It took me a while to compose myself after that sudden attack.
«I didn't think you could be so... assertive...» I said as Sophia got out of bed.
«Did you think I was going to let you off the hook? Consider this payback for everything you've put me through today,» she sneered back.
«...Do you really think something like this will make me stop? If this is the punishment... it just encourages me to act like this more often.»
«You are you always like this...» Sophia huffed.
"But now that I know that she's at least comfortable with kissing me... maybe I should push more in that direction..."
Maybe the next step could have been that kind of kiss...
The urges I had felt an hour earlier were dangerously close to awakening again. Thankfully, Sophia came to my rescue this time, bringing me back down to earth with her voice.
«Let's go for a walk... we can stop by your friend's room and see if she's already talked to the people she had in mind,» she said, heading for the door.
«Ok...»
I started to follow her, but when I was almost at the door I hesitated for a moment.
"Seeing that battlefield again..."
«Elizabeth... I'm here with you.»
Sophia had turned back and she offered me her hand.
I took it, our fingers intertwined, and at her side I walked out of my room after two days.
Around us was still the devastation of the battle two days before.
The white marble floor was riddled with craters. The ceiling also looked unsafe, with many little rubble fragments falling from it. To be on the safe side, I conjured a barrier of stone to keep the debris from falling on our heads.
Many of the walls were still shattered, revealing to our eyes rooms that no one would ever return to.
Nearly 40 people had died in the space of a few hours. That number was so high that I struggled to make sense of it.
But it wasn't over yet, there were still 24 lives on their way to certain death.
I began to walk more determinedly, and Sophia matched my pace.
"We have to stop this massacre... by any means necessary."
We arrived outside Celeste's room without meeting a soul. With classes cancelled and the school in such a state, the other survivors were probably all holed up in their rooms.
"With all the people who died... it's likely that most of the students lost someone dear to them, just like me."
As we approached the door to Celeste's room, I heard several voices coming from inside, which faded as soon as Sophia knocked.
«Who is it?» a cheerful voice asked.
"From her tone, it sounds like she's fully recovered from the shocked state she was in the last time I saw her... I guess that's to be expected from her."
«It's me and... Elizabeth,» Sophia replied.
There was a sound of running footsteps and the door swung open.
I barely had time to catch a glimpse of several people sitting around a table before I was enveloped in a rib-breaking hug.
«LIZ! How are you feeling? You had me so worried...» Celeste exclaimed as she kicked the door shut behind her with the back of her foot.
«I'm... a bit better. Sorry for ignoring you when you came to see me.»
«That's all right, the important thing is that you've recovered,» Celeste said as she pulled away from the hug.
A sad expression had crept onto her face. She took my hands in hers and said:
«Liz... I'm so so sorry. When I found out... I... if only I had helped her more when I trained her...»
I shook my head:
«It wouldn't have changed anything... not against him.»
«Celeste...» I paused, trying to hold back the tears that seemed to want to fall again, «thank you. From me and... Amy... thanks to the seals you taught her, she saved our lives. And she went out like a true hero.»
«Liz... I see,» Celeste replied with a bitter smile, «all she talked about when she was practising was wanting to be useful to you, that's why she tried so hard. If she was able to protect you in the end... she must have been really happy.»
I just nodded in response, afraid that if I opened my mouth I would start sobbing again.
«But it was also for her sake that I asked Sophie to bring you here! It is time to begin our resistance,» Celeste exclaimed after a few moments of silence.
«Resistance?.... SOPHIE?!»
I wasn't the only one who had this reaction.
Sophia had so far stood aside without interfering, but at those words she shouted:
«I told you not to call me that!»
«You're right, sorry... As I told Sophie, I have found a few people who are already determined to rebel against Skylark... I called them here to introduce them to you and to take stock of the situation.»
«You little...»
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The expression on Sophia's face made me burst out laughing, while at the same time tears began to roll down my cheeks.
"This kind of relationship between them... it reminds me of the one Amy and I had a long time ago..."
