by Andre Pisco
"Before you leave… I noticed you had some marks on your body. I'm pretty sure some of them were whips and electric fingers that pressed deep into your skin. I have done my best to remove the pain and possible discomfort you may have, but there are marks too deep in your skin to reach them. I know where you come from and I don’t want to push you, but is there something you want to tell me?” She asked calmly, looking Alec in the eyes.
"Thank you but no. The past is buried, and I don’t want to take it out of the grave.” He answered, standing up, and walking to the door, “Thank you for everything."
The woman's words echoed through his head as he headed into the bedroom. Only the chirping of the birds and the light morning breeze interrupted the silence of the corridors. His colleagues were supposed to be in potions’ class, where they were learning the necessary ingredients, as well as the different utilities for them. However, Alec's head asked for a break. Constant drumming on the walls of his brain that left him in need of a place where he could be alone for moments. Memories of the past came to tone and with them, they brought pain and annoyance. He knew where he had gained every mark his body carried. He remembered when and who, but never why they would do it.
As soon as he entered his bedroom, he sat on a chair and picked up a sheet of paper. He wrote a long letter to his parents, also addressing Tommy and the other friends, telling them about the experience he had at the academy. He knew that his mother would most likely cry when she read it, and his father would act as if admitting his longing was a defeat. He would say something like, "I see that the academy didn’t strengthen him." and his mother would punch him on the shoulder, asking him not to say bad things. He tried not to let a tear fall on the thin paper, fearing that it would tear easily.
"…Tell Tommy I'm trying hard to fulfill the promise I made to him. I'm not going to waste the opportunity I had and one day I hope we'll meet again and be like the old days. Tell him I made friends.
Lastly, thank you, mother, for all the times you have healed my wounds. For all the days that I arrived home, still with fresh blood on my body, gnashing my teeth, trying not to make you cry. I don’t know if I wanted to make my father proud by fighting for a job, or if I was trying to prove to myself that I was strong enough to deserve a place out of town. I am sending some money so that your life can improve. You can have a healthy diet and access to healing items.
Dad, we were never good friends, but I’m grateful that at least you were there. Perhaps one day we will be able to return to the conversation we had on that rare day when the sky was not painted gray, and the stars shone in shimmering tones of hope."
Chapter VII
It took a month and two weeks for Alec to get a response from home. He had just woken up when someone knocked on the door - two rings and a whistle. Neil woke up, and covered his face with a cushion, complaining about the excessive noise for a weekend day.
"I was having such a good dream. I was with Lucy seeing the stars, and there was so much chemistry that I could feel our bodies dropping little shocks whenever we leaned against each other.”
"It's been two months, and the only words you exchanged with her were “excuse me” and “I give up” when you fought her."
"I'm taking it easy. She will notice me," said Neil, with a closed-mouth grin, his fist in the air. A dreamy thought, as he waited for the impossible.
Alec got up and opened the door. A man with a few hairs on his face, shaved hair on both sides and blond in the middle, with a thin body, was waiting for him outside. He was banging his feet on the floor repeatedly and kept his gaze on the floor for the entire interaction. He had sweat pouring down his face, and the t-shirt on his shoulders was soaked. The cart he had had dozens of letters to hand. His nose had a weird shape. It was slightly warped, and as he breathed a sound like air through metal pipes could be heard down the hall. Alec thanked him, and his face brightened with joy.
"There are good people at this academy after all," he said, before picking up the cart and moving on.
Inside the room, Neil dressed and arranged the photocopies of notes that Max had distributed to the class.
"We have world history test for the week. I'm going to the library to study. Do you want to come? "
"Yes. This week I also have the last two fights. If I win, I will be in the last 16. I have 2 losses, 3 wins, and a draw. We both fell off the ring at the same time."
"Wasn’t the last fight easier than you were expecting?"
"Fortunately yes. The first one was much worse," said Alec as he held out his arms. He no longer felt pain, but he continued to avoid putting himself at risk.
"Take the letter to the library and you can read it there. You have to save time.”
Alec nodded, hiding the craving that consumed him from the inside. Curiosity for reading the letter increased, pumping his heart as they walked to the library on the second floor of building 1. The cold kept most students inside of their comfortable, warm rooms. Those who found themselves outside took refuge in the corridors wrapped in blankets or in the official robes of the academy. The noise of people coughing, and sneezing became background sound for the foggy day.
Alec created a ball of fire, which hovered over their heads, heating them like a portable fireplace. Eyes of envy, laden with poison, settled on him. They arrived at the library after a few minutes, where they were fortunate to find an empty room. Of the 10 tables, 5 on each side, only two were occupied. In one of them was a boy with purple hair, face down, silently repeating what he read, and in the other was Lucy, also studying potions.
"Go there and ask if we can sit next to her," said Neil, timidly, while pretending to rummage through the section of history books.
"Why me? Aren’t you the one who wants to sit next to her? "
"Yes, but you know I don’t have the guts. Do it for me. Please?"
