The first night in the dorms went as well as Aster could've hoped. Her room was pretty small. Just enough space for a bed, about the same size she had at the cottage, a small desk, a small closet, and an even tinier wash room. It was all perfect, though. The cottage back home was small, and she had shared it with Nelly. This was more than enough room for Aster. Besides, she did not plan on spending much time in her room anyways.
Aster woke very early, eagerly waiting for classes. She showered, showers are only in the community girls wash room, combed through her long dark hair and dressed in her school uniform. Sebastian told her the cafe opened at 0530, so she decided to head down at about 0630 to get some breakfast.
Aster saw Sorbit in the cafe and they decided to walk to homeroom together. Sorit told Aster that she had heard multiple rumors about what had happened. Aster was mortified that word about the accident was getting around school. Sorbit attempted to reassure her.
"What did you expect? Word shoots around this place so fast. Don't worry, people will stop talking about it in a few days."
"People probably think I'm a freak, don't they?"
"Who cares. If they're talking about you, that means they care about you."
Aster would've preferred nobody was talking about her. Especially about the horrifying incident between her and her professor. Everytime she closed her eyes that night to sleep, she could see his horrified look all over again. As if he had seen a ghost. It made her sick to her stomach.
They were early to homeroom, but Sorbit kept Aster occupied with chit-chat. Aster was grateful for it, it kept her mind from wandering to the many worries hanging over her. Slowly, students filed in. Aster seemed to recognize more faces, compared to yesterday when everybody was a stranger. She saw Matty, her pretty dark curls bouncing, round glasses covering her russet eyes. Aster was grateful for Matty's kindness yesterday, so she made sure to smile and wave when their eyes met. She recognized a gigantic student, whom could possibly be mistaken for a professor because he's so tall, she believed his name was Marshall. After a few students she couldn't quite pin the name on, in walked a tall handsome student. She was surprised she didn't take notice of him the day before.
He carried himself with such grace, it almost seemed as he floated on air to his seat. His face so mature, making him seem older than the rest. Distinct features stuck out to Aster, his crisp jawline, his defining nose. He had dark hair sprouted out in tamed curls around his olive skin. His onyx eyes peered ahead as he floated swiftly to his seat. He seemed aloof and distant, not greeting a single student. After he took his seat he pulled out a small book, but thick with its pages, and dove right into it.
"What's his name?" Aster whispered to Sorbit.
Sorbit glanced in the direction Aster had previously shot her eyes towards. "Oh," she replied unenthusiastically, "that's Huck. Don't get your hopes up, though. He's the hottest guy in the school yet he seems to have zero interest in dating."
So this was Huck. Aster recalled Sebastian mentioning his best friend being a genuis. "Maybe he just wants to focus on his studies for right now."
Sorbit shrugged. "Boring. He's just so hot though."
About ten seconds before the bell struck, Sebastian glided in. Aster watched him make awkward eye contact with Huck for a moment, before Huck shot his eyes back into his book, rejecting his friend. Sebastian turned away, looking for the closest escape when he noticed an empty seat next to Aster. As he drew closer, she noticed the burns on his face have now become a light pink with a peeling skin, just like Aster's had looked last night.
"Good morning," he greeted while taking his seat.
"Hi," Aster responded. "Your face looks better."
"You can't even tell that yours got burned. Also, you didn't mention this would itch like hell."
"Yeah, that part didn't hit me until later last night," Aster laughed.
Professor Ara came dancing into the room moments after the bell rang. She sported a huge smile while greeting her homeroom class. "Good morning, my lucky clovers. How was everybody's first day of classes?"
Aster didn't look around to confirm, but she felt like the eyes of her classmates were all fixed on her. She lowered her gaze, unwilling to tell details of her first day.
They spent the homeroom discussing the importance of time etiquette as a Keeper in training. Aster thought it seemed like Professor Ara made a point to glance at Sebastian a few times during her lecture.
Once the bell rang, everyone jumped up. Sebastian gave a nod as he raced out the door, and Sorbit accompanied Aster on the walk to Biology. Professor Hep lectured the entire period and didn't really say much to Aster, basically treating her like any other student. Which is all she could've hoped for. There were times Aster found herself zoning out, her mind racing to a million different places. But all in all, she found herself enjoying the lecture.
Aster's heart raced as she walked down the cellar steps to the basement, the home of the Potions classroom. Aster hadn't done anything wrong, except maybe not look at Professor Heathcliff while he was talking. But she was scared. She had never been in the presence of someone so strict and mean. Would he punish her and Sebastian? If they had done the potion right in the first place, none of that would've happened. If Aster had been making eye contact from the beginning, he wouldn't have yelled as he was holding the willywog serum. Her mind continuously played out different scenarios, all terrifying her. Maybe Nelly had a point after all about staying back at the cottage.
Aster twiddled her thumbs as she waited in her seat for the bell to ring. She kept her gaze at her desk, but she could sense every pair of eyes on her as each student entered the classroom. She wondered if they all noticed her wounds were completely healed, while Sebastian still had marks indicating the accident. Then, she wondered if her new friend was ever even going to show up, and if she was going to have to face the wrath of Professor Heathcliff alone. She was ready to bolt out the door just as Sebastian scurried in a second before the bell sounded. Aster let out a sigh of relief as he climbed to his seat.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Aster's pale appearance. "Are you okay?"
"No," she shot back quickly. "I didn't think you were going to come, I was deciding if I should just make a run for it and drop out."