Both Celeste and Sophia turned to look at me in confusion, but when they realised I was crying, they came closer to comfort me.
«Elizabeth... are you all right?»
«Yes... s-sorry...» I struggled to answer, «I'm not quite right in the head yet...»
After waiting for me to calm down, Celeste opened the door to her room and invited us in.
The small table that usually furnished her room had been replaced by a much longer one, with four people sitting around it.
Philemon nodded to me in greeting. The last time I had seen him he had seemed a little panicked, but now his usual stoic expression had returned to his face.
"I think Celeste is the only one who can get any kind of emotion out of this guy."
At his side sat a frail-looking tiny girl. I remembered seeing her several times hanging around Celeste.
The latter followed my gaze and hurriedly introduced her to us:
«This is Penny! A dear friend of mine! Penny, well, I guess I don't need to introduce them!»
The girl held out her hand to me and murmured:
«Penelope Pembroke.»
"She doesn't seem at all thrilled to be here... has Celeste roped her in? I guess if the rest of her group of friends died in the battle... she has no choice," I thought as I introduced myself in turn.
As the girl and Sophia also shook hands, Celeste placed hers on the shoulder of one of her other two guests.
He was a tall, attractive boy with a square jaw and two bright blue eyes.
"This guy's face looks almost like a statue... he must be pretty popular with girls."
The fact that I could barely remember seeing his face among all the other students was just another confirmation of the fact that I had no interest in boys.
«This is Will. We happened to fight side by side during the battle and he was a great help to Philemon and me!»
Unlike Penny, the boy seemed extremely excited to make my acquaintance.
He shook my hand vigorously and exclaimed:
«I am Wilhelm Langley, but feel free to call me Will, like Celeste. I am really glad to finally having an opportunity to meet you. I've been wanting to introduce myself for a long time but never got the chance!»
«Um, nice to meet you... how come you wanted to talk to me?» I asked, taken aback by his enthusiasm.
"Is he... hitting on me?"
«You're a commoner right? So am I! The fact that you are the most powerful mage in here is incredible. And the way you handled that duel in the last tournament... such determination! Not to mention how you solved the mystery of the disappearances at the beginning of the year! You can consider me a big fan of yours!»
«Oh... thanks.»
I wasn't used to this kind of attention. The period after defeating Chloe I had become somewhat popular for a bit, but it hadn't lasted long. And after the tournament I was sure people had started to fear me.
"I guess I should be happy if the opinion about Sophia and me is changing again... especially for her."
But when Will shifted his gaze to my girlfriend, I saw no trace of the excitement she had shown in getting to know me.
He shook her hand dejectedly with a cold stare.
"...What kind of treatment is this?"
After everything that had happened, were there still people with the nerves to shun Sophia for her actions?
"This guy... I don't like him at all."
«And last, but not by importance,» Celeste exclaimed cheerfully, «we have Nicky! In this case, she was the one who approached me with the intention of cooperating, so I thought I'd invite her today.»
My gaze shifted to a girl with fluent ginger hair. Perhaps it was because of that eye-catching colour that I was more familiar with who she was, despite the fact that we had never spoken.
"Nicole Winslow... she's always been in the top 10 in the leaderboard since week one... she must be one tough girl."
Nicole gave me a calm smile as she shook my hand and introduced herself.
My eyes immediately focused on hers. They were green like Sophia's, though a lighter shade. But colour was the only similarity.
If my girlfriend always seemed to want to pierce through me with her gaze, Nicole's seemed to exude a certain soothing air.
"I'm really... into girls."
Just as this thought crossed my mind, Sophia coughed slightly. Maybe the handshake was lasting too long for her liking.
"Always so jealous..."
But my mood, which had been sullied by Wilhelm's behavior towards Sophia, improved a little.
"Her being so possessive of me... feels kind of nice."
«Well!» exclaimed Celeste after she had introduced everyone, «Sophie, Liz, take a sit. We have a lot to discuss.»
