by Shanon Chong
“Theo?” Rachel gasped. “I knew something was strange.” She opened the door to its fullest. “Is there a toilet in there? I really need the restroom.”
“Yeah…” I sighed. “The door to your left, by the main entrance.”
“From the entrance to the right?” she cried, panicking as she opened the door to the study before shutting it quickly and entering the toilet.
“You good?”
“Yeah, your bags are in the library!” She shouted, allowing me to explore the bedroom and apparently a library. I walked into the room. To the side of the bed were two bedside tables with small lamps shaped like trees. Two wisps of luminescent energy floated through the branches, creating light as they moved. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, consisting of a single hollow tube lit with several runes drawn on the inside of the glass. A cabinet had been carved from the wall itself, and the area provided left plenty of space for the extra belongings we had bought.
“There’s a walk-in closet!” Rachel exclaimed, delighted by the extra rooms she hadn’t seen. Feeling an urge to settle the luggage earlier rather than later, I hauled six bags, two by two, into the living room, tossing Rachel’s carry pack on top of the already excessive number of bags.
“What should I do with the sword?” I wondered as I carried its case in my arms.
“Place it upright in the closet,” Rachel commanded, making the quick decision for me. Grabbing the four suitcases she had brought with her for no apparent reason, they weren’t empty. However, it was obvious that they didn’t have anything that was of real purpose. She shuffled into the closet and began to organise her clothes.
“Why did you bring four suitcases?”
“We’re going to be staying here for three years; it’s nice to have extra clothes.” She completed the organisation of her first case as I placed my father’s blade in the cabinet within the room. “You should come help, too.”
I began to walk away. However, I felt an obligation to help her. Walking inside the closet, I watched as the racks were filled with neatly organised clothes.
“Do I just settle my packs?”
“When you’re done with yours, help me with mine,” she requested as I shuffled through the door, muttering dismissively under my breath. She didn’t respond, telling me that she hadn’t heard my quiet declaration of independence. Sliding my clothes onto the metal beam that acted as a clothes rack, I noticed that the wooden hangers had an industrial design and were brushed with a dark stain to give them an extra polish. We spent hours slaving away at the clothing to ensure neatness, time slipped away as we slowly headed into the late evening. Suddenly Rachel decided to speak, “Want to do something before we sleep?” Rachel inquired, kindly allowing me to explore what I hadn’t seen.
“What’s the dome out the window?”
“The Battle Dome? You have good taste,” Rachel commented with a demonic grin plastered on her face. “That’s where you determine your strength in comparison to the other students.”
“Sounds interesting!” I exclaimed, overjoyed. “I’m finished with my clothes. Want to have a look?” I moved next to her and hung her final dress on the wall.
“You put it in the wrong section, idiot,” she muttered, moving the grey dress to join the several other colourless dresses and shirts. “On another note, however, we should go visit the Battle Dome.”
“Wasn’t that my suggestion?” I retorted, feeling rather insulted.
“Take it as an affirmation. Anyway, let’s go. It will take a bit to get there.”
We left the room, and she locked the door behind us. I followed her closely as we climbed the stairs and headed for the elevated bridge between the two buildings. Reaching the main building, Rachel stood still for a second before deciding that heading straight for the first floor would provide the least travel time. Taking the outermost path, we took a turn and saw a pathway of curved glass within the tunnel-like structure. Rachel swung open the doors at the end of the path, showing us the spacious yet crowded Battle Dome. A single mound like structure was in the centre, three distinct layers with small barriers around them made separate rectangular arenas, and at the apex of the mound was a single circular arena that stood tall amongst the rest of the arenas below.
“Why weren’t you surprised when you saw me in the room?”
“You weren’t, either,” she replied casually, grabbing my hand and leading me to the centre of the circular arrangement of arenas. “My mum sent me a letter hinting at it.”
“Oh…” I sighed, not even concerned about Rachel’s mother’s investment in our relationship. “This your first time in here?”
“I know my way around,” she replied.
When we reached the location she was dragging me to, I realised the proportions of the centre stage. Two seemingly final-year students, both female, stood in the arena, staring each other in the eye unflinchingly. The third-years in the temporary seating hollered in an unusual frenzy.
“They any good?” I whispered to Rachel as she lifted me onto the benches to join her.
“A lot better than you are,” she retorted aggressively. “They’re beginning,” she muttered in awe as we both watched the two young women, who were now poised for battle. Floating mist took the shape of numbers above their heads.
“Diana, is this your idea of raising your rank?” A misty three floated above the speaker’s head. Its dull bronze indicated the authenticity of her rank. Looking over at the other competitor, I noticed a dull grey seven floating above her. Diana seemed to be the one ranked seventh within the school’s system.
“Lily, you know my aspirations.”
“I-I know your dreams,” Lily stammered. “It’s too dangerous! You don’t have enough strength yet!” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Diana’s reaction felt…dull. “I’ll show you my strength,” she uttered under her breath. She looked up at Lily, her gaze unshifting. Her long white hair was braided, and her dark blue eyes didn’t show an ounce of emotion as she faced the crying Lily.