Alec finally surrendered to the request. It was hard to resist when Neil was pouting in the middle of the library. He approached the table where she was, trying not to make a sound. He put his hand on the table, catching her attention. She focused on him, looking, as usual like she hadn’t slept in days – dark circles under her eyes and cracked lips.
"Neil and I would like to know if we can sit here."
Lucy looked around before answering, "But there are other unoccupied tables."
"Yes. Nevertheless, we’re studying the same subject, why not do it together? We can exchange some ideas and ask questions to each other."
"Okay. One thing, why is your friend looking here with a book turned upside down in his hand?"
Alec looked at Neil, who was a few feet away, holding an old book with both hands. The cape was red and bound. He smiled unmeasurably at them.
"I suppose too much cold affects his brain?" Alec replied in a jocular tone.
Lucy smiled gently, not showing her teeth. Her cheeks gleamed pink almost as the color of the book Neil had already placed on the shelf. He sat down next to Lucy, who moved a few millimeters away and Alec sat down in front of her. They began by exchanging general doubts before deepening their knowledge using the notes. Lucy answered all Neil’s doubts, explaining to him calmly what he didn’t understand.
"You're very good at it," he told her.
"Thanks. Talking about it also helps me not to forget."
A little later, Max and James emerged. It was possible to notice that James had accompanied his cousin by mere obligation. His voice surpassed all the murmurs the group was making, and grunted at Max, telling him that he couldn’t be seen there. Unlike him, Max had the usual black notebook in his hand, and his face exploded with joy as he ran into rows of books and knowledge to explore.
"Of course they are here. Max, I'm going. Good luck," said James, looking up at his colleagues' table with an air of superiority.
"Uncle said I couldn’t let you go before you know at least half of what is coming out on the exam. I will not lie for you," Max answered.
"Don’t make noise. Sit or leave,"
said the librarian, adjusting her glasses on her nose.
"Okay. I’ll stay. Just half an hour," he said, breathing in and letting his shoulders drop beneath his body.
Max walked over to his colleagues' desks, followed by James, who kept his disinterested air. Neil invited them to sit down. Lucy looked at Alec and rolled her eyes.
"Are you going to study potions, too?" Alec asked. “The notes you shared are helping us a lot.”
"Good to know. It was the least I could do." Max replied, smiling.
They continued to study together. They made short breaks just to rest and stretch. Even James seemed focused on learning by the way he kept silent, listening to Lucy's explanations and Max's curiosities about the subject. They exchanged information with each other while laughing at Neil's pitiful look when he was still clueless afterward. Lucy smiled completely, getting carried away by the good energy the boys conveyed. Alec had yet to read his family’s letter, but he knew it wasn’t the right time to do so and kept it on his left pocket.
The purple-haired boy continued to study with his head down, almost bent over the books. He didn’t utter a single sound since they had arrived, nor did he seem bothered by James's shrill laughter. An hour passed in an instant. The weather had worsened. Chilled chains crashed against the glass windows, dulling them and ruffling the hair on their body.
"Why don’t you create a flame to warm us up?" James asked in an authoritative voice. The voice of someone who uses a question to disguise an order.
"I can’t. Look over there," Alec replied, pointing to a sign on the wall that said that using energy in the library was punishable, “besides, I cannot risk burning any of these books.”
"The weather is strange today. It was supposed to be cold, but not this much. Much less ice and granite” added Max, “This time only tends to happen in December”
They all stared at the fogged windows for a few seconds. Little stones of hail were killing themselves against it. A storm was approaching. Rain flooded the campus, while the thunderstorm in the distance kept the students alert. The smell of wet turf infiltrated the library through the gaps of the window, which were not completely closed.
"Boys, silence. I'll get some blankets. Be careful and quiet," said the librarian, rubbing her shoulders and blowing into her hands.
Silence fell on the room for a short moment. James leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, while the others stared at the windows except for Max who was adding some information to his notes. Melancholia seized the moment. The neutral faces in the dark were a sign that the study had been relegated to second place. The purple-haired boy moved for the first time. Neil noticed and drew everyone's attention to the strange way he walked and to the fact that they couldn’t see his stats.
“I thought only teachers could have their stats hidden?"
"I'm pretty sure you’re right. A student should have no money, nor access to such an item," Max replied, his mouth half open.
"He looks like a puppet," James commented.
The boy was dragging his feet across the floor and his legs moved in a peculiar way, bending as he walked. He staggered side to side, going against shelves, letting books fall without even blinking. The rain intensified, muffling the sound of the falls. Some pages of the older books fluttered, spreading across the floor. He stepped on them, not looking down or making the least effort. He went to the door and closed it. He had a key in his right pocket that he used to lock it. He turned and walked to the bookshelf where the books about spirit animals were. He picked up the books, one by one, flipped and tossed them to the floor.
"What the hell is going on?" Neil asked, low, afraid he would be overheard.
"I don’t know, but we have to stop him. Look at his eyes. They are gray. He doesn’t seem to be in the present." Alec remarked, getting up, "He doesn’t even seem to notice we're here."
"You better be careful. We don’t know how he'll react," Lucy added and rose up. She had one hand still on the table and the other in the air. A green glow appeared inside her nails.
"If he reacts badly, I’ll just have to defeat him," Jamie said, ignoring the patient attitude of his colleagues and walking up to the boy, "So? Do you really think what you're doing it’s okay? Hi? Hello?" He said but was completely ignored.
The boy continued to toss book after book to the floor. Thunderbolts burst through the air. Max leaned against Neil, his teeth grinding and hiding his face in his colleague's chest.
"Don’t worry. Nothing will happen," said Neil, comforting him and glancing at Lucy to see if she was aware of his semi-heroic deeds.
James got closer to the boy, but the answer remained null. Finally, he got tired of waiting and came forward, placing his hand on his shoulder and tightening around the bone. Despite the strength he used, one that everyone could see due to his protruding bones and veins, the boy didn’t seem to feel any pain. However, he did turn to look at James. His eyes were devoid of color, and his face was pale. The warm breath caused James to jerk him away so he could scratch his nose. He was distracted for a moment, and he didn’t have time to react to the boy's attack, who took advantage of the fact that James was shorter than he was to catch him by the neck, lifting him easily. His feet left the ground. He was breathless, and the punches that hit the guy's face were unproductive. He wouldn’t let go of him and pluck his life mercilessly. His HP came down with every passing second. It was 50 when it finally stabilized. He was incredulous. The irreverent attitude of an alleged colleague had caught them by surprise and their reactions slowed down. They looked at one another, all confused and Max and Neil startled.
"Whenever you want to help..." James blurted out, a fit that frightened his classmates.
Heras and lianas emerged from the palm of Lucy's hand. They headed toward the purple-haired boy, trapping his hands behind his back and his feet. He fell and, once again, remained motionless. There was no attempt to break free, nor did he seem concerned about the situation. The gray in his eyes remained, as did the closed lips.
James fell flat on the floor, hitting the ground too hard and fracturing one of the bones in his shoulder. The sound of the bone breaking caused shivers up everyone’s spines. It sounded like two stones were rubbing against each other. Alec helped James get up despite how much he complained, saying he could get up by himself. He bit his lip, breathed deeply, and screamed whenever the pain overcame his resistance.
Outside, the weather got worse as the hail became a snowstorm. A white wall made it impossible to see the other side of the window and the noise was similar to the sounds heard in nightmares that are shared with no one. Suddenly, as hope spread through their bodies and smiles were still on their lips, the noise of an explosion overcame their own voices. Their ears buzzed for a few moments, and no one said anything. They waited for someone to come and tell them it was a prank, a bad joke that went too far. However, no one came up. Alec took the lead and approached the boy, whose Lucy still had chained with her energy, and took the key from his pocket.
"What do you think you're doing?" James asked, sitting next to Max, who was doing his best to heal him.
"I’m going to see what’s happening."
"Alec ... We should stay here. Someone will show up,” Neil said, his hands shaking under the table.
"There may be people needing help outside. We cannot stay here doing nothing, waiting for someone to remember that we exist."
"Teachers must be in the corridors already ..."
"And they may need help," said Alec, walking to the door, "is anyone coming?"
"I'll come. You'll need someone to protect you if necessary.” Lucy said, packing her things in her bag and putting it on her back.
"If you two go, I'll go too," said Neil, following her footsteps.
"Don’t even think that you're going to act like heroes without me. I know I'm going to have to save you, even with one hand,” James said, standing up and frowning as he tightened his grip on his arms to show that he was fit.
"I won’t be left here, all alone. I'll go with you and heal you on the way." Max added, "but what about him?" He asked, pointing to the boy lying on the ground.
"He is immobilized. I doubt he will be going anywhere." Lucy stated.
They all gathered next to the door. Neil and Max remained behind, followed by James, and finally Lucy and Alec in the front.
"Before we leave, we better get organized. I go first and create a barrier of defense large enough to fit everyone inside. Alec will be a few steps behind me, in case a quick offense is needed. Neil, your job is to protect Max and James until he's healed. When he's minimally well and able to move with only a little pain he will join Alec on the front line." Lucy spoke quickly, trying to disguise the fear in her voice.
Everyone's face was filled with surprise - semi-open mouths, steady nods, and open eyes. They had never heard Lucy speak for so long, so seriously, and it was definitely the first time they heard fear in her voice. Above all, she was aware of strategy and how to position a group to get the best out of each one.
Neil was filled with courage and without control of the tone of his voice he let out a scream "No one passes through me!"
He put his hand on the back of his head and apologized for his enthusiasm, not realizing that his words had had a positive effect. If Neil, who was constantly afraid of everything, was willing to fight, the rest would do the same. Alec gave the key to Lucy, who opened the door with some care and peered into the corridors.
"I don’t see anyone. Come on," she said.
They tried to walk without making any noise, taking small steps while slightly raising the soles of their shoes above the floor. The corridors were empty, not a soul to be seen. The scent of sulfur and singed wood was very distinct from the other scents. A scream ran down the corridors until it reached them. They looked at each other but didn’t back away. They had decided, each for their own reasons, but none thought of returning to the library.
