The words that Espero said to me still linger in the back of my head. A full turn of the moon since he died, but deep down inside, the aching feeling of sadness and guilt pounded against my chest.
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It was a silent evening at Aquateir Palace. I was the only one awake at the time, trying to hold back tears whilst I gripped a pillow. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Espero's blood soaked body.
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I hear someone shuffling around, before I see the silhouette of someone cut through the moonlight.
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"Iris?"
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I answer with a silent whisper. "Mhm?"
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"Are you...okay over there?"
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"No..."
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I hear the click of a lamp as the dark room became enveloped in light. Arelin walked calmly towards the bed and sat down at the head.
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"I'm not going to sleep until I know you are.."
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"I don't feel like going to sleep. You don't have to stay up because of me.."
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"I'm worried about you. Not only because your magic is affected by your emotions, but because I care about you,"
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"It's just that I still miss Espero...he was more than just my cousin, he was basically the only other friend I've had, and because of me...he's dead.."
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He lightly strokes my hair as I continue to talk.
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"Espero sacrificed himself in order to ensure your safety.. "
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"I just...wish I could see him again..."
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"Well, there has to be some way..." He says, thinking a bit. "Of course, we'll have to ask Mother about it in class tomorrow. It's getting late..."
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"...Okay. Can I get a hug though?"
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Without question, Arelin wrapped his arms around me and tightened his grip. When he lets me go, I felt a sense of comfort.
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"Good night Iris.."
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"Night..."
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***
The morning came around a couple hours later. I was barely awake before Arelin lightly shook me up.
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"Good morning.."
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"Ah, is it morning already?"
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"Of course. It's your first day back, and Mother doesn't want you to be late.."
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"But...I don't have any clothes...I grew out of my normal ones.."
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"Hmmm...this might be more difficult than I expected..."
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"You can go ahead and take a bath if you'd like," Arelin says as he heads for the door. "I'll see what I can do.."
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I freshen up for the day, taking a quick bath and brushing my now bleached hair into a straight wave. I peek out the door once I'm finished, finding a deep colored dress that was carefully folded on the bed.
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I quickly slip the dress on, and walk outside the room for the first time in weeks.
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"Great. Are we ready to go?" Aurelia asked.
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I nod.
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Arelin holds up his hands. And before I could blink, we were there. Students flooded the school and entered into the cafeteria as fast as their legs could carry them.
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"I shall go to the classroom and await for you there. Have a good breakfast," Mrs. Aurelia says as she drops us off.
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I walk in, looking at the entire cafeteria from a new perspective from above. I try to crouch down to make myself as normal as possible. When I find Jake and the others sitting at a table, I dragged myself onto a seat next to them.
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"Hi Iris!" Ecluna says, taking a sip of orange juice.
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"Hey everyone!"
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"I see you're out on the town. You doing okay?"
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"For the most part, yes." The waiter places some toast onto the table in front of me. "How about you guys? What have you guys learned since I've been gone?"
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"Quite a lot. I can handle Aluise's attacks now."
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"That's only because you only fight with me.." Aluise responds before eating.
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"I've been studying more on my magic. I read a couple books on Astral magic and apparently it as a lot to do with spiritual energy. Like, ghosts and stuff?" Ecluna says, taking a big bite of toast.
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"So, you can basically become a necromancer? Cool."
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"That's what Mom said," Ecluna says, taking another bite. "I'm just excited that Iris is back!"
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I softly smile. They really haven't changed a bit, have they?
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"You haven't taken a bite of your food, Iris. Are you sure you're not hungry?"
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I nod. "I just wanted to talk with you guys before class."
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Jake happily accepts my answer...and promptly takes my plate.
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"Jake..."
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"What?"
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"You're going to be late for class if you eat Iris's food.."
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"..True..." he walks up to the nearest trash can and chucked into the bag. And right on cue, the bell finally rings, and every student inside swarms to the door and into their respective classrooms.
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As we all did the same, a stuffy, nostalgic, but mostly uncomfortable feeling hit me in the chest, making me feel paralyzed to even take a step inside of the room.
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Mrs. Aurelia quietly gripped my darkened fingers, and led me to my seat. I felt a stab in my gut as soon as my back hit the back of the chair. Not because of my broken nostalgic feeling, but because...
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Arelin took notice at my somber expression, sitting where Espero would.
"Thanks Arelin.." I whispered. He slowly nods.
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"Okay class, I want to take a look at some of your newly taught abilities from class on yesterday."
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I see everyone hold out their hands, palm outspread in order for their now brighter and more brilliant flames to reach out into the air.
