*Unedited*
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"CAMILLA!!!!"
Fabian's screech was one none of the Sibuna's had ever heard from the boy. It was raw, emotional and heart-breaking and they all knew why, within seconds the boy lost his sister, his twin, to the dark depths of the unknown.
"NO!" Patricia's scream was raw as she clocked onto what had happened looking to the space Camilla once occupied where Nina now stood safe. They had lost their trump card. Their magic-user. Their Camilla.
Fabian let out a scream as hot angry tears spilled down his face. He should have known his sister would do something like that, but how where they meant to continue on without her.
"Where did she go?" Amber asked tears streaming down her face too as her voice cracked. "Cam?! Cam!!"
"Camilla can you hear us?!" Patricia screamed to the spot.
"Fabian..." in a soft tone Nina turned looking horrified and looked around to Fabian as he put his head in his hands. There was a rawness to his grief like the pain was an open wound for the world to see. He was clasping onto the arm of the thrown in his free hand for support as his whole body shook. The sobs were stifled at first, as he attempted to hide the pain but Nina could tell with their shouts, he was overcome by the true wave of emotions causing him to break down entirely, all defences he was trying to put up washed away in salty tears.
He finally looked up at her and to Nina, he was a picture of grief, loss and devastation. Fabian looked like someone who had suffered through something unimaginable and didn't know how he was to move on from there.
The American girl went to open her mouth, to apologise to say something. This was her fault. Camilla had taken her place. It should have been her to go into that hole.
No words came out.
Fabian's jaw clenched a little and as soon as Nina had seen his vulnerability, the shutters that the Rutter twins had perfectly crafted over their years with their parents came down, his emotions walled off behind a mask of coping. He would just wear it until everything was right again because he didn't know any other way.
"Where is she?!" Amber sounded like she was on the brink of breaking down. "can I get off-board?"
"I don't know..." Patricia told the girl softly wiping at her face.
"Fabian?" Nina spoke again causing the boy to look around at his friends. The mask there though the ever-flowing tears down his face weren't stopping.
"What have I done?" Fabian muttered to himself running a hand through his hair, he was looking around but it was clear he couldn't see them. "why did you do that?"
"Look Fabian this isn't your fault." Nina tried to calm the boy down, as she too wiped tears from her face, turning to see Alfie holding his hand out to Amber who was gripping onto it, her legs shaking as if she was about to collapse in sobs at any second and Alfie was her only anchor keeping her afloat.
"Yea," Patricia agreed with the girl calling to the boy, "just focus and tell us what to do."
"Alright..." Fabian's voice was thick and quiet, full of sorrow and pain, but as he looked over them, they could tell this time he was seeing them this time.
The boy clocked eyes with Amber and the girl bit her lip as she suppressed a sob, looking to him for strength and answers because he was her closest link to Camilla at this point. Camilla was Amber's best friend, surrogate sister. The two were as close as two people could be and had planned a whole life ahead of them where they'd forever be in each other's lives, all for it to be snuffed in seconds.
Fabian knew that she was the closest person in the room who was feeling the same heartbreak he was feeling in that moment. He needed to be strong, be there for Amber.
That's what Camilla would want him to do.
"eh," Fabian turned to his papers and franticly looked through them. He needed to get his friends safely off the board.
"Fabian..." Alfie urged him to hurry as Amber started to shake in a worrying way.
"Everyone retrace your steps." He told them all.
"I can't remember..." Amber whimpered causing an alarmed Alfie to glance from the blonde to Fabian.
"Amber, eh," Fabian glanced down at his notes as he wiped at his eyes, "square to your left and back down the side of the board."
Amber grabbed onto Alfie's hand and the pair stepped together back the way they came.
Patricia grabbing Nina into a hug as the two girls reached the safety of the entrance, Fabian climbing down from the throne.
The moment she was safe Amber's legs gave way and she fell to the floor in a heap, Alfie gathering her into his arms and allowing her to cry into his chest as he rubbed her back. Alfie glanced up at the Sibuna's as a single tear slid down from his warm, butterscotch eyes, followed by another, and another, until soon he too had a steady stream of salty tears flowing their way down his dark cheeks, realising the horror, sadness and sorrow that he had held inside him at the loss of his best friend, but still he didn't make a sound as he comforted the blond girl who had lost her sister.
Nina took Fabian's hand, the boy hunched as if the weight of the world was now on his shoulders to get Camilla back, Patricia on his other side wrapping an arm around his shoulder leaning on him as they all silently stood in their shock.
As they turned to look at the board in horror as it had taken one of their own Robert Frobisher-Smyth's voice echoed around them. "my warnings ignored now count the cost, continue the task and all will be lost. But if fallen friends you wish to reclaim; you have no choice but to finish the game."
"We can get her back..." Nina whispered as she computed the warning.
