Gwen stifled her yawn for the seventh time in the past hour. The Catalysis of Gifts lecture was one of the most boring classes of all time. She would've ranked it the most torturous of all the classes if it was not for the extra wielding class with Professor Winguard.
Even though Professor Longbottom was the only one who actually seemed to care about the cadets in this academy like his children, and despite the fact that he was one of her favourite Professors, she still couldn't stand two hours of boring debates in his class.
She glanced at Sibby by her side just to see that her friend was already napping with her head in her notebook. Gwen chuckled under her breath as Sibby released some snores. This girl was unbelievable.
"Once a stone bearer bonds with a firebreather, both their magic becomes more powerful as time passes. The moon stone slowly starts to absorb into the bearer's body as it reaches its peak of magic. If your moon stone suddenly disappears, then you should know that it is because you have mastered your abilities." Professor Longbottom explained and one of the cadets in the front row raised his hand, interrupting him.
Gwen was seated at one of the middle rows, so she could easily take a glimpse of his features. A lean light-haired guy with thick, round glasses and a curious expression.
He was Remus Saffron, the class bookworm— but not the type of fictional bookworm that Gwen was, nor the erotica, romance kind of book nerd like Sibby. With his deep blue moon stone of knowledge, he was destined to be a Record Keeper in the archives but proceeded to enter and pass the trials, bonding with a Lightning Wyvern instead.
"You said that if our moon stone disappears, then it means that we have mastered its magic. Then how come that we never come across any person without a stone?" he asked, making Gwen frown in wonder. She didn't have a stone until a mere month ago. But at the same time, she sucked at controlling it's powers.
"Your case is different, Chosen One. The moon stones of these humans found them, meanwhile, you were destined to discover your stone yourself," Zyre clarified, making her nod in understanding.
"Great question, Remus. That is because only a handful of people have managed to master the magic of their moon stones. As much as they are powerful, even our Governor Generals have not succeeded in mastering their stones yet. It takes so much practice that some of our most skilled Generals spent their whole life in trying to master their abilities but to no avail. It all depends on our moon stone," the professor replied, looking expectantly at the cadet who knitted his eyebrows in thought.
"A handful? How have we never heard of them before?"
"Because they all probably got themselves killed, dork," Stavros' voice cut through the class, dripping with his usual arrogance. He was one of the bullies, and surprisingly, a tad bit more infuriating than Thorndyke. Gwen found herself rolling her eyes at his interruption.
"You are correct, Stavros," the professor answered, making Gwen's eyes widen, partly because of the fact that Stavros was actually correct for once and partly because of the dreadful answer. So many people died while mastering their stones?
It seemed that she wasn't the only one surprised by that fact because Remus asked once again, "How could they die while practising their own moon stone?"
Professor Longbottom nodded, satisfied, "Why don't you children provide me with the answer to Cadet Saffron's question?" he looked around the room, raising his eyebrows expectantly at the cadets. "Well?"
Thorndyke's voice drew her attention, his words carrying a lazy tone, "The mastery of magic is not an easy feat," he said, his eyes scanning the classroom as if he was searching for something, "it requires dedication, and hard work, and most importantly, wisdom. Those who seek to solely exploit the power of their moon stone could often end up burning out, losing themselves and their lives, in the process."
"Where did the ones who actually managed to master their stones go then?" Remus asked again, piquing Gwen's interest. Suddenly, this boring lecture was turning into something much more entertaining.
"Mastering their magic means more people targetting them for their own benefits. They must be living isolated from the world," Thorndyke answered in his signature uncaring tone, but the slight hardening of his eyes betrayed his lazy expression.
Gwen was thoroughly impressed by Thorndyke's answer; he was usually just lazily lying around. So seeing him giving a somewhat decent answer was something else. She couldn't help but glance at him, finding herself curious, wondering if Zyre was right. That there was more to him than met the eye.
"Excellent!" The professor exclaimed, clapping his hands, "That is correct, Damian."
"They hide as if they are mere animals hiding from poachers," Stavros piped up again, his voice dripping with a mocking tone.
Professor Longbottom sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he replied, "No, Stavros. Since they are in constant danger, they do not want to be found."
"If they're so powerful, can't they just protect themselves?" Stavros continued to probe, a sneer on his face.
The professor's gaze darkened just a hunch, before he spoke, "My dear children, you must always remember that there are forces much stronger than moon stones and the legendary gifts in this world. Some magic that is still bound to these lands does not fancy the idea of more magical beings to reside on these soils. It is said that once someone masters their stone, they become a magical entity in themselves—"
"You can't really be implying that Fae may be behind all those killings," Stavros interrupted, snorting as his friends laughed, "That would be stupid."
Gwen could see Professor Longbottom's irritation rise at Stavros' interruption. But before he could respond, Ty's voice cut through the room, "There's no reason why they wouldn't," he drawled, his eyes carrying a mischievous glint.
Stavros turned to look at Ty in disbelief. "You can't really believe in something as stupid as that. Fae creatures? Come on, we all know that those are just silly children's tales."
This time, Vlad, who was sitting between Thorndyke and Ty spoke, "That is literally our history, Stavros." His tone was laced with boredom and a hint of frustration as he frowned at Stavros.
Vladmir Stryker was General Stryker's second son. Where Thorndyke was infuriating with his naggings, and Ty was flirty and cocky, Vlad seemed to be the observant one between the trio. She had never really talked to him, but she knew by now that the offsprings of the Governor Generals were inseparable.
Stavros looked about ready to argue, but the sound of the classroom door opening drew everyone's attention away.
The door opened fully, revealing Governor General Stryker. His face was schooled into an expression of sternness, his stern eyes sweeping over the classroom before it stopped his son, lingering there for a while before he turned his gaze to the professor.
"We can discuss magical history at another time," he spoke in an even tone, "We have important matters to discuss."
The professor hesitated, throwing a nervous glance at the class. His eyes seemed to linger on Thorndyke a second longer before he nodded to the General in resignation.
"Alright, cadets. The class is dismissed for today. We will further discuss the similarities of moon stones and the legendary gifts in the next week," he gave them a reluctant smile before following the General to exit the classroom.
However, before they could completely leave, General Stryker's eyes met Gwen's and they narrowed ever so slightly. As if in a warning. Gwen frowned as she watched them leave the classroom.
As the rest of the students started gathering their things and shuffling out of the classroom, Sibby, who had finally awoken from her power nap spoke up, "The class is finished? Already?" she pouted, frowning, "But I wanted to sleep some more!"
Gwen sighed, her eyes flickering to the door through which Governor General Stryker and Professor Longbottom had just left.
A thought that had been drumming in her head ever since the historical topic was mentioned in class made her frown.
"Do you think the Fae are behind the disappearances of cadets every year?" She asked Zyre through the bond, curious about the topic.
"Perhaps," he said, the words tinged with irritation, "The Fae are unpredictable beings, and they are known for their cunning and treachery. It wouldn't surprise me if they were behind some of the disappearances."
He paused, his voice lowering to a growl, "But do not underestimate the other possibilities as well. There are things far more sinister and dangerous lurking within these school grounds."
She was about to ask more but Thorndyke barged into her personal space. He lowered his face near hers until they were eye-to-eye, "Junior Wing Bridge. Now."
He didn't wait for her to respond as he turned to leave with his friends. Ty winked at her, and Vlad gave her a small smile before the three left the lecture room. The students making way for the mighty sons of the Governor Generals.
Gwen scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Cocky assholes."
Sibby grumbled under her breath, slowly pushing herself up into a seating position. She squinted her eyes against the now too-bright lights, looking around groggily as she attempted to rub the sleep away.
As her tired eyes fell on a now empty front row where the Professor used to stand, she gave a long sigh.
"What did I miss?" she asked in a sleepy drawl, looking at Gwen with half-lidded eyes.
Gwen sighed once again.