Ravena Hedera, a cheerful dark witch stood in the spotlight in centre of her peer's sneer and hatred. Her body trembled when she came last out of everyone in her peers.
The ridicule aimed at her and people floated in the air. It has not been a week, but she seemed to be the centre of attention of all the mockery.
"B...but Headmaster, my own teammate ambushed me from behind. I c.. could've passed my test." Her voice trembled trying to maintain her composure. The Headmaster Corvus shook his head gravely.
"I believe that, cunningness and teamwork was part of the test as well." The words seem to hit her home.
Aslan Blacknight. He lunged at the Prince of Oryklan. "You! How could you betray her?" Aslan gripped the Prince collar, sending ripples through the crowd of peers.
Aslan shoved the Fifth Prince away, his frustration mounting. The Fifth Prince, with an arrogant grin, provoked him further. "Why bother protecting someone like her? You can always have a match with me to save her," he taunted, his handsome face twisted by his behavior.
Aslan was about to punch the Prince but he spoke again, proposing a challenge. "If I win, you need to leave this academy. Are you willing to risk it, Blacknight?" Aslan paused, considering the challenge, his anger giving way to reluctant thoughtfulness.
Aslan turned to Ravena with sad gaze. Everyone knew the prince was the strongest. Tears finally filled her purple eyes. She nodded backing away before he could speak. "I'm sorry Ravena. I'm truly am, but my goals..." Ravena raised her hands to stop him.
"It's fine. I understand." Ravena glanced the peers around her, they were laughing. She wanted to lash out cry and scream in agony at this injustice.
Ravena locked her eyes with the cold Prince, staring at her misery and humiliation he started. She clenched her fist. 'Yuki Mogelvich'
Ravena turned around left the arena towards the corridors. When she came at academy, she hoped to make her family's name proud.
Her grandmother and her people proud.
But why.
Why were they cruel to her?
Ravena's determination to prove herself in the trials from the previous day had been dashed as she came in last. Today, the final trial loomed, and she was paired with the Fifth Prince, a twisted irony.
As soon as she obtained a magic stone, her teammates used her as a scapegoat, pushing her to defend themselves from the other teams. This resulted in Ravena needing the infirmary's care twice in a week, further weakening her resolve.
Ravena retreated to the secluded corridors, where the night enveloped her in its embrace. The sky was empty like her broken resolve.
She could no longer hold back the tears, allowing them to flow freely. Her body and soul were both in deep agony, and she cried out in misery, overwhelmed.
The pain of being different from the rest tore at her conscience, and the fact that the professors hadn't even spared her a single glance only added to her injustice she faced.
Her Uncle, Bratva. One of the professors at this Elite academy stepped out from his shadow. And placed his hand on her.
"You shouldn't have ran away from them, Raven." His soothing voice contrast to her disheaveled appearance.
"You don't UNDERSTAND!" Ravena yelled at him with surging emotions. Anger, pain, betrayal, humiliation and her shattered resolve to hope for her Kingdom all became doormat.
"Ravena, focus. Don't let the emotions get best over you. I had to face the same when I was sent here. It's going to be fine, you need to prove them wrong." Professor Bratva tried to calm her down.
Ravena clenched her fists tightly and laughed like a mad woman. "Oh yeah. Everything's fine? NOTHING'S FINE, UNCLE. I COULD HAVE PAST THAT TEST WITH HIGH MARKS IF NOT FOR THEIR HATRED AND ENVIOUS LITTLE INSECURE ASS." Raven trembled when she screamed at him.
"Dear, they hate us because they fear us. Didn't your grandmother tell you—" Raven cut him off with another sharp tone.
"What is it you do here, Uncle? The light has lost it's shine and talk about the power I need to gain. When you couldn't find our heirloom after your stay here in a decade, then how do you expect me to?" Ravena stared at her Uncle who hung his head down in shame. "Forget it, Uncle."
With that she sprinted towards the school backyard, ignoring her Uncle's call.
'I can't go back home like this.' she was wearing long black tulle skirt and black full neck top. Her tears painted her face again.
'Ravena stop! Don't make hasty decisions.' For once she thought she heard her grandmother's voice again. But it was too late for her to harbour any positive thoughts.
Ravena stood at the edge of the cliff, she couldn't back like a failure after she came here. She couldn't go back to her Shadowland and face her people and face their disappointed faces.
'Sorry dad. Sorry grandma Rosier. I'm sorry for not being upto your expectations.'
Ravena propelled herself forward, consumed by that thought. She was weary of the injustice, animosity, and humiliation she had endured. Her Uncle's distant scream echoed faintly.
Her dark hair whipped around her as she plummeted from the edge of the cliff. Her body tumbled onto the jagged rocks, dragging her deeper into the wilderness.
This time, she descended without wings, a bitter smile gracing her lips as her body collided with each stone, leaving behind a bruised and battered form as she finally landed on the bush barely alive.
'Even if she died today. She believed her good heart would save her one day.' - Author.
...
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"Wait. That's it?" I tried to swipe for next chapter but it was the end. I am reading an online book in the empty bus, back home from work. "She just died patheticaly without taking revenge?"
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. 'This was the worst novel I ever read. Author discontinued this book after that? Girl; where is the redemption arc for her?'
I got down at my final destination, but when I glanced up from my phone, I was taken aback to find myself surrounded by dense forest.
I quickly turned to notify the driver, suspecting he might have made a wrong turn, but he was nowhere in sight. In fact, the road, the bus, and the driver had all vanished.
Suddenly, I heard a raspy voice behind me. "At last, you are the first to finish the book I wrote three long years ago."
I spun around to face the darkness. "Who are you? Reveal yourself. I know how to defend myself," I bluffed, clutching my phone in one hand and a crochet pin in the other.
"Welcome, I've been waiting for you for 3 years. To my surprise, a woman in her fifties emerged from the shadows, startling me.
"I mean no harm, dear. I'm the spirit guardian. Would you accept an offer?" Mysterious woman asked.
I finally regained my composure and put the pieces together. I widen my eyes as a revelation set up on me. "You are the author of the novel?"
'How twisted can this get?'
"I died early, my soul, however, had done good deeds was sent to River of Life. By the time I came to visit Ravena from the Soul land. She was already in the academy." The old woman looked nothing like undead skeletons I read in the book. She still had her flesh intact.
"Why didn't you save her? What is the purpose you brought me here?" I looked around the dark canopy of trees towering us. It was eerily dark and silent.
The spirit guardian sighed "Before Ravena died her grandmother had revealed her about the heirloom, in the process it lead to her death. I was late. What you see is the spirit guide form, I only can see the souls and guide them but can't help them physically. I was little late in arriving at the scene." A moment of silence trespassed in the whole forest allowing me to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"Please, I have no choice to do this. I can only bring back souls like this once in 100 years, the supreme head has initiated some protocols. I could only write a book and wait for any reader to adapt it as their own."
I thought for a moment "Okay, but a question. Isn't three years passed already?" I asked just to make sure how long did Ravena die.
"Oh no, you don't have to worry about that, dear. 3 years is equal to 30 seconds in the Oryklan. Hurry save her."
I contempated. Then a cruel glint flashed in my eyes thinking about revenge. "If I finish avenging for her soul; can I still continue to stay in that world. It's boring here anyways."
"I suppose you could. The supreme head, already has taken Ravena's soul, to River of Life."
Satisfied I nodded at her earnestly. "Thank you. I will avenge for her loss."
'I always liked Hogwarts and have read dark fanfictions, why not give it a try. Time to get my redemption arc bitches.'