A bright light blares in front of me. It looked so familiar, yet, I had no idea what it was or what it came from. Whispers gradually get louder as I approach it, and the light phases through my chest. A warm feeling overtakes my body, with a then-following chill down my spine. What just happened? I ask that as I spring up from my bed, a sudden gasp escaping my mouth.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxMK6KFx2b
I first look at the window. The sun's deep dawn rays made it's way to my carpet and brightened up my whole room. I stretch, yawn, and make my way to my personal bathroom.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEu3BrXlB4
I grab my brush and quickly brush my hair straight, adorned my favorite hairstyle, and put on my clothes for the day. Just as I was just about to walk out to the cafeteria for breakfast, someone bumps into me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FUcnTBQ4U
"There you are.." Arelin says, taking out a notebook and writing something down. "I just have to write down your room number so I don't forget. I want to make sure I have help in any way I can."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7RM3aRTLU
That's when Alena clicked back to the front of my mind. "Anything new on your sister?" I began to walk.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDFpUqY7dn
"Increased aggression, still refusing to eat, and sensitivity to light." he says in a huff.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfBY00RYU9
"Wait... she's not eating?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjTRdqtKq7
"I don't know why, but she refuses any food we've given her, she pushes the bowl away and...hides in the corner.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAflwo7bG75
I was even more concerned. She was starving herself, but for what reason? We both sit at the table and talk about it.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0cd5cZdg8
Jake slumps in the seat next to me and drinks coffee. "What're you two working on?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YDUE4lxYy
Arelin responds, "Well, Iris is helping me find how to uplift the curse inflicted on my sister."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OiDvctlxe
Ecluna sits in the seat next to Arelin. "If anyone knows anything about curses, it's our parents, Mrs. Araginee specifically."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMHPrZUqJQ
"And your mom Arelin," Jake says before taking another drink of coffee. "Luckily, that's the first class we take."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5FIhi7MT6
While we eat, we discuss more on the topic, also getting Ecluna and Jake in on the plan. When the bell rings, we all run to the Magic Classroom and we enter our seats.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOunfrHTLZL
"Welcome back, children. I see we all got some decent rest. Today, we're going out on a field trip to the Kingdom District to observe the traditions and overall magic."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWKAt2SQef
A nice trip to a district I had yet to see. Jake always talks about his hometown and how medieval and historical it was.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDoqxgkNTJ
"Of course, before we leave, we have to do roll call."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZZNOJMyFv
So Mrs. Aurelia checks everyone as present, we walk out of campus and enjoy the nice warm, early September air.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI582V1gIF
"The nearest train is near Ringmaster Poppy's circus. We can take that train all the way around to the Kingdom District if we catch the right one."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTIfrcsm3i
So we tumble down the hill into the valley, where the circus loomed above. Just in front of it is a station, ready for people to aboard the train that awaited.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23Com0zoqI
Surprisingly, Ringmaster Poppy was already standing there, waiting for us. "I heard the Creative Juniors were headed to the Kingdom District. It's a long trip. That's why I brought these," She holds up two bags of buttered and caramel popcorn. "Free of charge of course. You kids have fun!"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cG7u3RSxX
We hear the train in the distance, its gears grinding as it makes a loud screeching noise. The doors open, and we enter into the safety of the train. When it started moving again, I look out the window, where the grasses of the valley waved like a beautiful bright yellow ocean. I hear the soft whirring of the train as it sped past the endless sea of yellow grass.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTpaCbr2YV
I hear talking amongst the others, specifically, Arelin and his mother. I hoped that their conversation was about helping Alena, who we were also hoping to see. I look out the window again. We were getting closer to our destination, as I could see palaces towering over the wall and gate that distinguished the outskirts to the Kingdom District itself. The intercom turned on to announce our arrival, and the train halted with a screech. The doors opened, me and the others exited, and the train sped away. From the first step I took on the kingdom's grounds, I feel my clothes warp around, until I looked just like a normal mage of the medieval town.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGWpoQEx5s
"Eh?" I look at the new clothes. "What happened?'
