Awakening

The trip back from town was still bustling from everyone's lingering excitement, but you were anything but happy. Although you could admit that the trip was fruitful, you couldn't shake the feeling of dread that clung to you like a wet cloth. You stared endlessly at the scenery from the moving phantom train, making it's way back to your safe haven.

"Emilia!" you were whisked away from your reverie by someone shaking your shoulders. You turned to look up and saw the evident worry on your friends' faces, "Are you sure you're okay? You've been out of it since Sylvan Grey's." said Corvina, analyzing you with her ever so blank and serious face.

"Of course I am," you faked a yawn and stretched out your arms, "See? I'm just really tired from walking all day, I'm surprised you're still energetic." you jested to steer away from their suspecting eyes.

They looked as if they didn't believe you, not even a little, but chose not to say anything, "I'm just excited to use my newly acquired training gear, it feels so comfortable to wear and it's also durable," replied Sitara, getting the gist.

"I want to get an early start tomorrow and practice with my new spear," Kieran interjected, playing with his spear still wrapped in brown paper., "I just hope someone doesn't snap it in half this time," he added grumbling, moving his gaze on Dorian, who caught his gaze but merely rolled his eyes.

"Look, it wasn't my fault your spear was easily breakable," Dorian replied exasperatedly, raising his hands, "But if it makes you feel any better, fine, I'm sorry. Happy now?" he glared, not really sincere.

The two of them just glared at each other while you noticed that Caelum was neither moving nor paying attention to any of you, so you stealthily nudged him beside you, making him look at you, "Are you alright? The next full moon isn't until a week from now. There's nothing you should worry about," you whispered to him so that it was only him who could hear you.

He shook his head, "No, it's not that. I was just thinking about how glad I am to meet you," and for the first time ever, he smiled at you. Your heart quickened its pace, and you were mesmerized by his silhouette. He sat beside the window, and the light that poured from the moon created a halo of light around his head.

"Uhh," you were lost for words, "thanks?" it came out as more of a question than an answer.

"Growing up, I only had Kieran as a friend, more like a brother really, but it's the first time I've ever spent so much time with this many people." he looked at everyone, chattering and laughing at an inside joke only they understood. "Each a different breed," he jested, "But also their own kindness and uniqueness," he said lastly before turning back to you.

"And the first time I've met someone so special," he said lowly, while his eyes gazed at yours intently. His amethyst eyes pierce into you as if seeing through you, and then you were reminded once more of the words from the Elderwood Seer, "You are bound to a dark prince, and you have already met them." your eyes widened, unsure of what to think.

But before you could reply, the train stopped and you were home. You all got out and bid your goodnights and farewells before going to your respective dormitories. Your thoughts swirled, making it hard for you to fall asleep, "You shall suffer from this love, and you will lose something great in exchange for it," you repeated aloud.

"Is that what the seer told you?" you were startled, immediately sitting upright to see Corvina, standing by your bed.

"You scared me," you exclaimed, holding your chest, but she just raised an eyebrow at you, indicating for you to answer her question. You sighed and slumped on your headboard, "She said that I am bound to a dark prince, whatever that means, and she also said that I have already met them." you admitted.

She walked towards your bed and sat at the foot of it, "Caelum," she said shortly, as a matter-of-fact instead of a question, "what's wrong with that?" you shrugged, unsure of what to think of it. "Or is it Dorian you like?" she asked, straight to the point and with no trace of teasing.

You exasperated a sigh and shook your head profusely, "No, it's not that. I just met them, and there are so many things that I don't know about him. I'm just confused as to how things will happen now that I know I'm practically 'bound' to him," you quoted with your fingers, emphasizing the word 'bound'.

"You mean you aren't sure if it's real?" she asked, confirming your thoughts. "If its fate then no matter how hard you run from it, it will catch up to you. Why don't you just accept it?" she pursued.

"Or are you afraid of what you'll lose because of it?" you didn't want to admit it, but something within you was afraid to find out what it costs.

Then you remembered the necklace on your neck. It felt heavy, and somehow you feel it pulsing on your neck like it was alive. "She said that the cost of my fate is something far greater than anything of this world could ask of me." your voice trembled, clasping the stone.

Corvina moved closer to you and hugged you, "It's alright to fear and to doubt, but if there is one thing I know about one's fate, is that the more you run from it, the more likely things will go awry. And you will receive the most awful consequences." she was comforting but you knew it was also a warning.

You pulled away, wiping the tears that fell from your eyes, "Sleep, and know that the future isn't something to worry about, but prepared for." these were her last words before she stood up and went to her bed.

"Thank you," you said before laying down and beckoning sleep to come, but it never came.

The next day and the day after that, you were stuck in a daze, you could barely focus in class as your mind whirled with different thoughts of the future. The sensation as if being haunted around by a looming darkness that kept creeping up on you, and you find yourself constantly afraid.

The nights weren't any better, as you close your eyes a figure loomed in the distance. A never-ending night, and shadows coming alive at your feet, holding you still, unable to move. Clawing at you, "Help us," it spoke to you, urging you to help them.

"Help how?!" you answered, but a moment too late as they dissipated in a fit of screams.

