Sam lived on 56th street, Class D. Here the houses were very different. They varied between a three story ranch house with a large backyard to a small, one bedroom house that barely had a yard. Sam's house was in the middle. It was two story, three bedroom house. It was a modern one, with dark brown wood on the outside and large black windows with the garage right next to the front door. On the inside it was rather spacious, but that was probably because of the white walls and Sam's mother's minimalist way of decorating that made it rather large and open.
As Sam walked inside the small hallway, he heard noises coming from the right, it was the living room. He walked over and saw that his parents and his little sister were sprawled on the deep green couch, watching TV.
He went over and leaned on the wall, so that he was standing, both in the living room and the hallway.
His mother greeted him first. "Hey honey! How are Tara and Nate?"
Sam shrugged, he really didn't want to talk about Tara or Nate, but had to. His parents didn't have to know what's happening in their little group.
"Good" he said, "Tara's laptop broke again, so on the weekend we're going over there with Nate and try to fix it."
"How did she break it this time?" asked his dad, his eyes still on the TV.
Sam opened his mouth to answer but the TV screen caught his eye. It must be 7 o'clock, because the news were starting, and the lady sitting behind the big brown desk started announcing what happened in the last 24 hours.
Sam frowned. Today shestarted talking about the lost prince.
More like dead prince, thought Sam. The kid's been gone for 17 years people! Give it up!
"Today, seventeen years ago, was a great tragic day. Our beloved prince, prince Andrew of Shadowland, was kidnapped being only 6 months old. We still mourn the day. But even though it's been seventeen years, our royal highnesses don't give up" started the news lady. Then there was a screen shot from seventeen years ago and from today.
"Your loyal highness, do you still believe your son is still alive? Do you think he is watching this right now?" asked one of the reporters. As they showed the teary eyed king on the screen, Sam started going for the stairs.
"Me and my lovely wife still believe that our son is alive and well." The king's voice echoed through the hall and up the stairs. "We still believe he will come back to us. Thank you for your prayers and we hope it will light his path to home." The king speech ended but the reporters didn't stop with their questions.
Sam walked into his room, flopped on his bed and turned on his TV.
"It's been seventeen years but the people of Shadowland and Iceberg still believe that one day their prince will come back to them, and one day he will rule their lands" reported the news lady. Then they switched to an old lady, who started crying immediately. "W-We miss him s-so much. W-we still p-pray to the gods for his safe returning" said the old lady.
Sam rolled his eyes at that. They've been praying to the gods for two decades, haven't they figured it all out.
"And just like seventeen years before, the people of Shadowland and Iceberg will light their lanterns at 9:46 pm, the exact time the prince was kidnapped, and with that, they will light his road to home, to them, to his kingdom" said the reporter with a grim face. "Back to you Nadia."
As the news cast started "discussing" the events that were going to happen between now and 9:45, Sam hit the mute button and turned on his computer and logged on his Messenger.
He saw that Tara was on and started writing.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Look I've been thinking about this situation and I really think that we should do something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know, but something about this whole situation doesn't sum up."
"You don't say."
Sam glared at the screen.
"You know what I mean" wrote Sam. "I mean a teacher going through all this trouble for a stupid lost instrument..."
"I know" she wrote back. "I never thought someone will have the guts to use his instrument, especially Mr. Sanchez."
"I know, I never saw him as a risk taker."
"Me too."
Sam frowned. "How old is he?"
"Don't know. Why?"
"You said he was using his instrument."
"Yeah so?"
"Isn't he a little old to have an instrument?"
Tara was silent for a couple of minutes and then she replied.
"Holly Shit! How didn't we see that before?"
Sam stayed silent, thinking this through, but his phone rang and disturbed his thoughts.
It was Tara.
"What?" he asked.
"No seriously, how did he get that book?" asked franticly Tara.
"I don't know" mumbled Sam.
"He's like, what? Thirty? That instrument can't be his. He must have stolen it!"
"Yeah, but from who? I mean someone would notice if his instrument was missing."
"Maybe he stole it from a niece or nephew?"
Sam thought about it. "Does he have relatives?"
Tara grew silent. "I have no idea. I'll ask around, but something tells me he doesn't."
"Let's not jump into conclusions" reasoned Sam.
"I'm not, it's just a theory."
They both grew silent once more, thinking this through.
"Hmm, but even if it's from relatives, you think they would just lend it to him?" asked Tara.
"If my little sister asked to borrow mine for the day I would never give it to her, but if it was my dad? Why not?"
"I guess" said Tara.
"You know what, you ask around about Mr. Sanchez, and we'll see from there", suggested Sam.
"Okay" agreed Tara.
"I'm going now."
"Hey! You going tonight?"
Sam snorted. "The kid is dead. There is no way he's alive, and even if he was he probably doesn't know that he's a prince. If I were the kidnapper, I either tell him he's the prince and lock him away or don't tell him at all."
Tara sighed. "It's just a tradition Sam."
"It's a stupid tradition."
"You know, sometimes you can be really cold" said Tara.
"Look who's talking."
There was a silence on the phone and Sam winced.
"Tara..." Sam begun, butthe line was already dead
.
.
It was around nine when Sam heard a knock on his door.
"Sam?" asked his mother and opened his bedroom door.
"What?" answered Sam from his desk.
"Are you ready?"
Sam didn't look up from his book. "No."
"Son, it's a tradition and let's not start this again."
Sam sighed and leaned on the chair. "What does it matter if I go?"
