Lucas and Eric stood in the cottage's backyard. The sunlight shone its golden rays on them, and the wind blew warm air, allowing the branches of the trees and flowers to dance elegantly.
The grass was covered with various equipment, ranging from planks and woods of various shapes and sizes to hammers, paint and nails. Lucas and Eric carried the wood, analyzing and interacting with each other as they constructed whatever was on their minds.
"Who knew building a cargo box was hard?" Eric commented as he held a paintbrush in his hand, his body covered by paints and dirt.
"There's still a lot we have to do if we want to escape," Lucas added, as he painted a wooden plank on the floor, his face and clothes also filled with dirt and paint.
The door to the cottage opened gently, as Thalia worked towards them holding a letter in her hand, Lucas and Eric noticed as they shifted their attention to her.
"A new letter from Emily," Thalia said to them, as she opened the letter gently to read.
"It says she also finding a way to leave the island and that she will send us a date when we can finally meet up with her." Thalia read gently to them
"Is that all?" Eric asked curious.
Thalia gave a lopsided smile, her gaze shifting to Lucas. "She said thank you Lucas for the flower it brightened her day and that she can send some recipes for you to bake and cook."
Lucas gave an awkward laugh as he noticed Eric and Thalia lingering gaze, his face flustered. "Can I see that," Lucas said, collecting the letter from Thalia.
He shifted a distance away from them, reading the letter silently to himself.
"Maybe I should send a letter to her," Eric said more to himself as he watched Lucas read the letter.
"How is the cargo going?" Thalia asked, shifting the topic
"It's going well," Eric said, with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty in his voice.
Thalia's gaze shifted to the cargo box they were trying to make, her face holding a hint of confusion. "It does look like it."
Lucas walks up to them slowly, his gaze serious, focused, and determined. "There's still a lot we have to do, like accessories and armour," he sighs.
"Accessories?" Thalia asked, confused.
"Lucas and I went around the islands to survey how the guards act and dress," Eric added. "We're guards, so we understand the mannerisms, but the armour and ID are a problem."
"They have IDs," Thalia sighed, her face exhausted.
"Yes," Lucas said. "The armour is not a problem; we can take that from the training studio."
Eric furrowed his brows at his comments. "You mean steal?" he said.
"I won't say it's stealing if it's for the greater good," Lucas shrugged nonchalantly. "The ID though, we may need help from your friend, Alice."
Thalia's face fell at the mention of Alice. Her thoughts drifted back to their last interaction. Alice had been avoiding her ever since. But I have to, for the mission.
"I can do that," Thalia said, trying to mask her sadness.
"Great," Eric replied, his attention already shifting back to his work. "Now to finish this." He muttered, beginning to focus again.
Lucas noticed Thalia's sad expression as she headed toward the door, sitting down with her back against it. Her gaze was distant, her mind elsewhere.
"I'm coming, Eric," Lucas called over his shoulder before walking toward Thalia. He sat beside her gently, turning to her with concern. "What's wrong, Thalia?"
"Nothing," she responded, her eyes avoiding his.
"It doesn't seem like nothing," Lucas remarked softly. "I might not fully understand what you're feeling, but I don't want you to go through this alone."
Thalia let out a sigh, finally meeting his eyes. "Alice and I…we're not on speaking terms."
"Why's that?" Lucas asked, his tone still calm and gentle.
"The mission has made me seem like I'm hiding something… Well, I am," Thalia admitted, her voice wavering. "She's hurt because she feels like I don't trust her anymore."
"You want to tell her about the mission?" Lucas asked.
"I don't know," Thalia confessed, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "This mission has driven a wedge between us. I don't even think I can ask her for the ID now. It feels like I'm just using her."
Lucas glanced at her, his expression calm but thoughtful. "If you care about her, maybe the best thing is to be honest."
Thalia looked at him, startled by his words. "But... what about the mission?"
"Do you trust her?" Lucas asked, his tone more serious now. "The decision is yours, Thalia. You can tell her the truth, help her understand why you can't reveal everything, or you can put the mission first."
Thalia hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly. "I trust her," she muttered. "It's probably better to tell her the truth, especially since asking for a guard ID without explaining could get us all locked up."
Lucas chuckled at her remark. "Yeah, I don't think prison was part of the plan."
Without warning, Thalia leaned in and hugged Lucas gently, catching him off guard. His eyes widened in surprise before he slowly reciprocated, a growing smile spreading across his face.
"Thank you, Lucas," Thalia whispered. "This has been eating me up all week."
"Remember, you can always talk to me," Lucas said as they pulled apart, his expression soft and reassuring.
"Well, I should get back to work," Lucas said, rising and heading towards Eric.
Eric glanced up from his work as Lucas approached. "Everything alright?" he asked, continuing to paint a plank of wood.
Lucas nodded, brushing off some of the paint that had dried on his hands. "Yeah, just had to talk to Thalia for a bit. She's dealing with some stuff."
"Taking up the fatherly role well," Eric teased, casually painting the plank.
