Audrey found herself sitting on the cold grass against a weeping willow tree, hugging her knees tight against her chest, with the long downward branches of the tree hiding her from any onlookers. She had stopped crying almost fifteen minutes ago, and was now just sitting in silence and trying to ignore the look on Mr Harkness' face that flashed in her mind. She didn't understand why he showed such disdain towards her ever since the start of the year after her auctus appraisal, she thought perhaps he had seen something dark within her that made him upset or afraid. But whatever it was, Audrey huffed at the idea that Mr Harkness would let his personal feelings impact his teachings. She sat alone, occasionally wiping her cheeks from teardrops that would unexpectedly trickle down her face, until she saw a figure walking towards her.
"Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere" Zach said, he crouched down and made his way though the drooping branches to sit by her side.
Audrey sniffled and quickly wiped her face, "Hey, I'm sorry I just needed to get out of there".
Zach sat close to her and slowly placed an arm around her shoulder, he could almost feel the angst and woeful mix of emotions radiating off her cold body as he gently rubbed her back.
"I mean, did you see the way he looked at me?" Audrey muttered, her voice breaking as she spoke.
Zach furrowed his brows, "Oh George?" He asked.
Audrey shook her head, "No, Mr Harkness" she replied. Her eyes began to gloss over with tears as she swallowed hard to stop herself from becoming a blubbering mess.
"Oh yea, he looked angry and also well...disturbed. His hands were quite obviously shaking when he was trying to help George" Zach said in a surprised tone, he looked over to Audrey and saw a single tear stream down her cheek.
"I just...with everything that's going on I can't help but feel so alone" Audrey began, she was obviously sobbing now and her voice hurt as she croaked to speak, "Like I know I have you and Bella and Nora but I just, I feel like everyone else wants me gone".
Zach squeezed her slightly with his arm around her, his chest felt dull pangs as he watched her crying but trying to conceal it from him. He parted his lips about to speak, when his mind held him back. He thought carefully about what he should say, and whether or not it would help Audrey feel any better.
He took a deep breath and spoke softly, "You know I had another sister, her name was Iriselle" he began. Audrey's sobs had begun to quieten as she hid her face, looking to the ground, but she leaned her body closer to him listening.
"She was a solis prodigy, well my whole family is. Only a few months after my parents got taken away from us, she received a letter inviting her to Dostira. As soon as she arrived, everyone had already decided to dislike her because of who her parents were. No one even gave her a chance to prove the rumours wrong, to show that she was just a normal witty and good natured girl. She spent her time alone and practising her powers, until someone took notice of her; Mr Harkness." Zach's voice began to tremble as he spoke, he felt his body begin to heat up in an unexplainable temper as he continued.
"Mr Harkness was her only friend, she would write to me about how caring he was towards her and how he helped her strengthen her powers. Until one day, in her sixth year, he turned cold and bitter. She didn't know why, and so she was alone again. At the end of her seventh year she tried to approach him again, to finish the year with no bad blood but he was still hard hearted and so he turned her away. She went missing a few weeks after she graduated, I haven't seen her since I was eleven. Teresa, I mean Ms Tarvins, is the only family I have left because of him" Zach looked ahead, seeing a weak outline of parts of the castle through the weeping willows branches.
Audrey lifted her head and looked at him, thinking to herself how ungrateful she had been. She wasn't truly alone, and she knew it would be foolish to compare one class with a resentful Harkness to years of being truly all alone with like Iriselle was.
Zach met her gaze and smiled, "What I'm trying to say is you have me and Bella and Nora. Also fuck Harkness, and his stupid cane".
Audrey let out a snorted laugh as Zach laughed with her, "I really do hate his cane, and the awful clicking it makes" Audrey said in between giggles.
"Honestly, the other day I heard Mrs Vornbury's little high heels walking down the hallway and I actually started to sweat thinking it was Mr Harkness and his stupid cane" Zach spoke as the corners of his lips lifted into a large grin looking at Audrey covering her mouth and laughing.
"Speaking of Mrs Vornbury, I think we have Dostirian Creatures now" Audrey said smiling, her cheeks were red from laughing as she began to feel completely at ease. The muscles in her body were no longer stiff and for a moment she had forgotten all about what had happened in Introduction to Proelium, Zach stood up and stretched out his hands to help lift Audrey up off the grass.
⤜⤛
Mr Harkness walked down the hallway, his mind occupied with the events that had just occurred half an hour ago. As soon as Audrey had run out of the room, with her eyes wide and already watering, Mr Harkness felt immense guilt about how he let things escalate out of control. He was criticising himself for not handling the situation better and letting Audrey disappear from his classroom, he knew how she must have felt and yet did nothing to ease her spiralling emotions. He only had a brief moment of control when he stopped Bella from attacking the young girl who held George up for what she had said to Audrey, but this was a fleeting moment as he watched Zach give him a menacing glare before rushing out of the classroom to find Audrey; he reminded him of his sister Iriselle and because of this his control again faltered. Only once had a student stormed out of his room and given disrespect to his presence, to see it happen twice within moments stirred up immense irritation but more so regret within himself.