Sebastian laughed. "Relax, I wouldn't do that to you."
"Why are you always almost late?"
"There are only a certain amount of minutes in a day," Sebastian replied. "I don't plan on wasting a single one. I always account for enough time to make it to class."
Before Aster could press for a better explanation, the wooden door flung open. It hit the wall with a thud, causing Aster's heart to sink to her boots. Professor Heathcliff's face looked far worse than what Sebastian and Aster had looked like. The burns from the serum had blistered, and the patches of affected skin were glistened with a bright red color. He must've not seeked any type of treatment yesterday. It made Aster sick to her stomach. She and Sebastian exchanged uneasy glances. Now all eyes really were on them.
"Class," The professor greeted. "I apologize for our abrupt dismissal yesterday. I was surprised at how you all managed to clean up after yourselves. Now, open textbooks to chapter three."
Aster was shocked at how their professor nonchalantly brushed off the incident yesterday. Perhaps he was waiting until after class to chew them out. That had to have been it. They had lost class time yesterday, so he definitely wouldn't want to disrupt the class today just to reprimand her.
They learned about the practice of brewing ingredients. Every last detail was of utmost importance when adding ingredients into a cauldron. Something Aster learned the hard way the day prior.
After a long lecture, it was time for the assignment. The assignment for today was to slice a billy pepper into twelve even pieces. It's a simple ingredient for many different kinds of potions, and Professor Heathcliff explained the key was to slice them as even as possible.
Professor Heathcliff made each student perform the task one by one while he observed. Each student was met with utter disgust and ridicule from their professor. Nothing was satisfactory, even the students who performed near perfect. Aster was trembling with nerves as she waited for her turn.
As Professor Heathcliff approached her station, he never looked towards Aster. He allowed Sebastian to attempt first. He did a fine job, really. It could've been better, but it was adequate and would've been fine to add to the cauldron. Yet, the professor only criticized.
"Simply careless. Your pieces look like mutated lumps. Do better."
He stepped in front of Aster. Her instinct was to keep her head facing her feet, but that was what got them into this mess in the first place. She forced herself to crane her head upward and look into his gray, pale eyes. Her gaze was unreturned, as he stared adamantly at her billy pepper. Aster shrugged it off and began.
It could've been better. Could've been worse. Aster thought it wasn't awful for her very first time. She waited for the hurl of insults. When they didn't come, she glanced up from her work space at her professor. He wasn't looking at her Billy Pepper, this time his smokey eyes were fixed directly on Aster. She was locked in herself, unable to turn away like her instincts were screaming at her to do. Her professor's face didn't show disgust like it did for the other students. It showed struggle. It showed pain.
Finally, the professor forced himself to speak to his student. He was only able to utter two words, while his eyes abruptly broke contact, shooting straight to the floor: "Very well."
He spun on his heels and headed straight into his study, shutting the door tightly behind him. Following the silence of the class, was a click as the professor locked himself inside the study. The students sat in silence for a few moments. Then, they began whispering. About the strange occurrence they just witnessed. If class was over and if they should leave or not. Finally after about ten minutes, someone made the decision that class was probably over and began to pack up.
Aster and Sebastian remained silent and unmoving the entire time. It wasn't until the last student left the class that they finally looked at each other while standing up and gathering their belongings.
"What in the galaxy was that?" Sebastian questioned.
Aster shrugged. "I thought he was going to give us hell. Maybe we should've waited after class?"
Sebastian shook his head as they exited the classroom and headed for the stairs. "If he was going to scream at us he'd have done it in front of everybody. Not only that, but the way he treated you."
Aster's stomach twisted into a knot. "What do you mean the way he treated me?"
"I have never seen him be nice to a student before. And his face when he looked at you, I don't know. It was just weird."
"It was weird. Was everybody looking?"
"Duh. Like I said he's never ever acted like that. It was almost like he was timid with you?"
"Maybe Miss Madeleine talked to him," said Aster. "Maybe she told him to lay off on me and stuff."
Sebastian furrowed his brow as he pondered this. "I don't think so. They have a, uh, complicated relationship. I don't think he'd listen to anything she would try to tell him."
"Complicated?"
"As in they can't even be in the same room together without bickering."
"Who knows, then. Maybe he just feels sorry for me. Since he made a cauldron explode on me on my first day and all."
"I don't know, but though it's strange as all can be, it might not be such a bad thing. There's a chance he won't make your life miserable this year."
"Is he really that bad?" Aster asked.
"Yes."
Aster was able to find her next class quite easily since Sebastian had shown her the previous day. It was the Art of the Elements with Professor Rio.
Professor Rio was a short and stubby, but jolly man. He welcomed Aster kindly and asked how she was feeling since she wasn't able to attend class the day prior. He didn't make too much of a fuss, which Aster appreciated.
She sat at an empty desk and as students piled in, two different boys that she recognized from homeroom sat on either side of her. The one was Marshall, the very tall and intimidating Earth Keeper. The other, she couldn't quite put a name to him.
Marshall initiated conversation first. "My name is Marshall Gunther, Earth Keeper." He nodded to the boy on the other side of Aster. "That's Alfie Carnell."
Aster turned to the red-headed boy on the other side of her. "Alfie Carnell, Water Keeper," he smiled.
The two boys were very nice to Aster. Marshall looked rather intimidating, but he was anything but in their conversation. He was very soft spoken as he asked Aster the normal questions of where she's from and how she likes the Academy. Alfie seemed to be his good friend, who was also very nice, but seemed somewhat of a class clown.
