《Magician's Stigmata》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    The grand corridors of Collegia Magicka held solemn portraits frowning down upon Azel in their gold-gilded frames. The Academy, designed by the late Alastair Ashford himself, was a labyrinth of hallways and secret passageways and hidden vaults storing unimaginable treasures. Azel glimpsed several rooms, including a grand library with an inconceivable number of books lining the shelves, a spiral staircase leading to a dizzying spire, an observatory with a wide vaulted ceiling that revealed the heavens, a lounging room with velvet lined-furniture and the comforts of the best tea and savory pastries, and a giant botanical inside garden that housed a variety of exotic looking flora, and yet there still remained several more rooms to explore.


    This place is huge, Azel thought while he followed two girls. It looks like everyone lives well here. I bet there¡¯s some exciting stuff in the library. Hm, should I go down this corridor or the next¡­Hm?


    The girls¡¯ disappeared down a hallway. Azel stared at the long spiral staircase. Pondering whether he should follow the two girls or explore this curious stairwell, something compelled him to take the first step. The stairs stretched on in an optical illusion that continually spiraled in a vertigionous loop. Azel wondered if magic did that or whether it tricked his mind into believing such. His mind wandered, thinking about the classes he needed to attend. Before he knew it, he reached the top. Here, the uppermost part of the spire revealed a giant observatory with tastefully arranged potted plants giving a natural atmosphere. Several columns of bookshelves towered along with another spiral staircase that led to the roof¡¯s dome, where stars glittered in an artificial sky.


    A sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. ¡°I expected you would come. This is exactly what I needed to relieve myself of ennui.¡±


    A black-robed girl with dark hair and deep crimson colored eyes approached him. Azel noted that her robes parted like raven wings and she still held the grace of childhood in her lithe body. The girl was slender as a boy, and Azel noted that she¡¯d grow up to be a stunning beauty with those arresting crimson eyes, with long lashes and cupid bow lips that lent her a doll-like appearance Her intense stare disconcerted him and Azel averted his eyes towards a nearby potted plant. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The girl giggled. ¡°I¡¯ve never been one for proper introductions. It¡¯s not very often that people come up to the observatory.¡±


    She smoothed out the wrinkles in her robes, as though she wanted to give Azel the best first impression possible. ¡°My name is Astraea. And you are Azel Belzarius.¡± At Azel¡¯s surprised look, she then says, ¡°Oh, do excuse me. I probably should have let you introduce yourself, even though I would have already known the answer. Ah well, I¡¯ve never been one for conventional conversation.¡±


    Astraea raised a finger to her lips, as though contemplating something, before she giggled again. ¡°Hmhm. How very interesting. I see several lines of power intersecting you, Azel Belzarius. I sense that you are a Catalyst for some very important changes to come.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Azel said, scratching his head and puckering his lips in confusion. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand a thing that you just said, Miss Astraea.¡±


    ¡°Would you like your fortune to be told, Azel Belisarius?¡± Astraea asked him in a sweet voice, disregarding Azel¡¯s confusion. Her eyes gleamed with mischievousness. ¡°Divination is very difficult, or so I¡¯m told, though I¡¯m a natural at it. You¡¯re having a difficult time deciding what you want to be¡­am I right?¡±


    A slight shiver swept down his back. This girl seemed to know a lot of things about him. Diviners always held a mystical air about them and this girl was no different. Her red eyes bore into him, seeming to appraise him. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Astraea giggled. ¡°That¡¯s a secret. If a Diviner revealed the method behind their arts, it would lose most of its mystery and intrigue, don¡¯t you think?


    ¡°I¡­I suppose so,¡± Azel said, finding this young, precocious child even stranger by the moment. ¡°Though I kind of don¡¯t like the idea that things are written in stone. I thought it was up to the individual to decide what to do with their lives. You know, free will and all that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re one of those skeptics, aren¡¯t you?¡± Astraea said. The dimple in her smile never disappeared. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me your hand and I¡¯ll show you what real divination is? The rest are charlatans and low-class fortune-tellers that try to pass off as mystics. You don¡¯t have anything to lose¡­and who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll gain something from this.¡±


    Azel sighed, reluctantly holding his hand out. Astraea smiled indulgently at him before one small hand clasped his one and the other one traced along the lines of his palm.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t coincidence that we met, you and I,¡± Astraea said. ¡°There are some events that pre-ordained or are most probable to come to pass. The reason why you came to this Academy, Azel¡­it wasn¡¯t by random chance. You were meant to be here. All the lines of power are concentrated in this Academy, do you understand? And you play a great role in this, Azel Belisarius.¡±


    ¡°This is a little too much,¡± Azel said, chuckling nervously. ¡°Are you sure that you¡¯re not messing around with--¡°


