Andromeda and Sebastian have just found the memory from Isidora Morganach to reveal how she used her ancient magic to extract pain from her father.
"But we found the memory!"
Andromeda looked over at Sebastian and let out a shaky breath. They had just uncovered the final piece of the triptych after investigating a cavern that was swarmed with Ranrok's loyalists. The triptych uncovered a pensieve that contained a memory from Isidora. It showed how she used her ancient magic to remove pain and performed it on her own father in front of the Keepers.
"Yes, I know but-"
Sebastian quickly interrupted her and pointed at the pensieve. "We saw what she wanted us to see. We saw what she could do...what you can do!"
Andromeda shook her head. She has barely scratched the surface about the origins of ancient magic, let alone how to control it with such precision. "I can't do that. I don't even know how!"
"Well, you shall learn then. The Keepers can teach you!"
Andromeda was beginning to feel apprehensive, the Keepers were showing her their memories of Isidora for a reason. Something was not adding up and it didn't make any sense. Why was Isidora's portrait destroyed? What happened to her?"
She wished Ominis were here.
"Sebastian, I don't think the Keepers will help me in that matter."
"Why not?" Sebastian's voice hinted at a tone of frustration.
Andromeda tried to keep her voice steady. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that Sebastian was not going to back off since he was already convinced she could remove Anne's pain.
"The Keepers believe that removing the ability to feel pain is a highly complicated form of magic. It's unpredictable! To wield it means you have to have great care, if at all."
"If at all? Andromeda, you have overcome all of their challenges. You can wield it. You have the ability!"
She turned her back to him and stared at the triptych. These words of encouragement were not helping her at all. If anything, it was only making it worse.
"Please. Talk to the Keepers. If not for me, then for Anne."
Andromeda closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. Sebastian had to rope Anne into all of this because he knew the guilt of not helping his sister would completely eat her away. For now, she found there was no harm to at least ask the Keepers. The worst that could happen is that they deny her request. But first, she needed more answers about what exactly happened to Isidora.
She turned her head towards Sebastian and gave him a small nod. He instantly smiled back at her. "Thank you. I'm going to send an owl to Anne. I shall never forget this!" He then ran out of the Undercroft, leaving her completely alone.
With her hands pushing her hair back, all Andromeda wanted to do was talk to Ominis. He could always ease her mind with a few simple words. However, Sebastian insisted that they meet during the night to locate the cavern undetected. She knew Ominis would be asleep by now and did not want to disturb him.
She pushed herself forward to the exit of the Undercroft to make her way back to her dormitory, uncertain that she would get any sleep tonight.
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The next morning.
Andromeda was right. It was beyond difficult for her to find any sleep. She tossed and turned for most of the night and finally nodded off in the early hours of the morning. While the rest of the girls in the dormitory were up and getting ready for the day, she was still past out in bed.
Imelda thought it was odd that Andromeda was still asleep, given that she was usually an early riser. She quietly walked over to Andromeda's bed and gave her shoulder a shake.
"Hey! Andromeda! You're going to miss breakfast and keep your boyfriend waiting..."
Andromeda groaned but buried her face into her pillow. Seeing that her efforts were useless, Imelda left the girl to enjoy her slumber.
Ominis was indeed waiting for Andromeda in the common room. It was very unlike her to be this late. He was beginning to wonder what was taking so long and if he should be concerned. When Imelda came out of the girl's dormitory, she went right over to Ominis.
"Andromeda is still asleep. I tried to wake her up but she's out like a bag of bricks."
"She never sleeps this late. Maybe I should-" Imelda cut him and said, "I would let her be for a bit. Maybe she had a bad night. If she's not awake by the time breakfast is over, I will go and wake her up."
Ominis sighed in defeat. "Fine. But I will be the one checking on her."
"Boys are not allowed in the girl's dormitory. You should know that by now!"
"You do realize I'm blind, correct?"
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Ominis was sitting across from Sebastian with his head turned towards the entrance of the Great Hall. He barely touched his breakfast and was starting to get more worried about his missing girlfriend.
"This isn't like her..."
Sebastian shrugged and continued to devour his food with little restraint. "Maybe she just wanted to get her beauty rest. I mean, she seemed fine last night."
Ominis whipped his head back to Sebastian. "What do you mean by that?"
"We found the final piece of the triptych in the Undercroft, and it revealed a memory that showed Isidora using a spell to remove pain. It was brilliant!" Sebastian placed his silverware down and took a drink from his tankard. "I told Andromeda that she could do the same thing with her ability of ancient magic. All she has to do is learn it from the Keepers and we finally may have found a cure for Anne!"
Ominis slammed his fist onto the table. "You are an idiot! Do you even hear yourself talking right now!? You just placed an enormous amount of pressure on Andromeda by requesting her to learn a spell that is not only dangerous but erratic!"
Sebastian was taken aback by his friend's sudden outburst. He thought Ominis would be thrilled Anne could be saved after all.
"But she is more than capable of doing it! Out of anyone here, she's probably our only chance!"