After the bell sounded, Aster stood to make her way out the door for lunch hour. She made sure to bid farewell to her two new friends.
"It was very nice to meet you both," she smiled.
"You as well," Alfie beamed.
To Aster's surprise, Marshall stretched his arms and crushed Aster into a tight embrace. She didn't even have a chance to put her arms around him to return to hug, as she was being squeezed so tightly.
"Don't squash her," Alfie laughed.
Marshall pulled away. "It was very nice to meet you, Aster!"
"Don't mind the big loaf," Alfie told Aster as she regained her balance. "He's a hugger, just doesn't realize his own strength."
Aster laughed. "That's all right. I'll see you guys in Miss Madeleine's class!"
After fourth hour was over, Aster entered the dining hall for lunch hour. She wasn't sure if it looks bigger with the huge crowd of students or not. She waited in line to receive her food then headed over the table with the other 2nd years. She couldn't find Sorbit, but she did see Matty so she took a spot across from her.
"Hello again," Matty smiled.
"Hi," Aster replied. "Mind if I sit here?"
"Please do!"
Aster and Matty chit chatted for a little bit. She asked Aster about her life back home with Nelly and what she liked most about the Academy and what she's most excited for. The usual, friendly get to know you conversation. Aster felt comfortable talking to Matty, and she was starting to realize maybe most of the students would be just as nice if Aster gave them the chance. Of course everyone is going to be curious and talk about the new Light Keeper, as Sorbit said. That doesn't mean they automatically dislike her.
Sorbit eventually found her way over and joined the two girls. Aster kept a look out for Sebastian, but it seems he never showed. She did notice Huck sitting alone at the end of their long table. She was half tempted to go over and start a conversation, but she felt maybe this wasn't the best time.
"So what do you have next?" Sorbit asked her friend.
"Philosophy/Ethics of being a Keeper," replied Aster. "Professor Kyna."
"Ooooh," Matty chimed in. "You'll like her. She's so intelligent. She comes from a family of Tellers."
Aster remembered Mr. Hoot mentioned meeting a Teller as a young boy. He described them as seeing the truth of the future. Not necessarily the events of what will happen, and he said they are by no means omniscient. But he made it clear they are wise and ought to be listened to.
"I think that class is rather boring," Sorbit spoke up. "But I agree, professor Kyna is pretty cool"
"Anyone is better than Heathcliff," Aster admitted.
"Oh yeah," Sorbit remembered. "What did he have to say to you today then? You were pale as all can be with nerves when you left Biology."
Aster blushed slightly. "Honestly, nothing. He had us perform cutting a billy pepper and he was so rude to everyone, except for me it seemed."
When Sorbit seemed unconvinced, Matty spoke up. "It's true, Sorbit. It was like he felt bad for screaming at her yesterday or something."
Sorbit furrowed her brow as she pondered this. "Professor Heathcliff never feels bad about screaming at students. It's like he gets off on it or something."
"Sebastian mentioned Professor Heathcliff being classmates with Miss Madeleine and Professor Ara," said Aster. "They were both classmates with my mother."
Matty connected the dots. "So maybe he was friends with your mom."
Sorbit raised her eyebrows. "I think you mean more than friends. If he's giving Aster special treatment!"
Aster burned as red as a fire. "Don't be like that."
"I'm serious!" Sorbit continued. "Oh my stars, you said you didn't know your dad!"
"Stop it," Aster panicked. "He is not my dad. Nobody knew who my dad was. It definitely is not him."
Sorbit glared Aster down from head to toe. "Hmm. I don't know. You said you look like your mom, right?"
"My eyes and my face," Aster sighed. "Nelly always said I must have got my skin and hair from my dad though! My mom was pale and blonde."
Sorbit kept eyeing Aster up and down with a smirk, but then recoiled. "All right, all right. I guess you two don't resemble each other in any way. Really."
"Exactly," said Aster.
"Aster," Matty began, "try not to work yourself up over this. Professor Heathcliff is very peculiar. I'd say just mind your own and if things become to interfere with your learning, take it to Miss Madeliene or Principal Pettlegree."
Sorbit nodded. "Honestly. If he's not making your life miserable, that's probably a good thing."
Aster agreed. There didn't seem to be any other solution at the moment. They dropped the topic and chattered away about other things until lunch was over.
Aster was able to make it to her philosophy class with time to spare. The classroom was in a high part of a tower in the west wing. It was far away from any of her other classes, but Aster didn't mind the trek. It gave her a chance to get familiar with the Academy.
Aster entered the classroom. She noticed the tables sat two people each and were lined in two rows. She sat toward the end and fiddled with her hands as more students poured in. She didn't seem to recognize anyone, and didn't have the courage to get up and start introducing herself. She decided she would speak to whoever chose to sit next to her.
The person who chose the seat next to hers sat down so graceful and quietly, she almost didn't notice. She looked over and suddenly, she was locked in on a pair of onyx ovals peering into her own green eyes. It was Huck.
Aster opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She was somewhat intimidated. Not only was he even more handsome close up, if that was even possible, but the way he carried himself with such confidence.
Huck stuck his hand out and spoke first. "Hello. Huck Xander. Fire Keeper."
Aster took his hand and gave a light squeeze. "Aster Grey. Uh, Light Keeper."
Huck smiled. "I know."