    Before Azel could say another word, Astraea stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. Azel froze for several minutes. His face reddened int o a deeper shade. ¡°W-What was that for?¡±


    Astraea smiled. ¡°Payment. An exchange. Compensation. A trust between two partners. I hope that you are satisfied with your fortune.¡±


    She turned on her heel, her long black hair flowing behind her and her shoes tapping against the polished wood floors. Azel still stood there, dumbfounded by everything that just transacted. He put two fingers against his lips, still feeling the feather-light pressure from Astraea¡¯s kiss. When Azel finally understood what just happened, he said, ¡°H-Hey! You shouldn¡¯t go around kissing strangers like that--Astraea?¡±


    Yet the dark-haired diviner was nowhere to be found. Azel felt if he peered behind all the potted plants and Grecian statues adorning the place, he would find no sign of her. There was definitely something strange about that girl, and it didn¡¯t help that she had to confuse matters further by kissing him out of nowhere! What did she mean about the lines of power connecting at the Academy?Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    It seemed that Astraea wouldn¡¯t provide these answers for him. She already disappeared from sight, much like the mystical Faye melding into the mists. Azel glanced at a giant grandfather clock that chimed a haunting note, reverberating throughout the Academy.


    ¡°The initiation ceremony is gonna start soon¡­¡± Azel said. He paused for a moment, wondering whether he should inform the girl, but then decided that she probably didn¡¯t attend classes by her choice. Azel made his way down the winding stairs, jumping ten stairs at a time in his haste.


    However, something along the way to audience room distracted him from proceeding further. He peered into a room that seemed to be a massive planetarium, with a vault of stars for the ceiling, depicting all the planets revolving in their elliptical orbits. Everything was in constant motion, and nothing seemed to be still--and Azel imagined it was like staring into the far reaches of space itself. No one else seemed to be within the room, and curiosity overcame Azel, finding himself entering the room unconsciously. There were other contraptions as well, such as golden telescopes and an odd invention that modeled the planets and the sun. In the middle, he saw that three of the planets were aligned, and that there was a scribbling of difficult mathematical equations that he couldn¡¯t quite decipher. However, it seemed that the person writing these notes figured how three planets would align, though they seemed to be achieving something more profound and phenomenal than that--which was the alignment of all seven planets.


    While staring at these notes, he heard a rustle of movement behind him. Embarrassed, Azel shuffled out of the way when he saw a girl enter inside with a rather stern expression. She walked with deliberate poise that indicated a woman who was brought up well, a certain bearing that indicated she was of a highborn House. She promptly closed the heavy tome, and held it against her chest as she spoke.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Flushing, Azel then fumbled for an answer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was just looking around, then I came upon your notes and this model.¡±


    He gestured to the odd contraption that showed a miniature model of the planets and their orbits. The girl regarded him with something that wasn¡¯t quite disdain, though it certainly wasn¡¯t a welcoming expression at all.


    ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re a recent recruit to the Academy. I suppose that you can be forgiven just this once. However, you should keep in mind that it isn¡¯t right to peer on someone else¡¯s private things, for future reference.¡±


    Surprise shocked Azel into silence, then embarrassment. The girl still studied his facial features carefully, seeking to penetrate. Then recognition immediately dawned on her. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re from the House of Belisarius. I would¡¯ve thought that someone of such prestige would¡¯ve known better. I suppose that it can¡¯t be helped. I did leave that book unattended momentarily, to be fair.¡±


    Swallowing and gathering his courage, Azel then asked, ¡°What exactly are you studying? I¡¯m just curious, is all.¡±


    The girl gave him a prolonged stare, her eyes becoming a cool shade of blue. ¡°I believe it¡¯s necessary that you shouldn¡¯t go probing into things that are none of your business, Son of Belzarius. The lumenal is stretching longer--it¡¯s best that you attend the initiation ceremony.¡±


    She then strode away, with her book tucked to her chest. The girl didn¡¯t so much as spare a glance towards Azel¡¯s expression when she left. Azel was simply left in silence, thinking of how unusual the girl was. Still, he wouldn¡¯t let something like her stern lecture to get him down. It was his first day here, after all, and perhaps he can get an opportunity to talk with her again, and apologize for his behavior. He would certainly keep her words in mind, and he would say that he was merely curious. After all, he heard some talk about the alignment of planets, and the significance behind their orbits, along with the mysterious red star that they¡¯ve seen glowing stark in the night sky these days.


    Azel shook his head while letting out a sigh. He ran a hand through his dark hair, before a rumbling bass shook the floors and reverberated through the walls and ceilings of the castle. The chandeliers above tinkled, furniture shifted along the marble floors, ancient cobwebs floated down from the dark corners of the Academy. Azel frantically looked around, trying to search for a piece of furniture that could offer protection against the tremor. He read in a book about earthquakes that it was better to hide next to an object that will compress slightly but still leave enough space for a person in a fetal position to avoid getting crushed from the falling rubble.


