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[SCHOOL COMPOUND - NIGHT]
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A wrought iron fence loomed in the foreground, its vertical bars like sentinels guarding the secrets within. The melodic chirping of night crickets filled the air, their gentle serenade accompanying the whispering wind through the woods beyond. In the distance, a monolithic stone plaque boldly proclaimed [AURORA RIDGE UNIVERSITY] in letters that seemed to whisper secrets to the wind. As the breeze stirred the leaves, the quiet of the night was palpable, drawing attention to the dormitories where the whispers of the night awaited.
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[WILLIAM DORM ROOM - CONTINUE]
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William's dorm room was a disarray of clothes and chaos, the two beds a haven amidst the mess. He lay on one, lost in thought, until the soft creak of footsteps echoed through the darkness. William's heart raced as he bolted upright, his eyes scanning the shadows for a glimpse of the intruder. A figure, shrouded in darkness, slipped out of the room, leaving behind a trail of mystery. Without hesitation, William tossed off his covers and tiptoed after the elusive presence, his bare feet making barely a sound on the cold floor.
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[BACK TO SCHOOL COMPOUND - CONTINUE]
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The figure strides purposefully toward the school fence and, with a graceful gesture, phases through the wrought iron bars as if they were mere mist. "What the fuck" William's eyes and mouth gape in wonder, his mind racing with excitement. He has always been captivated by magical abilities, though he himself possesses none. Now, driven by insatiable curiosity, he feels an overwhelming urge to follow this enigmatic figure into the darkness of the woods, determined to uncover their identity and mission.
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[WOODS - CONTINUE]
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Tracking the figure's trail, William arrives at an abandoned chamber deep within the woods, its entrance shrouded in darkness. He swiftly hides behind a tree as a brilliant light bursts from within, illuminating the area and revealing the figure in a large red robe with a hood concealing his face. The figure lowers his hood, casting a cautious glance backward. "Ethan, What the fuck is he doing here?" William thinks to himself, his mind racing with questions. "And what's with the robe? It's so... ominous." Unaware of William's presence, ETHAN, with his lean build and intense gaze that hints at a life beyond his years, continues his mission. He approaches the chamber's gate and, with a mere gesture, the gate swings open with a eerie creak. Ethan enters, closing the gate behind him, and the bright light extinguishes, plunging the area into the soft glow of the night sky.
William, even more amazed and nervous, emerges from hiding and approaches the gate. With a hopeful smile, he mimics Ethan's gesture, but the gate remains still. In desperation, he utters various incantations, hoping for a magical response. "Et cazam," William says, his voice shaking slightly. The gate remains closed. "Lalut et ruso," he continues, trying different words. Still, nothing happens. "Epi rium," he says finally, but the gate moves only slightly, and William, turning away in frustration, doesn't notice.
As he decides to leave, he's startled by three figures standing behind him, their heads bowed, cloaked in red robes. "Um, stay back, I'm dangerous, I promise," William says, trying to sound menacing, but his voice cracks with fear.
The figures remain motionless, their faces hidden in the shadows. "I'm warning you, I don't want to hurt you. Please just...let me go," William says, his desperation growing.
A girl's voice from the middle figure speaks in a low tone, cutting through the tension. "Be quiet, I can hear your fears," she says softly.
William's eyes widen in shock. "That voice...who...who are you people?"
The girl slowly raises her head, avoiding direct gaze at the chamber. But the chamber's enchanted magic captures her face, and the bright light flares up again, revealing her identity.
William's jaw drops in shock. "What the fuck Lilly?" His shock quickly turns to surprise "Lilly, your eyes...they're white!"
Lilly's once blue eyes now shine with an eerie white glow, focusing on William's ears. She manipulates the sound waves, causing a painful, high-pitched ringing in his ears. William screams in agony, collapsing to his knees as blood trickles down from his ears.
"Enough, Lilly," a boy on the right says calmly. Lilly stops abruptly, and William is relieved from the pain. A single drop of blood traces a path down Lilly's cheek, which she quickly wipes away.