“Then-then I’ll have to stop you here.” Lily wiped the tears away from her eyes and brandished her tome. The star-spangled cover reflected the sunset, and the tome glowed a transcendent white as the sky turned dark. Stars floated around her, and small specks of light converged like the formation of a galaxy. Light bent as the myriad of yellows and whites created twirling nebulas within the dark realm Lily had created.
Diana, having not even taken a step from her position, remained stagnant; the staff within her grasp still unused.
“My victory is inevitable,” Lily muttered under her breath as if confirming her chances.
“I honestly doubt that,” Diana replied cockily, readying her own magic. The small wooden staff radiated waves of darkness, consuming the arena in an inky black darkness. The galaxies and star systems that Lily had created were devoured by the darkness until soon there was only a single star that existed within the artificial universe. Despite this, Lily stood steadfast, ignoring the surrounding carnage that Diana’s magic had created.
“Oh, stars of the night,” Lily chanted, “do the stars that light our night favour the dark?” Slowly the stars that had been completely consumed by the darkness sparkled to life as a star converged above Diana. “Drop,” Lily commanded, and waves of starlight battered Diana’s impromptu shield of darkness.
“I concede… I forfeit!” Diana declared, raising her right arm in a show of peace. Lily, obligated to accept her surrender, raised her own arm to call off the rain of stars.
The judge, who hadn’t spoken since the beginning of the match, uttered the results. “Lilia Xarez is victorious over Diana Harr!” The declaration echoed within the dome. “Lilia Xarez has the right to challenge Dion Fahrley, rank two, to a duel for his position!”
The shocking chance for promotion made Lily’s eyes sparkle as she approached the side of the highest arena and slid down onto the currently unused arenas where we had watched her from. She paused for a second as
she waited for Diana to follow after her, moments passed in what seemed like minutes as students congregated around her to congratulate her on her decisive victory. Suddenly, she stopped talking, a groan left her lips.
“Urghh,” she grunted, falling forward; a small knife held by Diana jutted out of her lower abdomen. Lily lay motionless on the floor for a few moments before she rolled to the side again, there was a moment of absolute silence as the students didn’t utter a single word. A sadistic chuckle echoed within the Dome as the guards attempted to seal the entrance. However, Diana exited the facility with the same magic she had used in combat.
“Rachel, I’m going to pursue her,” I muttered. My own sense of pride ached as I had seen the backstabbing unfold before me. Lily remained motionless on the ground, with darkness leaking from her pores and extremities.
“Don’t worry. Chase her. I’ll get my mum to help her,” Rachel replied, noticing my apparent concern. “Go!” she ordered.
Obediently following her instructions, I let the trail of darkness guide me toward the traitor’s location. I soon found myself pushing through crowds of adults on their commute home for the night.
“Excuse me, sorry,” I apologised, pushing my way through the sea of people. Seeing the alley, I knew where Diana had fled. Peeking my head around the corner before entering the alley, I carefully walked through the building’s waste disposal site. To my surprise, it was not Diana I saw. The figure’s white hair resembled hers; however, the shorter stature, blood-red eyes, and olive skin told me it wasn’t the person I was originally searching for. Despite this, my instincts reacted differently than the rational thoughts that ran through my head. “Who are you?”
“Theodore Arcanas, child of the seal… You are of no threat,” an amalgamation of voices replied, greeting me with the surname that brought danger.
“Who-who are you!” I demanded desperately. I needed to know whether my enemy stood before me or whether they had fled.
“I’m a god,” he muttered, his visage slowly morphing into that of the student I was pursuing. “However, I’m also Diana.” In Diana’s enchanting voice, he said, “I am the world’s nightmare! I am the world’s reject!” His voice shifted midway, returning to the disturbing chorus of voices that radiated unease.
“What did you do to Diana?” I asked angrily, taking a step forward towards the unknown opponent. “What did you do to Lily?”
“Both will live. I only wished to show the pitiful Mage of the Eternum Seal that nowhere is too far from my grasp,” he replied. “The Diana you speak of is merely resting within her room, clueless to the happenings around her.” He paused ominously. “I cannot say the same of the Lilia girl.”
“Are you talking about Lily?”
“Interpret your own truth, child of time.” He chuckled as if he had made a joke. “Your shortcomings are your greatest assets.”
“Child of time? Child of the seal? What are you talking about?” I yelled at the fading figure. “Answer me!”
“Remain incorruptible, child of truth,” he muttered as he faded into the darkness, the night consuming his entire figure as he escaped.
Rachel turned the corner; I had fallen to my knees in the few seconds it had taken for him to escape. Feeling incapable, I turned to face Rachel, my eyes tearing at the edges.
“Let’s get you back to the room,” she said, lifting me from the ground. “Get some rest; the teachers will deal with everything,” she whispered, and then she guided me to our dormitory.