    However, something flashed through his mind. The little girl was still up in the observatory, wasn¡¯t she? He needed to get to her! Azel ran towards the spiral staircase that led up to the observatory. Another tremor shook the entire castle in its foundations, causing it to moan and sigh. Azel gulped when he took a hesitant step forward on the first stair. It was dangerous to go to the stairs during an earthquake, but the thought of a little girl crushed underneath a fallen bookshelf inspired him to leap up the stairs, feeling a dizzying spiral of vertigo as he made his ascent. The castle continued to tremble with each step, and Azel swore the stairs could cave in at any moment, though he made it up to the Observatory.


    ¡°Astraea?¡± he called out, wincing as books tumbled off from the shelves and clattered to the floor. He called out her name again, and another tremor forced a book shelf to topple over. Azel dodged to the side, the wooden case crashing to the floor and books sprawled out in a disarray of dust and vellum.


    He coughed and sneezed into his arm, before he clambered through the labyrinth maze.


    The glass dome in the Observatory shattered into sharp shards. Azel ducked down and covered the back of his neck as glass tinkled all around him. All of a sudden, a tomb-like silence filled the castle. Azel cautiously stood up from his cowered position on the floor, winking one eye open and examining his surroundings.


    ¡°What¡­just happened¡­¡± Azel said aloud.


    ¡°That was no earthquake you just experienced right now.¡±


    Azel turned his head towards the direction of the voice, to find Astraea sitting atop a still standing book shelf, swinging her legs back and forth.


    ¡°Get down from there,¡± Azel said, trying to take on a stern tone. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d get crushed underneath all these bookshelves.¡±


    ¡°Hmhm~¡± Astraea said, seemingly amused by Azel¡¯s reaction. She leapt off from the top of the bookshelf, landing on her feet neatly with cat-like poise.


    She walked among the fallen bookshelves and scattered tomes, letting out a disappointed ¡°Tsk¡± at the sight of it all. Astraea picked up a tome from the floor, wiping off the dust from its leather-bound cover, before shaking her head. ¡°Look at this. All these precious treasures of knowledge strewn about. I¡¯d hate to have them ruined. Some of these texts are ancient. It won¡¯t do to have them powdered down to dust crumbs, would it?¡±


    ¡°You should be more concerned about your life rather than the books,¡± Azel said. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re safe, but you really should be more careful. You could¡¯ve been crushed!¡±


    Astraea looked up from a text she peered through. ¡°Mm? Oh, fortune-telling is more risky business than a mere tremor. Though¡­you should be more concerned about your own safety rather than my own. You should know that going near stairs in this kind of situation is dangerous, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but¡­¡± Azel bit his lip. ¡°You were up here all alone and I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of leaving you up here.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Astraea cocked her head to the side. ¡°You are very interesting, Azel Belzarius.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter Two


    ¡°There was a tremor last night and now my back feels so stiff!¡± a female student complained.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really feel anything while sleeping last night, but I did notice that some rooms have been switched around. Isn¡¯t that weird?¡±


    ¡°How can you sleep through something as serious as a tremor! You¡¯re hopeless¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be worried about the tremors, if I were you. I would be more worried about ghosts.¡±


    One girl clutched a notebook closer to her chest, as though that would ward off any evil spirits wandering through the area. ¡°G-Ghosts? I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time for ghost stories, especially since the tremors in the castle are still happening¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s true,¡± another student insisted. ¡°There is a ghost who wanders in the halls at night. If anybody is caught sneaking out of their dorms, then the ghost will get you!¡±


    ¡°Man, so you¡¯re saying the Academy is haunted? Do you think the ghost is the cause of these tremors?¡±


    ¡°Attention, students,¡± a voice projected through the halls and corridors of the Academy. ¡°Please come into the auditorium for an important announcement.¡±


    The students gathered into an auditorium. On the balcony stood a blond-haired man with slim-lens glasses. He was clad in a white trench coat with black buttons and golden embroidery. He adjusted them on the bridge of his nose, before he held out an orb projector in his hand. The blond-haired man then uttered an incantation, and the entire room darkened while the orb illuminated the shadows with images of the castle.


    ¡°If you¡¯d excuse me, please,¡± the blond-haired man said. ¡°My name is Capricorn and I¡¯m here to explain the Academy situation to the students. On this orb projector, you can see images of some parts of the school¡­¡±


    The orb flashed and showed the alchemy lab appeared to be caved in, with crushed vials and flasks and spilled liquids on the floor.


