The World Unknown
Chapter Seven
The Ians Dormitory

Everyone had arrived at the dining hall that night to eat. Well, all except for Alfred who was still being healed by Elizabeta, one of the Protectors whose sole duty during the summer is to protect students from dangers while teachers are travelling and preparing for the next school semester.

"I haven't seen Lovino or Amber yet." I commented as I took a small sip of the water.

"They're probably with Alfred, don't worry too much." Vlad responded.

I couldn't help but feel bad though, these past few days it seems like the world's just been trying to kill me. I've seen so many new things I never knew I've seen and I still haven't completely gotten over the fact that I believed Zyan and Melissa were real children my entire life.

The thought of someone erasing my memory and implanting fake memories is what makes me the most concerned. I wonder if I had done something bad enough that made me want to erase my memories or if I asked to forget about everything. I wish there was a spell that could fix everything so that maybe I'd understand what's going on better. Unfortunately, I did ask Vladimir and he said it'd be real magic for that to be real, so I'm still at a dead end.

Two boys, each wearing different coloured ties walked over and sat in front of us, the one with the black and grey coloured tie spoke first, "So you're the new nogift student everyone's talking about."

"Don't be rude." The other boy who I had seen before scolded, "I'm Lukas Bondevik. Third Year, House of Ians. It's so nice to finally meet you, the sudden talk of the school."

The other boy glared his eyes at Lukas for a second before brushing him off and reaching over the table to shake my hand, "Arthur Kirkland, at your service! I'm also a third year, but from the Etals house!"

I shook his hand, "I'm ______ _______. No year and no house."

"It's a bit strange isn't it?" Arthur spoke, almost immediately disregarding my presence in the room, "She was hit by the bloodlaver first, right?"

Vlad nodded unsure of where he was going with this, "and Alfred was also hit, but second, minutes after her. So, isn't it strange how she recovered as quickly as she did, but Alfred is still in the Hospital wing?"

"I might be missing something, but what's so strange about that, perhaps the bloodlaver didn't hit her as hard?" Lukas spoke.

"After that moron Francis told me, I read the magical creatures book from last semester and it says that even the tiniest hit from them can knock a full-grown wizard down. If ________ is a nogift, that means she's never even heard of those blood suckers, so how is it she, with her different anatomy and all, recovered faster than Alfred fucking Jones, captain of the Ailat Freeler team?" Arthur finished, his eyes were sparkling with interest as he kept making quick glances at me.

Admittedly, I was interested in an answer as well. However, no one really had one, it was just brushed off to 'luck' or something.

We all continued to eat, and Arthur continued trying to pry into my past and all these memories I had to see if he could try to find out what was fake or real, meanwhile, Lukas and Vlad would continue to glare at him when he'd ask something too immersive or uncalled for. I personally didn't know how to explain it, but in a way, it felt sort of fun being here with them. As strange as they were, they were also funny and charming in their own way.

The peace wasn't to last forever though, about twenty minutes into our dinner, Bliss had entered the dining hall with her big blue scarf which wrapped itself twice around her neck, hiding it in its entirety. Her eyes wandered around the room, but not on the students, it looked as if she didn't like making eye contact, so to avoid doing so, she looked up at the ceilings which in a way, made her look a bit whimsical. Though her eyes were on the ceilings of the room, as she drew closer to the four of us, her eyes landed on Lukas as she gave a warming smile, "Are you ready?"

Lukas nodded before turning towards us to say goodbye, then he was off, following behind Bliss as she lead the way back out of the room.

"Where's he going?" I asked, turning towards Vlad.

"Well Bliss isn't just a summertime Protector, she's also the Ians Prefect just like Allister, Elizabeta, Hayden, and Gage. So, because Lukas is the most promising in her eyes, she's giving him extra help with super advanced spells and potions so that in two years, he can replace her once she's gone."

"Is that so? I didn't know they did that," Arthur commented, "I wonder when Gage will be helping me out?"

Arthur's surprise to this information led me to wonder if perhaps Vlad was once being mentored, if he was, I wonder what happened.

"Say," Vlad spoke up after drinking some of his apple juice, "Do you want to head to the East wing? It's getting pretty late and perhaps it could be fun to meet some of the other students before we head to sleep?"

I had no reason to object, so I agreed, and Arthur tagged along with us.

On our way towards the east wing, Arthur commented, "Normally, during school sessions, it's against the rules for students of different houses to enter the dormitories of other houses. Yeah, that's one of the many things I love about staying here during the summer. There aren't as many rules."

We approached a giant blank wall with a blank canvas in the middle, Vlad's face went pink as he turned towards Arthur for a second, "I actually don't have a wand. Yet. Arthur, do you mind getting us in?"

"What do you do? Do you solve a riddle like ours?" He asked.

"No," Vlad replied, "See this canvas? Pull out your wand and draw an image, it has to be meaningful and original otherwise it won't open the door."

"You have to be kidding me. Even the Talian house has a more exciting way to enter and you literally plant a seed there." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Just... Create." Vlad said, standing back so as to allow Arthur the space needed.

Arthur took a step forward and rose his wand and began to wave it frantically towards the canvas. Vlad and I exchanged looks as we watched him do so. Arthur didn't even have the chance to lower the wand after he finished before the entire canvas combusted into flames and burnt down to ashes. I watched in awe as the blue flames engulfed the painting quickly.

"What was that?" Arthur's voice cracked.

"The canvas mustn't have liked it very much." Vlad answered. He walked over, and Arthur handed him his wand, upon doing so, the ashes that the canvas left suddenly started flying around, creating a new and clean canvas.

Vlad held Arthur's wand firmly in his hand then with some clean strokes, his arm moved fluidly like he knew what he was doing. Unlike with Arthur's painting which had black and green marks all over, Vlad was able to paint a messy looking green creature on a rose petal. I watched in awe, I didn't know if it was his actual talent that gave him the ability to paint like that or if it was the wand doing all the work, but it was wonderful.

The canvas must have thought so as well because a light flashed behind it and suddenly, it began to move to the side, revealing a hidden entrance.

"This way now, careful." Vlad smiled at me as he handed Arthur back his wand.

I followed behind him as he lead the way through the new entrance into a large and cozy room with blue walls which you wouldn't be able to notice were blue due to all the paintings covering the walls and the ceiling was no where in sight, it just went on and on.

"Welcome to the Ians dormitory, ________!"

-----------------------------

So many people to introduce, so many clues to hide,

so

little

lifespan !