The rumbling thunder started to roar in the sky. Dark clouds were slowly crawling over the town of Vizca, making the place darker and colder.
People on land were mesmerized by the sudden phenomena, watching the clouds as it covered their place.
Birds were flying to different places, searching for a place to stay to avoid being in darkness.
It was when a very strong lightning struck the open space on land, when the people outside their houses started to panic. It has never occurred to them that it might happen in their own place, but it was happening in front of their eyes.
The lightning left a mark on the ground - two triangles intersecting with each other, one was inverted, forming a star, and in the middle, there was a circle with a little skull inside. Once they saw it, people already had an idea what was happening.
Elderlies went outside their homes with the adults, while children were forced to get back inside and hide from there.
Another lightning struck the land, as powerful as the first, but the time it made contact with the ground was way too longer than the first. It was moving in circles.
It created a huge and wide circle with fire burning around it. The fire was getting stronger, and it was moving in circles, getting faster and faster as it got bigger than the houses around.
Thunder hasn't stopped ever since and it was getting louder as the circulating fire kept growing.
People of Vizca were preparing themselves for what lies beyond the circle of fire as they watched it slowly stop.
The fire was setting down, and as people waited for something to appear in the middle, others were shouting everywhere in town, yelling for help.
They were all busy preparing themselves around the circle of fire, and it never occurred to them that it was only misleading them and had become a bait while others were being attacked without mercy.
Bodies were lying on the ground with no signs of life. Blood was everywhere. Others were still trying to fight for their own lives and to save what could be saved, but it was already too late…
"You were having a bad dream." Madam Loury bent over and snapped once in front of his face to wake him up.
Elio's eyes were red, and his brows had formed furrows between them as he looked so serious and irritated towards her.
Madam Loury stood straight and crossed her hands over her chest as she stared back at him, while he pulled himself up and helped himself sit on his bed.
"Did you read my mind?" His voice was sounding annoyed and he was trying not to yell at her face. Just thinking about that thought of going through his mind without permission makes him feel so furious.
"I did not. You were sweating and unstable on your bed so I assumed you were. I just woke you up." Madam Loury kept her voice flat, even the emotions on her face, keeping her composed self.
Elio Freyr did not seem to buy her reason. His eyes were still on her, trying to figure out whether she was lying or telling the truth, but he could just figure nothing.
He shut his eyes closed and bowed his head down with furrows still lining in between his brows.
It has been a while since he last had a nightmare. But it was different from before. His dream was so detailed this time that he still remembered the mark on the ground and everything that had happened there.
And the part that got his attention was the dream itself. It has never happened before, and he was sure of it.
All the nightmares that he had, had happened before in front of his own eyes, and if not, he heard about it from someone, but the recent dream he had had never happened before and he was sure about it.
"If I remember it clearly, those houses were built after the attack two years ago." He said in his mind as he tried to analyze everything on his own.
Elio Freyr opened his eyes and looked back towards Madam Loury who hadn't moved an inch and was still looking down at him.
"Have you seen a Seer around?"
Furrows appeared in between Madam Loury's brows as she heard the sudden question out of nowhere, but she recovered fast.
"No. Why are you asking?"
"I had a friend back then. She's a Seer. But I haven't seen her around ever since. I was just wondering if you saw her or anyone like her somewhere." It was a clear lie, but Madam Loury just didn't want to argue more as she was already too tired.
She had a bunch of patients earlier that she had to cure when Elio was still in his deep sleep, and the least she would want to do is to waste her energy arguing with someone which she knew would only be pointless.
"Seers are gone." She sighed. She snapped once and a chair appeared beside her and took it to sit.
"They were killed two years ago. Others might still be alive, but might be hiding somewhere to protect themselves. So if you're looking for your friend, it's either she's dead or just hiding. It's better if it's the latter."
Madam Loury sighed again. She looked so worn out. Although Elio was wondering what had happened to her to be in that state, he remained silent and let himself understand what she had said.
"Anyway. You can go now. The med has already healed you, and there are no signs of poison in your body now."
Elio did not bother to ask anything nor say anything. Instead, he stood up and collected himself to get out and be with his own self.
"Just one piece of advice, Mr. Freyr."
He stopped halfway to the door, and looked back to Madam Loury. He met her back, still seated on the chair she had summoned a while ago, waiting for her to continue what she had to say.
"Open your eyes. You wouldn't see anything if they're closed."
Questions ran through his whole being, but instead of asking for an explanation, he just shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room made from his subconscious mind.