Aster wasn't sure if she should keep talking or stay silent. It was clear Huck had nothing more to say. There were more empty seats, so he chose to sit next to Aster. He initiated the conversation. She figured the worst that could happen is he asks her to stop talking.
"So you're Sebastian's friend?" She began.
Huck peered at Aster, curiously. "Mmm."
"He said you're a genius." Aster wasn't sure what else to say, and this was the first thing to come out.
Huck looked curious. "That's an exaggeration. But, he's sharp himself. You'll learn a lot from him." Huck's eyes cast a serious gaze suddenly. "Though he is also quite pertinacious and stubborn. You shouldn't always listen to him."
Aster wasn't sure what Huck was talking about, but it possibly had to do with their falling out. Aster decided not to press. "He did mention that he could help me learn more about my magic."
Huck shot a glare. "I'm sure he did."
Aster could sense a nerve was struck. She couldn't understand why. "So how did you two meet?"
"We were partners in potions last year. I ended up tutoring him after his explosive failure," Huck paused for a moment. "Apparently I was not a proper teacher. You seemed to pay for that."
Aster blushed. "Oh, it wasn't Sebastian's fault."
Huck raised an eyebrow. "I don't usually listen to talk, but I did happen to overhear about the accident. I just assumed it had to have been his doing." He waited for a second before saying, "Still, he knows you're a new student. He should have been helping you."
Aster could feel her face burn hotter. "It wasn't my fault either. Actually Professor Heathcliff dropped the willywog serum in the cauldron by accident. He didn't mean to."
Huck almost looked amused. "I wondered why Sebastian had been looking at me so ardently. I'm sure he's been dying to tell me about that one."
Aster thought this was a good moment to bring up the falling out, but the bell rang indicating the beginning of class. Professor Kyna suddenly appeared from a door behind her desk, like Professor Heathcliff had. She was tall with dark features. She was a bonny woman, who wore traditional clothing colored dark orange, red, and yellow.
"Good morning class," the Professor greeted. She scanned the room until her eyes met with Aster's. "Hello, Miss Grey. I'm pleased you were able to join us today."
"I-I'm sorry about yesterday."
"Please, no apology necessary. I'm glad to see you've healed well."
"Yes."
Professor Kyna began her lesson. She talked about the first Keepers who were alive hundreds of years ago. She called them philosophers, speaking about how they were the ones who created the concept of "Keepers". She said the Academy was founded by both a Light and a Dark Keeper. Aster was intrigued by every single word. She decided this was her new favorite class.
~~
Final hour had finally arrived, something Aster had anticipated all day.
The classroom was large and the walls seemed to remind her of the Cellar. They were supposed to practice their casting in this class, so that made sense. Aster surveyed the room and realized she recognized basically everyone here. It seemed to be their entire homeroom. Sebastian wasn't there yet, but he had told her they would have this class together.
"This is our entire homeroom class, right?" Aster asked Sorbit.
Sorbit looked around. "Oh yeah. I guess so. I told you your homeroom matters."
Sebastian still hadn't shown after the bell rang. Aster wondered if he had ditched out at lunch time or something.
Miss Madeleine came out from behind the door up the small staircase. She looked as curious and beautiful as the first day Aster had seen her. She hadn't had a chance to see or talk to her since she arrived at her homeroom yesterday, so the sight of her caused butterflies to arise in Aster's stomach.
Miss Madeleine greeted the class. Her eyes soon met Aster's. "Hello, young Aster. It's marvelous to see you again. I trust you've made friends among your peers?"
Aster smiled and nodded.
"Excellent!" Miss Madeleine began to explain the assignment. "Today, we are going to pair up. I want to practice basic offensive and defensive casts. I want to see everyone's own baseline level."
Everyone paired up quickly, Aster partnering up with Sorbit. Sebastian not being there, they were an odd number, leaving Huck without a partner.
"Ohh, I see we're missing someone," said Miss Madeline. She scanned the room with her lavender eyes. "Sebastian Crest. I should've known."
As if Miss Madeleine had summoned him by just mentioning his name, Sebastian suddenly came breezing in through the doors. His cheeks were red and he was panting as if he had run the entire way. Miss Madeleine glared at him.
"Sebastian! You best have a good excuse!"
"I'm- sorry," Sebastian spoke between breaths. "I do have an excuse, but it's not necessarily acceptable. So I apologize and take full responsibility."
Miss Madeleine shook her head. "Honestly, I never know what you're going to come up with next. Just partner up with Huck-but know you've used your only warning!"
Sebastian hesitantly walked to Huck. Huck looked less amused than usual, if that was even possible.
"Now," Miss Madeleine snapped. "I want you and your partner to take turns. One of you will perform an offensive cast against your classmate who will be performing a defensive cast to block it. I need a volunteer to demonstrate with." Miss Madeleine scanned the room until her eyes landed on Aster. "Come on up."
This surprised Aster, she wasn't even volunteering. She probably had the least amount of experience with this compared to her classmates. She couldn't understand why Miss Madeliene had chosen her like this.
Aster strolled to the front of the class. She faced Miss Madeliene, who was wearing an eager smile.
"Now, Aster, I want you to shoot just a simple offensive cast. Just one little shot at me."