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Carefully, I do the same. When the flame nearly exploded out of my hand, I noticed something different about it. The center of the flame, which was usually a clear and misty white, was a empty black. It's flickering barely showed, still as a statue as it burned.
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Everyone was shrouded with their magic. As I look around the room, I try to feel everyone's energy.
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"I've noticed that you've tried repeating Irene's magic ability of creation."
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Ms. Aurelia was suddenly behind me, and suddenly startled, the flame went from still to a strong beam of darkness and light mixed together.
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"Interesting..."
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"I apologize for startling you."
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"It's okay! I wasn't expecting you to be behind me.." I help continue the conversation. "And yeah, I've gotten really close...one time.."
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I shakily create the dagger I made before, only for it to repeat what happened last time and disintegrate.
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"With your magic level, it should've materialized...could the Dark magic be affecting this as well?"
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"I'm gonna try again." I open my hands, and imagine the small dagger once again. As I'm using all of my energy to finally recreate my mom's magic, loud screams of anguish and fear echoed throughout the room. It again startled me, taking my concentration off of the dagger and it splitting into a million microscopic pieces. When I turned around, Ecluna had her hands cupped around a large orb of souls and spirits.
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"Ecluna, this is not the time for necromancy.."
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"I didn't mean to! I really was trying to do Astral magic that time!"
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"That's what I was supposed to ask.." Arelin's voice perked up as he snapped his fingers in remembrance. "Ecluna, can you take out certain spirits from wherever they came from?"
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At first when he asked that question, I couldn't pinpoint what he was up to.
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"I can't yet, but if I study really hard, then maybe that would be an option. Why do you ask?"
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"...No reason..." he digs his nose back into the book he was reading.
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I take a look at Jake, who was trying to put out the flames that twined around his forearm.
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"Are you alright over there, Kaliber?"
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"I would be if these things had an off switch.." he says, rapidly waving his arms around.
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"Why not pour water on your arms, you idiot?" Aluise says, before using her magic to extinguish them. "Do I have to do everything for you?"
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"Thanks Lulu," he says in a singsong voice.
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She angrily sighs, knowing he'll never stop with the nickname. "Whatever..."
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"Now, before class ends for the day, do you have any questions or concerns for me?"
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Majority of us shake our heads no.
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"Okay then, don't forget that a sparring competition is going to be held four days from now for all the classes, you have until that day at 5 PM to sign up.."
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And with that, the bell rings, everyone picks up their things and leaves the room.
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"...Is Uncle Damien there?" I ask, catching up with Jake.
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"Pretty sure. He was there yesterday."
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"Well, let's hurry." I say picking up the pace. I get to the door and run in.
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Uncle Damien was sitting on one of the benches, sulking quietly with his head hung low.
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"U-Uncle Damien?"
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Before I could blink, he was holding close enough to where I could hear his heartbeat. I could barely move due to how tight he was holding me. I've never seen him so desperate for affection in...forever..
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"I'm ready for class. What are we up to today?"
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When he lets me go and sits me down, he answers with his voice full volume.
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"We're still training how to use our magic to envelop our hands, giving the hit extra power on impact. Once you figure out what magic type they use most, you can pinpoint which attack to use to do the most damage."
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He then passes us a small slip of paper, with the symbols of different magic types drawn with colored circles around them.
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"Study these carefully. The arrows that point towards another type means that the specific type is strong against it. Some are obvious, of course, but some are less so.."
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I look at the paper. Fire was weak to Water and Astral, Water was weak to Electric and Nature, Nature was weak to Fire and Wind, so on and so forth.
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"What if one person has two types of magic, take me for example?" Ecluna raises her hand and asks.
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"If one is lucky enough to have two, you can have somewhat of immunity or even worse weaknesses depending on the two types." Uncle Damien responds.
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"Now, what you want to do is to move your magic output to your arms or hands, depending on which one you're using.."
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I then see his fist engulfed in orange flames of energy, with him landing a few attacks in the air with precision and swiftness.
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"Try and focus your magic towards the outside of your palms, not the inside. Magic can't escape if you clench your fists before it's left your body."
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I call up my own darkened Light magic to my hands, as it gleamed brilliantly with the air around it. I slowly close my hands, as the flame enveloped around them, becoming balls of rainbow-colored fire.
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"Just...don't hit each other please, especially if your magic has the advantage..."
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We all nodded.
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"Now, if you want, you can do more sparring before class ends, I'll be in my office," Uncle Damien ambles to another place. All of us stand from our seats and prepare for a quick spar with one another.
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I was a bit hesitant, I knew how strong I was physically. My heart started to beat like a drum against my chest.