    ¡°The alchemy lab is considered a hazard zone, as there are many different solutions that can cause nasty effects to the students if not handled properly. You don¡¯t want to be turned into gold, do you? Right, so it will be a while until you can experiment with transmutation. We¡¯ll have it cleaned up as soon as possible.¡±


    The image flickered, revealing another ravaged room in the process.


    ¡°Other classrooms have been compromised as well. We will get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible,¡± Capricorn said. ¡°Now, please attend your Magical Theory class.¡±


    His response was met with groans.


    ¡°I understand that some of you were excited for the more hands on classes, such as Transmutation 101 and such, though Magical Theory is still an important class. You can¡¯t perform alchemy, sorcery, necromancy, or any other branch of magic if you don¡¯t understand the basics. Off you go.¡±


    The students pooled out of the auditorium room, making their way towards Magical Theory 101. Once they gathered into their seats, their teacher stood in the very center of the circular room, clearing his throat.


    ¡°Today we shall be discussing magical theory,¡± the teacher said, adjusting his robes while he took out a leather-bound book. ¡°Our topic is Symbology. Would anyone like to explain what Symbology is? ¡­Ah yes, Miss Damiell. Do enlighten us.¡±


    ¡°Symbology is the practice of magic that all Magicians use,¡± Pandora said, sitting tall in her chair. ¡°The symbols themselves have been unearthed in an ancient civilization that was probably far advanced for its age. In order to use Symbology, a Magician relies on their Stigmata, which is a mark found on the caster¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± the teacher explained, before he gave a lofty glance towards the students. ¡°Well? I expect everyone shall write this in their notes. I know that some of you are eager to actually practice magic casting, though learning about the theory of magic is very important. Only a fool will cast magic without understanding basic theories first.¡±


    Azel started to pen down Pandora¡¯s answer, musing to himself all the while. He knew that a Magician needed to use a Stigmata in order to cast magic through the use of Symbology. Azel knew the theory behind magic--he spend long hours in the Belzarius mansion reading all the books and tomes they possessed--but all the theory in the world didn¡¯t make up for lack of magical talent. Even though his family members didn¡¯t show it, Azel sensed some sort of disappointment from them. The Belzarius was a prestigious line of Magicians, with a name that was well known in the Magician world--why didn¡¯t one of their own possess any prodigal power?


    I shouldn¡¯t think like that. It only makes me depressed. I have to focus on my studies¡­the one thing that I¡¯m good at.


    The teacher then launched into a complex dialogue about all sorts of magical theory, from the transmutation principles that were found in alchemy, to the astronomy used in divination, and then finally onto the Elements themselves.


    ¡°The first acknowledged elements were Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind,¡± the teacher explained while he examined notes from his giant tome. ¡°Those four are also known as the Classical Elements. Later on through the ages, two new elements were discovered--Light and Dark. Yes, yes, this may seem like elementary knowledge, but it still is important to know. Write this in your notes, please¡­¡±


    Azel tentatively raised a hand. The teacher directed his gaze towards him and nodded. Seeing this as his cue to speak, Azel then said, ¡°Um...what about the mysterious element, Aether?¡±


    At this point, Pandora raised her hand high, and the teacher then turned his attention to her. ¡°Aether? You mean the mythical element that has barely any acknowledgement in even the most ancient of texts? Honestly, it¡¯s probably nothing more than a legend. An Element that is the ¡®absence¡¯ of other Elements? Please, Belisarius, bringing up something like an imaginary Element is most impractical.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we learn about it?¡± Azel inquired. ¡°So, the other elements are something¡­some sort of presence, don¡¯t they? Aether is the opposite--it is the absence of those elements. It fits perfectly with the Balance, I think.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Pandora said, tilting her head a little upward in open disdain towards Azel¡¯s answer. ¡°I have read through the most ancient of texts, Belisarius. I daresay that you can¡¯t lay the same claim. And I¡¯ve translated them from dead languages. Only a few make any sort of acknowledgement towards this Aether, and even then, it is only in passing mention.¡±


    ¡°As much as I find this debate most engaging,¡± the teacher said, interrupting Azel¡¯s answer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Miss Damiell is right, Mister Azel. The tests you will be taking in magical theory do not cover the Void Element. From now on, Belisarius, please try to stay on topic rather than going on a tangent.¡±


    Azel remained silent, though he brooded about this the entire time. Pandora also had to show him up in class, just to prove that she was right. Why was she afraid of the possibility of a Void Element, anyway? Why didn¡¯t anyone else, including the teacher, acknowledge it? It was all part of ¡®magical theory¡¯, wasn¡¯t it?


    After class finished, Azel began gathering his things. While he was exiting the classroom, Pandora brushed past him stiffly, her head held up high.