Chapter 5: A Test of Strength
That night, my very existence felt betrayed by my earlier failure. I hadn’t noticed Rachel sharing the same bed that I rested on. Rachel, having guided me back to the room, shoved me into the shower and turned on the faucet. Scalding water drenched me from head to toe. Having entered clothed, the material sagged, becoming drenched. Not feeling the sensation of the water, I recalled the events, the escape of the Old God ingrained in my vision. Turning the faucet off, the water stopped flowing. Exiting the shower, I removed my clothes, placing them in a soaking pile on the ground, and dried myself with the towels that lined the wall.
“Here, clothes,” Rachel muttered, averting her eyes and handing me a pile of neatly folded clothing for the night. Gratefully receiving them, I slid the pants and shirt on with ease. Entering the shower, Rachel performed her own cleansing. “Holy…! How hot did you set the water, Theo?” she yelped.
“Dunno,” I grunted dismissively, entering the room and falling onto the bed without the energy to continue standing. Losing consciousness, I began my peaceful night of sleep.
The undisturbed and dreamless night of sleep led me to the next morning. I awoke, my eyes opening aggressively by the sun shining through the window. No longer lethargic from the events that had happened the night before, I sat upright on the bed. My memories of what had happened were already fading. However, I knew I had to do myself justice and speak to the victim, Lily.
“Good morning, Theo,” Rachel muttered underneath her breath as she leapt forward. “You better now?” she asked, concerned by my actions.
“Yeah, I’m better now,” I replied, hoping to alleviate any stress she might’ve felt watching me.
“We have an hour before classes start. You thinking of doing anything?”
“You know where Lily is being held?” I asked.
“I can ask my mum,” Rachel offered helpfully.
“If possible.”
“Anyway, let’s get changed,” Rachel declared, getting to her feet and exiting the room, heading for the walk-in closet. Footsteps echoed in the small confines of the room as Rachel shuffled around. Entering the closet as well, I decided to don my favourite outfit from my hometown.
The white shirt underneath the entire outfit immediately provoked a response from Rachel. “What are you wearing?”
“Aren’t we getting changed?” I replied, confused.
“Just wear the school uniform,” she replied as she put on a similar white shirt.
“Are you not wearing school uniform?” I inquired politely, hoping to justify my own reasoning.
“This?” she asked, pulling at the hem of her white shirt. “It’s cold in the morning, so it’s nice to have an undershirt.”
Unwilling to argue further, I grabbed the closest school uniform. Slipping my arms through the sleeves, I buttoned the shirt from the bottom. Wearing the blazer in a similar fashion, I then put on my pants. Finally, I tucked in and straightened the white dress shirt that bore the school insignia.
“Ready?” I asked, turning to face Rachel.
“Sure, we can pass by my mum’s office to ask where Lily is,” Rachel replied.
I realised that I had forgotten to leave the closet when changing, which left me surprised at how insensitive Rachel was to my presence in the room.
“Was it okay changing in the same room?”
“Might as well get used to it,” Rachel murmured, a slight blush on her cheeks. It made me wonder if she was feeling embarrassed. However, I felt that getting an answer wasn’t worth the possible slap my face might receive.
When we reached the main building, Rachel guided me to the stairs and instructed me to refrain from any movement. Resisting the urge to explore, I waited patiently by the stairs. Rachel didn’t take long, returning in less than a minute.
“That was…underwhelming,” she muttered as I walked up to greet her.
“What was underwhelming?”
“She’s literally five minutes away, at the hospital,” Rachel replied. “I thought there would be some super-secret facility within the school or something.”
“Are you delusional?”
“I’m joking. Calm down. Let’s head over. Mum told them we’re coming.” Giving a slight nod, I followed her down the stairs.
Walking through the crisscrossed paths of the school, we eventually found our way to the main entrance. Having only briefly left the school during my small chase, I hadn’t noticed the fountain in the centre of the pav
ed courtyard. Rachel looked toward the sea of commuters making their way to their early-morning jobs. The value of commerce never depreciated for mages as their services were invaluable to most aristocratic households.
“You got a boat to get past this ocean?” I asked sarcastically, looking at the rough sea of grumpy and annoyed mages and mercenaries. The occasional young adventurer, marked by their unique attire, could be seen trying to reach the Adventurer’s Guild. However, the majority didn’t look too happy as they made their way towards the northern exit.
“We’ll just have to brave the currents,” Rachel muttered, using the same analogy to describe our situation. “The hospital isn’t far enough to rule out walking.” The whisperings of the crowd drowned out her voice.
I grabbed her hand as we entered the stream of movement. Our destination was slightly to the south, which meant the crowd was pushing against us, hoping to begin their daily work. Despite the resistance, it wasn’t long until we saw a golden spire. The significance of the spire traced back to the Essence Wars several decades ago.
“We’re nearly there!” Rachel grunted, shoving us through the final few commuters as we stumbled into the relatively empty courtyard.
“Should we enter?” I asked apprehensively as we approached the entrance. The building stood tall similar to that of the school, however the style was the main contrasting point. The building’s articulate overhangs and walls with increased details were similar to that of all Arcanan architecture.