Sam's mother looked pissed off and started closing the door. "Start getting ready or I'll tell on your father."
Sam sighed as the door completely shut.
He really didn't understand this silly tradition. He got that he had to go to the shrines of the gods for praying, but for this? It was ridiculous. He went over to his closet and started picking through his clothes.
Gorgon City was a ratherlarge city. It had around 2 million people, not including the outskirts of thecity. It was a rather old city, surviving a handful of wars and change ofleaders. The buildings are the ones that told the stories. There were oldgothic churches and castles of the Hazmanian Era at one side of the city. Therewere the white houses with the dark rims around the windows, the banaks, allscattered around the large monasteries made of white and red bricks, from theOhardian era. There was the intricately painted houses and buildings from the Lorenian Era, and then there were the large, skyscrapers, from this era.
All throughout the city there we sanctuaries, all dedicated to one or two gods. The most famous and most large, is the Temple of Adreis. The reason it is famous is because it has changed many times. First in the Ohardian Era, where the temple was first constructed. A large monastery with bricks that were red and white, carefully brought from the mountain Erad and an oval rooftop made from pure gold. It was made by the king Aras the Third. But the monastery was changed when the king Draha came to ruling in the Lorenian Era. He then added to the monastery five towers and painted the inside of the monastery with bright colors, managing not to damage the already intricately painted walls, and renamed the Temple of Zenze, the God of Light. Centuries passed, with wars and earthquakes and changing kings and queens, the temples structure on the outside looks Ohardian while on the inside Lorenian. In 1074, king Anakin sanctified the temple to both the Goddess Adreis and the God Zenze.
As Sam mingled through the crowd on the city square, all he wanted was to go home and figure out this thing about Mr. Sanchez. He was with Tara on the whole relative thing. I mean they have never seen him outside of the school. He was always alone, even in school, staying away from the other teachers. And not one of the students knew his first name, except that it started with an "A". All they knew was that he moved from Paradox City three years ago and started teaching Arts.
As he was staring at his white lantern there was a tap on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked behind him. It was Tara.
"Look I'm really sorry..." started apologizing Sam, but Tara cut him off.
"Whatever" she said with a hard face. "I thought you weren't coming?"
"My mom" explained Sam. Tara nodded, understanding his situation.
"So did you find anything?" asked Sam, trying to change the subject.
Tara started to answer but someone called their names.
"Tara! Sam!" waved Nate from far away in the crowd. As he started walking over, Sam looked at Tara, feeling uncomfortable. He'd rather not know, that way he wouldn't feel nervous when both Tara and Nate were together.
But as Nate was approaching, Tara made faces at Sam, like she didn't like the intrusion.
"Hey guys, "said Nate with a wide smile, "what are you talking about?"
Sam and Nate looked at Tara expectantly, but as Sam saw that she didn't want to answer, he stepped in.
"Um, we were talking about Mr. Sanchez and if she found something."
Nate looked at Tara, waiting to explain.
Tara sighed, but answered, which relieved Sam more than it should.
"Well his name is Albert Sanchez. He doesn't have any family. His parents died when he was ten in the Hollow War. He grew up with his uncle up north, but he also died from a car crash seven years later. So then he moved to Paradox city and studied there. Then he moved here a couple of years ago so he could teach Arts. The only family he has is up north, in the Blue Forests near the Frozen Lake, his uncle's daughter, but he doesn't really keep in touch."
"So that means that there is no way he got the book from a relative" said Sam, thinking this trough.
"Where did you find all this?" asked Nate, looking over Tara with a confused face.
Tara shrugged and simply said "I know people."
Nate grew alarmed at this and leaned into Tara. "You know people?"
Just as Tara was about to start arguing with Nate, a great and loud chime sounded in the crisp air around them. It was the Golden clock, chiming, letting us know that it was exactly 9:46. People around Sam started lighting their lanterns, waiting for the last chime to let them go. As people started murmuring, praying to the gods for the safe return of their prince, Sam was too distracted.
"Sam?" it was Tara. "What are you looking at?"
What Sam was looking at, was his Arts teacher. He was arguing with a blonde girl in a pink sweater. He saw Mr. Sanchez waving around, angrily, pointing at the girl. They continued to argue through the countdown, and as the last chime sounded, people around Sam started moving, pushing him, not letting him see clearly.
But after a few minutes, as the square was cleared, when the people were gone, so were his teacher and the blonde girl.
"Who did you see?" asked Nate.
"It was Sanchez" explained Sam. "He was with a girl. I couldn't see her face, she had her back to me, but it was definitely him."
"What were they doing?" asked Tara as she started going towards the underground.
"They were arguing. He was pointing at her, like she was at fault or something" said Sam, recalling the scene in his head.
"Okay, never mind that" said Tara impatiently. "What really matters is the book and where he got it from."
"Well, it's definitely not from a relative. That much is clear" said Sam.
"Maybe he borrowed it?" asked Tara.
"Or took it from someone" added Nate, as the three of them sat down in the subway.
"What do you mean?" asked Sam.
"Well," he said, turning towards Tara, "we know about Sydney and how he asked her about her instrument and what it did. But since she didn't know herself, he gave up on her and started somewhere else and succeeded."
Tara grew silent while Sam said "So he manipulated with a student. Any student would give their instrument, because they'll think it's safe because they're adults. And if they don't give it willingly..."
"So it's definite he took it from someone" said Nate with a hard face.
"Yes, but from who?" asked Sam.