"If we carry on," Amber whispered looking at the board, "we could lose everyone... but if we don't, we lose Cam forever."
"not an option." Fabian hissed in such a commanding tone they all knew not to argue with him. The boy that stood with them would get his sister back and anyone who stood in his way would learn not to do so again.
"Where ever she is, she must be okay..." Patricia added more for Fabian's benefit than anyone else's.
"it's Cam we're talking about, of course, she's okay." Nina agreed with the girl, "plus the message did say we can reclaim her."
"that doesn't mean she'll be back in one piece though!" Alfie added as he helped Amber to her feet causing the girl to hit him at the thought.
Fabian looked at Alfie horrified before racing off back down the tunnel, Nina race Alfie a look before racing after Fabian.
"Way to spin it, Alfie!" Patricia groaned the moment the two were out of earshot.
"What?!" the boy demanded of the two girls with him, Patricia just shook her head before glaring at the board and moving off.
"he's lost his twin..." Amber whispered to the boy, "his other half, he needs all the hope he can get." She told him.
Alfie looked apologetic for a second as he realised how his words would have sounded to Fabian, before putting an arm around Amber's waist and helping her after their friends.
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"Fabian, I'm so sorry..." Nina caught up with the boy just as he reached the study, the boy falling to his knees as pain took over him. Nina gathered him into her arms not knowing what to do as he sobbed into her chest unceasingly, hands clutching at her jacket. "I want her back." he cried, the mask shattering as tears fell, "I need her back."
Nina held him in silence, rocking him slowly as his tears soaked through her shirt. A tiny lapse let him pull away, blinking lashes heavy with tears as the other Sibuna's came running into the room to see the pair on the ground.
"We can't do this anymore, not without Camilla... it's far too dangerous!" Fabian told them all.
"I don't think we've got much of a choice; we have to keep going," Nina's eyes widened as she spoke, the two got to their feet, causing the other Sibuna's to turn to see what the girl was looking at.
Senkhara was watching them all looking mildly amused from the other side of the room. "little Chosen One is right, you don't have a choice," she spoke causing gasps from them all.
"wake up, wake up, wake up!" Amber spoke to herself quietly as they all backed up into Robert's desk.
"Just because The Protector is gone doesn't mean you get to fail Chosen One!" Senkhara hissed at them all threateningly before throwing her hands out causing blue lightning-like magic to hit them all where their Marks where. All of them crying out in pain bar Fabian who stepped forward, hissing in pain but fighting it as he looked at the 'Spirit Bitch' as she had been dubbed by Camilla. The woman had chosen the wrong day to mess with the Rutter family.
"Fabian what are you doing?!" Nina cried in pain as she watched the boy step forward.
"STOP!" Fabian screamed the order the woman causing the magic coming from her to stop instantly, though from the way she kept flicking her hands towards them it wasn't from her doing. "Without all of us you will never get the mask!" he screamed at her, "and mark my words we will get my sister back and when she is back, I will not stop her from destroying you!" the threat hung in the air for all of them, and the Sibuna's knew that the wrath of Camilla and Fabian together was something no one wanted to be on the end of.
"Just think about what you're doing?" Nina added looking to the woman from behind Fabian, "we need playing pieces for the board, we just need some time ..."
The spirit straightened and looked at the odd group, before her eyes landed on Nina, "Shai has gifted you well Chosen One. The bond of old as a protector and a lover..." Nina frowned and glanced to Fabian but couldn't say anything before the Spirit kept talking but this time the order's were directed to Fabian, "find your sister and get me the mask, you have until Ra crosses thrice over or this is finished... for you all, just as you said alfireawn alsaghir," whatever the last two words were it caused Fabian's jaw to clench and the Sibuna's could all tell from the tone of voice it was something mocking.
They all waited with bated breath as the spirit disappeared, "three days..." Fabian breathed turning to them all, "we have three days..."
"Why didn't she just say that?!" Alfie demanded, "not only is she scary but she's really annoying."
"welcome to working with spirits." Nina sighed before looking to Fabian, "what did she call you..."
"Nothing important," Fabian bluntly replied looking to the space the spirit once occupied. Missing the glances, the other Sibuna's gave to one another in disbelief.
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The five Sibuna's were forlorn the next day at the breakfast table, the empty seat next to Fabian a reminder to them all about the loss they had endured the night before. Alfie was stood at the open window to the kitchen stacking his plate high of all Camilla's favourite foods as Amber went around and poured juice for them all with a shaking hand.
"I hardly slept..." Fabian mumbled as he clutched onto the back of his chair glancing to the empty one next to him.
"Me neither," Amber told him quietly putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a small squeeze, before turning to put the juice jug back into the kitchen from the cut away taking in the plate of food Alfie had. "Alfie, how can you possibly eat at a time like this?"