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the resigned look on Sophia's face as she sat down at the table. I did the same and sat down next to her, giggling.
«So... I think we're all on the same page here. We can't go on like this and wait for this competition to end...» Celeste began.
«I agree,» Wilhelm interrupted her, «the way our lives are being treated in this academy is unforgivable. All the magical blood that has been spilled... we cannot allow this injustice to continue!»
«Injustice or not, I don't really care... I'm not that noble, I just don't intend to die here,» Nicole interjected with a faint smile, «1/25 are not odds I intend to bet on!»
Wilhelm seemed to want to say something in response, but Celeste took the floor again.
«I think both your reasons are valid. But there is a third one that undoubtedly points the way forward... Liz, did you bring the sheet?»
«Sheet?»
But before Celeste could answer me, Sophia pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket.
«It was on your desk,» she said as she placed it in the middle of the table.
«Oh!»
It was the file with all the information on Aldric that Celeste had given me before the battle.
Nicole was the first to grab it.
I saw her brow furrow more and more as she scrolled through the document, but in the end she nodded.
«It's a lot to take in, but... I suspected something like this.»
When it was Willhelm's turn, he clenched his fists with such force that I feared he would break the paper.
«Playing with people's lives like this... bastards,» he blurted out angrily.
Penny, on the other hand, barely seemed to take a glance of what was written in the sheet.
«As you can see, even if one of us made it to the end, there would be no happy ending for them,» Celeste continued, «this competition was never meant to find a mage as strong as Aldric, but... to create one!»
«But... how is it possible to reduce a human to that state? The file says: "It is recommended to use the emotional weakness of the subject as a vehicle for his development." But can that really be all there is to it?» asked Nicole.
It was Sophia who answered her:
«Of course not. I think psychological torture is far from the worst he has been subjected to. On the second floor we found some kind of laboratory... I think there is no doubt that we are facing some kind of human experiment... for which we are the lab rats.»
«Lab rats!?» repeated Wilhelm, slamming his fist down on the table.
«There's one thing I still don't understand...» I spoke up, voicing a doubt I'd had since the first week, «It says on the paper that Aldric was the "prime candidate". The other people who were with him... what role did they play?»
"What would that line say for another student? "Sacrifice?" But... why?"
«Perhaps the answer is simply in the "exploiting emotional weakness" part. Seeing so many people die around you it's bound break a normal person...» Nicole replied, scratching her chin.
"Is that really the only reason...?"
«Anyway... what we know is that Aldric was somehow turned into some kind of human weapon,» Celeste continued, «but there's another thing that Philemon made me think about, and it makes the whole situation even worse. Can you explain it to them as well?»
Philemon nodded and said in his deep voice:
«If Aldric really is the result of an experiment, it's probably a failed one.»
«A failed experiment?!» I shouted, jumping up from my chair, «how could he be a failed experiment? Maybe, being on the second floor, you haven't seen him in action... but what's written about him in the books... doesn't even come close to reality. That... thing... is invincible. It could probably win a war all by itself. This Aldric is a monster.»
«I don't mean in terms of its power,» Philemon replied unperturbed, «as you said, they've managed to create an extremely powerful weapon. But remember what Skylark said before he showed it to us: "This particular examiner is definitely unstable lately".»
«You mean...?»
«They're losing control of him or something like that,» Philemon concluded for me, «it would explain why Aldric appeared in public before and did not look like that. His current condition is something unforeseen that has rendered him unfit for his purpose.»
I remembered how Aldric had stopped just before attacking Sophia, apparently in pain.
"What he's saying... makes sense. So perhaps his condition is slowly deteriorating. But..."
It was Nicole who voiced my objections:
«But the Aldric we all know so well could have just been a fake. And Skylark seemed confident that he could still control him anyway! Isn't your theory a bit too flimsy?»
«You're right, but there is one more thing we have to consider,» Celeste replied, «why was Skylark put under pressure to finish things faster? While the old geezer is confident... someone else is not. Someone wants to have a new toy ready as soon as possible in case Aldric stops working properly.»
