FANTASIA

calm before the storm

The atmosphere in the dining room shifted as Mr. Shawn stepped inside, his usual composed demeanor overshadowed by something heavier—concern, maybe even fear.

Mrs. Domino, still the perfect picture of elegance, gestured for him to sit. “Tea?” she offered.

Mr. Shawn hesitated, then sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “No, thank you. There’s no time.”

Genesis leaned forward. “What’s happening at Fantasia?”

Mr. Shawn exhaled, glancing around the table. “More students have vanished overnight. The entire west wing of the academy is sealed—no one can get in or out. Professors are starting to turn on each other, and…” He paused, rubbing his temples. “We lost Lady Rhea.”

A stunned silence fell over the room.

Clarissa was the first to speak. “What do you mean lost?”

“She disappeared,” Mr. Shawn said grimly. “Not vanished like the others, not mind-controlled—she left. Walked right out of the academy gates and into the void beyond the barrier. No one has seen her since.”

Genesis frowned. “Why would she leave? That doesn’t make sense.”

Mr. Shawn hesitated, then locked eyes with Genesis. “She was summoned.”

A chill crawled up Genesis’ spine. “Summoned? By what?”

Mr. Shawn shook his head. “I don’t know. But I do know that if something strong enough to control one of Fantasia’s high mages is lurking in the shadows, we are all in serious danger.”

Mrs. Domino stirred her tea, unfazed. “And what do you propose we do?”

He turned to her. “I need your help.”

Clarissa blinked. Wait, what?

Genesis nearly choked. “You’re asking my mother for help?”

Mr. Shawn met Mrs. Domino’s gaze. “You are one of the only people I trust with power beyond what Fantasia teaches. If we’re going to take back the academy, we need someone who isn’t bound by its rules.”

Mrs. Domino tapped a finger against her chin, looking almost amused. “Flattery, Mr. Shawn? I didn’t take you for the type.”

“It’s not flattery. It’s necessity.”

Genesis sat back, still processing. His mom—the same woman who had wiped the floor with him last night—was about to march into Fantasia and deal with an unknown, possibly world-ending force.

He should have been relieved.

Instead, something inside him twisted.

This was his fight.

His trial at Fantasia had changed him, awakened something in him. He could feel it—his blood wasn’t the same anymore. His mother knew it, too. She had warned him.

“Let me help,” he said.

Mrs. Domino didn’t even glance at him. “No.”

Genesis scowled. “What do you mean, no?”

She finally looked at him, her golden eyes sharp. “You are not ready.”

Something in his chest burned. He clenched his fists under the table. “That’s not your call.”

Mrs. Domino’s expression didn’t change, but there was something unreadable in her gaze.

Mr. Shawn cleared his throat. “Genesis might have a point. Whatever happened to him in the trial, his essence has changed. He might be the key to all this.”

Mrs. Domino exhaled slowly. “That change is exactly why he shouldn’t rush in blindly. If he acts too soon, he’ll only become a pawn in this game.”

The room fell into silence.

Clark, who had been quiet up until now, raised a hand. “Okay, not to interrupt this very intense family drama, but, uh… we are still going back, right?”

Mrs. Domino gave him a side glance. “Yes.”

Clark gave a thumbs-up. “Cool, just checking.”

Genesis, however, was not cool. He clenched his jaw. “So, what? I just sit here while you go fight my battle?”

Mrs. Domino studied him. “You still don’t understand, do you?”

“Then explain it!”

For the first time, something flickered in her expression—an emotion Genesis couldn’t quite name.

Then, she stood. “Very well.”

Without warning, she reached forward and tapped Genesis on the forehead.

Pain.

Not physical, but something deep. His vision blurred, and suddenly—

He wasn’t in the house anymore.

He was falling.

Darkness swirled around him, voices whispering in languages he didn’t understand. His chest burned, his blood boiling with power he didn’t recognize.

Then, he saw it.

A shape—too massive, too wrong to comprehend. Eyes that weren’t eyes. A mouth that wasn’t a mouth.

It looked at him.

And then—

He was back.

Genesis gasped, nearly falling out of his chair.

