A F T E R 9 Y E A R S
"This is not it. This is not it. No. No. No."
Flipping through the pages, Elija mumbled in as he flip the pages again and again trying to find the next paper. Into his dismay, there aren't any other papers.
A sigh escaped from his lips as he put all the papers back inside the wooden box and slammed the lid loudly as it close. Rocking the chair, Elijah stared up at the ceiling trying to think the possible conclusion he can think of.
It all ended six years ago. Meaning, that was probably the last letter. Maybe she hid the other letters or burned them. The most possible conclusion is that, soemone stole it.
It made his head ache even more at the last possible conclusion. Apart from that single clue, the rest are all useless. He was one step of finding out about what happened nine years ago.
There was a sudden knock from the door. Elijah stood and went over the door before opening it. A geezer wearing the same smile over the years greeted him. There was also the bird on his right shoulder he saw years ago.
"Well, hello there young lad. How have you been?"
Elija scoffed as he walk away and sat on the same position on the chair. Face up the ceiling and lost in thought. The geezer he just saw was the Old Man he met nine years ago. The man's gaze landed on the boy who's lazily seated on the wooden chain.
From the looks of the boy's face, one could tell that he's a dead walking alive. Old Man chuckled as his eyes landed on the wooden box he saw everyday.
"Found any other clues?" He questioned before putting his hat on the table near him. The bird from his shoulder flew around before standing at the edge of the table.
"No. She probably hide the rest of the letters."
Old Man raised an eyebrow. "Well, that wouldn't be a surprise knowing what kind of a lady Mrs. Betty is."
Mrs. Betty was the lady who helped Elijah. She helped him a lot and gave him everything more than he deserved. However, everything went downhill once she died.
Elijah couldn't help but let out another sigh as he shut his eyes tightly. Old Man noticed it as he changed the conversation. "Can you control it now?"
"It's harder than you think."
"And that is why I am helping you before you go to the Academy."
The mention of that place made Elijah flinched. He had clearly told the Old Man countless of times that he won't go there but he is as persistent as a bull, completely unstoppable.
"Old Man, what's so special about that place anyway? To control magic? To be a hero? To be powerful? To be a brag? I don't see any special thing about it."
Elijah saw people who went there but they all come back here wearing an expression as if life was taken away from them. Some cried. Some were furious. Some were confuse.
This happens each year and Elijah can't even count the people who ended up coming back from this town with a gloomy aura around them. The change was drastic that anyone would notice it immediately.
"You'll find your answers once you went there." Old Man stood up and picked up his hat from the table. The bird flew back into his right shoulder. Looking over at his shoulder, he smiled a little before saying in full confidence.
"I'm sure you'll stay longer there than anyone else. And by the way, tonight's the day the owls will scatter in the sky."
Elijah listened as the door opened and immediately closed before he open his eyes. By what the Old Man mean is that, the chosen one's are going to get an invitation tonight. Not that Elijah even care about it.
It's even more convinient for him if he doesn't get it.
He can stay here as it is or convince the Old Man to let him join the tiny organization they made. Being a detective and killing criminals isn't a problem for Elijah.
All of a sudden, there was a noise coming from the window. Elijah turned his head only to see an owl staring at him. As if that was the most normal thing he ever saw, he rose up from his seat then opened the window and let the bird enter the house.
It flew around two times before it landed on the table.
There was a white envelope tucked on its beak. Elijah sat on the table before carefully pulling it away from the bird's beak.
There is a wax seal. Knowing only high class people have this, Elijah immediately came into a conclusion that it's atleast from the royal. Especially when the seal is gold.
The bird stared at the paper as it poked, seemingly curious about it. Elijah couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he rest his other hand on the owl's head before opening the seal without a care.
Elijah pulled out the paper inside. As he expected, it was an invitation from the Academy. Old Man said that it was supposed to happen at night but what do we have in here.
The Old Man's previous words played in his mind. "You'll find your answers once you went there." Elijah contemplated for awhile, will he really find the answers he's looking for in that place?
The bird suddenly flew towards the window before flying in the sky. Elijah noticed that the sun was already setting down, the sky is as beautiful as ever. He spent the entire day inside the house, again.
Elijah only have one day left here and he doesn't know when will he come back. He doesn't mind going back here after failing the examination. Will he fail the exam though? Honestly, he wanted to stay here instead of staying there. At the very least, he wouldn't feel so different from everyone else.