School of Sorcery
Jerastus 19, 2196
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GEORGIA
Georgia Kaye Alas

"Just how many names do you have now?"

A brow shot up on Zorell's question. Hindi naman niya talaga ako tinatanong, he's just mocking me for having so many identities because of my circumstances. I couldn't be who I truly am in both lands.

But Haden Zorell was no different from me. One day, he becomes a knight. The other days, a doctor, farmer, merchant, beggar, and what ever else. Now, he was a professor in 'his' office at the School of Sorcery.

It was a place where only the elite could enter. Dark magic, spells, and necromancy are taught. Most of the powerful members of each tribe attend there. Hm, I remember I was almost admitted there at such young age- only if that incident didn't happen.

I watched Haden as he unrolled a dozen scrolls and laid them almost atop each other on his long table. He said he was looking for clues. 'Di niya mismong sinabi sa'kin kung ano, pero makikinabang din daw ako roon.

Haden Zorell has been loyal to Valdemior ever since he was a child. He's been trained well to be a shadow. "Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng koneksyon mo kay Master, pero 'wag kang mag-alala. Hindi kita pababayaan gaya ng utos niya," he said before.

Natatandaan ko ring isinumbat ko sa kanya ang nangyari noon, when they framed me. But his excuse was, "Iyon ang inutos sa'kin."

I didn't bother telling him I was his master's daughter. I just think it would make no difference for a dog who only knows his owner.

"Bellisima... Bellisima..." Paulit-ulit niyang binanggit ang pangalang 'yon. I bet he's looking for records of that person.

Napatayo na ako't sumulyap sa iba pang mga scrolls at sinubukan ding hanapin ang pangalan. The scroll was full of spells and names who made those. May iba pang nakalagay. Figures, solutions, graphs.

Until my eyes fell onto one familiar name.

"Ito!" "Finally!" Sabay naming sambit ni Haden at may tinuro sa mga scroll. Nanliit ang mata ko at lumapit doon para silipin kung ano'ng nakita niya.

'Aurora Calytrix Bellisima.'

While mine was 'Exiquel Four Bellisima.'

Wait... Four? Bigla kong naalala ang nabanggit na pangalan sa'kin ni Lucifuge noon. "They are Zero and Four," tukoy niya sa dalawang frozen entities sa Fortress. Could this Exiquel Four be the same Four as we know?

Nanliit naman ang mata ko habang pilit na binabasa ang spell na nakasulat sa kanyang itaas, pero nabigo ako dahil ang ilang mga salita ay nabura na sa tagal ng panahon.

I glanced at the other one, from Aurora Calytrix- but all that was there were two words: Medeis Regno.

"This is enough," saad ni Zorell at tinago na ang mga scrolls. "I remember their names, all that's left to do is trace their activities here in this school or any records that could lead to their heirs."

"The Bellisimas... they're the bloodline who, according to the records that we have, are the ones who have first travelled back and forth the land of Summer and Fall before Warlock Valdemior. We believe that their bloodline is also capable of controlling the orb. They might have been the ones who attached them to the borderline."

So they're still searching for ways that could return Summerland to its normal state. Maybe if the bellisimas could control the orb, I can undo the spell of the ancient ice.

But...

"What if their bloodline is over?" Tanong ko bigla. "It's been a long time. Hindi na rin natin sila matutunton. Hindi rin natin alam kung nakamana ba sila ng kapangyarihan."

He didn't answer me and kept himself busy with the scrolls. My eyes darted to those before they were completely stored away by Haden. But then, he took the two scrolls with their names inside his bag.

"Zorell, what's the point of this search?"

Haden Zorell sighed loudly, as if he didn't want to have this conversation. But I reminded him that I'm part of their organization, or whatever they'd like to call it. The Phantoms.

"Hindi ko alam. I honestly don't get it too, only the heads of the Phantom can completely understand what's going on. Utusan lang naman ako," bulyaw niya at mabilis na lumabas mula sa kanyang 'opisina.'

Sumunod naman ako't mabilis na pinatay ang mga kandila sa loob ng silid. Hindi ko na alam kung saan kami sunod na tutungo.

Ni hindi ko na rin alam ang plano matapos naming magkita-kitang lahat uli.

There's no antidote here, none until Summerland's time flows again.

"Sir Den!" Napalingon si Haden sa mga estudyanteng tumawag sa kanya. My eyes also glanced their way and noticed that they were a bunch of teens. Say around, thirteen and fifteen.

The teens ran towards him, everyone with a worried expression on their faces. "Sir Den! One of our classmate is missing!"

Haden's forehead formed a crease, and he knelt to level with the girl's height. "Calm down first," mahinahon niyang bigkas. "Who is missing? Tell me more, then we'll help you."

Hindi naman sumagot ang babae, at sa halip ay hinila ang kamay ni Haden upang ipasunod sa kanila. Wala naman akong magawa kun'di sumunod lang din. My eyes wandered around as we move along the school's building.

Maraming nagkalat na mga insekto, patay na hayop, at mga punit na papel. The energy around was also ominous. At the little gap between the doors and floors, you could see the varying colors inside the rooms. Green, then it would become red, violet, and yellow, as if there are spells exploding left and right inside.

Hindi rin nakatakas sa pandinig ko ang impit na sigaw ng mga bata. Of course, if it's dark magic, it's painful- but for some, pain is power.

We stopped at the farthest room in the hallway. Unlike the other rooms, I could hear nothing- but then, the sounds from the other rooms also went silent.

Tiningnan ko ang mga estudyante nang mabilis silang tumakbo palayo sa'min. Haden and I knew that there was something wrong. So before the door could even open, he grabbed my arm and ran.

But there was a sword that made its way between us. It burst into flames until the flames surrounded us. Haden Zorell looked at me hopelessly. "Kaya kong tumakas dito gamit ang shadows ko, pero ikaw... hindi kita masasama," aniya.

Umiling naman ako at tinapat ang kamay sa apoy. It froze with my abilities, and though Haden was surprised, we jumped out of it fast.

"What happened to not using your powers again, Georgia?" Tanong ko sa sarili, ngunit nawalan din ako ng oras makapag-isip pa, sunod-sunod ang pagpapaulan ng mga dahas patungo sa'min.

"It's the Fallen Governance! Nahuli tayo," biglang sambit ni Haden at muli akong hinila upang tumakbo. Nagsimula akong mag-panic lalo nang sabay-sabay nagbukas ang mga silid, at sumilip lahat ng estudyante.

Then, someone from behind ordered the students to capture us. The students' eyes started to grow lifeless, as if they were being controlled by the voice. Hindi nagtagal ay sinimulan nila kaming habulin at ang ilan pa ay nagsimulang mag-chant ng spells.

I looked back to glance who it was that had commanded them, and to my surprise, it was him.

Lucifuge.

Napatigil ako sa pagtakbo, ngunit mabilis at marahas akong hinila ni Haden. "That isn't him! Hurry now!" Sigaw niya na tila ba alam kung ano'ng ikinabahala ko.

If that isn't Lucifuge, then who is he and why does he look like him? How are they related?

What the hell is happening?

"Don't let them leave this land," the man said. "Especially that woman."

Just when I thought I could live peacefully because of my different names and features, I'm now hunted by the fallen governance.

Discovering Summerland
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!