    He sagged his shoulders a little. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t win with that girl. He hoped that he would at least be able to make some friends in the Academy, though Pandora clearly held some sort of grudge against him. Was it really that bad for him to peek at her notes? ¡­Azel knew that girls didn¡¯t like it when anyone peeked at their secret diaries or anything like that.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about it, too. What kind of normal girl kept a book that had notes about the planetary alignments, anyway? There was probably one person who could answer the questions that started bubbling into his mind¡­


    Making his way into the Observatory, Azel called out Astraea¡¯s name. As though the very mention of her name summoned her, Astraea appeared behind Azel, tapping him on the shoulder. Azel shivered before jumping back a bit, saying, ¡°You really should stop making a habit out of that.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Astraea asked perhaps too innocently.


    ¡°Appearing out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°It only appears that way because you are unobservant, dear Azel,¡± Astraea said as she tapped him on the nose playfully.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d say something like that,¡± Azel said with a sigh. ¡°Though I actually came here to ask for your help.¡±


    ¡°Hmhm,¡± Astraea said. ¡°No one steps into the Observatory without a purpose in mind. If you are seeking answers, perhaps I can provide them. Information comes at a price, though. Nothing in the world is truly free.¡±


    ¡°What kind of price?¡± Azel asked warily.


    ¡°The cost of knowledge can be weighty,¡± Astraea explained. ¡°People can manipulate or distort information to fit in their own particular brand of truth. Information can also cost lives--did you know, Azel Belisarius, that there is crucial information housed within the Academy¡¯s walls? And there are men that will kill to have this information.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Azel asked.


    ¡°The Symbological Library,¡± Astraea stated simply. ¡°A secret language that contains many forbidden spells and magicks that people want to use for their own gain. There were various grimoires and tomes for it.¡±


    ¡°Where is this Symbological Library, then?¡±


    ¡°Not telling~¡± Astraea said.


    ¡°You¡¯re being difficult, you know that?¡± Azel said with a sigh, though he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Sometimes Astraea¡¯s girlish tendencies reminded him that she still very young.


    Astraea twirled on her foot, her black robes spinning around like raven¡¯s wings, before she stopped, poised on the very tip of her toes. She maintained her balance while she gave Azel a musing expression, her pointed ears twitching a little. ¡°That is just the way things are for you, Azel Belisarius. The stars are not in your favor.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Astraea clasped her hands together, before she said with a sweet smile. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Azel supposed it was natural that Astraea would keep secrets from him. After all, he didn¡¯t really believe in predestined fate or anything like that. Everything that happened was by his own choice, wasn¡¯t it? Though thought of something already being predetermined gave him the chills.


    A thought popped into Azel¡¯s mind, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you ever come down from the Observatory? Isn¡¯t it kind of lonely being up here by yourself?¡±


    Astraea gave him a stern glance, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°It¡¯s not very often that I come down from the Observatory. Hmph, dealing with the other students is so troublesome. At least while I¡¯m in the company of books, I don¡¯t have to listen to inane chatter or complaints or free requests for fortune-telling.¡±


    ¡°You really take your fortune-telling very seriously,¡± Azel noted.


    ¡°Fortune-telling is very serious business,¡± Astraea said solemnly, glancing at Azel with a direct gaze. ¡°A true fortune-teller puts their life on their line. The fakes that I told you about ask for monetary compensation and persuade the gullible and na?ve that they know true fortune-telling, that their vision is true, and only they can divine the great mysteries and enigmas, and they ask for money for compensation without any true risk to themselves. No, no, a real fortune-teller puts their soul on the line for the person that they¡¯re divining for instead of satisfying greed.¡±


    ¡°So when you were divining for me, you put your soul on the line, and¡­you¡­you stole my first kiss.¡±


    Astraea put her hands on her hips. ¡°Honestly, what is a small kiss in exchange for a fortune-teller putting her life on the line for you, mm? By the way, you and I are bond together. I suppose that you can say that we¡¯re practically husband and wife. Soul mates.¡±


    ¡°Woah, wait up. Husband and wife? Soul mates? I¡¯m fifteen and aren¡¯t you, er¡­¡±


    ¡°Twelve years of age physically,¡± Astraea said. ¡°Though I estimate that I am about a century old mentally. Normally I would be out of your league, Azel Belisarius. Anyway¡­what did you think that kiss was for? Did you think that it was a charming gesture of a lovestruck little girl crushing on her senior?¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m sorry for not taking you seriously,¡± Azel said. ¡°I find it a little questionable that you made us soul mates without my consent, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Azel, you make things so much less boring,¡± Astraea said, her smile still in place. ¡°You¡¯re so easily embarrassed. How cute. Can I tell you what it¡¯s like being up in the Observatory all the time, hiding from everyone else? Dull, dull, dull. I¡¯ve already read all the books that the Observatory has to offer up there.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine so,¡± Azel said. ¡°So the only thing that you do up here is read?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Astraea said. ¡°My head is stuffed full of knowledge. Sometimes I think I will just burst at the seams from all the information.¡±


