Amber Dusk | OLD Version

☼ Chapter VIII ☼

Nausea washed through me as my heart plummeted into my stomach, and I twisted around hastily, rushing back inside my room.

I slammed the door leading out to the balcony a little harder than I really needed to and booked it outta my room, the ferocious terror from the night before slithering down my spine.

It seemed to breathe down my neck and caress me like a living thing, black and putrid smelling.

Lorelai was definitely sleeping over tonight.

☼

The shrillness of the hour bell resounded around me, seemingly lapping at my heels as I rushed in to my IOS lesson. Plunking down recklessly into my seat, I dove inside my bag to retrieve a notebook and pen to write notes. People beside me cast strange glances my direction, but I ignored them all.

Most Novices didn't take notes in classes because there wouldn't be mid-terms or exams on the information given in Intricacies lessons; you were expected to just know and your knowledge was tested on your field mission as a Protector.

If you appeared incompetent, you weren't allow to partake in the Rituals leading up to graduation, which meant you wouldn't be officiated as a Protector until you proved yourself to be capable of handling real scenarios as a Protector.

But I didn't care. I grew up in the human world and because of this, things that were common knowledge to most Novices was news to me. I needed my notes to drill all the inner workings of the Unknown World into my mind.

"Chapter two, page twenty-nine. The Red War and Siekrov Nyx Academia." Sawyer's voice commanded attention as he called out the page and chapter we would be starting today.

He waited patiently at the front of the class for the page rustling to hush behind a tall stark-white podium similar to the pillars the black marble tabletops sat upon. "Third paragraph."

Sawyer held a small remote in his hand and suddenly the lights in the room dimmed and a projection of a photo of the Academy glowed to life behind him, displayed widely over the wall.

The photo wasn't old-timey as I expected it to be, but was actually in color and looked basically the same as it did today.

"After the birth of the First Children, the Original lines of the Unknown World began to breed and continue on the lines of Lyncanthropy and Vampyrism. Around four generations of Lycans and Vampyres were born before the first Vampyre-human romantic interaction.

"During these first generations, many humans were murdered by Lycans and Vampyres alike when their true nature became evident. Because the Unknown World was still yet to be truly established, there were no precautions in place to support or protect Lycans experiencing their first Shift and Vampyres enduring the Change.

"Many of you know that these transformations are the absolute hardest of any supernatural's lifetime. Nephilim Children and Sorcerer Children are included in this, but they only Awaken. There isn't another stage that pushes these Children to feed in the same way that Lycans and Vampyres experience these urges.

"These first generations endured the same severe emotions, otherworldly impulses, inhuman changes in strength and senses, the discovery of Gifts—and for those tainted with Dark Blood, Powers. So, clearly, these Children killed people. Vampyres can't even transition without completely draining a human of their blood, correct?"

The room had gone deathly silent, and I leant back in my seat as I gazed around the room.

A piece of me was disgusted at the sullen atmosphere as most of the Novices beside me most likely remembered the first time they had killed someone.