Aster wasn't really sure what Miss Madeliene was expecting her to do. It's not like she had complete control over her abilities. Then suddenly, she remembered what Sebastian had told her, about light and dark magic being connected to emotions. She drew in a long breath and tried to calm herself. She focused magic into her fingertips, but instead of focusing on pooling as much as she can, she just just focused on intensifying the power on a smaller amount. She allowed the excitement and wonder she's been feeling the past two days to guide her as she raised her hand and released a shot of the magic. A small, but rapid ball of light shot directly towards Miss Madeleine. She quickly densed the air around her into a protective forcefield. Aster's cast was strong, causing the field to falter in the spot it hit. It took all of Miss Madeleine's focus to keep the forcefield intact.
After a moment, Aster lowered her hand and Miss Madeleine released her hold on the air around her.
"What power," Miss Madeleine said, impressed. "Very strong. But, power can be dangerous when uncontrolled. That was not an appropriate cast to use against a fellow classmate."
Aster's face burned red. She caught a glimpse of her classmates. Most of them were staring in awe. Sebastian had a smirk on his face, Huck had a hint of surprise, and Sorbit was beaming. She did notice two, who looked at her with resentment. A tall stunning girl with jet black hair and intense denim eyes. She wasn't as intimidating as the boy with spiky hair, so blond it was almost white. His eyebrows furrowed over his claret eyes, daggers that pierced Aster.
"I'm sorry," Aster said, quickly focusing her gaze on the professor before her.
"Oh don't apologize," Miss Madeleine quickly responded. "That's why I chose you, dear. You haven't had much practice so I wouldn't want there being an accident with a classmate! You're doing good, but maybe a little more practice with me for now."
"Ahem," Sorbit cleared her throat. "Miss Madeleine, you of all people should know that water magic excels in defensive casts. I think I can handle my own."
Miss Madeleine smirked. "Of course, Sorbit. My apologies for overstepping." She nodded at Aster. "You may go and partner back up. Just take it easy, don't focus on building up so much pressure."
Aster nodded and returned to Sorbit. They began practicing, with Aster beginning with offensive strikes. It was rocky at first, but Sorbit was forthright about her magic. She could handle all of Aster's casts. Even if it caused her water shield to falter some, she quickly regained her defensive magic.
Aster soon found that she also excelled in defensive magic. It came easy to her against the Dark Keeper, and this seemed no different. It was much easier to control than the offensive casts, all she had to do was focus the light around her, and form a forcefield. Sorbit's casts were strong, but Aster's field remained sturdy and didn't even falter.
After some time of sparing, Aster heard a deep voice clearing their throat in the doorway. Aster's heart dropped when she looked over and locked with drawn gray eyes. It was the same eyes that attempted to avoid her in potions that morning, also darting away just as quickly then as soon as she made contact with them. Parts of his face and neck were still red and shiny with blisters from the potions spill. Aster refocused her attention back to Sorbit, but couldn't shake her nerves.
Miss Madeleine seemed to sulk as she approached the potions professor. "May I help you?"
"I need to speak with you," his burley voice spoke quickly.
It seemed as Miss Madeleine fought against rolling her eyes as she followed him into the hallway. "Keep up the work class, I'll be right out here."
It was hard for Aster to focus completely on her spar. Her casts weren't near as strong as they had been, and Sorbit noticed right away.
"What do you think they're talking about?" She asked Aster, knowing where her mind was.
"I thought they didn't like each other?" Aster queried.
Sorbit smirked. "They don't."
Before Aster could ponder anymore about her two professors, she was distracted by a different commotion.
"Don't lie!" One of her classmates shouted. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing!"
Aster quickly turned to see the voice coming from Huck. She hadn't recognized it because she'd only heard him speak in his usual soft quiet tone. It seemed he and Sebastian were arguing. Huck looked furious, Sebastian seemed angry too, but more on the defensive.
"It's none of your business," Sebastian retorted.
"You've made it my business!"
"I thought you of all people would understand."
"Not when you go behind my back." Huck walked closer to Sebastian, rage still glazed over his coal eyes. "And don't think I don't know why you befriended her so quickly. I know what you're planning."
Sebastian's fury grew stronger. "You don't know anything!" Suddenly he forced his palms on Huck's chest, forcing him to stumble backwards.
Huck was caught off guard, but gathered his stance. Guided by anger, he raced towards his former friend and struck him with a closed fist square in the face. Sebastian was thrown onto his back, blood instantly pouring from his nose.
Regret immediately formed over Huck's eyes as he stared at Sebastian, who was trying to plug his nose with his sleeve.
Aster raced over to her friend who was clumsily trying to stand up to continue the fight. She put her hand on his shoulder to steady him from jumping up, and instinctively tried to help stop the bleeding with her own bare hand. Matty, who seems to have a knack for acting in intense moments, soon ran over with a towel she pulled from one of Miss Madeleine's cabinets. She handed it to Aster who pressed it to Sebastian's face.
Miss Madeleine and Professor Heathcliff had rushed in, then. Miss Madeleine's eyes shot around the classroom, trying to piece together what had happened. Professor Heathcliff found his own eyes pasted to the scene of Aster tending to Sebastian's bleeding nose. It caused a shudder to run through his body, urging him to turn and look away, but he was unable to force himself.
Miss Madeleine marched to Huck as soon as she noticed his bloody knuckle. "In this class, we do not attack our friends! He is your friend! Down to Principal Pettlegree, before I punish you myself!" Miss Madeleine looked at Matty. "Please escort Mr.Xander, be sure he doesn't punch any more classmates on his way."
After Matty followed Huck out the door, Miss Madeleine turned to Aster and Sebastian. "Are you all right, honey?"
"I'm fine," Sebastian grumbled, his words sounding muffled through the bloody towel.
