Sneaking out after curfew wasn't very difficult in the Royal Academy.
But sneaking out with Elara, who walked like she owned the night and stepped on every possible twig, made things much harder.
"Shhh!" Auretria hissed.
Elara froze mid-step. "What? I am being quiet."
"You stepped on three branches in a row…"
"That's just talent."
Auretria didn't know how to respond to that, so she simply sighed. Still, she followed Elara through the cold night, past the torch-lit walls, and toward the back garden where the moon looked huge and pale.
Auretria whispered, "Where are we going?"
"To a place I found yesterday," Elara said. "Trust me, it's cool."
"You say that a lot…"
"And I'm always right."
Auretria doubted that—but for some reason, she did trust her. Maybe because Elara wasn't scared of her. Maybe because she was the only person who talked to her normally.
Maybe because loneliness made even a small kindness feel like sunlight.
The Whispering Fountain
Elara led Auretria into an older part of the academy no one used anymore. The buildings here were cracked, covered in vines, and had an eerie silence, as if the walls remembered things they didn't want to share.
In the middle of the courtyard stood a huge marble fountain. The statue at its center was broken—only the lower half of a woman remained.
Auretria stepped closer. The fountain glowed faintly in moonlight.
"This place feels… strange."
"Right?" Elara grinned. "It talks."
Auretria stared at her in disbelief. "Talks?"
"Yeah. When you touch the water."
"That's impossible…"
"Only one way to find out!"
Before Auretria could protest, Elara seized her wrist and dipped her fingers into the fountain.
The water was ice-cold.
A moment later—
A soft, faint voice whispered through Auretria's mind:
"Child of gold… why do you hide your light?"
Auretria gasped and jerked her hand back.
Elara smirked. "Told you. It talks."
"But… but…" Auretria trembled. "That voice… I've heard it before."
Elara's eyebrow rose. "Where?"
Auretria swallowed. Hard.
"In the glass palace. When I was five. The day the flowers bloomed."
Elara stared at her for a long moment. Her face usually looked mischievous, like she was always about to start trouble, but now she looked serious.
"Then we should listen," she said.
Auretria hesitated, but slowly reached toward the water again. When her fingers touched the surface, the voice returned—clearer, stronger, almost warm.
"Auretria… little one… you've grown."
Auretria's breath caught.
Her eyes widened.
"M-Madam…? It's you, isn't it?"
The water rippled.
Elara watched silently, tense and alert.
The voice spoke again:
"The world fears what it cannot control. And you… you were born to break their control."
Auretria's heart pounded.
"Why… why me? I didn't want any of this. I just wanted my parents to look at me… just once."
For a moment, silence.
Then the fountain whispered:
"Power chooses the lonely. Those who understand emptiness are the ones who can reshape existence."
Auretria didn't understand what that meant. She only knew it hurt. Her chest ached.
Elara knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Auretria nodded weakly, though she wasn't sure it was true.
The voice continued:
"Auretria, you must be careful. Aether stirs. Something in this academy calls to it. Calls to you. Beware the shadows that wear human faces."
Auretria froze.
"Elara… what does that mean…?"
Elara frowned. "Nothing good."
The fountain gave one last whisper:
"When the two moons align once more… seek the place where the Sorcerer Queen fell."
Then the glow faded.
The water went still.
The courtyard fell into silence so deep it almost felt heavy.
Auretria pulled her hand away, shaking.
"Elara… who was she?"
Elara stood, brushing the dirt off her skirt. "The voice? No idea. But she knows your name, and that's creepy."
Auretria stared at the broken statue.
The part of the woman still carved there… wore a flowing dress and held a staff. Even broken, she looked powerful.
And familiar.
"Elara," Auretria whispered. "I think… she might the Sorcerer Queen."
Elara's eyes widened. "As in the Sorcerer Queen? The vanished one? The 'destroyed half an army alone' one?"
Auretria nodded slowly.
"I think… she was the one who taught me Aether."
Elara's jaw dropped. "Okay… that's actually metal as hell."
Footsteps in the dark
Before Auretria could speak again, Elara's expression changed. Her violet eyes sharpened, her posture tightened.
"Auretria," she said quietly. "Someone's coming."
Auretria stiffened.
The sound of heavy boots echoed down the hallway leading into the courtyard.
Three shadows appeared—tall, wide-shouldered, wearing academy uniforms but moving too… cautiously. Too silently.
Auretria whispered, "Seniors?"
Elara shook her head. "No. They're adults. Teachers… or guards."
"Why would guards come here…?"
"To find us," Elara muttered. "We need to go. Now."
Auretria grabbed her hand, fear tightening her chest.
The shadows stepped into the courtyard.
"Auretria Lyensdor Valor," one of them called out. "You were ordered to remain in your dorm. State your reason for being here."
His voice was cold. Too cold.
Auretria whispered, "Elara… they sound angry."
"No," Elara whispered back. "They sound scared. That's worse."
The man stepped forward, eyes locked on Auretria.
"You are coming with us. Now."
Elara moved in front of Auretria instantly.
"She's not going anywhere with you people."
The man frowned. "Move aside, student."
"Nope."
Auretria tugged Elara's sleeve. "Elara, it's okay… I don't want you to get in trouble—"
"You think I care about rules?" Elara snapped. "They're not taking you."
The men drew closer.
Something dark flickered behind them—shadows that moved even though nothing was touching them.
Auretria felt her heartbeat spike.
The fountain's warning echoed in her mind:
"Beware the shadows that wear human faces."
"Elara," she said, voice trembling, "we need to run."
Elara grabbed her hand tightly.
"Then run."
They sprinted.
Behind them, the shadows gave chase.
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