The Basilisk, locked in its magical chamber, writhed with suppressed fury. Professor Alatar and several other skilled mages had tried, unsuccessfully, to communicate with the creature to find out how it had come to Umbria. Basilisks were known for their hostility and lack of intelligence, and this one was no exception.
However, Aria felt a strange connection with the beast. She couldn't explain it, but something in the Basilisk's gaze, in its desperate rage, reminded her of her own struggle, her own sense of being trapped.
Determined to try, Aria asked Professor Alatar for permission to speak with the Basilisk alone. Alatar, though skeptical, agreed, on the condition that several professors remain nearby, ready to intervene if necessary.
Aria entered the chamber, leaving her mirror outside. She approached the magical barrier containing the Basilisk and stopped at a safe distance.
"Basilisk," Aria said, her voice firm but calm. "I know you're not a mere beast. There's intelligence in your eyes. I can feel it."
The Basilisk stopped writhing and stared at her. Its yellow eyes, filled with cold malice, seemed to pierce right through her.
"What do you want, human?" the Basilisk hissed, its voice a raspy, guttural sound, surprisingly articulate.
"I want to understand," Aria said. "How did you get to Umbria? Who sent you?"
The Basilisk gave a hissing laugh. "Naive. You think I'll tell you. You think you can get information from me, as if I were a mere animal."
"I don't underestimate you," Aria replied. "I know you're powerful, and dangerous. But I also know you're not stupid. And I believe you have a reason for being here, a reason beyond wreaking havoc."
The Basilisk studied her silently for a moment. Then, to Aria's surprise, it spoke.
"You're right, human," it said. "I am not a mere beast. I was sent to Umbria. I was sent to weaken it, to prepare it for its fall."
Aria's heart leapt. "Who sent you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Those who deceived you," the Basilisk replied. "Those who used you and discarded you. The Red Wizards."
Aria felt her blood run cold in her veins. The name, which Eleonora had mentioned before her initiation, rang in her mind like an alarm bell.
"The Red Wizards?" she asked. "What do they want from Umbria?"
"What they want from the entire world," the Basilisk hissed. "Power. Dominion. They want to unleash Chaos, and Umbria, with its ordered magic, is an obstacle in their way."
"But Eleonora…" Aria began, but the Basilisk interrupted her.
"Eleonora is one of them, human. She always has been. Her betrayal of Umbria was just a small part of a much larger plan. A plan now set in motion."
Aria staggered, feeling the world blur around her. The revelation was too shocking, too terrifying. Eleonora, a Red Mage… it meant that everything that had happened, the manipulation, the expulsion, had all been part of a master plan to weaken Umbria.
At that moment, a piercing scream echoed throughout the chamber. A scream so high, so filled with pain and despair, that it made the glass in the room rattle.
The Basilisk shrank back, retreating toward the far wall. "No!" it hissed. "Not her!"
A figure appeared in the chamber, as if it had emerged from nowhere. It was a woman, or rather, the appearance of a woman. Her body was translucent, as if made of mist. Her long, white hair floated around her like a cloud. And her eyes, empty and filled with infinite sadness, stared at Aria.
She was a Banshee, a magical creature whose cry heralded death.
"Listen to me, Aria!" the Banshee cried, its voice an unearthly wail. "The Basilisk speaks the truth! The Red Wizards are approaching! Umbria is in danger!"
The Banshee approached Aria, its ghostly body piercing the magical barrier that held the Basilisk back.
"Eleonora is not what she seems," the Banshee continued. "Her power has grown. Chaos consumes her. She… she will destroy everything you hold dear."
Aria, despite the terror she felt, stood firm. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "Why are you helping me?"
The Banshee smiled sadly. "Because I was like you, once," he said. "I was a student of Umbria, long ago. I was betrayed, murdered. And now, my spirit is bound to this place, cursed to warn the living of danger."
"But what can we do?" Aria asked. "The Red Wizards are too powerful."
"You must prepare," the Banshee said. "You must unite Umbria. And you must seek allies, wherever you can find them. The darkness is coming, Aria. And only the light of unity can overcome it."
With those words, the Banshee let out one last scream, a scream that echoed in Aria's soul, and then faded, leaving behind a deathly silence.
Aria, trembling from head to toe, stood alone.
with the Basilisk, who now looked at her with a mixture of fear and respect.
The Banshee's warning, confirming the Basilisk's words, left no room for doubt. Umbria was facing a threat far greater than she had imagined. And Aria, the girl who had once been expelled from school, now found herself at the center of the storm, charged with protecting those who had once rejected her. The battle for Umbria, and perhaps the entire world, was about to begin.