Alastor scanned the hallway, the ornate wooden doors each bearing a different name a puzzle waiting to be solved. Heart pounding, he remembered Professor Hawthorne's instructions and raised his wand, tapping the door twice before clearly stating, "Alastor Corvus."
The door creaked open, revealing a cozy dorm room bathed in soft, filtered light. Relief washed over him. Three beds, each adorned with rich, raven-black linens, were arranged against one wall. A large oak desk stood in the center of the room, flanked by two comfortable armchairs. Bookshelves lined the walls, already filled with a tantalizing array of books.
Alastor let out a low whistle of admiration. This was it. His new home at Aldermere. He dropped his bag on one of the beds, the soft linens a welcome contrast to the hard wooden benches of the hallway.
As he was about to explore further, he heard a commotion from the doorway. A boy with a shock of unruly blonde hair stumbled in, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his head. "That hurt." He looked up, his eyes widening in surprise as he spotted Alastor. "Well, this is cozy," he commented, taking in the room.
Alastor chuckled, finding the boy's clumsiness endearing. "Yeah, it's not bad," he agreed. "I'm Alastor."
The boy offered a hand. "Finn," he introduced himself, his grip surprisingly firm.
Just as they were about to engage in further conversation, a third boy entered the room. He was taller than Alastor and Finn, with dark hair that seemed to absorb the light. His eyes held a certain intensity, and his overall demeanor suggested a quiet confidence.
"Shade," he announced, his voice low and measured. He nodded in greeting to Alastor and Finn, then moved to claim the last bed.
Finn raised an eyebrow. "Well, that was... direct," he commented, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Shade simply shrugged, his eyes scanning the room. "Not a fan of small talk," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of indifference.
Alastor couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity about their new roommate. There was something undeniably intriguing about Shade, a sense of mystery that drew him in.
As the three boys settled into their new home, a sense of camaraderie began to form. They knew they had a long journey ahead, filled with magic, mystery, and the challenges of growing up in a world of wizards. But for now, they were content to explore their new surroundings and get to know each other.
Finn broke the quiet first. "I'm really happy to be here at Aldermere," he said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "My mom has been wanting me to come to this school forever. She was over the moon when she heard I got accepted. Dad, on the other hand, wasn't as thrilled. He's a bit of a stickler for rules."
Alastor chuckled, finding a kindred spirit in Finn's description of his father. "My dad's the same way," he replied. "Always coming up with new and difficult rules. It's like he enjoys making our lives miserable."
Shade, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "My parents are pretty strict too," he said, his voice carrying a hint of weariness. "Oh, look at the time. It's late."
Finn's eyes widened in surprise. "It's already one in the morning?" he exclaimed. "Wow, we've been talking for a long time."
Shade nodded, his expression unchanged. "Definitely," he replied, his voice barely a whisper.
Alastor carefully removed the crystal from its casing and opened it. Inside, he found an image of Elias. "El!" he exclaimed.
Elias's voice, seemingly projected from the crystal, sounded strained. "Al, I can't take it anymore. Everyone here is obsessed with defense and strategy. It's boring!"
Alastor chuckled. "Yeah, all they talk about is how we need to stay quiet about Umbra."
"It's weird, right?" Elias agreed. "They won't even let us mention it. And that scary guy? They put him in Umbra. Maybe he's really dangerous."
"Umbra? What's so bad about Umbra? Wasn't Monty there?" Alastor asked, puzzled.
"I don't know. I thought Monty said he was at the Forge. Anyway, there's this other guy in the corner. We should look into him later."
Alastor nodded. "Yeah, we can do that. But we have to be careful. Our parents can't find out, or they'll go crazy again."
Alastor and Elias found a secluded corner of the library. "Shh," Elias whispered, his eyes scanning the bustling room. Alastor nodded, his ears perked up.
