Nevermore

Chapter 05

L U C A

At lunch, Luca had barely eaten anything before he got up to leave, wanting to go to the music room. Before he could get away, however, Isaac forcefully handed him a loaf of bread to eat on his way, so he wouldn't starve until dinner. Luca smiled lightly, thanking him.

    Luca noticed that a change had taken place in the weather since that morning as he left the dining area and walked through the campus to get back to the Berrington Hall.

     The sun had once again vanished behind the somber clouds of approaching autumn, little raindrops falling every here and there. But Luca didn't run to get himself away from the rain, like most people would. He liked the sky this way; so full of heartache.

    Once inside the building, he took the familiar path up to the music room, on the last floor. There were a few instruments leaning against the walls around him, but Luca headed for the large piano in the center of the room after closing the door behind him. He liked coming here when it was empty and peaceful like this.

    He began to play, but just as he was about to surrender himself completely to the music, someone opened the door to the room, snapping Luca out of his daze. He abruptly stopped, turning his head to see who had walked inside.

    "Luca!" the man said, closing the door behind him again. "Can't say I'm too surprised to see you here."

    "Mr. Carter," Luca said in a hollow voice, getting up from behind the piano as his music teacher walked inside with a red envelope in his hand. "I'm sorry, sir. If I had known you needed the room, I wouldn't have come here without permission."

    "Oh, no need to apologize. Besides, I thought we were past the point of 'Mr' and 'sir'," the man said with a warm smile, opening his arms. Luca chuckled, hugging him. Mr. Carter meant much more than just a simple mentor to him.

    After pulling back, Mr. Carter walked toward his desk. He then opened the top drawer and placed the red envelope inside while he was saying, "Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven... one of my favorites. Please, don't stop on my account. Play it again."

    He nodded and sat back down behind the piano as Mr. Carter took his seat behind his desk. Luca had known John Carter for only a year now, but Luca always looked up to him. Mr. Carter was a young man of twenty-seven, though he'd been teaching music ever since he had graduated from Julliard School in New York.

    It had always been Luca's dream to go to Julliard, and to study music, but his father had disagreed. It's too far, he had said.

    Mr. Miller loved his only son with all his heart, and Luca knew it. His father had given him everything a child could ever wish to have; a room filled with toys, his favorite food prepared for him every day by their personal chef, expensive clothes, the best tutors in the city... But there are some things that money cannot buy. 

    Their mansion was big, which made it seem emptier. Quieter. Even though he had a maid to take care of him as a kid, Luca still used to feel alone most of the times. And in those long hours when his father was away, he had only his piano to keep him company.

    Music made him feel less lonely, somehow.

***

Daylight began to forsake the city. The stars and the moon hid themselves behind the dark clouds that draped over the sky as five figures ran down the campus with the arrival of the night.

    Nicholas, Shawn, Luca, Arthur, and Isaac had met up at dinner as promised, and were now headed to where they ruled their little kingdom.

    Right outside the Berrington Hall, the printing room was located. The only students who were allowed inside were the editors of the school newspaper, or as they called it, The Scriptores.