A/N: This chapter actually isn't so bad. I'm so tired and I don't know why, but I stayed up to post this for you!!!
On Tuesday morning, we opened our eyes to over five feet of snow coating the grounds of Viventi. The power had gone out, and we woke up, freezing cold, at six forty five in the morning. Thankfully, we had water, even if it wasn't heated. I brushed my teeth, used the restroom, and changed with my teeth chattering the whole time. "I knew I'd need this," I smirked at Kiara as I dug my winter coat, an upper-thigh length black jacket with a faux-furry hood, out of the closet. I'd had it for my whole time at Viventi, and since I'd stopped growing at age twelve when I was 5' 9", it still fit me perfectly.
"Well, I packed mine too," Kiara grinned as she held up her golden-brown jacket.
"Does anyone have a sweater I could borrow?" Tessa asked. I shook my head- all of my sweaters were in the wash. Kiara said no.
"Yeah, I do," Ella said. She tossed Tessa a cream-colored sweater that went perfectly with her dark skin tone.
Tessa looked appalled. "But it's so... light," she protested. "I'll look like a lighthouse!"
I mock-gasped. "Tessa, caring what other people think of her?"
"Wow, you're really going downhill," Ella chuckled.
"Be careful you don't turn into Victoria," Kiara added.
Tessa chucked the sweater back at Ella. "No thanks. I didn't want the stupid sweater anyways."
"Sorry, Tess. That was a bit mean of us," apologized Ella.
"Yeah, sorry," Kiara and I chimed in unison.
"It's fine," she mumbled.
We headed downstairs to the dining hall, navigating by the weak light thrown through the tall, slightly dusty windows. All the blinds were rolled up by the helpful Aurges, color-coded to each floor- red for the ninth, yellow for the eighth, green for the seventh, blue for the sixth, white for the fifth through second, and purple for the first. I marveled at how organized the school was. As we shuffled into the cafeteria and sat down, I saw that Professor Almerwick and Professor Prentice (who was now Assistant Headmistress, since Limentus had been the old one) were in the midst of an argument, which was presumably caused by whatever was on the paper Almerwick was holding, since they both kept jabbing their fingers at it. However, my view of the quarreling professors was soon blocked by a brown-haired boy who was reading a Harry Potter book. Normally, I'd have freaked out- Harry Potter was my favorite series in the whole world of Nidus- but I was too irked to pay any attention, because I had just managed to start lip-reading their conversation. Something about a corporation and the Order of Chaos. I relayed this information to my friends over cold cereal. "Well, that doesn't give us much," Tessa said glumly.
I nodded. "I kinda wish-"
I was cut off by Professor Almerwick, who was now standing up at the staff table. "Excuse me, students," she started, and the noise immediately died down. "Since the power has gone out, you will not be having class today-" A wave of hushed cheers swept through the cafeteria and Professor Almerwick raised her voice. "-and instead, you will stay in your rooms and work on the textbook pages allotted to you. If you do not know your class's textbook pages, please see your teacher after breakfast. For your classes requiring weapons, you will not be practicing today. A portable fire pit is waiting for you outside your room. It is enchanted, so you will not have to burn anything for it to work. Simply tell the fire to start, and start it will. To put it out, just tell it to stop. You are responsible for your rooms, and there will be no Viventi-funded repairs until the end of the year. If you are comfortable staying in a scorched room until the end of the year, then there is no need for your parents to pay. If not, you must compensate for the damages. Be careful with your fires, and even though it is a snow day, you will still keep your dormitory rooms in lockdown mode whenever there is someone inhabiting it and there is NO going out of the school. Please keep wandering in the corridors down to a minimum, and be on alert. Thank you for your attention, students. If you have finished your breakfast, please head off, and if you have not finished your breakfast, please hurry it along."
"She makes it sound like we're going to be attacked any minute," Tessa grumbled as we stood up.
"Well, we did have a BASINTURE INVASION," said Ella.
"Girls," said Professor Almerwick from right behind us, "come with me. I need to ask you some questions about the basintures."
Professor Almerwick led us to her office. On the wall was a Viventi banner- a large V with all the year colors on it, intertwined with silver and gold. "Now, girls," she began, "I know you were involved with the basintures. I would like you to tell me what has happened here."
"Well..." I started. "Kiara was opening presents..." Once I started, the whole story seemed to just flow out. Kiara, Ella, Tessa, and I took turns telling the story.
When we were done, Professor Almerwick sighed. "The Order of Chaos is getting stronger again. I hoped it would not come to this... anyways, girls. You four are special. So this is why I'm telling you this.
"A long time ago... say, before Viventi was founded, a baby girl named Elizabeth was born. She grew up to be a very pretty girl and a beautiful woman. She was very smart and had a wonderful personality. She met a man who she then married and had three children with. One day, her husband, who had another mistress, angered the mistress, who then murdered the three children. Elizabeth was furious and heartbroken, and in that moment, she saw a Catrops kill a deer. If that hadn't happened, maybe she would've just... let it be. But she became bloodthirsty. She founded an organization called the Order of Chaos, and somehow, after becoming ferus, she became immortal. Now Elizabeth is gone, replaced by Mistress. She wants to destroy Nidus and feast on its remains. You four are the ones destined to stop her."
I sat there in shock. "How are we supposed to defeat an all-powerful, immortal ferus lady?" I managed to get out.
"Well, she can't be completely immortal. She has to have some weakness." Professor Almerwick sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
"It would be nice to know what her weakness is," huffed Ella. "Any ideas?"
Professor Almerwick sighed. "I do not know. But the time will come, mark my words. And you four will be the ones to stop her.
"Also- I'm very sorry- but the prophecy also states that someone who you have a deep connection with will take in Mistress's spirit and go over to the side of the Order of Chaos."
"Well, we'll give it our best shot," said Kiara, her mouth a grim slash of determination.
"Thank you, girls," sighed Professor Almerwick. I suddenly felt very bad for this tired old woman slumped in the chair in front of me, even though I didn't really know her. Professor Almerwick then rose from her chair, straight-backed as ever, and said, "You may-"
She was cut off by the sound of a large crash. "What was that?" I asked.
"I don't know, but I intend to find out," replied Professor Almerwick.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! If you're wondering what that crash was, sorry, but you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Also, this story has nearly 100 reads!!!!! That's so amazing!!! Thank you guys so much!!!
-Deepio the tired Slytherclaw