Another day had started in the Academy. Elio Freyr was enjoying his lunch alone in the Academy's cafeteria when a group of students entered the hall, and sat on the next table across from him. They were all quiet, and it seemed like there was a tension in that circle of students in front of him. A woman in a black blouse and with silver hair named Thea caught up staring straight at him as soon as she found her own seat. Her eyes were beaming with longingness, and concern registered all over her face. Her sudden action caught everyone's attention, and one by one, they followed where her gaze was fixed. The quiet and heavy atmosphere in their circle has become even more obvious, and got a lot heavier. Everyone knew what had happened between Ayden and Elio a day before, but no one had ever spoken about it since. Elio Freyr and Ayden were quite famous back then. They were friends, the best of the best, and no one could separate them once they had started doing something together. Bu
"You can see me. I'm sure of that." Elio kept his head up high and fixed his sight straight at the hallway he was taking. Students were still scattered everywhere taking their lunch break productively by practicing their magics and abilities, and chatting with people they know around the Academy. There were students in the hallway that Elio was passing by who were showcasing their own abilities to their peers, and making sure that they would be the center of attention. But when they noticed him, they were all stopping, and making a way for him to walk past through the hallway. No one wanted to bump into him or even just make contact with him, and so they were all avoiding him. "Why are they looking at you like that? And why the heck are they avoiding you, El?" Elio turned to the nearest hallway from his right, and turned left to the next hallway after. There were no students in that hallway and he knew that because it was the way to the lecture rooms, and no one would want to b
The afternoon lecture classes had ended, and instead of going straight to his dormitory, Elio Freyr walked to the hallway towards the Library. It was not crowded that time of the day, because most of the students were in the black room to get their afternoon training as it was their schedule for the weekdays. Not everyone was interested in training, and it was fine for the school if they chose not to attend every afternoon session, but they were required to attend at least two every week. And Elio Freyr was one of those students who didn't like the idea of having training after lectures, instead he had chosen to be alone in the library. But the thought of being alone was not possible, because a woman in her invisible form has never left his side ever since. "Professor Euls is better than your Professor for the History of Magic. What's his name again? George? Yeah, Professor George. His class is so boring." For how many times already since the moment he spent his time with Esther
One of them jumped down to the ground and stood on his feet behind Elio, positioning himself to attack him. "What's happening here?" Everyone stopped, even the one behind Elio as a voice of a woman echoed behind them. Elio turned his back and met the person who was ready to attack him. He gave him a blank stare, before giving his attention to the woman who arrived. "Nothing. This just slipped from my hand." He showed her the book he was holding to make his lie more believable, but the seriousness pasted on his face has never left him. "Oh. Okay." She nodded. "I thought something's happening here already. You know. Things had messed up here. And we need to check everything. If you need something just call any of us." "I will, Thea. Thanks. I'll let you know." From his peripheral vision, Elio saw the five trying to escape from him. The four of them were getting down from the shelf, and the one in front of him stepped to his side. Thea, one of his old friends, turned to her right
A spiral staircase welcomed them behind a hidden door from the library. It has floating candles that light up the narrow space of the staircase through the way down. The four spirits of the library started walking down in front of Elio, while he and the leader were still both on top of the staircase behind the door. "This place is hidden for a reason. You'll know that when we get there." "How do I know that you won't kill me?" Elio's eyes were fixed on the candles floating in the air, amazed to see them right in front of him. "We need you, as I had said. And that alone is enough reason for you to believe me. Now follow me." The spirit pulled the door behind him to close it. As soon as he did, the candles' lights became brighter, as the light that was coming from the library was gone. He and Elio started taking steps down the staircase, carefully watching every step they were taking. "This place was built alongside the library. But now, only the spirits know its existence." "Wh
The almost everlasting hallway from the right side of the place has become so dark. No candles or torches were around to provide them light as they stroll towards the end of it. Elio Freyr has mastered the act of seeing in the dark for his life from two years back, but the darkness that was surrounding them was too different from that. The force surrounding the place has never been felt that strong, but as they walked towards the end of the hallway, the energy that filled up the place became stronger, but they kept moving forward abandoning that feeling inside them. A door at the end of the hallway was nearing, which meant that the force had even become stronger, but Elio Freyr held back and continued walking with the five spirits of the library towards it. "Cover your eyes when I open the door, if you still want to see clearly after." There was a button-like stone just on the left side of the door that was mounted on the wall. It was a size of a normal hand of a human, and it h
"They lured you here so they can take your body and be alive again." Elio Freyr was watching the souls inside the Dot in silence. They were still fighting for his body which was lying on the ground near the podium helplessly. "I need this body." The leader said in his authoritative voice, far from the way he was talking when Elio was around. It was too powerful and too proud."We already talked about this. We agreed that I'll be taking over next, don't we? This is so unfair, Rio." "We did. But things do change Morgan. And we also agreed that if I want to get a specific body, you will give it to me no matter what and when." "That's not what we agreed to. We made an order on who would go next and we need to stick with that." The one whom the leader called Morgan said, trying to make his point. "Who are they, really?" Elio Freyr could not contain all the questions inside his head, as there were just so many of them that were lingering in his mind. "In your History books, they are t
"Oh Shoot. Glad you're awake! I almost dragged you out of here." His dark brown eyes met a pair of hazzle eyes in front of him. The relief of seeing her friend back alive was written all over her face that overcame her fear and worriedness for him.From the corner of his eyes, the souls gathered around were visible for him, facing their backs from them as they discussed what they would do about him. But he didn't bother to give them a little more attention, because his mind was still fixed on the conversation he had with Selene, and his memories from there went back as soon as he met his old friend in front of him. "Before you go. I want to tell you another thing." "That sounds more serious than what you have let me see. What is it?" The curiosity made him stop and look back at her, meeting her ever so serious expression plastered on her face, with her eyes staring directly at him. "The one who came to save you, needs to be saved. Life and power is on the line. Help her before i