It was just like her to say those terrible words in that cheerful tone.
"So not only is the winner destined to become a weapon. But they will probably be conscious at first, albeit on a leash. In time, however, they will feel their minds slowly fading away... Celeste is right, it's even worse than I thought."
Wilhem seemed to be thinking something along the same lines:
«Who the hell would think of doing this to a human being?» he blurted out, slamming his fist down on the table again.
«Skylark,» Sophia replied immediately, «he's the mastermind behind all this. If there was any doubt... we can be sure of that now.»
She told the others about the book we had found in the lab, in which Skylark was described as "the greatest researcher into the nature of magic".
«What? That is absolutely not true! The greatest researcher in that field is widely considered to be Thaddeus Ravenscroft! He has written practically half of the existing literature on the subject!» exclaimed Celeste, pointing a finger towards the pile of grimoires stacked in the corner of her room.
«That could just be a pen name for Skylark,» Wilhelm suggested, but the girl shook her head.
«No, I met Ravencroft before he died a few years ago...»
"Celeste is the one who knows the most about this kind of stuff between us... if she never heard of Skylark before coming here..."
«He might have... erased his existence from our memories...» I murmured.
«What!?»
«That's not possible Liz,» Celeste said, «a memory spell that could affect everyone in the realm... such a thing would be insane. And what would be the point anyway...»
«To work undisturbed on something extraordinarily unethical. I... I think I have an idea how he might have done it,» I said, «it would finally make sense...»
«It's not that we have forgotten him...,» I continued, «he has erased his existence from history...»
I saw the confused looks of my companions staring at me.
But Celeste slammed her hand down on the table:
«You mean... he didn't erase anyone's memory, but... he used a spell on himself to erase the memories that everyone else in the world has of him?»
«A spell... or something else.»
"An innate power."
«So... that's why no one remembers Aldric's classmates...» Nicole said, expressing the thought that was probably going through everyone's mind.
I had always thought that the idea of hundreds, if not thousands, of people all having been subjected to memory spells, was a bit far-fetched.
This new hypothesis of mine explained everything: their family and friends had not forgotten them, it was the memory of them that had been destroyed.
«It's as if they never existed...» muttered Penny, speaking for the first time.
We all went silent for a long time. It was Celeste, as usual, who spoke again:
«What we discussed today has only made me more determined. I think the same goes for you, right? Well, next time we meet we'll talk about how to get out of here. Thanks to Sophie, I already have some ideas. In the meantime, try to find some new recruits. Let's start our resistance!»
«May I say something?» asked Wilhelm.
«Go ahead.»
«I think we should concentrate on recruiting the ordinary mages who are still alive. With all these strange powers causing havoc around the school, they will be the most willing to cooperate.»
"..."
«Are you saying that people with special powers can't be make good allies?»
The hostility in my voice was obvious. But Wilhelm didn't seem to notice:
«I think they can't be trusted. You may have noticed, but all the assassins that have haunted this school... people like Valentine and Finch, they all had these abnormal powers. Even the current devastation in the school is largely due to people like that.»
«And tell me, how the hell would you know who has a power and who does not? For all we know, you could have one too!»
«Me? I could never be that kind of-»
The fact that he had glanced sideways at Sophia as he started speaking made my blood boil.
I jumped to my feet and drew my wand.
«Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?!» I interrupted him.
But before I could do anything, a fist slammed down on the table with such force that it shook.
«TIME OUT!» shouted Celeste, «I understand your concerns, Will, but given the gravity of the situation, we must accept all the help we can get. And Sophie, who is here with us, is someone I trust completely!»
My friend's tone was as light as ever, but I could tell she would not accept any objections.
«I... I understand. I apologise, I didn't mean to offend you,» Wilhelm said, turning to me, obviously surprised by my reaction.
«I'm not the one you should be apologising to,» I replied coldly.