Professor Kael, the stern but knowledgeable concoctions master, was engaged in a hushed conversation with another teacher. A woman with short, fiery red hair and a sharp gaze, Professor Anya Petrova, head of the Manipulation department.
"First years are starting to ask questions about the Umbra," Professor Kael said, his voice low.
Professor Petrova nodded. "Same here. It's a shame the Umbra didn't want to cooperate. Instead, they've turned into a breeding ground for something sinister."
Kael seemed troubled. "I don't think it's as bad as that..."
A cold, amused chuckle echoed through the library. A woman with pale skin, almost translucent, and piercing blue eyes stepped into their view. Her long, black hair was styled in an intricate braid, and her demeanor exuded an aura of superiority. Professor Elara Thorne, the enigmatic head of the Shadow Arts department.
"Oh really? So, we're the bad guys now?" she purred, her voice like ice. "I do love a good villain role."
Professor Kael cleared his throat. "It's not like that, Elara."
"Relax, Kael. I enjoy a good compliment. And your research? Fascinating. Though, it's not an evil force, more like a group of misguided students."
With a curt nod, the two professors excused themselves, leaving Alastor and Elias stunned. Professor Thorne turned to them, her eyes glinting. "Eavesdropping, are we?"
Professor Thorne's eyes narrowed as she studied the two boys. "Who are you guys?"
Elias stammered, fear creeping into his voice, "W-well, w-we are..."
Professor Thorne interrupted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Wait, don't tell me. Guessing is my favorite part." She grinned, raising her wand and pointing it at Elias. "You must be Elias from Aegis house." Her gaze shifted to Alastor. "Alastor, hm? Corvus house?"
Alastor gulped, his heart pounding. "How did you know?"
Professor Thorne's laughter echoed through the library, a chilling sound. "A simple spell, my dear boy. Slipping out at night? That could cause you trouble." She circled the two boys, her eyes never leaving their faces. "I could let you continue, or I could inform your house leaders. But where's the fun in that? So, I'll let you go this time. I do enjoy being the school's resident villain." With another evil laugh, she turned and walked away.
Elias said, "They didn't lie when they said Umbra house is scary."
Alastor replied, "Well, we only met their house leader, not the students."
Elias nodded. "True." With that, they sprinted down the dimly lit halls, their footsteps echoing. They found a door at the end of the corridor and cautiously opened it. Darkness enveloped them.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Elias whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
Alastor rolled his eyes. "What could possibly go wrong?"
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence. "Maybe being caught?"
Alastor and Elias jumped, startled. There, leaning against the wall, was Shade, engrossed in a book.
"Bloody hell, Shade! You scared me!" Alastor exclaimed, catching his breath. "Didn't you say you were going to sleep?"
Shade looked up from his book, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Couldn't sleep, so I decided to enjoy the quiet outside for a while. Where are you two off to?"
Elias whispered, "Who is that?"
Alastor replied, "That's my roommate."
Elias said, "So you two are roommates?"
Alastor rolled his eyes. "That's exactly what I said."
Shade cut in, "Are you guys going to answer my question, or are you just going to stand there?"
Alastor lied, "Just going for a walk."
Shade raised an eyebrow. "This late at night?"
Elias stumbled over his words, "Well, you're here too."
Shade replied, "Reading a book, not walking."
Elias continued, "Uhm, well... we like walking."
Shade's eyebrow rose even higher. "You two, walking alone in the middle of the dark, away from the school, and probably coming back in the morning?"
Alastor whispered to Elias, "We should probably go before Shade tells Finn about this."
Elias whispered back, "Who is Finn?"
Alastor replied, "My other roommate."
Elias nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "Ah, okay. Uhm, nice to meet you, Shade, but we have to go."
With that, Elias took off towards the trees, and Alastor followed close behind.
Shade chuckled. "Oh, I'm so going to tell Finn about this."
"I think we're a little too far away," Alastor murmured, his voice edged with concern.
Elias grinned. "Mate, no, it's perfect."