"I always eat when I'm scared!" Alfie told the girl in a hushed whisper the two glancing at Vera pottering away in the kitchen, "or nervous, or traumatised, or happy... come to think about it."
"or any day with a 'Y' in it," Amber added quietly.
"Where is Camilla?" Vera asked as she came out from the kitchen holding the teapot that had been left to stew frowning a little. Camilla was the only student that drank tea on the daily so it was odd to find the pot left to stew and go cold.
Nina looked to Patricia in worry as Fabian looked down at his plate where he was ripping his toast up into little bits.
"there was a message for her from her cousin, about some casefile's he has for her something about a parole case?" Vera explained to the table who were all shifting slightly in their seats.
Fabian looked up at Vera in shock, this was the first he was hearing of Camilla contacting family members. "O-our Cousin?"
"Yeah, that's what the message said, do you know where Camilla is so she can phone him back?" Vera nodded her head at the boy with a smile before turning to Nina, "the hospital called about your gran, she had a rough night but she is stable now." Vera then looked around at the bunch, "so where is Camilla exactly?"
"Eh... Camilla's... C-Camilla's" Amber started to stutter as she tried not to burst into tears again glancing across the table at Fabian and Alfie. Alfie grabbing a muffin and stuffing it in his mouth so the woman wouldn't ask any more questions.
"Camilla spent the night with Jasper watching that weird Egyptian film," Patricia spoke up with a smile to the woman, "she probs crashed at his. I'm sure she got the message from her cousin already."
"stayed with Jasper?" Vera asked doubtfully.
"Yeah, I mean he's staying in the flat above Abe's shop in town," Patricia lied easily to the woman.
"She missed the showing of The Wonders of Egypt documentary so Jasper got the DVD so they could watch it together," Nina added for Patricia causing Amber to nod her head.
"she left you and Victor a letter about it," Patricia added, holding up the envelope she had been playing with all morning.
Vera looked at the girl oddly and put the pot of tea down to take the letter from her. The woman opened it and skim read it quickly, "she should have cleared this with me first –"
"she probably cleared it with Victor." Fabian chimed in quietly.
"-well I was going to talk to Victor about it, so I guess we will see," Vera told them before leaving the room, causing Alfie to look to Fabian in alarm but the boy looked deadly calm. They would find out soon where Victor's loyalties lay.
"well done," Amber breathed in relief looking to Patricia who nodded her head with a smile.
"I'm glad you remember the documentary name Nina," Patricia turned to the American girl, "I completely forgot it."
This caused Nina to laugh slightly before she looked around at the table, "we have a Sibuna member to save guys and we need all the time we can get." Amber nodded her head and got up and headed around the table to grab Alfie helping the boy collect some of his food to eat on the way to school just as Eddie, Mara and Joy wandered into the room.
"Hey Yacker," Eddie smiled at his girlfriend as she got up and wandered over to Nina, "Want me to make you Eddie's famous breakfast stack?"
Alfie paused at the doorway curious about this breakfast stack but was dragged away by Amber before he could enquire more.
Patricia smiled at him but focused on Nina as she pulled her jacket on, "sure, I'll see you at lunch." She told him with a wave before the two girls raced after Alfie and Amber.
Fabian got to his feet and slowly rubbed a hand along his jaw as he wandered out the dining room with his shoulder slumped as he followed the girls and Alfie.
"I say we go back down there and play the game again." Patricia offered as a plan as she watched Amber put a finger into her mouth in worry. Alfie halving one of his muffins and handing it too her to nibble on in worry. "If we win, we get Camilla back."
"Yeah... yeah..." Amber agreed with the goth pixie.
"If we lose someone else could be taken," Nina countered sadly,
"Oh yeah..." Amber agreed pointing her half muffin at Nina.
"Come on Fabian, tell them," Patricia groaned looking to the boy knowing due to the fact it was Camilla who had been taken and he was the one who stood up to the spirit it be him they listened too and followed. "we have to go play the game again, right?"
They all turned to look at Fabian who had been silent the whole of the conversation, "no... no, no!" Fabian stuttered in fear, "not yet... I clearly need more practice if we get one more move wrong..."
"we've got less people now," Alfie added with a sigh, "that's going to make it much harder to cross the board."
"Much harder..." Amber mumbled into her muffin.
"sadly, that's true." Nina agreed.
Patricia looked at them all as if they had personally insulted her, "I can't believe your all giving up on Camilla!" she told them all in outrage, "especially you Fabian."
Fabian looked back at the girl in horror, "I would never, give up on my sister!" he hissed at the girl. "Never!" Fabian ran a hand through his hair before he glanced at the Sibuna's, "look, we have to be sure about this because I can't lose anyone else!" he all but screamed at Patricia. How dare she claim he would give up on this task? If there was the slimmest chance he could get Camilla back he would take it, but he had to be logical about it too. With Camilla gone he was their protector in her place.