I grabbed Sophia's hand, who looked at me with a stunned expression, and after getting her to stand up, I headed for the door.
«I'll see you monday evening, ok?» I heard Celeste say behind me.
I left the room without answering.
«Calm down Elizabeth!» Sophia said as I dragged her through the corridors.
«I fucking hate that guy!» I blurted, stopping and slamming my hand against a wall.
«No need to get so upset about this... I'm used to it.»
«It's because you're used to it that I am so angry! It's so fucking unfair!»
«Put yourself in his place... he's not that wrong. Most of the problems we've been going through these past few months are due to innate powers.»
«Don't you dare try to justify him! How dare he treat you like that... I'm going to fucking kill him!!»
Sophia took my arm and pulled me into an hug.
«Calm down, come on... I'm glad you want to defend me, I really am, but it's not worth it.»
«Sophia...» I muttered, leaning on her shoulder, «maybe it's better if we work alone after all...»
She huffed.
«Come on... you're the one who had the idea and... I have to admit that Fitzroy is right. We do need all the help we can get...»
«But... this is so unfair. Why do you always get treated like this...»
«Story of my life.»
I stroked her hair gently.
«How can that idiot say he's my fan... I'm a murderer too. I even took the life of someone who begged for mercy...»
«Maybe it's all about first impressions.»
«First impressions?»
«Well, I, unlike you, have this strange mysterious power. And I guess I can look a bit scary. Maybe I just fit the role of the villain in people's eyes, while you... with blonde hair, blue eyes and being so pretty... you look more like an heroic protagonist, it's just easier to root for you, I guess...»
I felt all the anger in my body deflate like a balloon.
"D-did she just...?"
«C-can you say that last part again?»
«I said you look more li-»
«No, the one before that!»
«What-oh!»
Silence.
«Nope! Now you have to say it again!»
«I said you are... pretty.»
"I'm so shallow... it only takes this much to make me happy! SHE FINDS ME PRETTY... all the doubts of this morning were nonsense!"
«Let's go to my room!»
«You're such an idiot...»
Hand in hand we walked silently through the corridors of the school.
But when we were almost at our destination, Sophia spoke again, in a strangely hesitant tone.
«Elizabeth... do you ever think... about the people you killed?»
"Why this question all of a sudden?"
«Uhm... not really. Or I guess not anymore. I was a bit shaken after what happened with Chloe. But after the tournament I guess I just accepted the fact that it was necessary. What about you?»
«I dream about them... a lot. Valentine, Finch and... the girl from the other day.»
I turned to look at her, she was biting her lip.
«Sophia... are you having trouble sleeping?»
«...yes.»
"So that's the real reason why she wakes up so early..."
«Do you want to... sleep with me again?»
«I...»
I stopped, holding her hand.
«Elizabeth?»
«I want to support you... as you have done for me. This... is the kind of relationship I want to build between us. One where we can help each other everytime is needed.»
«I... okay... thank you,» Sophia said, nodding.
«You're welcome. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask directly. I told you, you don't have to hold back when you're with me,» I whispered, running a finger over the cut on her lip.
«You know it's hard for me... but all right. I'm just going to pop up to my room to get something.»
«Perfect... so I have time to go back and punch that piece of shit in the face!»
«Elizabeth...»
«Just kidding, just kidding... I'll wait for you in my room!»
We spent the rest of the day in my room talking about this and that, only going out to grab something to eat.
I shared with her stories about my time at magic school, while she reciprocated by telling me about her adventures in the army.
Adventures which, as she had told me this morning, were nothing special.
"But if the army has nothing to do... why the hell does the king need someone like Aldric so much..."
Still, that peaceful day seemed to fly by. Soon it was time to go to bed.
«I'm going to the bathroom to change,» Sophia announced, pulling a pyjama out of the bag she had brought with her.
As she opened it, I peered inside.
It wasn't the only thing she'd brought.
«Sophia?»
«Um?» she replied from the bathroom.
«Are you... staying here again tomorrow?»