Alastor rolled his eyes. "Just say you don't remember it."
Elias chuckled. "We're best friends, Al. I've got this."
Alastor sighed. "Don't make me regret this."
Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the night, cutting through their conversation. Both boys froze.
"Shh," Elias hissed, his eyes scanning the darkness. There, in the dim moonlight, they saw a figure lying on the ground, one hand clutching their arm.
"That's the guy from the corner!" Alastor whispered, his voice filled with shock. "The one with the ring."
"Oh, that guy!" Elias exclaimed, remembering the unsettling encounter. "The one who teleported, right?"
Alastor nodded, his eyes fixed on the struggling figure. The man groaned in pain, his body trembling. "I need to be better with this ring power," he muttered, frustration evident in his voice. "I'm Emeric Nightwhisper, damn it! Why can't I control it? Why is it so hard to control a damn ring!"
Alastor's heart pounded in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to flee, but his foot caught on a loose stone, sending him tumbling to the ground. "Ow!" he groaned, his voice muffled by the impact.
Emeric's grip tightened around his sword. Elias, sensing the danger, emerged from behind the trees, ready to assist Alastor. Before he could intervene, Emeric launched his sword towards the two boys.
Alastor managed to roll out of the way, but the sword embedded itself in the ground inches from his head. Pain shot through his body as he pushed himself to his feet. Emeric stood over them, his sword pointed menacingly.
"Who are you guys!?" he demanded, his voice laced with anger and fear.
Alastor gritted his teeth. "We're the guys from today who followed you behind the corners – remember?"
Emeric wiped a tear from his eye. "What do you guys want from me?" His voice trembled slightly.
Alastor held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Nothing, really! We just wanted to know who you are."
Elias added, "You look like a scary guy, I mean, you have to admit it. You have a scar by your eye."
Emeric seemed to consider this for a moment. "Okay, that's believable," he said cautiously. "How can you earn my trust?"
"I don't know, what do you think?" Alastor replied, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
Emeric's eyes narrowed. "You guys have to help me with something."
Alastor and Elias exchanged a worried glance. They nodded slowly.
"With what?" Alastor asked cautiously.
Emeric smirked. "First, put on your armor. You're going to need it. Be here tomorrow at the exact same time."
"Armor?" Alastor echoed, confusion evident in his voice.
Emeric smirked. "You'll know what it is tomorrow." With a flick of his wrist, a shimmering blue light emanated from his ring. "Aperite!" he commanded, and in an instant, he vanished.
Elias groaned. "He seriously needs to stop randomly teleporting."
Alastor nodded in agreement. As they turned to face the imposing Aldermere doors, Elias reached out to open them. Nothing. He tried again, with the same result. Alastor gave it a shot, but to no avail. With a frustrated grunt, they both tumbled to the ground.
"There's a rumor in Corvus," Alastor said, struggling to catch his breath, "that the Umbra door is always open."
Elias's eyes widened in horror. "No, Al, we're not going to Umbra!"
"But it's our only hope of getting in," Alastor argued. "And the leader of Umbra house is actually pretty nice."
Elias scoffed. "Nice? Evil, you mean! She probably knew we were going to get locked out, that's why she agreed to help us."
"We don't have a choice," Alastor said grimly. "If Headmistress Eleanor Blackwood finds out we're out here, we're both dead!"
Elias, defeated, followed Alastor into the ominous Umbra hall. A sinister chuckle echoed through the eerie space.
"Hahaha! Tomorrow, the teachers won't know what hit them!" a voice sneered.
"Yeah, Cypher, you're a genius!" another voice chimed in.
"Remember the plan for tomorrow," Cypher replied. "They won't know what happened to them." The three of them erupted in sinister laughter as they disappeared from view.
Elias and Alastor exchanged a nervous glance before cautiously following the group. A haunting melody echoed through the Umbra halls, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Cypher, the leader, stood at the center of the room, his figure shrouded in shadow. "Students of Umbra, mighty and evil, sealed by darkness," he proclaimed, a sinister grin spreading across his face. The other students erupted in raucous laughter.
"Now, who is the evilest here?" Cypher demanded, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"Shadow Master!" the students chanted in unison.
Cypher's laughter echoed through the hall. "That's right, I am!" He paused dramatically, then launched into a chilling, almost comical song. "All the other houses can never compare, who's the evilest? It's me, beware! Never leave, never ask, always a serious face, never let them see my next phase, pretend you don't know, I'm the Shadow Master!"
Cypher's voice was deep and resonant, carrying an eerie echo through the hall. As he sang, his body swayed rhythmically, his movements slow and deliberate, almost hypnotic. It was as if he was a puppet master, controlling the darkness around him.
The students' voices were lower, a chilling counterpoint to Cypher's. "Oooooh, Shadow Master, ooooh, Shadow Master," they chanted, their words lost in the depths of the hall. "Always running through the shadows, never let them see your next move."
Cypher's voice rose again, taking on a more commanding tone. "Everyone sees Umbra, but never leaves. One of them sees their souls, sees their life. What is it, Umbra?"
"Umbra, Umbra, dark and deep, secrets hidden, souls to keep. Fear and power, hand in hand, ruling over this dark land. We are shadows, we are night, striking fear with all our might. No escape, no second chance, trapped in darkness, in life's expanse."
Headmistress Morwen, the iron-fisted ruler of Umbra, stormed into the room. "Quiet down, students!" she bellowed, her voice echoing through the hall. "It's time for sleep. Dismissed!"
The students groaned in unison as they reluctantly dispersed. Alastor and Elias wasted no time in making their escape, their hearts pounding in their chests.
"Are you in tomorrow?" Alastor panted, struggling to catch his breath.
Elias nodded, his eyes wide with excitement and fear. "And we need to wake up early. I don't know what they're planning, but we need to be ready to stop them if they try something ridiculous."
Alastor nodded in agreement, his mind racing.
Alastor groaned as he opened his eyes, the morning sunlight blinding him. His head throbbed, a painful reminder of the previous night's events. To his surprise, Shade was curled up in his bed, engrossed in a book, while Finn sat on the edge of the bed, sporting a disgruntled expression.
"Finn, did I ever tell you how beautiful your blond hair is?" Alastor managed to say, his voice thick with sleep.
Finn rolled his eyes. "We just met yesterday! And also, why would you leave in the middle of the night and then slip into the Umbra hall?"
Alastor's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know about Umbra?"
"Shade told me," Finn replied. "I don't even know why he was up that late, but you guys better not be leaving again that late. Seriously, you don't want to get kicked out of school." Finn sighed and sat down on his bed, adjusting his glasses. "About two hours until our first lessons."
Shade looked up from his book, a rare expression of concern on his face. "You really act like a dad sometimes, Finn," he commented.
Finn adjusted his glasses again. "I just care, okay? I mean, I know we just met, but I want to be friends. I never really had friends at my other school."
"I didn't have many friends either," Alastor admitted, "My only friend and best friend was Elias. And you, Shade, did you have any friends?"
Shade hesitated. "I really don't want to talk about my old 'friends'."
Alastor and Finn exchanged a curious glance. Finn broke the silence. "Okay, but never be that late again, okay?"
Alastor nodded, but inwardly, he knew he was lying. He was planning to meet up with Elias and Emeric later that night. Shade also nodded, a secretive glint in his eyes. He knew Alastor wasn't being truthful.
"I'm hungry," Finn announced, rubbing his stomach. "Are you guys coming to the Great Hall?"
Alastor shook his head, while Shade simply stared into space. "Alright, I'll get food for you guys," Finn said before heading out the door.
As soon as Finn was gone, Shade and Alastor locked eyes.