The others stared at him in alarm. “What the hell just happened?!” Clarissa demanded.

Mrs. Domino, calm as ever, took a sip of tea. “I showed him why he’s not ready.”

Genesis trembled. His heart pounded in his chest. That…thing. That presence. It had recognized him.

“What…what was that?” he whispered.

Mrs. Domino’s eyes softened—just a fraction. “That, my son, is what you are waking up inside you.”

Silence.

Aguya broke it first. “Okay. That’s terrifying.”

Clark nodded. “Yup. Really terrifying.”

Genesis swallowed hard. “So what do I do?”

Mrs. Domino set down her cup. “You have two choices. Ignore it and hope it never comes for you.” She tilted her head. “Or learn.”

He met her gaze, determination replacing fear.

“Then teach me.”

A small smile played on her lips. “That’s more like it.”

Mr. Shawn exhaled. “Right. Now that that’s settled—can we finally discuss how we’re infiltrating Fantasia?”

Mrs. Domino stood, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said.

“I already have a plan.”Mrs. Domino didn’t hesitate. She walked over to a nearby bookshelf, ran a hand along the spines of several books, and pulled out a small, unmarked tome. She flipped it open, revealing a hidden compartment inside the book, which held a folded parchment.

She placed it on the table and smoothed it out—an intricate blueprint of Fantasia Academy.

“This,” she said, tapping a specific section on the map, “is how we get in.”

Mrs. Domino turned to Mr. Shawn. “We need to keep the professors and security forces occupied. If they’re watching the main gates, they won’t notice us slipping in through an alternate route.”

Mr. Shawn nodded. “I can arrange that. The staff is already on edge—if another ‘incident’ happens at the front entrance, they’ll be too busy securing the students to pay attention elsewhere.”

Clark raised a hand. “What kind of incident are we talking about?”

Mrs. Domino smirked. “Something… spectacular.”

Clarissa groaned. “That’s not reassuring.”

Genesis crossed his arms. “You’re talking about a full-on distraction. Do we have the manpower for that?”

Mrs. Domino glanced at Aguya. “That depends. Can you still summon the Phantom Menagerie?”

Aguya’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s an old spell. It drains too much essence.”

“Then summon half of it.”

Aguya frowned but nodded reluctantly. “I’ll need time to prepare.”

Mrs. Domino looked back at the group. “Once Aguya unleashes the Phantom Menagerie, every eye in Fantasia will be on the main gate, thinking they’re under attack.”

Mrs. Domino tapped another section of the map—a sealed underground passage beneath Fantasia’s west wing.

“This tunnel was built centuries ago when Fantasia was first established. It was meant as an escape route for the headmasters in times of war. It’s no longer in use, but it’s still accessible—if you know where to look.”

Mr. Shawn leaned in, frowning. “That tunnel’s barred by arcane locks. No one’s been able to open it for decades.”

Mrs. Domino smiled. “Because no one had the key.”

Genesis stared at her. “…You have the key, don’t you?”

She simply placed a small, metallic object on the table. It was shaped like a dagger, with glowing runes along its blade.

“Let’s just say,” she murmured, “I acquired it a long time ago.”

Clarissa looked impressed. “You just happened to steal a secret key to Fantasia’s underground? What haven’t you stolen?”

Clark chuckled. “I’m starting to think your mom used to be a master thief.”

Mrs. Domino ignored them. “With this, we can enter the tunnels undetected and reach the restricted west wing.”Mrs. Domino’s finger traced a line from the tunnels to the Headmaster’s Chamber.

“Everything happening at Fantasia—the missing students, the barrier, Lady Rhea’s disappearance—it all started here.”

She met Mr. Shawn’s gaze. “And I think the headmaster is involved.”

A heavy silence followed.

Mr. Shawn clenched his fists. “…You think he’s responsible?”

“I think he’s hiding something,” Mrs. Domino corrected. “And if we want answers, we’re going straight to his office.”

Genesis narrowed his eyes. “And if he is responsible?”

Mrs. Domino smiled. “Then we remove him.”

Aguya sighed. “This plan is insane.”

Clark grinned. “Yeah. I love it.”

Mr. Shawn stood. “Then we move tonight.”