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTCNqCpvPE
"It would be weird if you saw someone wearing clothes from centuries from the future, wouldn't it?" Jake asks rhetorically, standing in his usual shining armor.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRWbpqjnIX
"I guess."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBYmoCbxnv
"Alright children, go explore the different kinds of magic there is in the Kingdom District, we'll meet back here for lunch." Aurelia says, before everyone splits up. Before I could explore however, Arelin grabs ahold of my shoulder, and motions to follow him.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC05mf0tXac
"Hm? What's the matter?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rqysltEhR
"We're going to see my sister. Hopefully your magic is enough to do...something.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMLuJhWiMX
We walk around to the Aquatier Palace. Arelin phases through the wall, and drags me along with him. On the other side, a long hall awaited. We trek down halls, stairs, and finally end up in a closed off room, which we easily pass by jumping over the barricades. Arelin slowly opens the door.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X3poubTwT
A girl was curled up humming a small tune to herself in the middle of the room. Arelin tells me to stay there as he approaches her.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGTpWfmasa
"Alena-"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2NQG1Giwi
Before he could finish his sentence, arms of corrupted magic drags him to her.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvxGSjCjTF
"She's...usually not this...clingy.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVZgWeNJIn
"I see.." I take a step into the room.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsboXEsEvr
"Wait," He stops me. "She'll freak out. I'll bring her to you."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlM9XM3bRN
Arelin calmly picks Alena up and walks over to where I'm standing. I feel a shaky aura, as he approached me with the girl.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX99LyTw8RK
I carefully released my webs from my hands. I wrap them around my arms, and I got as close as Arelin would allow me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu15FPICYt
"Hi there Alena," I say with a smile. "It's very nice t-"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlFHJjAm9w
The hands that previously grabbed Arelin now had its palm around my face, it's fingers tightly gripping my head. I was slung across the room, and hit the wall behind me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3JfZfmrOK
"W-wrong move..." I say, sucking the air through my teeth.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNu61nZSS9
"Are you okay?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13RslQGD52
I assure him I was. "Mhm! I'm okay, for the most part.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjhfxYkr5N
He carefully puts Alena down to help me up.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRDF6xwa0d
"I'm sure the more you keep coming back, the more she'll get used to you."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInZdjkCGFQ
I nodded. "I think we'll be great friends!"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZ7qC6YIh5
Arelin hands his sister something to eat. However, she turns her head and pushes his hand away. His eyes fill with anguish, and he stuffs the food back in his pocket.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ26X10xKWB
"Hold on Arelin, give me the food,"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHf8KPgFCd
Reluctantly, he gives me whatever he stuffed in his pocket.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0IOgutYRj
I then examine Alena one more time. "I think the reason she won't eat...is because she can't.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO9FD9NgvZ
It might explain why she doesn't speak either. Arelin writes my words down in his notes.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9oq5Vua1m
"Alena, can you open your mouth?" I ask in return. I see her try to separate her lips, to no avail. She shakes her head.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRsLSL79Gd
"Well, how are you supposed to eat without opening your mouth?" Arelin asks.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHMQS1uJf2
She points toward herself, then towards the food, then motions to the air.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCODTmPZVXL
"I don't...understand, I'm sorry.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYoCr4iZvW
She points towards the food again. When I looked down, the tan color of the food had faded to a light grey. In panic, I dropped it. An orb of tan stood in front of me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95pWfA0GnA
Arelin quietly observes it. "How did this happen?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklvENSsV8K
"I-I DON'T KNOW!"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF4d3Tt5Z2
"Calm down, this is just another ability of yours," he opens up his hand. "I'll just cancel it out with mine.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uC0vci9m0
A dark smoke lifted from his hand, and he directed right towards the orb that floated in front of me. Just as the two energies made contact, I feel the pressure of the explosion that occurred. Once again hitting the wall, I go unconscious.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCsbPwThST
***
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JBuHXsIie
I wake up back in my dorm room. Espero was sitting in the bean bag chair I had put in, sipping on a warm cup of tea and reading his book.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZs17FJk2h
"Welcome back. I should've told you not to mix Dark and Light magic together." he takes another sip.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWFfQdNr3t
"What happened?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGPA9B7waO
"Dark and Light magic are complete opposites. One isn't stronger than the other, so yeah, testing your magic on each other really isn't a good idea. Just a hunch.." he tells me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuhqM9831k
"That doesn't explain what happened Esp.." I give him a slightly annoyed look.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZiSUdfIg0
He lets go of the teacup, and holds it using his psychic abilities. "Like I said, one of you tried to cancel out the other's attack, and well...it kinda made of an explosion."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQOuJUOA3m
I look at my hands in disbelief.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7PsDcuE2z