    ¡°If you know a lot¡­¡± Azel said. ¡°Do you believe in the element Aether?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about what I believe, but what you believe, Azel. There are many kinds of truths in the world. As for the element Aether¡­¡±


    Astraea straightened, her red eyes in a trance-like state as she recalled information, reciting in a voice that wasn¡¯t quite her own. ¡°Aether. The absence of other elements. Originally believed to be the very air that the gods breathed in a great civilization that existed many years ago. It was thought to be a fifth element in which it has no properties, unchanging except change of place, moved in circular patterns, possessing no contrary motion. This element was believed to be associated with planets. However, as Magicians studied the outer reaches of space, some of the Aether theories became obsolete as an Element.¡±


    What Astraea said was pretty much the sum of what Azel learned, though the change over Astraea surprised him. Who exactly was she?


    ¡°Astraea?¡± Azel asked, waving a hand in front of her face.


    Astraea blinked once, the trance now broken. She gave a somewhat embarrassed smile to Azel, muttering something about ¡®special trances¡¯ and whatnot.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± Astraea said, disappearing with that eerie ability of hers to slip out of one¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Goodbye, Azel, and keep in mind what I said.¡±


    Once Astraea disappeared, Azel stared at the place where she had once been.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    "What is it that you wished to discuss with me, Azel Belzarius?¡± the golden-haired teacher, Capricron, said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that nobody is discussing the element Aetehr,¡± Azel said wit ha dejected slump of his shoulders. ¡°They act like it doesn¡¯t exist and that it doesn¡¯t need to be taught because it¡¯s not on the test. But don¡¯t you think that all knowledge is something to be invested in?¡±


    ¡°You have to be discerning when it comes to knowledge,¡± Capricorn said. ¡°Though I think that Aether is truly an element that needs to be taught in this school. Though I think the reason why Aether may not be taught in classsrooms is because of¡­political reasons, I should say.¡±


    ¡°Political reasons?¡± Azel said, intrigued despite himself. He was already warming up to his teacher, who seemed to share the belief that knowledge was meant to be given freely. ¡°Like the great Purge of the Priests and Priestesses for holding knowledge about Aether in their libraries before it was burned down?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re quite knowledgeable a bout that, my boy. Yes¡­That is what happened. Mother Evangeline lived during those times, when the Great Purge happened when knowledge about Aether was being censored throughout the world because they believed it was a dangerous element. It¡¯s still sensitive to talk about it now these days; though I understand your need for k nowledge, and that¡¯s what I admire about you, Azel Belzarius.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡­I went too far?¡± Azel said while chewing his lip. ¡°There¡¯s this girl that argued wtih me in class about Aether, and I kind of made a bad first impression on her.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean miss Damiell?¡± Capricorn said with a secretive smile, and Azel nodded. ¡°She is a Priestess sent here from Mother Evangeline from the Temple to study here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Azel said, before slumping further. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. I¡¯ve been so insenstive to her faith by mentioning Aether.¡±


    ¡°I certainly hope that you can make things up with her,¡± Capricorn said. ¡°Of course, I could always have a word with Miss Damiell, if you wish.¡±


    Azel shook his head. ¡°I think I¡¯m good, thanks! I need to solve this on my own really, and I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ll get on better terms with one another. Thanks for everything, Professor Capricorn!¡±


    Capricorn bid him farewell from his office, and Azel left with a light step in his gait. He decided to meet with Astraea again, though he also thought of the strange trance that she regressed to when he spoke to her about Aether. What did it al mean? She did mention that Aether used to involve the movement of the planets, so maybe Pandora was researching Aether on her own? Was that what she was so embarrassed about? He didn¡¯t get to glimpse in her notes in depth, though he knew that the astronmoical model and the movement of the planets were an important part of her research.


    Once he made his way up the spiral staircase, he called out to Astraea breahtlessly. ¡°Astraea?¡±


    ¡°What, do you think that you can simply come up here and have me come at your every beck and call, Azel?¡± Astraea said as she jumped off from a bookshelf and landed perfectly on her feet like a lithe housecat. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t mind, however. I knew that you would come up and talk with me. While you were gone, I was dreaming my visions and reimagining scenarios from the various pieces that I¡¯ve been given through my clairvoyance.¡±


    ¡°What futures did you see?¡± Azel said, curious despite himself.