Sophia didn't answer, but when she came out I could see she was as red as a tomato.
«I... you said yourself that you wanted to spend as much time together as possible!»
«Oh, that's totally fine with me! I was just surprised!»
I started unbuttoning my shirt.
«Hey! What are you doing!?!» shouted Sophia turning around.
«Well it's my room!» I said approaching her giggling.
«And anyway... if you want to go on sleeping together every day... I hope you find a way out soon.»
«Huh?»
«You see, I can't stand the heat, so... in the summer I sleep without clothes,» I whispered the last words into her ear.
«You... I changed my mind... I'm going back to my room.»
«Just kidding!» I giggled as I slipped into my pyjamas.
When I was finished, I touched Sophia's shoulder.
«I'm done now, go lie down first this time!»
«Huh?»
«Trust me.»
Sophia obeyed and after turning off the light I joined her on the bed.
This time it was me who hugged her from behind, pulling her against my chest.
"She's so stiff."
«Relax a bit!» I said, poking her side with my index finger.
«Hey! Don't touch me like that!» she shouted, twitching.
"Is she ticklish there? I kind of want to test it... but she'll probably kick me out of the bed if I do."
Instead, I just held her tighter.
«Are you comfortable like this?»
«Yes, but... your hand is...»
«Oh, sorry, I didn't notice.»
«What do you mean you didn't notice?»
«I mean, it's not like there's a lot t- OUCH!»
Sophia had pinched my thigh.
«I guess that was a bit insensitive of me, sorry.»
«I hate you.»
«Don't say that, you'll hurt my feelings.»
«Good.»
«Look, I'll do something nice to make you forgive me.»
I lifted my head and, after moving closer to her, I placed my lips on the side of her neck.
«EEEK!»
Sophia nearly jumped out of bed with a shriek.
«Ahahahah! Your reaction is even better than I thought!»
«I... don't even know what to say anymore… and you have the nerves to tell me to trust you…»
I felt Sophia shift in the bed.
"Did I go too far with the teasing?"
But my girlfriend did not get up. Instead, she pushed me gently onto my back.
«Sophia, what are you...?»
«This way you can't attack me from behind,» she whispered as she rested her head on my chest and snuggled up against my body.
"I don't think my heart can take this..."
But I steeled myself. I couldn't let her win now.
«But I can attack you like this!» I said, kissing her forehead as I slid an arm under her to embrace her.
«This kind of attack... isn't so bad...»
«You didn't like the one on your neck?»
«I... it made me feel a bit weird.»
«Weird in a good way or...»
«No comment…»
Sophia put an arm around my chest and placed her hand on my left side, just above my heart.
Then with a sigh she said:
«Sorry Elizabeth, I'm not much fun, am I?»
«Huh? What do you mean? Spending time with you is when I have the most fun!»
«That... makes me happy. But that's not what I meant. I'm sure you'd like to do the kind of things... that a couple would do. But I don't think I'm capable of that. I feel so out of my depth in this kind of situation.»
"So... she saw right through me."
Amy was right, as usual. Sophia might be inexperienced, but she was neither stupid nor oblivious.
«Sophia, we became a couple 3 days ago. I'm the one who should apologise for trying to rush things. It's just that we might have so little time left... it made me kind of impatient. Thank you for putting up with my silly requests and all the teasing today.»
«Are you... sure you are okay with this? If you want, we could...»
But I could feel both her voice and her body shaking as she tried to speak.
«No,» I interrupted her, «I love the way our relationship works right now. I think we should just let things happen naturally. Our time may be limited, but we are bound to get even closer than we are now and then... I think it will all feel right.»
«I... thank you. I love you.»
«I love you too. But don't think I'm going to stop messing with you just because I'm saying these things.»
«I wouldn't expect anything less from you... good night, Elizabeth.»
«Good night, Sophia.»
In a few days our battle would start again, but for now my only wish was to enjoy that soothing and tender embrace.
Just a little longer.