"Aster dear, why don't you take him down to Miss Perrie. You need cleaned up yourself."
Aster was well aware of the sticky blood that smothered her hands and the sleeves of her uniform. It was uncomfortable, but she prioritized helping her friend. She had never witnessed anything so violent, besides her run in with the Dark Keeper, but even that didn't seem so savage. It seemed to her that Sebastian's nose would never stop bleeding. It caused a painful sting in her chest to see her friend suffer.
She avoided looking at Professor Heathcliff, but could feel his cold gaze on her as she led Sebastian out of the room. She propped one shoulder under his armpit to help guide him while she used her free hand to help press the towel to his nose, even though he was more than capable himself. It was a trek to Miss Perrie's quarters, and about halfway there Aster offered Sebastian a spot to rest if he needed.
"I don't think I need to go to Miss Perrie." Sebastian said as he sat down on a bench in a corridor near the end of the west wing. "It's not broken. And I think the bleeding is finally stopping."
"I don't know Sebastian," Aster replied, worrily. "It looks swollen. Miss Perrie could probably help with the pain, too."
"Let's just go to the Cellar," Sebastian suggested. "I have some healing potions there I'll take."
Aster was hesitant, but eventually agreed. She agreed his nose didn't seem broken, and the bleeding had stopped. What really convinced her, was she wanted to talk to Sebastian about what happened. What they were fighting about. Was she the her that Huck referred to? What happened that made Huck react so violently?
Luckily, the Cellar wasn't far from them. They reached it easily, without passing anybody in the halls. They used the sink in the small run down bathroom to scrub the blood from their hands, arms, and Sebastian's face. There were old hoodies and sweaters Sebastian and Huck had accumulated from taking off during spar sessions, so they had something semi clean to change into. Aster caught a whiff of tree bark and sweat as she pulled one of Sebastian's sweaters over her head. She was just grateful it was blood free.
After they were all clean, and Sebastian had chugged down a healing potion, they settled down in the cushions Sebastian and Huck had organized on the floor during their first year. Aster looked over at her friend, and noticed the swelling in his nose had significantly gone down. A dark blue bruise began to form under his left eye, it seemed he would sport a light black eye for a few days. The healing potions he had were typical, easy enough for a simple magic user to brew. Aster was familiar with them from Mr. hoot's shop. They speed up the healing process, and have analgesic effects for pain, but they definitely have their limits. Sebastian would've received better treatment, and probably wouldn't have such a prominent bruise if he had gone to Miss Perrie. But, Aster understood. She wouldn't want to spend the first two days of school in the Healing Quarters either.
"So what the heck happened?" Aster began. "Please tell me everything. I think after being smothered in your booger blood, I deserve to know."
Sebastian cracked a sad smile. "You're right. I just don't know where to start."
"What initially caused the rift between you two?"
Sebastian leaned back against his cushion and thought for a moment. "Huck's family history is....complicated. He comes from a wealthy family, full of elite keepers. Their specialty is fire magic, pretty much all of them are Fire Keepers. Including his great grandfather, who was born a Fire Keeper. But, somehow he managed to gain Dark Magic."
Aster was not expecting to hear this. "I thought only Light Keepers could learn to use Dark Magic without being born with it?"
"Naturally, yes," Sebastian told her. "But there's a way, some sort of ritual, to be able to access Dark Magic abilities. I always thought it was a legend, until I learned about Huck's grandfather."
"So what, you wouldn't stop bugging him about it?"
"Well that part is true, but that's not the reason we fell out," Sebastian's face became overrun with shame. "I... I stole a book from his family estate that belonged to his great grandfather. I wanted to learn more about him, and his Dark Magic."
Aster's stomach grew a pit. "Oh, Sebastian. I understand your yearn for knowledge, but to steal from your friend...."
"It wasn't just about knowledge," Sebastian sighed, not looking up. "About six months ago, my mother suddenly grew ill. It happened so quick, and completely without warning. We went to the best Healing Keepers known, and nobody can give us answers. They said it's like an autoimmune disease, that her body is attacking itself. They can't confirm that though. Her labs and tests all run normal, but everything about her has declined, with no treatment helping. She's completely bedridden, she's too weak to even feed herself most days. It's hard enough to hear there's no treatment, nothing we can do for her as she slowly dies. But to not even understand what's happening, or why it's happened? I can't accept it. Until I know for sure what caused this, I won't accept that there is nothing to do for her."
Aster took a moment to swallow the lump in her throat. She's always taken other peoples' pain personally. Especially those close to her. But this is no place nor time to cry.
"You think Dark Magic did this?" Aster asked.
Sebastian nodded. "I know it. I just....I can feel it. You know?"
Aster nodded. She did know. It's the same feeling she got when she thought about her own mother. She knew something bad had happened to her, something likely to do with Dark Magic. She could feel it in her heart.
Sebastian looked like he wanted to say more, but he also looked to be on the verge of tears. Aster moved closer and put her arm around his shoulders. He didn't fully break down, but he allowed a small hiccup and wiped a few tears that threatened to spill over his cheeks. It took a moment for him to gather himself, but eventually he looked like he could speak without the threat of bursting into tears.
"I'm okay," he assured Aster.
Aster gave his shoulder a squeeze then gave him some space. "I'm so sorry, Sebastian."
Sebastian finally allowed himself to look into Aster's forest green eyes. "You're just about the only friend I have who could even come close to understanding how I feel."