Mr Harkness held onto her arm tightly as he looked into her dark oak coloured eyes, "You're a child!" He spat.
Watching an ominous frown form upon her face, made his stomach bend itself into a knot, as he continued to hold onto her arm while she moved her face closer to his.
"You choose only now to see me that way" she replied, her face close enough for him feel her warm breath against his lips.
He dropped his grip on her hand and turned his back to her, walking over to his desk and covering his mouth with his left hand as his eyes fluttered shut.
"I'll be eighteen in a week Alex, and next year...well I'll be nineteen and no longer a student" she spoke, desperation thick in her voice as he could sense her slowly walking towards him.
She tempted every part of him, he could feel his heart banging against his chest aching with each beat as his palms were beginning to sweat. He crossed his arms and looked at the grey stone wall in front of him, his mind racing with thoughts he struggled to control.
"I am your teacher Iriselle, I'm almost twice your age!" He replied, his voice loud but wavering with uncertainty as he felt a hand on his back.
"So is that what's stopping you?", she began with her voice sly but sugar coated, "Be honest with me, it's her isn't it?".
As those words slipped out of her mouth he turned to face her, towering over her as his expression began to grow frightening and vicious. He watched her as she stood still, unafraid of the subtle smoke that radiated off his skin as he held a finger in her face.
"Don't you dare mention her in any way, ever again." His voice a guttural low growl. He could see her chest rising and falling rapidly out the corner of his eyes, as not one part of her had moved from where she stood.
She looked at him intently, refusing to break eye contact as he dropped his hand to his side and clenched it into a fist. He lowered his head and let out a sigh, her soft caramel coloured skin remaining dangerously close to him. He hated how she made him feel, hated how she tantalised him with every movement she made and word she spoke. They stood in silence for a moment before he lifted his head and spoke carefully, "This all ends now, I've been your tutor and nothing more".
He glanced at her rose coloured lips for a moment before meeting her eyes, he looked within them to see flames growing as he sensed her vexation. He took a step back as she stared at him with hatred growing within her, "Nothing more?" She mumbled.
He watched her contempt for him grow stronger by the second and warp itself into something dark as she began to chuckle, "You claim to be brave, to be strong" she began, "but you disgust me, you are a soulless empty man!".
Her nostrils flaring, her words sharp and piercing through his tough skin as she said them. She turned her back to him walking towards the large wooden doors, before stopping for a moment. She turned her head ever so lightly and with the softest voice, the harshest words left her mouth, "Just because she's dead, doesn't mean you are too".
He watched her leave, his hands twitching by his side urging to chase after her until the doors slammed shut, leaving him alone and distraught.
Mr Harkness walked through the hallway, fragments of the memory flashing through his mind as he tried to shut them out. As he turned the corner he bumped into Professor Haroldin Hilks, the man was short and shaped peculiarly similar to that of a lemon. He had small beady eyes that were enlarged by his thick round glasses and his greying brown hair on his head was straw-like.
"Oh Alexander, I was hoping to see you sometime today" he began, his voice posh but shrill as he spoke with a slight lisp, "that Teresa Tarvins is an odd character, I often see her wandering the school grounds at strange times and...".
Mr Harkness tried to cut him off, "Yes Haroldin, I am in a hurry so...", but failed as the small plump man continued to speak.
"Also Alexander you see I had misfortune of teaching young Mr Binko in his fourth year for Curative Brewery, and if I do remember correctly, he barely passed!" He spoke quickly but clearly, "I hoped he would have improved into his sixth year but according to his teacher Professor Windel Lee, he's almost failing".
Mr Harkness' concern grew by the second at the sound of Charlie's name, as he raised a brow and listened to Mr Hilks continue.
"If you ask me, I would say it's got something to do with that young Mr Kane. They seem to be inseparable them two!" He exclaimed, fiddling with his glasses as he spoke.
Mr Harkness' felt anger slowly developing within the depths of his mind, as Charlie was one of the best students in the year and had averaged a high distinction in almost all his classes last year. To think that his nephew Will was the one bringing Charlie's average down made his blood begin to simmer as he clenched his jaw.
"Thank you Haroldin, I'll do my best to speak with them right away" Mr Harkness replied in a strict manner, his lips barely moving as he gritted his teeth.
He found himself hurriedly walking down the hallway, into another archway entrance where three to four classrooms were filled with students learning Dostira Historia. He could feel himself huffing as he walked past the classrooms, he stopped at a wooden door towards the end of the hallway where he struggled to knock calmly with his fingers tingling from the anger that was coursing through his veins. The door swung open with the tall and rather plain Professor Lisolith standing at the entrance, a look of confusion on his wrinkled toffee coloured face as he greeted Mr Harkness.
"I need to speak with Mr Kane" he said in a low and baleful voice.
He watched Kane stand up from his seat slowly while collecting his books into his hands, he left the room disoriented as Mr Harkness grabbed him by the arm and led him towards his office. As they walked away from the classroom, Mr Harkness found himself almost dragging Kane by the arm. Kane's clammy hands struggled to hold onto his books that were shuffling around in his arms, as he mumbled questions that were never answered.