Lucas chose to ignore the comment as he picked up two planks to nail them together. "We still need to figure out how to get that armour without Gabriel noticing."
"True." Eric agreed.
✨🌙✨
Thalia stepped into the school's bustling and loud cafeteria, where rows of chairs and tables filled the spacious hall. Warm and bright lights were hung on the ceiling, allowing for a soft glow to illuminate the room, as students went about with their breaks.
Thalia's gaze swept through the room; her eyes squinted as she searched for a familiar figure in the crowd. Finally, she found her friend, Alice seated beside Ivor and a few others and her attention fixed on the open book in front of her, as she distanced herself from their conversation.
'Here goes nothing,' Thalia thought, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she walked toward the table, nerves tightening her expression. As she approached, Ivor was the first to notice her and gave Alice a gentle nudge, pulling her attention away from the book.
"Hello," Thalia greeted, trying to sound casual despite the tension in her voice, as Alice glanced at her with indifference.
"Hey," Ivor said, filling the awkward silence when it became clear that Alice wasn't going to respond. He could sense the tension between the two for days.
"Do you need something?" Alice asked flatly, her voice carrying a hint of impatience. "Want me to help you figure out the guards' off-session schedule?"
"I need to talk to you," Thalia said, her voice sincere and steady. "Privately. It's important."
Alice, sensing the shift in her tone, hesitated but then nodded, closing her book and standing up. Ivor, who had been watching the exchange with curiosity, shot up as well.
"Hey, can I come?" he asked with a nervous smile, clearly eager to join in.
"No," Thalia said, not even turning around as she led Alice away. Ivor frowned, but stayed behind, shrugging as he sat back down.
✨🌙✨
Thalia opened the door to a small, empty classroom, and Alice followed, closing the door behind them. She turned to face Thalia, her arms crossed, eyebrows raised expectantly.
Thalia took a deep breath, locking eyes with her. "I know you don't trust me," she began.
Alice's arms tightened across her chest. "Well, considering you've been asking about the security measures of the islands," she said calmly, "it's hard not to be suspicious. What are you planning?"
Thalia's expression didn't falter. "I didn't come to the islands to seek refuge, Alice. I'm here to find something—something that could bring peace between magic users and non-magic users."
Alice frowned. "Peace? What kind of information are you talking about?"
Thalia stepped forward; her voice more urgent now. "You may not know this, but people out there are dying. They're losing their families, their homes, their entire villages." She paused as if weighing her words carefully. "I can't tell you everything—not yet. But you have to trust me."
Alice's frown deepened; her suspicion still evident. "And what about your parents? Are they part of this too?"
Thalia looked down briefly, her voice softer now. "They're not really my family. But we've been working together, and we're so close to finding what we need. I just... I need your help to get there."
Alice studied her carefully, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of everything. After a pause, she asked, "Is that why you're so good at your powers?"
Thalia chuckled quietly. "Yeah, I've had to practice and train a lot—for the mission."
Alice's expression softened slightly. "So, you're like... a spy?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
"I guess you could say that," Thalia replied, offering a faint smile. "But I swear, I'd never do anything to hurt these islands. This place has been a refuge for people like us. I wouldn't want to ruin that."
Alice let out a dramatic sigh, folding her arms as she weighed the situation. "Alright, so what do you need from me?"
Thalia hesitated, then spoke, her voice a bit awkward. "I need a guard ID."
Alice's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? Why?"
Thalia glanced away, clearly uncomfortable with the request. "We need it for a disguise... to leave the islands. We have to head to the North. We've already gathered most of what we need, but this last part… it's tricky."
Alice hummed thoughtfully, tapping her foot as she processed the demand. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who's out to cause destruction. So… fine. But I'll need photos, names, regions, and ages for whoever needs the ID, alright?"
Thalia's face lit up with relief. "Thank you, Alice. You don't know how much this means."
Alice gave a half-smile, her guard still up but softening. "I'm sorry for ignoring you earlier. I just hope... whatever you're doing is the right thing."
"I hope so too," Thalia whispered, her gratitude evident.
As the two girls stood in the classroom, a warm silence between them, the door suddenly burst open, and Ivor tumbled in, landing on the ground with a huff.
"Ivor?" Alice exclaimed, her face a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"Hello there!" Ivor said, trying to play it cool as he quickly scrambled to his feet, brushing off the dust with an awkward smile.
"Wait…" Thalia's eyes widened in shock. "Were you listening to our conversation?"
Ivor chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, uh… I'm really good at keeping secrets," he shrugged, trying to downplay the situation.
Thalia let out an exasperated sigh, her shoulders dropping in frustration. Alice, on the other hand, couldn't help but crack an amused smile.
"So, you're like a spy!" Ivor said, his excitement barely contained as he stepped further into the room. "Can I help with your mission?"
Thalia shot him a sharp glare. "You can help by not telling anyone. Got it?" Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Ivor raised his hands defensively, still grinning. "Alright, alright! My lips are sealed."