    ¡°Oh, I have but on riddle for you, Azel Belzarius,¡± Astraea said while giggling. ¡°And that is¡­how do you kill a phoenix?¡±


    Azel pondered his head on that one. ¡°That¡¯s a tough one. Phoenixes are immortal, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Basically,¡± Astraea said. ¡°They reincarnate after dying in a burst of flames and then are reborn from the ashes. The answer is very simple, actually; you just have to think backwards.¡±


    Azel scratched his head again. ¡°Is that another riddle?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Azel, Azel¡­¡± Astraea said in a singsong voice. ¡°You¡¯re so cute. Though I know that you¡¯re smarter than that. Hmhm. Still, that is the only piece of inofrmation that I wish to share today. I shall take a long nap and piece together more evidence and clues. Something¡¯s brewing in the Academy¡ªand I stand sentinel in the Observatory to protect the Academy and it¡¯s secrets, after all.¡±


    She disappeared once more, leaving Azel to ponder her various mysteries.


    ¡ªx¡ª


    The Alchemy class started. They finally cleared up the various spilled ingredients for alchemy circles and the various dangerous fauma and sometimes creatures that were used for alchemic recipes. When Azel approahced Pandora to apologize for his behavior, she proudly lifted her head and gave him the cold shoulder, as usual. He wondered how long it would take for Pandora to defrost, though he supposed that he unwittingly made a fool of himself in front of her and lessened his family¡¯s reputation in her eyes through him. Even though Pandora had every right to be angry with his ignorance, Azelt still felt his stomach plummet. Couldn¡¯t she at least give him a chance to redeem himself?


    ¡°You¡¯re staring at Miss Damiell,¡± a brunette girl with violet eyes and a white ribbon in her hair said. ¡°Do you fancy her, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Azel said, before he let out a sigh. ¡°She certainly doesn¡¯t fancy me, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Pity,¡± the young brunette girl said, before she gave Azel a cheery smile. ¡°Your name is Azel Belzarius, isn¡¯ it? My name is Estelle. Estelle Ashcroft. I have a twin sister who looks like me, actually. Though she doesn¡¯t make an appearance into classes very often. For future reference, she wears her ribbon on the left side, while I wear mine on the right side.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind then.


    A diminiutive creature shaped like a humanoid popped out from behind a container, with overly large eyes that reminded Azel of innocent babies. Azel startled, nearly knocking over an alchemy set of tubes and pointed towards the human like figure that resembled a doll more than anything else.


    ¡°What¡­what is that?¡± Azel asked, before Estelle huffed a little.


    ¡°How rude. She is a Homunculi that I created myself. She¡¯s my constant companion, you see, and she normally behaves herself. Usually.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it,¡± Azel said while poking a finger towards the little Homunculi at her stomach. ¡°She¡¯s kind of cute¡­yeowch!¡±


    The Homunculi, just as he was complimenting her, bit down on his finger. At least it wasn¡¯t bleeding, though little bite marks imprinted in a ring around his finger. Azel supposed he deserved it, however. He did refer to the Homunculi as a ¡®that¡¯.


    ¡°No, no, Hazel,¡± Estelle said with an admonishing finger towards the Homunculi. ¡°You know better than that! Oh, I¡¯m sorry, she doesn¡¯t normally bite other people like that.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Azel said softly to the Homunculi. ¡°I apologize for calling you a ¡®that¡¯. Can we please be friends?¡±


    Azel extended his finger towards the Homunculi again. Her cheeks were puffed out in a pout, though a huge grin soon spread across her little babydoll head and she shook Azel¡¯s finger. It seemed as though they were friends now. Estelle giggled, before saying, ¡°I think that she¡¯s taken a liking to you, Mr. Azel. You addressed her like you would a person, and she likes that.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Azel said, before he noticed that Pandora approached Pandora them, her brows narrowed and her eyes squinted towards Azel or Estelle. Azel couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°You little bobble-headed freak,¡± Pandora said, pointing towards the Homunculi. ¡°That¡­thing¡­stole something very important to me.¡±


    The Homunculi, sensing Pandora¡¯s storm signals, then disappeared. Estelle let out a sigh, before saying, ¡°You scared her off.¡±


    Pandora pressed her lips together, looking overall discontent with the situation, though her features suddenly smoothed themselves over into a stoic expression that revealed no emotion on her face.


    Estelle started to chase after her Homunculus, worried about where it might be going. The Homunculus waddled off at top speed, and then Azel and Pandora were alone. Azel cleared his throat.