William staggers to his feet, clenching his fists in anger. He charges at the figures, but the boy on the robed figure on the left acts swiftly "Zap!" A jolt of electricity zaps William, sending him into a deep slumber as the boy stretches out his finger.
Lilly's expression turns concerned. "Great work, Jasper, you killed him." Jasper smirks with a hint of sarcasm "He's definitely on conscious, But I have a strong feeling he's deaf now, thanks to you, Lilly."
Lucas, the third figure, reproaches Lilly. "You were supposed to make him fall asleep, not deafen him." Jasper mocks, "Exactly, haha."
Lilly's face falls, her eyes filling with sadness. "Come on, guys. We all know I'm still a novice to my SONUS abilities, I'm not like Jasper, who has mastered his Fulminar." Jasper rolls his eyes. "Come on, Lilly, Must you involve me in your mess?"
Lucas understands. "Yeah, I understand, Lilly. Now, Jasper, bring him into the chamber. He wanted to see what it looks like; let's show him." Lucas walks toward the chamber, followed by Lilly. Jasper mutters under his breath, "Yeah, that's right. I always do the dirty work." Lilly smiles weakly. "Come on, Jasper, You talk too much." Jasper grins in reply "what can I say...ladies supporting ladies" referring to lucas as a lady.
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[INSIDE CHAMBER - CONTINUE]
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William lies face-down on the ground, surrounded by five young adults in their early 20s, all clad in red robes with hoods covering their heads. Jasper's concerned voice breaks the silence.
"So, What are we going to do with him?"
A new voice, authoritative and cold, replied. "What do you think, Lucas?".
Lilly chimed in, her voice a mix of hesitation and resolve, speaks up. "Let's... kill him."
Lucas and Ethan respond in unison, their voices filled with alarm.
"No! Lilly, we can't just...kill him."
"Wow wow wow, I thought you were concerned earlier thinking I killed him" Jasper said to Lilly who suggested William to be killed.
"Yeah, because I want the favors of doing it myself" lilly replies back to Jasper clarifying her concerns.
The new voice, pressing for a solution, belongs to Elian, the leader of the group "So, what do you suggest, Ethan and Lucas? You know we can't risk anyone knowing our secrets, right?"
Ethan responds decisively.
"Right, and that's why we have to give him a choice. We all know that adding him to the order will ensure he keeps our secrets."
Jasper questions the plan, his skepticism evident. "What if he doesn't want to join?"
Lilly offers her solutions again, her voice sharp. "Then we kill him, I can do it"
Ethan and Jasper reject the idea in unison. "No! We can't just kill him, Lilly."
Jasper smiled to himself "I did it" he he praised himself silent for the great timing for saying the same words with ethan at the same time.
Lilly's frustration is evident as she questions their reluctance. "Awwn, what's so bad about killing him anyway?"
The group turns to look at Lilly, their expressions ranging from shock to disgust. Meanwhile, William begins to stir.
As William slowly raises his head, the group turns to face him. In a swift motion, he jumps to his feet, confusion and anger in his voice.
"How the fuck did I get here, and who the hell are you people? Oh wait, I remember... Lilly?"
Elian ponders silently, suspicion creeping into his thoughts "How did he know Lilly? They must have pulled their masks outside, hmm..."
The group falls silent as William continues, his voice a mix of accusation and disbelief "Lilly, you almost killed me, and you, the other guy, you shocked me to death". Lilly, unfazed by the accusation, retorts with a hint of malice "You're not dead, dummy, but you're going to be soon."
William's fear gives way to sarcasm as he challenges the group.
"Really? You all are planning to kill me? Oh, wait, am I the sacrifice? And also, where's Ethan? I saw him enter here. You know what, screw this, where is the queen mother of your coven? I need to speak with her." He demand an audience with the leader of the group
The group's attention shifts to Elian. William, noticing the shift, his tone mocking "Oh, I should ask him?...At least you could have said something. Your styles are dull, damn."
William turns to Elian, his voice demanding "Hey, Mister, where is your Queen mother?"
