The Witch's Revenge

Chapter 7

"Maybe don't touch things you're unfamiliar with?" the young man suggests. He's dressed really casually sort of like I am, really. Can he really be a teacher?

As he turns to walk away, John calls out, "Thanks, man! You're a life-saver."

The young grouch tums to glare at us once more. "Don't be so casual with a teacher, man." Yep. Nailed that one. "1 won't give you a warning this time around, but before you decide to touch anything else, read the rulebook"

The massive rulebook which no one could have possibly read in such a short amount of time? Well, I won't say that out loud, since he's not punishing us. Must mean he's the "strict, but fair" type. Totally gives off the vibe. I always did prefer younger teachers. The old ones were too set in their ways, even when those ways were clearly wrong.

John claps his hand down on my shoulder, and I wince. Immediately, he pulls it away. "S-Sorry. I forgot."

"It's fine." It's not. Next time, I might respond appropriately. "Let's check out the library next." Anything inside is preferable to all the scary outdoor stuff.

John follows without further complaint, and as we're walking down the hallways, I notice the same teacher glaring at us. A young woman is standing next to him, her skin several shades darker. She's as animated as he is cold, her big eyes bright and full of life-life his dead fish eyes are extinguishing with each dispassionate word he utters. Are he and Lockwood related?

As we step into the library, Maya comes running toward us, holding a stack of books. As she walks past a group of girls, one of them extends her leg. Before I can say anything, Maya trips right over it, her books scattering everywhere Laughter ensues, as it always does in these situations.

My read on John proves correct when, instead of laughing, he rushes toward the fallen girl and helps her pick her stuff up. He's really just a big, lovable dog. Well, they both are, honestly.

As Maya turns to glare at the red-headed girl who tripped her, a tall, blonde girl walks in between them, her presence enough to silence the laughter. Diana Nordin was probably royalty in her past life, The way she holds herself is unreal. So high and mighty, yet not imposing at all. If anything, her demeanor seems welcoming.

The red-headed girl crosses her arms, huffing. "Can I help you?"

"I saw what you did, replies Diana, tone perfectly polite. "One might expect camaraderie between two students of the same rank, but I suppose not. Must be the C way of life"

Ouch. Even I felt that one. Such a cold way of saying it, too. Doesn't invite any rebuttal, either. I think I'm gonna steer clear of Diane for now. Her brother, snotty as he seems, is way less intimidating.

The A-rank witch walks out of the library, leaving silence in her wake.

All of it seems like something I've seen before. I don't just mean bullies getting their comeuppance, but rather this exact scene, play by play. A blonde girl arguing with a red-haired one. I seriously need to get my head examined.

"What a bitch," says one of the giris surrounding the ginger, full of courage now that the queen is gone. Similar comments follow, the group shuffling out of the library. The redhead slams her shoulder into mine on her way out, giving me a dirty look.

"That's lan's cousin, John tells me. "Maria O'Ryan. She can be grouchy sometimes."

"A bitch is what she is, Maya corrects, but quickly forgets to stay mad and smile sat me. "You wanna explore the school together?"

"Sure. If John doesn't mind." Given how energetic they both are, this'll definitely end with me babysitting them, isn't it? What rank is John, anyway? Feels awkward to just ask it now.

As we continue on with our day, I happen to look outside the window. A black owl is perched right outside it, its big, golden eyes staring at me, unblinking, What species is that? Why's it out and about during the day? Owls are supposed to be nocturnal. Are there exceptions? John might know. He's probably good with animals.

"Hey, Mac. What kind of owi is this?"

John and Maya stop their heated debate over cats, both blinking rapidly at me. "Uh, what owi?" the boy finally says.

I turn toward the window, and see nothing there. What the hell? That can't be right. How'd it get away so silently? So fast, too.

I open the window and poke my head outside while maintaining a firm, safe grip on the sill, of course but I don't see the owl anywhere. Is it already in the forest? I couldn't have looked away for more than two seconds.

"It'll be dark soon." Maya says. "We should go get good spots in the dining hall while we can."

"Yeah, sure," I absentmindedly reply, still staring out the window. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

******

ANASTASIA

Finally, after years of research, I have found it. The temple is everything I imagined it would be, my studies correct all the way down to the smallest detail.

The Temple of the Void, inside of which is the Altar of Silence. We've been after it for decades now. I can't believe I've lived to see the day arrive.

Hidden in the middle of the Sahara desert, it's no wonder no one has been able to find it. Hidden in magic, it is utterly invisible to the mortal eye. Only we casters can look upon it.

The only entrance is a large stone door covered in markings. A few are runes, but most are just depictions of the various stories about the Silent One. Snakes devouring men, a rain of fire burning down a village, a black ocean swallowing a country. These are just a few things the Silent One is capable of.

In the middle of the door is a black gemstone, emanating a strange power. It's as though it's pulling my magic in, ready to swallow it.

My companion steps forward, his big, dopey eyes sparkling with excitement. "We did it! I can't believe we did it!" Yes. Now I can finally be rid of you.

Pretending to go through my research, I tell him, "Now we just have to feed it."

It is not technically a lie. The temple will swallow all magic it comes into contact with, ensuring no caster can reach our Lord's most sacred place. But we are not required to feed it. In fact, it's quite lethal.

Pedro lets the tips of his fingers touch the black stone, a shock of electricity immediately frying most of the nerves. within his body Paralyzed, he's unable to do a thing as his magic flows into the stone.

"H-Help" I ignore him, writing down the details. "Anna, h-help me. I can't move!"

"No, I would imagine not."

Starting to panic, he is already covered in sweat, those big, stupid eyes zeroing in on me. "What are you saying? C'mon, Anna. This isn't a joke!"

Oh, alright. I can't believe I'm doing this.

I slap his hand off of the stone, unaffected thanks to the runes covering my gloves. Pedro immediately stumbles back, falling on his ass.

"T-Thank you." Yes, yes. Whatever.

Now we just need the key.

********

HOTARU

The classes are not held at the same time for everyone, obviously. I've got a pretty clear idea of how they separated us, though. Ian is here with me, but John is not. I see Erik, too, but not his sister. Maya is absent as well.

"Are we all Bo?" one of the others asks, pretty much confirming my suspicions. It makes sense, Best not to let us be dragged down by Cs, or have us dragging down the As. I'll be with them soon enough, anyway.

The first class is Levitation, Seems pretty straightforward. Tell anyone to picture a witch in their heads, and the odds are they'll be envisioning her upon a broom, flying through the air.

The teacher is a stern-looking woman with dark skin and short hair. Her face is perfectly average, to the point where she can possibly fit in with most crowds, She's wearing a professional outfit, her skirt exposing her muscular thighs.

Must've been an athlete at some point in her life. I can't make out her exact age, but she's definitely older than the two.

I saw yesterday.

"Good morning" she starts, walking up to the head of the class, her heels clicking against the stone floor. "Welcome to the first magical class of your lives. In Levitation, we'll leam exactly what the name suggests: flying"

A few excited whispers follow right after, but a sharp sound silences it all. The teacher actually has a riding crop with her, and she just swung it through the air.

"You will not speak until I call on you. You will not use magic until I tell you to. You will stop whatever it is you're doing the moment I tell you to. There will be no bathroom breaks. There will be no eating. Drinking will be done when I say so. Am I clear enough?”