    ¡°You know, Pandora¡­I apologize for peeking at your notes without permission.¡±


    Pandora nodded her head stiffly. ¡°I have more pressing matters than to stay mad at you, I suppose. I need to find that book. It¡¯s very important to me.¡±


    Azel was about to ask another question when EStelle came back, huffing and puffing, cheeks reddened with exertion. ¡°No good! She disappeared.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll find Hazel for you,¡± Azel said to Estelle. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Estelle¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You would? Would you? Oh, I would be ever so grateful! Please do.¡±


    Pandora¡¯s sharp eyes stared at Azel, before she looked at Estelle. She then shook her head, before saying, ¡°I suppose I have to search for that little toddler bitch too. Only to recover my notes, of course. Whatever happens to that thing is none of my concern.¡±


    Estelle put a hand to her face in a gasp. ¡°Hazel is not¡­Are Priestesses allowed to swear?¡±


    ¡°This one does,¡± Pandora said rather coldly with a glare that could freeze anyone¡¯s blood cold.


    ¡°All right, Ladies,¡± Azel said, trying to sooth the atmosphere as much s he could. ¡°We¡¯ll search for her after class, okay? But right now we have to work on transfiguring this pressed flower into solid gold¡­¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Pandora said, and mixed several elements together expertly together into a single vial and dripped it on the pressed flower that she had. It had glints of gold in its color. ¡°I¡¯m close¡­just need to do a little more experimenting¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Estelle said, before she mixed up her vials and liquids in fluid motions, before adding another recipe to the mix that Pandora didn¡¯t. The pressed flower turned into solid gold. ¡°Hehehe, would you look at that.¡±


    Pandora looked displeased at being shown up. She pressed her lips together, before storming off. Estelle blinked, before saying, ¡°What¡¯s her problem?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­Pandora is very prideful,¡± Azel said while gazing after her, before he turned to look at Estelle¡¯s alchemic recipe. ¡°You did that so expertly. How¡¯d you do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been studying alchemy as my specialty for years,¡± Estelle said cheerfully. ¡°But Pandora is pretty good. She seems to learn things quickly. There¡¯s more to the Priestess than we¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Azel said, and when class ended, teh students poured out of the alchemy room and Estelle and Azel were together.


    ¡°I promise that I will look for little Hazel,¡± Azel said, and Estelle nodded to him.


    ¡°I just hope that she hasn¡¯t¡­you know¡­gone someplace dangerous. I really worry about her, I do!¡± Estelle exclaimed. ¡°The catacombs would be the absolute worst place to go to. I hear that there are ghosts and spirits and other dreadful things lurking underneath the castle.¡±


    ¡°Why would a school have such dangerous elements?¡± Azel wondered out loud, before Estelle looked particularly enthused.


    ¡°Well, the history behind this school is that it¡¯s the relics of a great castle that belonged to a Kingdom that was championed by duelists,¡± Estelle explained. ¡°They innovated the castle to have secret rigs and traps and other dangerous things hidden in its corridors as a challenge for the Heir to go through everyday during training to become the Grand Duelist, of course. Isn¡¯t that fascinating? So the Headmaster of this school, who is said to be descended from the Rozarrian line, wanted to keep that tradition and have its students explore the corridors. The castle is so huge and wide that they couldn¡¯t clean out every single room of beasts or traps and whatnot. Some people have even lost their lives in the attempt. But there¡¯s a legend about this school, and that¡¯s what compels teachers and students alike to come to Collegia Magicka, despite its dangers.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡± Azel said.


    Estelle leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. ¡°The Current Headmaster think the ley lines are most potent here, which is resplendent with certain magic that will let students perform their most optimally here.¡±


    ¡°Ley lines,¡± Azel murmured. ¡°Ley lines¡­lines of power¡­was that what Astraea was talking about?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Estelle said politely.


    ¡°A girl in the Observatory,¡± Azel said, before Estelle still held that puzzled look on her face still.


    ¡°Astraea? The Raven-Haired Fairy of the Observatory? She¡¯s said to be on of the mysteries of this school but¡­¡±


    Estelle bit her lip.


    ¡°I heard things about things about Astraea. Peoiple will shun you if they find out you talk to her, just to give you a warning.¡±


    ¡°Astraea is a little weird,¡± Azel admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t think she¡¯s all that bad. Why would everyone shun her?She¡¯s just a normal little girl, from what I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it though, Azel,¡± Estelle said. ¡°She¡¯s..not exactly what you¡¯d call human.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Azel said, seeing that Estelle grew more flustered by the more.


    ¡°Well¡­it only matters what you think,¡± Estelle said. ¡°But I have to know for sure. Would you consider Hazel a human?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Azel said straightofwardly. ¡°She can think and do everything like we can, right? Though I¡¯ve yet to hear her talk, but I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll learn very quickly.¡±


    Estelle smiled at this, before putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re a good person, Azel Belzarius. Keep an eye out on Astraea, will you?¡±


    With that, Estelle turned on her heel and left the scene. Azel was left wondering about her words,