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"Rutter, have you seen your sister anywhere?"
Fabian looked around from his locker to see a confused looking Jerome standing next to him. Fabian opened his mouth but closed it again. He knew how Camilla viewed Jerome and he didn't want to lie to him but he knew she'd want him to be safe. "She wasn't feeling too good..." he said quickly before dropping his voice, "magic overuse you know..."
"Right..." Jerome looked at the boy sceptically.
"Has she told you everything about her and her magic classes?" Fabian asked curiously wanting to know how much the boy was trusted by his sister.
"not everything I assume." Jerome answered, "are you feeling okay? Your acting... odd, even for your standards."
"Just dandy." Fabian answered quickly shutting his locker. "eh, got to go," with that he hurried down the corridor away from the boy trying to find Nina or Amber or anyone in Sibuna for that matter.
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Due to Fabian's strange reaction, Jerome decided to watch all the Sibuna's that day, and boy did they seem off. Amber looked like she had spent the night crying. Alfie hadnt cracked a joke all day. Fabian was jumping at every sound and was clutching a chess board too him, Nina kept looking guilty at them all and Patricia was focusing on her relationship – which was weird for the girl.
They were currently in the study hall, Jerome watching from the tea/coffee station, Nina, Fabian, Amber and Alfie all watching as Fabian played what looked like chess but wasn't following any of the chess rules.
"No!" Amber groaned in a panic, "that was me, Fabian you should have moved Nina!"
"Hey!" Nina looked at Amber a little offended.
"I can't do this..." Fabian whispered to himself, "I can't do this..."
"Dude your fine." Alfie tried to reassure Fabian.
The boy looked to his friend and shook his head, sniffing as tears threatened to fall from his eyes, "She's just always been there for me and taken care of me and everyone else. Now it's my turn to be there for her and I don't know what to do..." he whispered in a thick voice. Alfie's eyes softened and he pulled Fabian into a hug more so to let the boy compose himself.
"what's with the group geek out session?" Jerome asked as Fabian and Alfie broke apart the male twin looking gratefully to his friend as he focused back on the board again, wiping his eyes with his blazer sleeve.
Alfie, Nina and Amber looked up at Jerome's voice but Fabian ignored it to set the game back up again.
"some ancient board game..." Alfie laughed half-heartedly. "you know what the Rutter's are like." Amber and Nina looked at him in alarm causing Alfie to look back at them, "What?" he asked quietly.
Jerome wandered over and looked at the board game in question that clearly had been Alfie and Amber-ified with the googly eyes and the chess pieces with stick-on decorations to represent their little group – though Nina's piece seemed a little burnt.
"Yes... yes I do know the Rutter's...but I also know what you're like," Jerome told Alfie grabbing his t-shirt and hauling him away from the group.
Alfie sighed and followed the boy looking at him, "somethings happening," Jerome stated looking to his friend, "I want to know what it is, and how it involves Camilla not being here!"
"nothing's going on!" Alfie argued back.
"Alfie, Camilla has disappeared, do you really think I wouldn't notice something like that?" Jerome countered noticing the boy's shoulder slump before his eyes widened in worry, "its Rufus, isn't it? He's got his hands-on Camilla."
Alfie shook his head, "dude, your way out... Camilla is safer than she has been all term from Rufus." It wasn't a lie, if they couldn't get Camilla back then there was no way in hell Rufus could.
"promise me, she is safe from that mad man!" Jerome demanded of his friend in a whisper.
Alfie looked at him in surprise, "why do you care so much about her?" he asked in a curious tone, "I thought you were all hung up on Mara, not Camilla."
"she's Camilla... of course I care Alfie!" Jerome told him not answering the unasked question of the boys. Alfie glanced at Amber for a second as he thought over the boy's words, thinking the blonde's observation might be true. Jerome had no clue what he felt about Camilla because he had never felt it before, he was falling for her it wasn't a crush like whatever this thing with Mara was.
Jerome was falling in love with Camilla, and he didn't even know it.
"Dude, I promise you she is safe," Alfie told him quietly but the tone held so much truth Jerome relaxed a little at his words. "I can't tell you where she is... not yet, but just know she is safe from Rufus okay."
Before Jerome could ask any more questions Alfie brushed past him and moved back over to the group of Sibuna's sitting down on the floor by Amber as Nina had taken his seat to try to help Fabian out.
Jerome looked at them, there was more to Camilla's disappearance than they were letting on... he just needed to know she was safe.
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Okay, just a little heads up - due to the fact I have to do compulsory overtime tomorrow for work IDK if there will be a chapter up. I am going to try my hardest to write it today but I'm just putting a disclaimer here in case I can't get around to finishing it or something.
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Love ya
Sarah xxx