"I know you're lying," Shade said, his voice low. "You're going out tonight, too."
"Yeah, and you? Mind telling me where?" Alastor retorted, refusing to back down.
"First you," Shade replied, a challenge in his voice.
"No, you," Alastor countered.
They stood there, a silent battle of wills, each determined not to reveal their plans.
"Okay, fine," Alastor replied, "I'm heading out with Elias and Emeric."
Shade sighed dramatically, "I'm hatching a plan to... murder someone for the school shake."
Alastor's eyes widened, "What?"
Shade chuckled, "Just kidding! I'm actually going to buy something outside."
Alastor breathed a sigh of relief, "Dude, you scared me!"
Shade laughed again, "You and Elias are inseparable, huh?"
"Yeah, he's my best friend. The best!" Alastor beamed.
"Good to hear," Shade said. "I'm going to shower." He yawned and headed to the bathroom.
Alastor watched him go, wondering what book Shade was so engrossed in all the time.
Alastor finally left as well. As he exited Corvus Hall, the world seemed to shift, the familiar halls taking on an eerie cast in the twilight. His gaze was drawn to a peculiar door, an inky black canvas adorned with swirling silver patterns that seemed to dance and change with the light. It was as if the door itself was a living entity, pulsing with an otherworldly energy.
Hesitantly, Alastor moved closer. The door creaked open with a groan, revealing a breathtaking sight. A young woman stood in the aperture, her hair a vivid emerald green that seemed to glow from within. Her eyes held a mischievous sparkle as they met his. With an enchanting smile, she extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Willow Sky. And you are?"
Alastor, startled by her unexpected presence, offered his hand in return. "Alastor Corvys," he replied, his voice slightly hoarse.
Willow's smile widened, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Nice to meet you, Alastor." Her voice was like wind chimes, sweet and carrying a hint of mystery.
Alastor couldn't help but be captivated by her appearance. A silver braid was woven through the vibrant green, and the rest of her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves of a deeper, forest green. It was a striking contrast against her porcelain skin.
"Why are you in Umbra?" Alastor managed to ask, his voice filled with curiosity.
Willow chuckled, a light sound that seemed to echo in the still air. "That's my home," she replied casually. "I know, I know. I don't look like it, do I?" She paused, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "But I believe in bringing light into dark places. One day, I'll prove to you that Umbra isn't all bad."
A curious tension filled the air between them, a mix of intrigue and apprehension. Alastor felt a pull towards this enigmatic girl, a desire to explore the world beyond the door.
All the other students of Umbra were pouring out of the door as well, their laughter echoing with an eerie undertone. As they caught sight of Willow, their mirth abruptly ceased, replaced by a chorus of sneers.
"Look, Wills," a girl with short, cropped black hair and piercing eyes sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Don't talk to outsiders."
Willow's smile faltered, but she quickly regained her composure. "Talking to people from other houses can bring peace, balance," she began, her voice steady.
The girl, whose name was Anya, stepped closer to Willow, her expression hardening. "Don't bring more shame to the Umbra name, got it?" Her voice was a low growl. Willow gulped, her eyes widening in fear.
Cypher stepped forward, his imposing figure casting a shadow over Anya. "Anya, calm down, alright?" he said, his voice low and commanding. "Willow here probably wanted to make the outsiders scared, cause she will never make one with another house, will you?"
Willow shook her head vigorously, her eyes wide with fear.
Cypher and his crew exchanged glances before turning back to Willow. "We'll see you later at the table," Cypher said, his tone indifferent.
As soon as they were gone, Willow let out a long, relieved sigh. "I'm really sorry, Alastor," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Alastor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he assured her, though his expression showed concern. "But really, did they have to act like that?"
Willow shrugged, her eyes downcast. "It's just how things are here," she explained quietly. "I've got to go," she added, a note of urgency in her voice. "We can catch up later, right?"
Alastor nodded, understandingly. "Of course," he replied.