"AHHHH!" a piercing scream erupted, waking everyone in the room. Sitara awoke, alerted, grabbing her staff from her bedside. Damara jumped from her bed, surprised, the same was for Briony and Corvina. They each glanced around for any intruder, only to realize you were screaming in your sleep.

They immediately went to you in a panic, "Wake up Emilia!" Damara shook you awake, panicking, but to no avail, you just kept thrashing around, and at that moment in your dreams, the figure in your dreams also kept ahold of you.

The figure was nothing but a shadow, a silhouette that resembled you, but she had a sinister smile, and her eyes were as dark as the endless night, "Get away from me!" you screamed at it, but it only laughed at you.

But its smile suddenly vanished, "Accept me and I shall grant you the power you so desperately wish for!" it beckoned to you, holding its arms out to you. You shook your head, refusing to even look at it. "Embrace me, and I promise you life anew! One where you need not worry of weakness, and a newfound belonging." it urged you, It offered its hand for you to take.

The words of the Elderwood Seer echoed in your ears, "The power of darkness hides within you, but you mustn't let it consume you."

"This darkness is what she meant," you thought to yourself, and her next lines followed.

"The moon--you must embrace this darkness and learn to control it before it controls you." you stared at the black eyes of your darkness, and you only saw your reflection, a weak and scared girl, shaking and terrified, nothing but a handicap and deadweight.

"But can I really embrace you?" it turned its head sidewards, beckoning to you once more, "I won't let you control me!" and with that, you grabbed its outstretched hand, and as soon as you touched, it imploded, colliding into you with a force that pushes you back.

Outside of your dreams, everyone else was terrified, as you were lifted from your bed, towards the ceiling, your eyes wide open but a black abyss remained where your emerald green eyes should be.

The rest of the resting students in your dorm woke up from the commotion, then suddenly Headmistress Felstead was there, her eyes wide from the scene that unfolded in front of her, "Headmistress!" Damara called out, desperately trying to get you back down.

"Stop! Don't touch her, what happened?!" she inquired, slowly walking towards you, "She's in deep sleep," she commented. She tried to touch you but was only pushed back by a force, the same shadow that enveloped your body as you are lifted into the air.

"Something's wrong with her!" Briony sobbed, "We woke up to her screaming, and we thought she was only having a nightmare, but then she started shouting, "Get away from me!" and then her eyes opened," she shook her head, holding unto Sitara tighter, "There was only black," she whispered, terrified.

While your physical body took its toll on your astral body, you remained unaware of the events outside your dream. After the explosion, the shadow figure of you started melding into you as you absorbed it, and you felt it.

You still felt the shadows but it was as if they were inside you. You felt the power, coursing through you like electricity, moving and going into the deepest crevices of your being. It felt liberating to you, like a feeling of adrenaline. And for the first time in your life, you felt complete.

When you opened your eyes, you didn't know what was happening. Your roommates were huddled together, looking terrified. You glanced around you hazily, then you saw the headmistress was looking frantic, along with the head nurse miss Felms.

"Oh thank the stars you're awake!" said miss Felms, eyes wide and still dressed in her nightgown. "How are you feeling darling?" she asked gently, patting your forehead with a wet towel.

Your body felt heavy and sweat was making your pajamas cling to your body uncomfortably, "What are you doing here?" you asked confused as to why the headmistress was all the way there in your dorm room, as well as the head nurse, frantically pacing back and forth checking your body.

Headmistress Felstead steadily walked towards your bed, her face serious, "The question is, what happened with the Elderwood Seer?" she inquired, making your eyes go wide.

"How did you--?" you started but was cut off.

"Ladies, why don't you leave us for a moment? I have something to discuss with miss Bellerose." the headmistress urged your roommates to leave, but they didn't move. "Ladies," she urged further but to no avail.

Sitara stepped forward, "With all due respect headmistress, but she's our friend, and we would also like to know what happened." the others stepped forward as well, standing their ground.

The headmistress sighed, closing the door with her magic, before turning to you and saying, "Your roommates have told me everything, but I don't think this is merely the cause of a few words from a seer," she motioned to the messy room around you, "What did she say exactly, and leave no detail." you sighed, knowing that there was no way you could hide things further.

"Alright," and you told them everything, from the moment the tent appeared in front of you, to the words that the Elderwood Seer told you, word for word, leaving out the fact that Caelum was the dark prince being mentioned.

The headmistress massaged her temples, clearly troubled by your words, "I don't truly understand at first but things have been happening to me lately that slowly makes sense of her words, and my nightmare," you faltered but continued, "it felt like something was triggered within me. I saw a dark shadow version of myself," you said the last part, lowly, afraid that they might think of you more as a bad omen.

This seemed to pique her interest, "And what happened?" and once again, you were forced to tell them everything that happened in your dreams, as they interjected what was happening to your body at the same time.

Headmistress Felstead stared at you deeply, quietly contemplating before taking one of your hands and saying, "I hold thee, reveal to me what is beneath, I call upon the keeper of truth, Veritas," and suddenly, from your hands, thick black smoke spread out. You felt as though it was pouring out of you, and she immediately released you.

The shadows then seeped through the cracks of the floorboard and disappeared, "You had an awakening," she concluded, "You have the power of necromancy, my dear you're a Shadow Summoner," she said grimly.