Aster shrugged. "Yes, but I was a baby when my mom died. It's not like I actually had a bond with her."
"She was your mother," Sebastian said. "It was a different bond than what you would've had if she were alive now, but you still had a bond. And I'm sorry that you understand how I feel."
Aster showed a sad smile. Then, she remembered something else that was brought up during the argument. She wondered if she should even bring it up, but may as well since they're talking about it.
"Hey, what did Huck mean?" Aster asked. "When he said he knew why you were befriending her."
Sebastian's face flashed red. "He was talking about you."
Aster sat and waited, but it seemed like Sebastian didn't want to say more. She stared at him until he continued.
"He knows me so well. He knew exactly what I was thinking the moment I found out you were a Light Keeper."
Aster finally pieced it together. "You were hoping I could heal your mother?"
Sebastian shamefully nodded.
"Is that the only reason you were so nice to me?"
Sebastian's eyes shot wide and he threw his hands up. "No! Not at all. Aster, I think you're awesome. I want us to be friends no matter what. Please, don't be offended. But it's my mother, I can't help that was my first thought. I've been reading and searching for any clues of where I could ever find a Light Keeper from the moment I found out she was sick. I thought I'd never be able to find one in time, then out of nowhere you show up in my homeroom. It was like fate. Please don't think I'm only seeking to use you, and please don't ever feel obligated to do anything. I just.."
"Sebastian," Aster interrupted. "It's all right. Of course. Of course I'll do everything in my power to heal her. I promise. We'll do this together."
"Aster...I..."
"I'm serious," she continued. "I could never forgive myself if I had the ability to save someone, but I chose not to. Besides, you're my friend. That's what friends do for each other."
Sebastian was speechless for a moment. He seemed to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "I don't know if I can ask you to do this. Light healing magic is a whole different ball game. It can heal the most fatal wounds or diseases, but if not used correctly, it can injure the Keeper using it."
"Then I shall learn," said Aster. "Sebastian, you're not going to talk me out of this. I'd give anything to be able to save my mom. But I know that's impossible. But maybe I can save yours. And that will be good enough for me."
Sebastian's face softened into a gracious smile. For a moment, a beam of hope flickered across his eyes. He learned long ago, to squash down any hope he ever had about his mother getting better, but he couldn't help it. Maybe for the first time since getting sick, there's a chance she actually will make it.
"Aster, I don't know what to say. No matter what happens, no matter the outcome, I'm grateful for your friendship."
"Me too," Aster blushed. "You're going to have to help me, you know. It's not like I have a teacher. And I have a feeling this isn't something I shouldn't be telling Miss Madeleine about?"
Sebastian looked almost sad again. "Probably not. If we are dealing with dark magic, it could be dangerous. But you can trust me, I won't allow you to do anything I don't think is safe."
"So where do we start?"
"I think you need to get a handle on your offensive and defensive casting first, before you even try to attempt any healing magic. While you work on that, I'll keep working on studying what I can about dark and light magic. Maybe I can get a better idea of what we're even dealing with."
"Sounds good."
Sebastian looked at her for a moment longer. "Honestly I feel like this is too much to ask."
"Stop it, seriously. I can't think of anything right now, but I'll just let you make it up to me sometime," Aster grinned.
Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle. "All right. If you say so."
The two friends hid out in the Cellar until it was dinner time. Neither of them were really in the mood to be around other people, so they just hung out. They mainly shifted through some books Sebastian had stashed away. Some of them were history about Keepers and such, but most of them were spell guides. Sebastian let Aster take a few with her to hold onto and study in her own time. She was more than thrilled.
"Are you sure it's okay if I take these," Aster had asked her friend as she pressed the handful of books against her chest.
Sebastian looked at Aster, almost cordially. "We really need to quit tip-toeing around each other. I think we've been through enough the past two days to consider us good friends."
On the way back to the dorms, Aster glanced at Sebastian's face. The swelling on his nose had gone down significantly, but he still had a light bruise formed under his left eye. Aster's eye's trailed to his cheeks, and then up to the spot above his eyebrow. These were the spots most affected by the potion burns. They seemed to be nearly healed now, only showing a light pink tint under some peeling skin. His first two days of school were more of a bruising for him than anything. Aster couldn't help but feel bad, even though she knew the last thing in the world he would want right then was sympathy. She knew what he wanted. And there's a chance she's the only person in the galaxy who could give it to him.
Sebastian walked Aster to her dormitory, lingering when the door came into sight, as he did the night before. Aster turned to her friend to bid him goodnight.
"Thank you, Aster," he told her.
"I told you, I'm more than happy-"
"I meant about what happened in class," Sebastian interrupted. "You rushed over to help me even though my blood got all over you. That kind of means a lot to someone who had just been punched in the face by his best friend."
Aster turned somewhat shy. "Oh, yeah, of course. I don't know, it was just instinct I guess."
"They say healers are made, not born."
Aster recalled Mr Hoot saying the same exact thing to her on more than one occasion. "So I've been told."
"Well, see you tomorrow."
Aster nodded and smiled. "Goodnight, Sebastian."
She watched her friend turn and walk away before entering her dorm. She took a proper shower before anything, and threw on a fresh pair of comfortable leisure clothes. She sat at her desk and ate the dinner that was sent to her room, her mind still taking in the events that had occurred.