"Hey, what is going on?" He asked, to which Mr Harkness said nothing while continuing to drag him towards his office. They walked up a spiralling staircase towards the top of the castle, and through another hallway where the door to his office lay at the end of it.
As Mr Harkness began to twist the door handle to his office open, he heard a small but clear voice at the entrance of the hallway, "Will? What is going on?".
Nora rushed over to the two of them just as Mr Harkness had opened the door to his large office, he released his firm grip on Kane's arm and gently pushed him inside. Nora followed her brother into the office as Mr Harkness closed the door behind them with an echoing thud.
His office was neatly spaced out, with a long and wide soft black leather couch in the corner of the room against the grey stone walls and a large dark wooden bookcase next to it. He had a great thick timber desk that was decorated with carvings of polygon shapes, and it was placed to face the couch that was many steps away from it. There was a large rose coloured glass window in the middle of the grey stone wall, only two steps away from the couch, and it had almost a birds eye view of the entrance to the school.
Mr Harkness walked over to his desk and sat on the edge of it facing the couch where Kane was seated beside Nora, he crossed his arms and stared at them both.
"Um what are we..." Nora began until Mr Harkness swiftly cut her off.
"What are you doing Will?" He asked, his voice concerned but heated with anger as he watched the boy who reminded him so much of his brother sit in front of him with a lost expression on his face.
"I don't understand" Kane replied, his voice slightly trembling as he began to grow increasingly nervous.
"Is this about Zach, because..." Nora began but Mr Harkness cut her off again, he stood to his feet and took a step towards the two of them with a fierce look in his eyes.
"What are you doing with Charlie, Will?" Mr Harkness spat as he glared at Kane.
Kane exhaled in relief and dropped his head, he slowly lifted it with a smirk on his face before replying cooly, "Oh thank God, I thought you were going to ask me about Zach".
Mr Harkness felt his blood beginning to boil as he raised his voice even louder, "How dare you drag Charlie down with you!".
Kane was taken aback as his smirk quickly dropped and Nora held her breath, they both sat in silence with their eyes fixed on Mr Harkness whose face was beginning to redden.
"Yes, I think I know what's going on here. You've already ruined your chance at establishing a respectable future after Dostira, so now you're trying to ruin Charlie's too" he began as he started to pace around the room, "Well I won't let you Will!".
Kane was enraged at the words that spilled from his Uncle's mouth, his chest heaved sighs of hot temper as his right eye began to twitch. Yet he sat in silence, waiting for Mr Harkness to finish.
"You have no idea how vital it is that he remains focused, his future is far greater than anything you could even understand and I will not see his potential wasted much like yours!" Mr Harkness spluttered, he could barely comprehend what he was saying as anger and disappointment clouded his mind while his lips spilled his darkest thoughts.
"It is a shame that there is too much of your father in you" Mr Harkness hissed, "because if even he was the slightest bit intelligent, then I wouldn't be stuck with you!".
As Mr Harkness took a deep breath, he realised the words that had just escaped from his mouth and his anger vanished in the blink of an eye. He looked at Nora whose eyes were wide with disbelief and tears trickled down her face, Kane slowly stood up with his hands tightened into fists by his sides as he took a step towards him.
"Charlie tried to talk to you and you turned him away, " Kane began, "all because you can't get over something that happened almost sixteen years ago".
He took another step closer to Mr Harkness, Kane's unusually calm state making him anxious as his throat began to ache with regret.
"I know you don't want us, you never did. But you know what, we never wanted you either. You have no idea what's going on with Charlie right now, have you even seen him? Have you seen how sick and tired he always looks? I'm about the only person in this school that keeps him from fainting every twenty-seconds or going completely fucking insane!" Kane yelled, he stared at Mr Harkness barely blinking as he continued.
"But instead of going to Charlie and asking him what's going on, you decided to pull me out of class and insult me in every way possible. How could I ever see you as a father, let alone family after what you've just said? Fuck you!".
Kane's lip was quivering from rage, as his eyes began to transform into his distinctive lime green and red speckled dragon eyes. He quickly turned around and grabbed his books before rushing out of the office leaving the door wide open.
Mr Harkness stood paralysed from shock, he couldn't believe what he had just said to his nephew. His eyes looked at Nora who slowly stood up, wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her school jumper, as she sniffled.
"Nora please I didn't mean all that" he stuttered, his hands flinching to reach out to her.
"You know William didn't smile for almost two years after our parents died" she began with her voice breaking, "But after we moved in with you, I started to see him change and I even saw him start to laugh".
She wiped the tears that continued to fall onto her cheeks as her brittle voice continued, "Charlie isn't your responsibility, William is. But that trust William had for you, that trust that took him so long to give you, was just torn apart right in front of him. Like he said...fuck you".
Nora walked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her as she ran down the hallway in search for her brother. As soon as the door to his office had closed, Mr Harkness shut his eyes and quickly turned his body to face his desk while slamming his fist into it. He exhaled deeply and swallowed the lump in his throat, his thoughts beginning to swirl within his mind as he struggled to breathe.
"What have I done?" he asked himself, his voice wobbling as salty tears pricked at his eyes.