"Okay soo...I think I remember.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMD5acYpZT
"Hm? What are you talking about Iris?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzdBZkUiRr
"Espero, when I went down to the Kingdom District today-"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAtUGlsswx
"You went to help Alena, right?" he sips then continues, "No one can really cure it, just...prevent it from progressing.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTvDY30vGG
"So...we're doing this...for nothing...?" I ask.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wp6uRHWN0
"I mean, just because no one can cure it doesn't mean it can't be cured. Who knows, maybe you'll be the one to find the cure.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ULIZftHqe
"I am going to find a cure. I just have to work a little harder."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQS1M61RgTQ
I try to force my magic out of my palms.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXznTtGf3pp
"Iris, you're gonna hurt yourself.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1ZBct420u
"If I'm gonna try to save Alena, then I have to train my magic."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FiSwNycCo
"You're forcing it. Training and forcing your abilities are two totally different things," he takes another silent sip. "Just slow down and think about it. If Light and Dark magic are complete opposites, and if you know that one cannot destroy the other, why would you try to hurt yourself again and Alena in the process?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQaqb6p9v9
"Hmm..." I rub my chin with my finger. "We need to figure out how to regulate my magic enough to where both energies don't react."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLH6BwxMkD
"And figure out how to use that magic to remove the corruption, but keep Alena's regular Dark magic," he grabs a pen and some paper and begins writing out a extremely complicated equation.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzVrqSV7Wx
"Esp? What's wrong?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1uqqIb6S4
"You're distracting me Iris, give me a second..." he intensely draws a human body as a reference.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD5bnJnm7C
"From important points where magic escapes from the body, the head, hands, and feet, we can pinpoint where the corruption is most strongest, and then you could remove the corruption without hurting Alena."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMG2Xc3yDq
"I'll have to get Arelin on this."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuM5aS8NpX0
"Yeah, that would be preferable.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyvjJZKRbx
"Okay, I'll go get him!" I stand up, but the aftermath of what happened caused a slight headache.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZsD4P9qZ1
Espero, using his magic, sits me down. "Nevermind. Just...sit here until I get back.." He leaves the room. I lay back in my bed and think about the plan me and Espero came up with. Was this really going to work?
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9YQ3mV6Wj
A few minutes later, Espero, Arelin, and Alena all walk in. Alena quietly sits in the corner of the room, and Arelin and Espero look at the diagram.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwJjpS5fIV
"It could work, but there's no one weak enough to remove it safely," Arelin looks at me. "The explosion is a very good example of powerful magic."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE58eLFLOP
"So, I just have to try keeping it at a lower power level?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2odx6AP9cM
"It's not as easy as you think, Iris. No one can really control how strong or weak their magic is..."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzJi9js6Q7
"But how am I so powerful? I barely know my own abilities.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32jUMKoD94
"It's not about your abilities, it's about the strength of your magic as a whole. The reason you can't help Alena right now is because your power level is too strong for her body to handle.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwIAIEHlNE
I think for a minute. Who else could have light-related magic other than myself and my mother?
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF66xNssWLl
"Iris, could you get Ecluna for us?" Espero takes a sip of tea. "And try not to hurt yourself on the way down, okay?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dwbzpsu96
I give a thumbs up, and leave the boys to their work. The hallways were just barely empty, with other students walking quietly.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIooRr55og
I take a look at Ecluna's door, which was a deep, night sky blue. On it, a note was taped on.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5VKwlCvV6
"At the observatory! Come back later!" was written on the light yellow sticky note in Ecluna's handwriting.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VijW1rlKx
"Observatory?" I ask myself. "Does she mean her family observatory?"
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSB8pozO7R
I remembered the shortcut behind the school. A golden field separated the Academy from the Wildlife District. So, I set off in order to find Ecluna.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhZNIcHf7G
I continue walking down the hall to the nearest exit to the field. I was a few halls away from it, when a dash of darkness flew right in front of me. I looked towards the direction it went.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8tseTCtpz
"Ecluna?" I ask, my echoes following. "Listen, if you're trying to scare me, it's not going to work. I really need your help.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC51XcaOa9
I speedwalk my way outside, looking behind me before the door shuts.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBA2OxHEjF
I see the forest of the Wildlife District far in the distance. All I had to do was run across the field. I breathe in, then out, and begin walking. However, when I took the first step in the golden grass field, I felt a sense of dread quickly flash in front of me. Whoever this was, it wasn't Ecluna.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpr6gMjpVi
In a sense of panic, I immediately activate my magic to protect myself. But before I had realized, it was too late. Whatever was following me had wrapped me up in an arm of magic. I felt it tighten around me.
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfXHlaFR5I
"Hello there.."
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQs6gc7KXk
365Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaJUkOPuqp
