The atmosphere in the corridors of Eryndor Academy before bedtime was unlike any other time of day. The lights hung and flickered, and the stone walls cast uneven shapes about, while the floors appeared lined with runes that radiated a weak, almost heartbeat-like, light from long-forgotten magics. Rhea strolled forward deliberately and unhurriedly so that her soft footfalls would cleave the silence.
Her mind was a mass of tangled thoughts yet still weighed down by the magnificently illustrated wall hanging that she had spotted a little while ago. The six silhouettes in front of the Convergence Stone, their features obscured, their stances suggestive of both togetherness and secrecy. In the picture, moreover, the stone had a certain serpentine quality, swirling shadows sullying its brightness. It wasn't merely a challenge or an artifact, there was more to it. Something sinister.
She felt the pendant around her neck, its polished surface offering a cool caress against her skin. It was an ornament she had known since childhood; a present from her mother, the meaning of which had always eluded her. However, now with every advance towards the countless secrets of the pedagogue order within the academy, that pendant distinctly became heavier, as if its existence was linked with something untold so far.
In the hush of the corridor, there was an unexpected interruption, a very soft breath of air, so soft that it could have easily been missed. The sound was, however, loud enough for Rhea to stop and turn around. It was a low scan of the corridor where the shadows hung thick by the walls.
"Who's there?" she called out, managing to keep her voice even despite the apprehension stirring deep within her breast.
The shadows slid away, almost like vapor, and a shape took form. Rhea instinctively recoiled, her fingers reflexively reaching for the necklace. It was Riven. There was an amber glow to his eyes when they appeared in the darkness. Their clarity, even in the light haze contained within the walls, was penetrating. He was standing quite relaxed, arms folded against the wall as if shadows were hugging him closely. "Still roaming the confines of the ancient building after the set hours, Frost?"
He maintained a casual tone, still, there was something in him that was hard to quantify. Her eyebrows knitted together in an irritated scowl. "I could ask you the same question."
Riven grinned as he stared inward. The darkness about him enveloped him yet he felt the shadows shift with him, as if they were some parts of his life. "I have my working strategy. But you… you are a different story altogether."
"Is that supposed to mean anything?" she said putting the same calmness into her voice that she used at the kitchen while cutting vegetables, yet the edge came through.
"More than you know," he said and turned his head studying her instead. His eyes moved to her pendant and back up to her face with an obvious flicker. "People with dual affinities command much respect. But your affinities? Stone and shadow? Let's just say it is the cause of much attention on you."
Rhea squared her shoulders and straightened her back. "Let them watch. I'm not here to perform for anyone."
Riven suppressed a laugh, though there was nothing funny about it. "You think this institution is about magic schools and passing the exams? Eryndor isn't built that way. You will understand that in due course."
"What do you mean by that?"
He drew nearer, the light shining on the black robes he was wearing, decorated with soft silver stitching that characterized a student of the House of Shadows. "It means the academy is full of hidden places. Places that would ruin anyone ignorant on how to maneuver them."
Rhea anchored his gaze very well, even when her words aroused a flicker of doubt within him, she refused to let him see it. "I can look after myself."
"Maybe," he replied, his tone sounding rather gentle this time. "But just remember this one—shadows never tell lies. They will always reveal to you what others are dying to conceal. Only if you know how to do it."
Before she said anything, he finally stepped back into the dark, his figure disappearing into the air like smoke. The corridor felt quite calm without him, his presence a seemingly oppressive echo of his spoken words hanging in the air.
Rhea could tell that the ambiance changed by the time she got back to her dormitory. She felt as though the atmosphere had been thickened by some inexplicable force. As she made her way inside, she turned the knob, and closed the door behind her, leaning on it for some time.
The day had dragged out — had been too long if that was possible — and the thoughts within her head wouldn't settle down. She cut through the room to the single narrow window, unlocking it to bring the cool breeze of the mountains inside. The overhead stars appeared to be far away, their brightness obscured by the thin magical cloak that enveloped Eryndor for most of the part.
Rhea settled at the corner of her bed, fingering the pendant once more. She remembered how her mother had always viewed it as a protective talisman. Here, however, in this ancient and mysterious place, Rhea felt it was more than that.
Her attention returned to Riven. Shadows do not lie. The thought remained, pulling at something hoping to surface inside her. She had always kept a distance from her shadow affinity, regarding it as a power capable of harming and should be restrained. But what if it was not just a danger? What if it was something else – a weapon that allows one to look where others do not?
She rose and walked the room. The pendant vibrated softly against her body; it was the same tingle she had experienced with the Convergence Stone in the Obsidian Hall. It was as if there was something they were bound to, intertwined by an unseen connection that she had not yet fathomed.
Before she could encircle the room for the third time, there was a knock on the door. She stopped hand reflexively reaching for the pendant. Who could possibly be calling on her at this time of night?
"Rhea! It's me!" That voice sounded so familiar.
It was a sense of relief that made her open the door to find Lena standing by the door with the light casting on her silver hair from the hallway. She had a half smile on her face but her eyes were slightly worried.
"You're still awake?" Lena asked as she went into the apartment without waiting for her to welcome her.
Rhea closed the door and folded her arms. "I guess so. What brings you pop by?"
"I had to come and see you," said Lena, and with that slumped on a small chair at the desk. "You looked quite rattled before and have your mouth zipped all day. Thought you might need a friend."
Rhea complained once more while sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm perfectly okay, this is just…some deep thinking."
"May I caution you that such activity could be perilous," Lena replied humorously but her voice was gentle. "I take it that you are worrying needlessly about the darkness thing or shadows?"
There was a pause before Rhea spoke, and even then it was little more than a whisper directed at the glass pane. "That's not all. There is this… I don't know how to call it. The Convergence Stone, the trials, and even the other students. It's as though there's an invisible wall that stops me from grasping certain things." Lena leaned in, and her face portrayed a rare level of seriousness.
"They probably do. But that's Eryndor for you. Everyone has their own agenda, and they don't play fair. It's up to you to devise your own strategy." Rhea looked at her, a little taken aback by how candid she was. "How do you do it? Walk through everything, I mean?" "Simple," Lena grinned. "I just don't give a damn about it. Power play, spying, the trials—whatever. You're just wasting your energy. Just don't forget who you are." Rhea smiled a little at that, grateful for the consolation though it didn't fully relieve her worries. "Appreciate it, Lena." "Anytime," Lena said, rising up and yawning. "But now, get some sleep, Frosty. You will be of no use to anyone if you exhaust yourself before the real fun kicks in." Rhea let out a soft chuckle when Lena exited the room and shut the door behind her.
For a brief moment, she sat in silence before turning back to the window. The stars were still hanging on and far away, their rays struggling to pierce the miasma. As she shut the window and reclined on the bed, thoughts of the darkness that shadowed most of Eryndor lingered inside her head. Perhaps Riven had a point. Perhaps, the shadows were not as innocuous as they appeared. But they were not void of wickedness either.