Quartic:The Darkness Withen [1]

Raine-Ch.3

After hearing that the person who owns the castle is Wyatt's mother, I wondered if any of my parents were still alive.

I mulled over this as I strolled towards the shield's entrance, waving at the other students who were waiting patiently on the other side.

 They immediately piled onto the bus and drove inside, parking the bus just outside the gate as the shield shut with a loud boom sound. 

Some kids jumped at the sound, but Ferdinand wasn't phased. 

Some shields made that sound when closing.

 "Who was inside?" Tamsin asks. My mouth felt dry, so I quickly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

 "Just some woman. She claims to be a goddess" I gave a smile.

Others had heard because they were gawking at me.

 Someone's thoughts said, "How can she say that so casually?" I searched for the person who thought this, scanning the crowd of students, frowning as I led people inside the castle. 

I heard gasps at the elegance and extremity of the decorations around us. In front of us, the lady was flying and dancing around the room with the biggest smile.

"Welcome, my darlings, please make yourself at home!" Her eyes shone with kindness, and her smile and beauty entranced everyone.

Soon enough, many students started to explore the castle, helping themselves to plated foods.

I noticed Wyatt still looked a bit troubled. I could see that he felt betrayed in a sense.

I wonder if Wyatt has wings too, whether I might have wings as well.

Does that mean I can fly? What a ridiculous thought, I mused to myself. I made my way down the castle halls looking at each room.

I noticed one had a magical ward around it, it appeared to be invisible to anybody else, but it made me curious.

What was there to hide behind that door? Is it so special that it needs to be safeguarded?

I walked towards the shield and felt my skin tingle from the power radiating off it. I was about to stick my hand through when I felt a rush of air behind me.

Sure enough, Wyatt's mother was right behind me.

'You are just as curious as your father was,' She said in her thoughts to me. Her thoughts sounded kind, but her expression was not.

The ward glowed a bright purple. I wanted to touch it so bad.

Something was drawing me closer to it.

'How do you know my father?' I questioned back to her in my thoughts. Her face grimaced at the thought before she spoke some more.

'We used to be in an intimate relationship until the war. It's coming very soon,' Her thoughts said, her eyebrows were furrowed.

'what's coming? What do we need to prepare for?' I sounded panicky, just as bad as I had felt.

'I have to bring my holo back to me. I can't leave my body for too long,' She said quickly, and immediately she was flown back into her own body.

I felt the presence of energy disappear on a whim.

Indeed the mother was not hiding anything dangerous behind that ward. Maybe she wanted to explain to me in person instead. 

Rather than through a holo, where someone might see and become suspicious.

The castle was way too big, moss-covered the stone wall outside, but inside the shiny floor and softly carpeted bedrooms.

An overhead ceiling was shaped like a dome to the pillars lining the throne room.

It gave roman castle vibes. I looked in awe at the lights hanging from the roof, sparkling like diamonds.

Each room had a queen-sized bed and enough room for a walk-in closet. Let me explain it better.

There were enough rooms for every student who arrived here to have a space.

She must've felt very lonely in such a massive space on her own. But, what made me wonder, was how she managed to be alone for such a long time. 

Later on, during the evening, everyone gathered around a massive table in the dining room, all the students sitting together.

The conversations bubbled in the air like a wildfire. The atmosphere felt warm and inclusive.

The fire was crackling in the background, soft light from the chandeliers above.

"So you never did tell us your name. What was it?" Ferdinand asks with a mouthful of food in his mouth.

"Nyx, my name is Ny-" She didn't get to finish her sentence as Ferdinand had started to choke and spit out his food from shock.

He hit his chest, coughing, then took a drink from his water.

At this point, everyone was staring at him, and Nyx was confused.

"You can't be serious. That's insane," Ferdinand gasps out. I was amused to see him so shocked by the revelation.

'If she is Nyx, that makes her a primordial goddess. She was born before life itself,' Ferdinand thought to himself. I felt my eyes widen.

I continued to eat my food, acting like I hadn't just heard what he thought. However, I did feel Nyx's gaze snap right onto me.

'not a peep,' she snaps at me through her thoughts. A smile was still plastered as she spoke back to Ferd.

"Why yes, that is me. Do you have a problem with it?" She innocently asks. At this moment, I truly saw how terrifying this woman could be.

'Not a peep, got it,' I remarked in a sassy tone in my thoughts.

I didn't have to hear her thoughts to know it ticked her off slightly.

"No, just a bit of a shock," Ferdinand mutters. I could tell he had other intentions, though from where his thoughts trailed off too.

I didn't want to delve into it, so I focused on Wyatt, still processing the information.

He still seems confused, although he played it off like he wasn't bothered.

On the other hand, Tamsin was busy shooting streaks of light above the table, making shapes and soft glows emit from her hands.

She truly was a sight to behold, and I have to admit, I have feelings for her.

Although she is out of my league, way stronger than what I could ever be.

'I have a special room for you and Wyatt to share. That way, your powers will not draw monsters here,' Nyx spoke through her mind link to Wyatt and me.

We looked at her, nodding in affirmation.