping is off the table. So, how do we find this culprit and Asher's artifact?"
Ignatius taps his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could talk to some of the students who might have seen something. We could also check the security footage, if there is any near the place your artifact went missing."
Elara nods in agreement. "Security footage is a good idea, Ignatius. Even this 'dump' might have some cameras."
Asher scoffs. "Security footage? In this dump? Doubt it." A hint of doubt flickered in his eyes despite his bravado.
Elara shoots him a withering look. "Well, unless you have a better idea, Asher, we're starting with Ignatius' plan and checking the security footage."
Asher grumbled under his breath, but didn't argue further. The room fell silent for a moment, a tense calm settling over them. They were an unlikely team, but for now, they were united in their goal. Their first step: the security office, a place that might hold the key to their mystery, or another dead end entirely.
Percival's eyes widened. "Security office? We don't have one of those! At least, not here."
Ignatius, ever the strategist, corrected him, "True, Percival. That would be at LunaSpire, the wizarding academy. But maybe…" He trailed off, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
"But what?" Percival blurted, his voice laced with nervous excitement.
"Maybe even a hidden school like this might have some form of security measures," Ignatius continued, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "We are smart, Percival, perhaps even smarter than some wizards. There could be a hidden office, a secret network of cameras… who knows?"
"Barnaby could help us!" Percival exclaimed, a lightbulb seemingly going off over his head. "He knows all sorts of hidden things!"
Elara rolled her eyes. "Percival, even with his connections, Barnaby wouldn't have a clue about this school existing, let alone its security measures."
Ignatius chuckled, raising an eyebrow at Percival. "Wait, are we talking about the same Barnaby? The one with the slightly… eccentric tastes in footwear?"
Percival, ever the optimist, nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! The one who told me about exploiting weaknesses!"
Elara, unable to contain her frustration any longer, burst out, "Okay, look! We can discuss Barnaby later, but right now, I have a more pressing question. Asher, why is everyone so scared of you?"
A tense silence descended upon the room. Asher and Ignatius, for a moment, shared the same expression – a flicker of something deep and unsettling crossing their features.
Before Asher could answer, a loud BANG echoed through the hallway, followed by a muffled shout. The room lurched sideways, throwing them all off balance. Fear shot through their eyes as dust rained down from the ceiling.
"What was that?!" Elara cried, scrambling to her feet.
Asher, his eyes narrowed and electricity crackling faintly around his fingertips, remained frozen in place, his gaze fixed on the now-broken door.
"Looks like we have a bigger problem," he muttered, a hint of a dark smile playing on his lips.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone