ACADEMY OF LIGHT

by RAVENC JAMES

  “Impressive!” Traquus said when we met in the garden. “Let me guess, with that silver energy you can also summon other energy?”

  I nodded. “I’m assuming you already know how to do this?”

  “I don’t do it the way you do. But yes, I can summon the energy I want.”

  “Really? How do you do that?”

  “By calling them to me. Consciousness. I think of them, and they come. But you will get there. You need more experiences.”

  “And navi, yes, I get that,” I said. “And yet you’re still in the fifth house instead of moving to higher houses. Were you waiting for someone too?”

  He grinned. “What made you think I’m a student here? Not all angels who are in the academy are fledglings. Some of them come here to re-learn, hone their skills, and acquire more navi. The academy is the place for growth. Tell me if you are done with this house, and I’ll accompany you to the next house. If I find you befitting my company, I may continue to do so until you reach the last house.”

  “That’s a great proposition. I am very honored and grateful for it,” I said. “But I already have a companion. I’m just waiting for him to finish the fourth house. You’re free to join us, though, if you want.”

  I smiled.

  “I admire your loyalty, but it may take him a while to finish the fourth house. Why don’t you come with me to the sixth house and then come back here to the fifth house when he arrives.”

  “Please tell me this is not another trick to get me to the other house, only to discover that I can’t come back here.”

  He grinned again as though I was amusing him thoroughly.

  “I like your wariness. Come with me then.”

  I followed him. We flew back to the hall and walked through the Common Area, which was on the ground floor. The rooms were all located way above the ground, and flying was the only means to get there. We walked through the door and stood outside the house.

  “So, there’s a door,” I said, smiling.

  “Look down.”

  I did as he instructed and saw nothing but mist.

  “I’ll trade you rare information if you tell me what’s down there.”

  With a bemused smile, he said, “How rare is your information?”

  If the portal to the Metropolis deemed it worthy enough to give us passage, this same information might be worth more for an angel.

  “Is the knowledge about Ether’s different dimensions rare enough for you?” I said.

  Traquus’s jaw set, and his eyes were fixed on me with suspicion.

  “All right, let the trading begin.”

  And I told him about it, everything that I read in the book. How the dimensions were like pockets or layers of Ether, imperceptible by ordinary senses. It took an archangel-level of navi to even perceive their existence. I watched Traquus’s reaction to it. There was no smile on his face. His eyes narrowed on me, sharp and assessing. Then it belatedly dawned on me that, for someone receiving this rare information, Traquus gave no hint of excitement.

  “You already knew it, didn’t you?”

  He shifted his gaze to the mist below us.

  “It’s another dimension of nothingness,” he said. He sounded dismissive of it.

  His answer confirmed my suspicion that he already knew about dimensions. Yet he still accepted my trade.

  “What will happen to someone who falls there?”

  “He will be flying forever unless he finds his way back here.”

  Reassured that I could still go back to the fifth floor anytime I wanted to, I flew to the next house with Traquus.

  Traquus’s manner of flying was so different. He did it so well and elegantly like he was part of the air. He was unhurried and talked to me as though we were at a table with a cup of tea and not thousands of feet above the ground. Traquus flew with no regard to his direction like his wings knew where he was going. His eyes never left me as he listened to me talk. But I couldn’t fly that way. I had to look up and approximate my distance to the next house to adjust my speed.

  “Trust your instinct. The air beneath you is at your behest,” Traquus said.

  “I see you can read minds too.”

  “I can read minds, yes, but I can’t read yours.”

  I was only teasing, but his confirmation that he could, indeed, read minds added more to the mystery behind Traquus’s identity.

  “So, you can’t read my mind? I wonder why.”

  “I’m sure I’ll find out soon,” he said in a voice that was so confident it was borderline cocky.

  The sixth house was identical to the fifth house. This one was focused on communication. Traquus took me to the Lounge at the Common Area to see about an available room to use. The rooms were coded in colors: red for occupied and white for empty.

  “Are you staying?” I asked.

  “No. But I’ll be back when you’re ready to go to the next house.”

  “How can I tell you when I’m ready to go?”

  “This is the house of communication. Figure it out,” he said with his enigmatic signature smile.

  The house surpassed my expectation. Books upon books showed the many ways to communicate. And the garden was used to practice it. From the books I read, I learned the more effective way of using air-streaming. I wanted to share it with Venir, so I was growing impatient. If there were a door back to the fourth house, I would have searched for him there. That was how desperate I was to see him.

  I was reading the book about air-streaming while hovering on air. It said that I could use objects like orbs, crystal balls, or stones as tokens. Instead of air, I could also use the Blo energy. I would have to trap the blue energy inside an orb and then would link the orb with the other one. The trapped Blo would have no other places to go but between these two linked orbs. When activated, it would carry the voice and the image of the person holding the linked orb. This was just like the one we saw in one of the stores in the Metropolis.

  The main objective of the house was to create at least one form of this kind of communication device. I would need a partner to accomplish this. I already had one in mind, but he was still in the trial house.

  With a heavy sigh, I went down to the Common Area to search for a partner. Then suddenly, a blinding light appeared, making everything turn bright.

  CHAPTER 15

  I forced my eyes open and trained them on the source of the brightness. It did not take long before my eyes got accustomed to it and saw the form past the light. My mouth hung open when I realized what had caused all of it. Two giant angels with enormous wings were standing in our midst.

  Were they archangels?

  I recognized one as Emerald with her glowing wings of green. Although I didn’t know the name of the other archangel, the color of her wings gave away her identity. I read somewhere that Archangel Sapphire was the only one who could emit this kind of blue glow. Blue and green light lit up the whole area.

  “I’m sure they came because of the Great Riddle.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to see who was speaking behind me.

  “Hi, I’m Malachy.”

  Malachy was a pleasant-looking angel whose smile added brilliance to his already brilliant inner glow.

  “Orieumber,” I answered. I moved to stand beside him and whispered, “You meant that darkness, right?”

  “Yes, it’s common knowledge. Angels call it the Great Riddle. Some angels call it the Great Mist. Depends on which angels you talk to.”

  “I was in the first house when it happened. We lost five angels.”

  “As far as I know, we also lost five angels here. Since I’ve been here, I’ve experienced the Great Riddle three times already. And every time it appears, five angels go missing. And I think they’re here to investigate.”

  “And why are they investigating it now?”

  “Because as you said, five angels are missing in the lower houses. It’s never happened before,” he replied.

  “How do you know all of this?”<
br />
  He shrugged his shoulders. “There was a great influx of angels coming from the lower houses who were asking questions, sharing this information, that it became common knowledge and no longer worth trading.”

  “Michael will be apprised about this.”

  I turned my head to look for the owner of the melodic voice and heard my angelic heart beating so fast when I locked eyes with the speaker. Sapphire’s deep blue gaze was so penetrating it felt like she was examining my insides.

  She gave me a look that clearly meant, “Who the fuck are you?” The cursing part was my own, for I was certain the archangels could have used better language.

  They disappeared after that.

  “You understand them, do you?” Malachy asked.

  “You don’t?” I replied, perplexed. I really thought everybody could understand them.

  “They’re using archangel-tongue. And no one here, at least no one I’ve met, could speak that language.”

  “They said Michael would be apprised.”

  “Oh, wow. You did understand them.”

  I really needed to talk to Venir and share this information. Five angels missing at every house should be a big deal and apparently big enough that the archangels showed up. And I was more confident now that these angels did not hide in the Focus Rooms when none of these books even talked about how to summon one.

  Malachy volunteered to be my partner in our communication project. He told me he was staying on the third floor. He was not bothered about the fact that angels were missing. His reasoning behind it was that the archangels were working on it, and he was sure they would figure out where these angels went. He never thought about the fact that these angels may have been dead. “Angels don’t die. We’re immortal.” This he said.

  And as usual, as it was the way in Ether, the angels went about their business accumulating more navi and were not a wee bit concerned about the fate of those missing angels.

  Still, there was another thing that continued to perplex me. How did I manage to understand the archangel-tongue?

  “I don’t quite get what you said, but I like it.” Malachy smiled with satisfaction.

  Malachy and I went to the garden to explain my idea for a communication medium.

  “It’s easy. I combined the orb-talking and water-bending principles and a mix of the energized water from the garden, Blo energy, and Memor energy. I’ll create a crystal ball using water and trap the blue energy inside it. So, when the Blo energy establishes a communication link inside the crystal, the Memor energy will provide the crystal ball the images to transform into.”

  “Let’s try it then.”

  Malachy stayed in the garden while I went back to my room. I activated the Blo and sent my message to Malachy. The Blo disappeared and then reappeared and started glowing inside the crystal. After this, the water crystal transformed into Malachy’s face and started talking to me. I answered back. I believed Malachy could also see my face on his end. It was a success!

  When I came back to my room, Traquus was waiting for me.

  How?

  With a heavy heart, I left the house and flew high up to the seventh house.

  CHAPTER 16

  The seventh house, the Arts and Science of Elements, was twice as big as the previous houses. Although it shared the same architectural designs as the fifth and sixth, this house had a vast Common Area and a garden that could fit five of the gardens from the other houses. All the fledglings in this house were tasked to master the art of conjuring Rood's red energy.

  “This is one of the houses where many fledglings fail to advance,” Traquus explained.

  But I was no longer interested in what the house offered. I wanted to know more about the missing angels.

  “What do you know about the Great Riddle?”

  “Are you initiating trade with another of your rare information? Because I’m telling you now, no information is valuable enough for the Great Riddle. This one is worth all the knowledge of the entire academy,” he said with a condescending tone mixed with arrogance.

  “Is the Great Riddle more valuable than the lives of the angels?” I answered, huffing. I was beyond caring this time, and there was no Venir to tame my tongue. So, suck it, Traquus.

  He squinted his eyes. “Finish the academy, pass the tenth house, and then we will talk about the Great Riddle. Trust me. You will then realize that you’ve been worrying over this for nothing.”

  Without any further chitchat, Traquus left as soon as we reached my new quarters. In a hurry much? I was about to ask when my question died on my tongue as I watched him fly away and out of the house. With him gone, I checked on my open air-streamed communication with Venir.

  “Hello, Venir. Answer me, please. Where are you? Aren’t you done yet? C’mon, ask me anything. I’ll help you.”

  But no one answered.

  Having nothing to do, I decided to stroll in the garden. I passed by some students who were levitating with their faces deep in concentration. Others were in pairs, fighting each other. Curious, I watched a pair of angels who released yellow beams out of their hands and then later cried in frustration.

  After a little more exploration, I found an excellent spot to practice. It was open yet secluded, as the huge trees blocked the view from the main area where most angels congregated. I closed my eyes as I gathered my thoughts and freed my mind from mental obstruction. Levitating cross-legged, I held my hands forward, palms up, invoking the energy. Sylfur hovered above my palms.

  “Silver. Interesting.”

  I opened my eyes to see my intruder. Handsome. But back to business.

  “I’m Haim. What’s your name?”

  I opened my eyes again. The stranger appeared to be more handsome than before. Everyone was beautiful in Ether, but this one surpassed them all.

  “Orieumber,” I said.

  Haim levitated himself and imitated my sitting position.

  “Tell me,” he said. “Why did you choose to conjure silver when you are supposed to conjure red?”

  “Because silver is a beacon, and it helps me summon any energy I want, especially the Rood.”

  “It’s a clever tactic.” He paused, his eyes never leaving mine, and then he smiled. “But it won’t work in the battle.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I would rather show it to you.”

  Haim leaped from his position and somersaulted backward to land on a battle stance—feet an inch or two apart from each other. “Go ahead, hit me with the Rood.”

  I sprang up to assume a position opposite him. Without hesitation, I conjured the Sylfur, and then…a thousand tons of force suddenly hit me in my chest, sending me backward. Pain rolled from my ass when I hit the ground with a loud thump. Feeling a little groggy and very much embarrassed, I got up. Haim helped me to my feet before he jumped back to his previous spot.

  “Hit me again!” Haim ordered to my astonishment. “Hit me,” he urged.

  I gathered the energy again, but even before I could blast him with Rood, the same amount of force that had me tumbling the first time got me tumbling the second time.

  “Stand up and hit me again,” Haim said.

  Again I tried, and again I failed. But for the many times I was knocked down, I recovered faster and faster.

  “Hit me!” Haim said.

  I did, but this time instead of summoning the Sylfur, I caught the Rood mid-air and threw it back at him. I was flabbergasted. My jaw dropped. I looked more surprised than Haim himself. He simply rose from his feet, straightened up his clothes, and then smirked at me.

  “Good,” he said.

  From then on, I was able to conjure the Rood like nobody’s business. Silver was still my favorite energy, but the Rood proved to be a great ally, especially in kicking opponents’ asses.

  I breezed through all the exercises in the house so fast that I felt like I was ready for the next house. But I could not help wondering why Haim was still in the house. We were in the garden when I br
oached the subject to him.

  Smiling, he said. “Believe it or not, there’s so much more to learn here. Most fledglings prefer to stay longer in this house. And I’m doing the same.”

  Well, if my companion were with me, I would not care if we stayed here for good or not.

  “I’m guessing you have someone here with you?” I asked.

  Haim’s face turned grim. “I lost some people in this house. I’m still waiting for them to return.”

  “Did the Great Riddle take them?”

  “They did. We were three when we entered the academy. I’m the only one left.”

  I mentally reprimanded myself for ever asking him this question because now he was all sad and gloomy. We talked some more, and I shared with him the possibility that they might be in the Focus Rooms. Surely, they were safe if, indeed, the Great Riddle took them. No one would harm an angel, right? What I did not share was my theory that the Focus Room may not exist. Before I left, I promised him that I would search for his missing friends and solve this Great Riddle. His grin returned on his face.

  With Traquus nowhere to be found, I flew back to the fifth house. I was determined to sit there and wait for Venir as I started to get worried about him taking this long to come out of the fourth house. Was it possible for an angel to die inside the trial house? Weren’t we supposed to be immortals?

  At the fifth house, I started asking the angels if they’d seen Venir. I made his likeness using the water with a dash of Blo energy and showed it to them. All the angels I talked with shook their heads.

  I was in the garden when Traquus found me.

  “I believe you’re headed to the eighth house?” he asked.

  I took a long-suffering sigh before I followed him.

  The House of Creation had two houses. The eighth house served as the library, the ninth house as the experiment area. To pass the eighth and ninth house, an angel had to create a life.

  A significant number of angels who had been stuck in these two houses—God knows how long—was a testament to the impossibility of the goal.