As Aster laid in her bed, trying to tame her rambunctious thought, she heard a knock. She slid out from under her blankets and scurried to the door. She slightly opened the door, peering her eyes out to see her friend Sorbit. She was wearing an aqua nightgown, and her curly hair was pinned on the top of her head in a neat bun. Her face was completely bare of any makeup, but she was still just as beautiful as ever.
"Oh, hi," said Aster.
"Wanna talk?" Sorbit grinned.
Aster opened the door and let her friend in. Sorbit glanced around, taking in the petite room. She noticed the unmade bed.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you sleeping?"
"No," Aster chuckled. "I just laid down after I ate, but I wasn't asleep. Today was kind of a lot, so I'm trying to turn my mind off."
"How was that working out for you?"
"Not well."
Sorbit sat on the edge of Aster's bed. "Maybe you need to talk it out. So I heard you two didn't even go to Miss Perrie's."
Aster shook her head as she sat down in the chair parallel to Sorbit. "Sebastian didn't want to. I could understand why, being I was just there with him yesterday. We got the bleeding to stop and he had a healing potion, he's okay now."
Sorbit smirked. "So where were you two?"
Sebastian's words popped into Aster's mind. Don't tell anyone.
"I don't know some random room, I can't remember where."
Sorbit nodded. "It seemed like you two hung out for a while."
Aster stared at her friend who seemed to have an impish look about her. "So? It's not like we skipped any classes."
Sorbit laughed. "Come on, Aster! Are you two into each other or what? You're gonna tell me you two hung out for hours after you rushed to his aid and you didn't even snog!"
Aster's face burned bright red. She was completely caught off guard. "I-wha-Sorbit! What the hell!"
Sorbit laughed some more. "So I'm right?"
"No!" Aster was more embarrassed than angry, but her voice was slightly raised. "Holy stars, you cannot be serious! We just met yesterday for crying out loud!"
"So? I wanted to snog Huck the second I met him."
Aster rolled her eyes and sighed. "We're just really good friends." She thought about her and Sebastian's conversation. The look in his eyes when she promised to do everything in her power to help his mother. "We're... helping each other out with some stuff."
Sorbit seemed to accept this. "Okay. I believe you. I wasn't trying to give you a hard time, I just wanted to gossip is all."
Aster smiled at her friend. "Don't be sorry, I was just caught off guard. I've never kissed a boy, and I'm in no rush. But when the time does come, I think I'm going to need you. Nelly wasn't really...."
"Of course," said Sorbit. "That's what girlfriends are for."
"So, I do want to talk about something."
"Sure."
"What do you know about Huck or his family?"
It was Sorbit's turn to blush. "Well, they're super rich and powerful Fire Keepers. But I don't think he really gets along with them. I don't even think he lives with his parents."
"Really?"
Sorbit nodded. "I know that on all the Holiday breaks last year, he went to stay at Sebastian's house. I think even this summer he did. But that obviously was a disaster." She noticed Aster's face, she looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Why? Did Sebastian tell you what happened?"
"It's really not my place to say anything."
Sorbit rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Do you know why he doesn't get along with his family?"
"I think they're very radical. And overbearing. I even heard they would never accept Huck marrying anybody except a well established Fire Keeper." Sorbit looked genuinely upset over the last part.
"Wow," said Aster. "That's awful."
"Yeah. I have to say, he really surprised me today. I never would've imagined him punching Sebastian like that."
Aster sighed. "I don't know if they'll be able to ever be friends again. But I think I'm going to try to talk to Huck about it."
"Good luck. Getting him to open up about stuff is like getting the Fae to cooperate with you." She thought for a moment then said, "Actually I guess you actually don't have much trouble with that, so who knows."
Aster laughed. "All I can do is try."
"While you're at it, put in a good word for me. See what he says."
"Of course. I'll try to squeeze it in the conversation somewhere."
Sorbit smiled. "See, you're getting the hang of this whole girlfriends thing."
Aster grinned back at her friend. It felt so good to have a true girlfriend here. There are some things she couldn't talk to Nelly about, but felt like Sorbit would understand.
"Oh, one more thing," Sorbit spoke up. "After you walked out with Sebastian, Professor Heathcliff acted so weird."
Aster felt sick to her stomach. "Because of me? What do you mean?"
"I'm guessing. I mean, normally something like that he would've been the first one screaming at the students and barking orders. Even if it's not his class room, he literally does not care. But the moment he saw you helping Sebastian, he completely froze and looked... I don't know.... just shocked I guess. Then after you left, he looked almost disoriented. As if it took him a second to remember where he was. Then he just walked out without saying a single word. "
Aster pondered this. "He's gotta know who I am. Like from my mom or whatever. Right?"
Sorbit shrugged and gave her friend a sad smile. "I don't know, Aster. I really think you should talk to Miss Madeleine about it, since it really bothers you that much. You are like totally stressing over this, I can tell."
"You're right." Aster knew this was the best choice, but still she felt hesitant for some reason.
"Now I feel like you're going to be even more worked up now," said Sorbit with a sigh.
Aster couldn't help but smile. "It's not your fault. I think Nelly wired her anxiety into me. I'll be fine I'm just going to lay down early. Thank you for coming in to talk."
"Of course, sweetie," smiled Sorbit. "See you in the morning."
Aster laid for hours before she finally found sleep, as she suspected. Her mind bounced from Dark Keepers to bloody noses to dying mothers to mysterious professors, among other things. And when she finally found slumber, she had a strange dream that felt almost real to her. She was walking in the Greenwood, until she found a beautiful large oak tree, leaves brimming with a magic she had never seen before.