It took all of Ominis' strength to not throw his plate right at Sebastian. "Did you even have the heart to ask if she was truly alright with all of this?"
"Uh, no." Sebastian realized that he was so caught up in his excitement to tell Anne that he did not even think of asking Andromeda such a question. "I just assumed everything was fine."
"Well, clearly she's not fine!" Ominis began to raise his voice. "I swear to God Sebastian if you sent her over the edge I'll..." He stopped mid-sentence and stood up from the table. "I had enough of this. I'm going to check on her myself."
"But Ominis...boys aren't allowed in the girl's dormitory."
"Has everyone forgotten today that I'm blind!?"
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Ominis immediately ran back to the common room and found the fifth-year girls' dormitory. He knocked on the door to see if she was awake. "Andromeda? Are you alright?"
With no answer, he carefully placed his ear against the door to discover the sound of soft breathing. "How on earth is she still asleep?" He then slowly opened the door and snuck in to find her bed.
Andromeda was underneath the covers with her face planted against her pillow. Ominis knelt next to her and gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Andromeda. You need to wake up." He leaned in close and lightly pressed his lips behind her ear. "I'm not leaving until you are awake."
She began to stir, wondering if she was still dreaming. She could hear Ominis' voice as if he was right there with her. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she realized that she was not dreaming and that he was kneeling right next to her bed. Her head shot up as she pulled her blanket closer to herself. "Ominis!? What are you doing here? You know boys-"
Ominis finished her sentence. "Are not allowed in the girl's dormitory. Trust me, I have been told more than once." He shook his head. "I knew something was off when you didn't show up for breakfast. Sebastian confirmed my suspicions."
Andromeda could feel herself fill with dread as she hid her face with her pillow. "What did he tell you?"
He reached out to rub small circles on her back. "Why don't you get dressed while I'll wait in the common room, then you can tell me everything. I am certain there will still be something to eat in the Great Hall." Ominis then stood up and walked out of her room.
Andromeda sighed and could hear her stomach protest in hunger. She then rolled out of bed and quickly changed into her uniform.
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"He wants me to talk to the Keepers about how to learn to remove pain like Isidora did to her father. He's convinced that I can do the same thing."
Andromeda picked away at her breakfast as she told Ominis what happened last night. She dropped her fork onto her plate and leaned her head against her hand. "But even if I could do it, my gut is telling me it would be wrong for me to do so. Is that bad?"
Ominis shook his head. "The type of magic that you are describing is beyond unpredictable. There are too many factors that could go amiss, especially with someone like you who has less than a year of experience with magic. So no...it is certainly not wrong that you do not want to do it."
"Isidora stored the pain in a small bottle that was made of goblin silver." Andromeda tore off a piece of her pastry and took a bite out of it. "She said she needed something bigger but the memory ended right at that moment."
"Now, Sebastian failed to mention anything of that nature."
Andromeda let out a small snort. "That does not surprise me because he was so focused on Isidora removing the pain. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out what exactly did she do with the pain once it was removed. What did she mean by needing something bigger?"
"It sounds like you need to find out more from the Keepers. How many more trials do you have to complete?"
"Just one more. But..." Andromeda sipped from her mug. "Let's say, theoretically...I could take away Anne's pain. What do I do with it then? I can't destroy it. Do I try to hide it somewhere? What if it falls into the wrong hands!?"
Ominis slid closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You're allowing your brain to overthink again. We just discussed how dangerous it would be to even make an attempt. Anne wouldn't..." He stopped and let out a slow exhale. "I don't want you to do anything that would put your life at risk."
Andromeda leaned into him with her head resting on his shoulder. She realized that this was what she needed to hear last night. While Sebastian completely disregarded her caution, Ominis reassured her that she was doing the right thing.
"I know...I won't decide until I have more information about Isidora. There was a reason why her portrait was destroyed and I intend to find out." She stifled a yawn as the lack of sleep was catching up to her. "I wish you were there last night."
"You could have woken me. There would be no complaints, especially with you."
Andromeda picked up her head and rolled her eyes. "Ominis, how in the world would that even work? First, I'm not allowed in the boy's dormitory. Second, what if I wake you mid-dream and you either try to throw a punch or worse, scream?"
Ominis gave her a small chuckle and gently lifted her chin. "Well, considering you already have a habit of breaking the rules such as going to restricted areas, sneaking in the boy's dormitory should not be a problem." He leaned closer, inches away from her mouth. "Fortunately, my dreams mostly consist of you. I would be rather pleased that my dream has turned into reality." He then bridged the gap between them by pressing his lips onto hers to lure her into a long kiss.
When he pulled away, Ominis took her hand and began to stand up. "We still have a few hours before potions. I believe I know the perfect secluded area for someone to catch up on some sleep."
Andromeda raised her eyebrow in question as she followed him out of the Great Hall. "Are you leading me to some sort of mysterious lair of yours?"
"Now darling, I can't tell you all of my secrets."