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"Hey Iris. Lulu wanted to beat someone else up today, so..." I jump as I hear Jake's voice from beside me.
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"I don't wanna hurt you.."
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"Nah, I'll be good. Aluise helped me build a tolerance to pain a little more, so you don't need to worry about me."
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I take a deep breath. "You promise?"
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"Cross my heart."
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"Okay, I guess.."
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We make a little space for us to move around.
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"Alright Iris, just in case. Hit me. As hard as you can." he says, his chest open wide for me punch at.
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"I just told you I don't wanna hurt you!"
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"This is a test to make sure you don't. Just take a shot."
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I slowly raise my fist, quivering a little. Jake was impatiently waiting for the impact.
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I couldn't do it, but whatever took control of my arm sure could, and my fist went full force into the middle of his chest.
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Surprisingly, he took the hit better than I expected. Sure, he stumbled back a bit, but he didn't look seriously hurt.
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"Jeez, it seemed like you were eager to hit me there.."
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When he looks up at me, I watch in horror as a line of crimson rolled down his face.
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"Jake!"
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"I'm good..."
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"I told you I didn't want to hurt you!"
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"You're just a bit stronger than I thought...you were also the one who aimed straight for my chest.."
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"No, she didn't..." Even more fear struck me as I heard his voice from behind me.
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"Despite her strength, you are still extremely resilient.."
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Jake's poker face turned into one filled with rage as he steadied himself.
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"Ciaran..."
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"Don't move Kaliber. I still have her hands in my control.."
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"Let her go..." Jake inches closer, hand outstretched to grab my own.
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Ciaran holds my arm up and takes another swing at him, as he makes me hit Jake right in the face.
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"Plan on giving up yet?"
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Jake wipes his bloodied nose. "I don't give up until the last breath I take."
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"Your loss then.."
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I'm forced to continue attacking my friend as he tries to dodge and block the best he could.
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"Alright, that's it..." Jake says as he covers his body with his now bruised arms.
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Suddenly, a wave of heat and flame protected him from my attack. It scorched my hand to the touch.
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"Sorry Iris, but I can't keep tanking hits from you. You've pretty much destroyed my ribcage.."
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The fact that he was even standing right now astonished me. That's when the magic around my hands dispersed, and I was finally able to move my hands on my own.
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"Ciaran.." I grumble as my vibrant webs get a good grip around his body. "Why are you here?"
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"Oh?" he chuckles. "I just wanted to know how you've improved. And that I can say you have.."
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"You know what? Fine. I'll play this stupid game you have planned."
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"And which game do we plan on playing?"
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"You can stay with me. But the moment you ambush my friends and attack them..."
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With a clench of my hands, a jolt of my rainbow colored energy coursed through the web and sends it through his entire body. As he finishes screaming in agony, he begins silently chuckling.
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"This game is very intriguing indeed.." he said, painfully smiling.
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"Good..."
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I dropped him with slight force and turned my attention to Jake, who was barely standing and blood running down his face.
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"Jake, are you okay?"
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"Not really.." he coughed out.
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"I'm taking you to the infirmary,"
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"Iris.."
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"I'm not letting you get hurt like Espero did.." I scoop him up with relative ease as he continues coughing.
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As the bell rings, I carry Jake carefully to the infirmary, and knock on the door the hardest I could.
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"Just a minute!" I hear from the other side of the door. After a few footsteps, and a fumbling with the door handle, the door flies open, and Ms. Ikura looked down and sighed.
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"Not again, Mr. Kaliber.." she said underneath her breath. "What happened?"
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I pulled Ciaran from behind me. "He happened. He got control of my arms and made me attack him,"
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"...I'll take Jake for now," she carefully takes Jake as to not hurt him more.
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"Tell me if he gets better.."
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"I'll be sure to update you if anything changes.."
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She calmly shuts the door, with me to wonder if Jake was going to be okay.
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"Where shall we go now, Araginee?" I hear Ciaran snicker from behind me.
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"I don't know. You're just gonna keep pestering me no matter what."
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"I can keep quiet..."
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"You're going to keep quiet.."
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"Whatever you say..."
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Every word he spoke after that made me closer and closer to hitting him with every attack I had. Once I reached my own and vacant dorm room, pushing the door open and entering.
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I flicked on the lights and dragged Ciaran in before letting him go. The moment I released him, I hear the sound of the drapes closing and saw the room get darker.
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"I'm going to get something to eat. Don't destroy anything while I'm gone.."
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"You can trust me.." he says with a devilish smirk.
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"Nevermind.." I wrap him back up and drag him along with me. For some reason, the walk from my dorm room to the cafeteria was longer. I quickly sit down next to the others.
