Chapter 18: The Dance of flames, Act Three

Clara took her hand into hers. Usually, she disliked her brother's need for melodrama, but once in a while, she would allow it. Besides setting all this up had not been easy, so she might as well enjoy it before it all crashes down upon them.

No words were necessary between them if they were going to play the mad villains; they had to have both grace and style. The waltz is a graceful and romantic dance that requires precision and coordination. As the two children began to dance, they move gracefully across the floor, with each step perfectly timed to the music playing in their heads. They held each other closely, with their bodies swaying in time to the rhythm.

By the time they started dancing, the screaming of the girls had been heard. The others took that as a signal that the plan had gone haywire and decided to go with plan B, max chaos in a minimal amount of time.

Everyone but the Saboteurs lit themselves and the screaming intensified. As for the Pyromaniacs themselves, they got drunk on the screams. They set bookcase after bookcase, and two of them even lit random students on fire. They had forgotten the fire was fake. Not that it mattered though, as it hurt and burned all the same.

Childish screams were all over, books and furniture all aflame, everything had happened in seconds. One moment, the children were on fire and crying.

The teachers wanted to de-escalate the situation, but they couldn't, not without committing treason against the Empire. By empiric law, no adult was to even mention magic before kids not of proper age. In the Academy the teachers and the staff serving the first two years all had their magic sealed.

They could in fact unseal themselves, but was that really worth it. The children were in pain, but none had died yet a good sign. The books were valuable, but only in terms of regular people; nothing on the first floor was even remotely that precious.

Cold as it may seem, they preferred to play it safe and try to help them while acting as mundane humans. Even the educators who chose the Warrior's path had their power sealed, in the voice of fairness. Should the kids start dying off, they would be the first to break the status quo.

As all this was happening the two children danced. As they dance, they began to ascend a grand staircase that leads from the ground floor to the doors. The staircase was wide and ornate, with a grand banister and sparkling chandelier above. Their movements become more fluid and elegant as they continue their ascent, with each step bringing them closer to the top.

The boy guided the girl with a firm but gentle hand, as they glide effortlessly up the stairs. The girl's hair swirls around her, adding to the beauty and elegance of the moment. The siblings' eyes meet, and they share a smile as they reach the top of the stairs.

At the top, they continue to dance, with the sound of screams still filling the air. They were surrounded by the beauty of the grand hall, with its high ceilings and intricate decorations. The couple's movements become more intricate and complex as they continue to dance, each step perfectly in sync with the other.

Sparks were flying all over the Library, many confusing them for cinders. The two guards were bribed to let them pass long before the day even began. The two stood there and watched the couple, scared and confused, this was not part of the plan, flames were not part of the deal. But they stood and waited.

Their employer had set Academic property on fire for his own amusement; they didn't really dare disrupt his date, young as he was. The boy was clearly mad, at least for the moment, he was scarier than even their headmaster.

As the music come to an end, the couple shares a final twirl before coming to a stop, still holding each other closely. They take a moment to catch their breath, their hearts beating with excitement and joy at the beauty of the moment.

"It's time for the Grand Finale Clara. Watch as I break their unburnable rules. Watch as the gates finally crumble." Ciaran said, letting the moment possess him, not letting Clara speak. He worked for this, he strived for this moment, and he was going to be as dramatic as he wanted to be god damn it. He loved the girl, he really did, but she was too pragmatic, a real buzzkill, and this was his moment.

"Guards, at ease, today we make history!" He spoke to the two guards. Seems he wanted his audience entertained.

The boy reached into his pocket and withdrew a small wooden marble. He handled the thing as if it was his most precious treasure.

The three bystanders were confused, as that was no key. They even wondered if the boy had truly gone mad. Understandable, seeing as that was a Master key, the second of its kind. It was created to give access to the whole Library, not just the second floor. The only one of its kind was meant to serve as one of the headmaster's exclusive privileges.

Of course not even Ciaran knew what he had in his hands, the boy only knew it could open the doors in front of him.

When Eleftherios had created it, he did not intend to give it to the boy. It was meant as a prank, a vicious mockery to humble the kid. He would create the ultimate prize, for an impossible challenge and let the brat be a hair away from grasping all he ever wanted.

Of course, nothing ever goes as planned; the dryad had actually given a priceless treasure to a six-year-old madman. And even though it was his classmates that were 'burning' it was Eleftherios that had begun to sweat.

"If the boy realizes what I gave him, this won't stop with the incident being labeled as a childish misdemeanor."

It was to be known that just like level one was meant for the youngest students, level two was meant for almost everyone else. That, and the tower had six whole levels. If the kid went to the top all hell would break loose!

The shaking of the Maze and the reason for it aside, the boy had a slight problem ahead of him- he had a key but no clue how to use it. Worse still Clara was watching and if he fucked up today his sister would never forget it. Worse even, she would never let HIM forget it.

It was one thing to fail miserably in achieving your dreams, and another to arm your sibling with mocking material that would last a lifetime. No, he had to succeed, if not for knowledge, then so he could preserve his pride as the older sibling.

He pushed the marble to the door and prayed.

'Please Almighty Library, grant entrance to this poor sinner. Grant him a safe haven from this vicious she-devil.'

To his surprise, the marble sunk into the door. The next moment it began to open. The prayer was meant to be a joke. What kind of a library operates on prayers anyway.

'The magical kind, I guess.' Snickered the boy. One last unpleasantness left before he crossed the doors.

He turned around and wanted to speak, however, Clara interrupted him before he could.

"You opened the doors and you are going on up, alone. I know Caz, I know you better than you give me credit for." She said, visibly upset.

He wanted to retort, to craft a beautiful lie, but he couldn't, not to her. All that came out of his mouth were the words "I am sorry" spoken in a whisper so quiet the guards couldn't even hear it. Well, they could, but the boy was showing genuine remorse, and they refused to acknowledge it, less All Hells froze over.

"Save it you brat, I knew from the very beginning. You promised that only you will be punished. Hard thing to achieve, if some of us broke one of the Academy's core rules alongside you."

"And if the person who was with you was your childhood friend, someone who you consider a sister even, she wouldn't escape punishment. Hell, if we wanted to spice it up even more we can even say she was a daughter of a Duke, making all of this a proper mess."

"I am not mad at you for doing what you're doing Caz, I am mad that you think I wouldn't know."

"I am not Rayon, and I am not one of your dumb minions. I have stood by your side and I deserve to be treated as such."

"I am sorry, your brother is such a fool. I promise to do better, to be better." He said, those words just about all he could squeeze out of his mouth.

"Just don't keep things from me. And I swear to anyone who cares to listen, if you keep shit from me again, and tell me it's for my own good, I will beat your ass so hard, whatever they punish you after today would seem like a vacation, are we clear?" She asked, her expression declaring her sincerity.

"Cristal". He said and then looked at the guards. "The madman held the Clara, that's this girl right here, and threatened to set her on fire as well, so we had to let him pass. That, is your story, and you had been deaf for the duration of our conversation!" The boy said, sounding like he wasn't asking.

Then he just turned around and crossed the doors, the entrance closing in behind him.