Elian removes his mask, followed by the rest of the group. His voice is commanding and proud "First of all, this is not a coven; we're not witches. This is The Veiled Sanctum, and I'm Elian Blackwood, not Mister. I'm the leader of this secret group, and we're called the AOA (Arcane Order of the Ancients). Our mission is to seek out and preserve ancient artifacts, unlock their mystical powers, and protect the world from those who would misuse this knowledge. You've found us, and now you have only two choices..."
Before Elian can finish, William interrupts, his voice a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Am in". The group remains silent and shock to William reply. Elian acknowledges William's choice, welcoming him. "You just picked a choice, and you're welcome."
William responds with enthusiasm "Actually my name is William Grimes, and have no idea what I am getting myself into, but thank you. So when am I going to start throwing magic?,...you know, shooting blasts from my hand and casting spells"
Lilly questions Elian's decision, her voice disbelieving "Oh, seriously? Just like that, he's a member already?" Elian ignores Lilly's protest, explaining the purpose of their magic "That's not what we use magic for. Our magic is for protection, and for you to have any magic, you'll have to acquire it first."
William inquires further, curious and eager "Acquire it first? How do I do that?" Ethan interrupts, explaining the next step "You'll have to be initiated first. You must pass the tests. You'll be initiated tomorrow night, William."
Elian addresses the group with a brief announcement "Today we were going to discuss how to unlock our latest artifact, but it seems we have an uninvited guest who is now willing to join us. So his initiation will be tomorrow night at this time, and after that, we'll unlock that artifact. For now, let's go back to our dorm and have a good night."
The group exits, leaving Elian, William, and Ethan alone in the chamber. They share a tense, silent stare for ten seconds before Ethan speaks "Come on, William, this is where you go outside."
William, apologetic and embarrassed, responds as he walks backward toward the exit "Oh, oh, I'm sorry, Grand Master. I'm so, so sorry."
Once William has left, Ethan confronts Elian, his voice laced with concern "What were you thinking, Elian? You almost told our secrets to a total stranger. You don't even know him."
Elian, realizing his mistake, acknowledges Ethan's point "But I know he's your roommate"
Ethan emphasizes the gravity of the situation, responding seriously "Right, but that doesn't make him clean. He might be a spy, probably hired by the WHISPERING CIRCLE'S TO learn our little secrets."
Elian, grateful for Ethan's intervention, expresses his thanks "You're right, Ethan. Thank you so much for stopping me."
Ethan dismisses the thanks with a wave of his hand, ending the conversation "Don't mention it."
They both exit the chamber, leaving the scene behind
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[WOODS- NIGHT - CONTINUE]
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Lucas, Jasper, and Lilly trudged through the dark woods, their footsteps quiet on the damp earth. Lilly's frustration boiled over, and she spoke up, her voice low but urgent "I can't believe Elian let him join the group. I have a bad feeling about him."
Jasper teased, his smirk visible even in the dim light. "You're just mad because you had to go through a lot of processes before joining, Lilly."
Lilly acknowledged his point, but her defenses remained up. "Yeah, you're right, Jasper. But what about the 'no exceptions' that Elian always says? And What's so special about William that made him accept him like that anyway?"
Jasper shrugged, his expression uncertain. "I don't know, maybe because their names sounds alike."
Lucas intervened, his voice calm and soothing. "You guys, quiet down. It's the middle of the night."
Lilly persisted, her voice stubborn. "Alright, but that won't change the fact that I don't like this guy."
Lucas dismissed her concerns with a single word. "Whatever."
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[BACK TO SCHOOL COMPOUND - CONTINUE]
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After what felt like a ten-minute walk, they reached the school compound. Lilly lagged behind, noticing a bright light flickering at the school's monument. The light was too distant to see its source, but she heard a girl's faint cry for help. Fear held her back, and she watched as Lucas and Jasper entered their dorm.
Lilly's curiosity was piqued, but her fear won out. She decided to wait until morning to investigate. "I'll find out what that was in the morning," she whispered to herself, her mind weighed down by the night's events. She hurried to her dorm, the darkness feeling oppressive.