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"Oh great...you brought him.." Arelin says before digging his nose in a book.
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"I couldn't trust him to stay in my room by himself.."
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"I really was not planning on doing anything. You were just being paranoid."
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"I was right to be paranoid."
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"You guys..." Ecluna grabs our attention. "That's enough arguing. I'll watch Ciaran while you guys go to class and stay a little longer after class to do Agility tomorrow."
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"Are you sure?" Arelin asks, eyes still focused on his book.
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"Of course, as long as you're alright with me staying in your room."
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"If you feel like you can handle his dumb quips, go right ahead. I've already told him what'll happen if he hurts one of you guys.."
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I clench my fists again, as a small jolt of energy zaps him, causing him to jump in pain.
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"Just a reminder..." I let him go.
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The bell rings once again. Time for the last class of the day. As I step into the classroom, I'm greeted with confetti and party horns.
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"Welcome back, Iris!" Ringmaster Poppy exclaims as she hands me a funnel cake.
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"I see Ecluna and Jake are not here.." Aria says, soft spoken.
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"Jake got hurt and Ecluna is doing something.."
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"Well, if that's the case, class can start without them today!"
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As we learn how to run faster and climb on the walls, I start feeling a little chilly, then the chill turns into freezing cold.
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I wait until the end of class to head back to my dorm. Only to be met with Ecluna practicing her necromancy and Ciaran quietly asleep on the floor beside her.
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I knock on the door.
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"A-ah!" Ecluna jumps, letting more souls of the dead escape her palms. "Iris! I just read about the last thing needed to bring an individual spirit back to...life?"
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"Is that why you're doing this in my room?"
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"Yeah. I just need that picture of him!"
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She places the picture of Espero that stood stagnant on my dresser in front of her on the floor.
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"Now, let me focus again." she quietly closes her eyes, cups her hands, and chants something quietly to herself. Nothing happened.
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"Alright, nothing happened, now put Espero's picture back..."
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"Sorry Iris, I just-"
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She stops dead in her tracks, her eyes bigger than the excitement I saw in her eyes. "Iris. I-Iris look-"
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"Haha, very funny, Ecluna," I say, placing the photo back where it belonged.
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"Yeah Ecluna, very funny.."
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"Don't encourage her, Cia-"
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I looked towards his direction, only to see he was still sleeping on the floor where he was before...
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"...Wait...wait a minute.."
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I was confused. If Ciaran was asleep, then who...?
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I finally looked behind me.
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"Long time no see, Iris.."
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It was...Espero. Even with his ghastly appearance and signs of decay, it was a spitting image.
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I couldn't believe my eyes, as they begin to well up with tears.
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"I-It...can't be.."
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"Do you need proof?" I feel myself being picked up by thin air, before slowly twirling me around, just like he would do when we were younger.
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"I was trying to get to you earlier, but I don't think you noticed..."
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The tears began to spill over. It was really him.
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"We have to tell everyone else about this!"
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"No, wait.." Ecluna stops me. "I don't wanna get in trouble for using my magic like this..."
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"And I don't know if I can even stay here. It's got to do with my connection on Earth, or something like that.."
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That's when he started to fade away...
"Speaking of which...I guess I'll have to come back later. I'm sure be back if Ecluna does what she did, I guess.."
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"I'm exhausted...I don't think I can handle another word from these books.." she says as she tosses the stack of books. "I could probably do it tomorrow. Come see me then, okay..."
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"Yeah, that seems like a good idea..."
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"And remember. Don't tell a soul about this," Espero reminds me. He gives me one last headpat before he phases through the wall...and disappears.
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I still couldn't believe what had happened.
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Ecluna left me in the room with Ciaran, who was now wide awake.
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"What shall we do now, Araginee?"
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"I'm going to bed, do whatever you want.." I responded. I threw the blanket over me, laid down, and closed my eyes..
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***
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"Iris.." Mom's voice echoed. I slowly wake up.
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"Mom?"
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"Thank God...I didn't know if this would work..."
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"Am I...dreaming?"
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"Lucid dreaming, but yes. I have a favor to ask."
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"What is it?"
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"Do you mind getting Ecluna home before the end of the annual Eclipse Festival?"
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"Hm? Why?"
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"Just...make sure she gets there. Her mother insists that she stays inside during the eclipse, and I think you're the strongest person I know."
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"I guess I can do that. When is it?"
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"Just a week from now. I'm trusting you to bring her home...safely."
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"I will, don't worry.."
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"Good...now good night." she walks towards me and plants a small kiss onto my head.
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Don't worry Ecluna, I'll make sure you're safe.
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