The Seventh Secret

Chapter 7: The Dune Slide

Rhiassa frowned as she walked out of the room. There were a few things that she was beginning to understand, but being sent to Greywyn Academy wasn't one of them. She wasn't sure if she was ready to experience her new life at Greywyn Academy, not if she still had doubts about her identity.

Soon, Brother Ararenus had taken them to a large playroom. "This room is known as the Sky Room," he said. " I don't know why they call it the Sky Room. Nonetheless, our students spend most of their time in this room."

"Why are they spending their time here? They ought to be in class," said Nevyn.

"Too much work and not enough play will make you a dull person," said Arenus. "We do allow any dull people here. This room was built for a reason."

Rhiassa looked around and saw the answer. The whole room was painted blue like the color of the sky, with the floor being painted green and brown like the ground. Several areas had been built into the walls where students were either reading or hanging out. The areas were approached by a flight of stairs built in the walls.

Ararenus turned to her and said, "Look up and you'll see the slide." Rhiassa looked up and saw a line forming in a corner nine feet from the ceiling. That place led to the Dune Slide. The slide was huge and round, about four stories high, spanning the entire length of the room.

"Why is it called the Dune Slide?" said Rhiassa.

"There are no sand dunes here," said Nevyn.

"Your lack of imagination disturbs me, boy," Ararenus said to him. "I wonder if the school had made a mistake in bringing you here. Well, how old are you?"

"I'm 17 years old, if it's any indication for you," said Nevyn.

"I see," said Ararenus. "You're too old to be in this school. Too old, to be exact. This school usually takes students between 14 and 16 years of age. Dlav was our youngest student at the age of 13, and has recently been aged to 14 years. You're almost an adult, and you're too full of anger and hatred."

"How can you say that to me?" Nevyn cried out. "I could have as much fun here as the next student."

"Indeed, but your attitude says otherwise," said Ararenus.

While Nevyn and Ararenus argued, Rhiassa slipped away from them and climbed the stairs, hoping to get to the slide. "What is the point of the Dune Slide?" she said.

Tobias Goodfellow said to her, "I don't know, but there were rumors that the witch had once tortured people in this room. The rooms were once cages to keep people trapped so they wouldn't escape. Garbur Greywyn eventually escaped his prison, killed the witch, and freed his fellow prisoners. Then the school was built on the ruins of the witch's castle."

Rhiassa said to him, "So that's how the school was built?"

"And why we're learning magic," said Tobias.

"So, why exactly are you learning magic?" said Rhiassa.

Andrew Cherrywood nodded, "We must learn magic, and this is why the witch captured the teenagers. This is why every year the school takes children from their homes and brings them here."

"So, the witch's magic is what makes the school take children away from their homes and bring them here," said Rhiassa.

"Not only that, but the witch also stole the names of the children she captured," said Lizzie Castle. "We don't know Garbur Greywyn's original name before he came here. That's why students who come here have to get new names."

"This is confusing now," Rhiassa said as the line began to move forward. "The witch took teenagers from their homes, stole their names and lives, and forced them to learn magic in this castle. I thought the children were brought here every 70 years."