- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ chapter nine ❜┊˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
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DOWLING AND SILVA WERE NERVOUS.  They were terrified of many issues that crept themselves up for the school year, starting with the burned ones and the terrifying commands of Akira, which they both blatantly ignored, even with his warning. Dowling was confused of him, the boys who wanted to come to this school, who wanted to be under her command even though she harmed his kingdom, she was so confused. Why had the burned ones made their appearance known whose power had drawn them in, and why was he here, what did he want with her school never mind that what did he want with her or was it one of the  students that he wanted?

So much was happening. It was all too fast for the two adults, maybe they were wrong. Maybe they couldn't handle the situation. But even then they were far too deep to leave, to ask for forgiveness and to seek help.

"I chained it up in a barn outside the Barrier." Dowling confessed. Looking out her office window, her mind betraying her as the thoughts rushed in with absolute chaos. Dowling knew what Silva was going to say, she didn't say anything, no she wouldn't, not after he gave his response, giving him the chance to say something... something where she knew he would understand her thought process and where she was coming from.

"You should've killed it." Ah, there it was. Dowling thought. She was right. Of course, she was... Because Silva was too simple-minded, too grief stricken over the death of his dear friend, to understand the academic perspective. "And left it in the human world?" She asked, still looking out the window and into the dark sky... one she always loved and believed was beautiful, but now? It was nothing but a black blanket that covered the horrors of the school, the horrors of her past.

"You should've brought it back here and then killed it." Farah turned around at that. Her eyebrows furrowing... waiting for him to spit out what else was claiming at the back of his throat. Silva had crossed his arms as he paced the room. "Did it break your skin?" Silva looked the straight in the eye.

"No, I'm not infected." She blinked a couple of times, as she turned her body, so she was fully facing him. "I've got Ben to make up some oil from the Zanbaq flowers in the greenhouse. I've dosed it. It won't be conscious for hours." Farah added quickly, acting as if harbouring a Burned one was completely safe. Silva only got increasingly frustrated as he listened to her. He took a breath in. "Farah..." The headmistress didn't let him continue.

"I need to get in its head. We need to know if this is an isolated incident or something more." She spoke quickly. Silva had cut her off, the same way she did prior. "Something more?" He asked.

"Like what?" Dowling and Silva froze. Akira

The two had taken sharp breaths in as they turned slowly to the calming voice of the prince. "Go on, speak" Akira stared at Dowling, looking into her eyes as he said the last word. It wasn't a comment, it wasn't a question. It was a command. Not just from a random professor, no. But a command from the Prince of Espero, the prince whose kingdom controlled the balance of magic itself.

Dowling wasn't willing to let the prince know. "There's a new student, who comes from a challenging background. We believe he may have sent the burned ones." Dowling said as she gulped. "No one can just send a burned one, much less command one" Akira replied as his eyes narrowed. 

Akira stepped forward now a few feet from Dowling and Silva. "I know your pride will prevent you from telling me what's running through those cunning minds of yours, but if your decision jeopardizes my family, forget the burned ones or this boy you speak of-" Akira paused "... I'll hunt you both down and hang you, making everyone watch as your bodies rot away"

Silva and Dowling had paused as they thought about his words... his threats.

"Watch your mouth" Silva replied hastily as he stood in front of Dowling, Akira mused at the scene. It was like he was her little body guard, a foot soldier. "Know your place, Silva." Akira spoke calmly, which frightened the headmistress. The only other person that had come to her mind was her former leader, the former role model of hers which she despised so much.

"You have two choices, the first being informing me of whatever situation you idiots have gotten yourselves in and sorting this out with me, or walking away and watching this school burn to the ground for your mistakes" Silva wondered if Akira ever showed this side of himself to the family he held so dear. He only narrowed his eyes, waiting for Farah to make the decision on their behalf.

"Prince Akira, you do not work at this school nor have any authority over me. Other than your obvious status. I assure you that your family will not come to harm, and it is simply a misunderstanding between the school and the family the boy belongs too, as for the Burned ones we have gotten the royal family of Solaria involved in the matter. The burned one is dead and ash. If another issue arises which does concern the school or your families safety, we will let you know immediately." Akira only chuckled, finding the situation amusing. Dowling was a good liar and worked well when she was under pressure. It was too bad she didn't hold this stance at the beginning of the conversation, mauve, then he would have actually believed her.

"No authority" Akira murmured with a grin threatening to invade. "A misunderstanding, you say? Okay, but remember my words" Akira left after that, with a mocking laugh taking control of the tension and creating more.

Dowling and Silva made sure the doors were locked and no one could hear them before Dowling, continued, "I found a changeling in the First World." Silva sighed.

"A changeling. I've not heard of one of those in centuries." Silva could not believe what he was hearing.

"Yet there she was... left 16 years ago... right around the time the last Burned One was spotted." Dowling breathed out. Silva furrowed his eyebrows. "That can't be right, the last burned one killed was in Espero... with the murder of Empress–" Silva paused as the realization set in. "You think it's all connected. The boy, Espero, the burned one... this-this changeling you're speaking of"

"I'm struggling, Saul. Rosalind kept so much from us." Dowling said. The words set into Silva's mind. He thought about Rosalind, the sadness and rage that had captured and filled his heart. "I'm worried about the students."

Akira had walked outside, the cold touching and prickling at his skin. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, picturing the face of his mother, his mother that sacrificed her life to protect them all. "Mother" he started. "To be honest I'm quite terrified, I'm scared for Layla and Zara. The Alfea they know is very different from the one I attended. Everything supposed to be peaceful and quiet, so why are new threats knocking on our doors every day?" He asked. "They have so much life to experience. Even if this world were safe, what they're going through can feel impossible. But this world isn't safe, and I don't know how long I'll be able to protect them from it. I don't know if I can, not like you did" Akira had opened his eyes as they started to sting. He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck as tears started to pour out of his eyes.

"Mother, I feel it... the shift. They've all had order for so long, they don't know what chaos feels like, but they might soon... how will we be able to protect them from it if we ourselves refuse to acknowledge it and take the necessary precautions" Akira wondered out loud. Akira had no idea what to do and how to do this, all he knew was that he needed to be wary of this newcomer Dowling was terrified of.

  HE SEEMED UNTOUCHABLE, ETHEREAL EVEN. Not to mention angelic, but Dowling knew the minute he stepped foot onto the school grounds, that this entity was not here to learn nor was he here to punish her for all she did to his kingdom, no. He was here for someone else, someone more powerful... someone more important than herself. She shivered out in the cold, being out in the early morning because of her prior engagement, Farah Dowling had been outside for more than two hours.

Farah cleared her throat, trying her absolute best not to reveal her teeth chattering. The male had looked at his surroundings, taking in the setting he would be forced to grow accustomed too. This Place was so much lighter than he expected. So much weaker, unlike his home realm, Deianira. He was beginning to miss it, his home. The beauty of the darkness that only the lucky were revealed to.

"The headmistress, I am assuming" The male had asked, not sparing her a glance. Dowling would have been offended if this was any other student, but this boy was not any other student. He was important just as much as he was peculiar.

"Yes, Headmistress Dowling, your majesty-" Farah was cut off with a laugh. It was one that compelled her to look at the being in front of her.

"I'm not a king yet, Headmistress..." The prince paused, "Tell me, does Princess Zara of Espero attend this institution of yours?" Dowling didn't say anything, but her eyes gave it away. The confusion and fear laced into one. Why did he want her?

He stared at her for a couple more seconds before nodding in acceptance. "I see" was all he said before Dowling had taken him on a tour of the grounds, where he would be staying as a specialist. Dowling wondered if he had magic, she would have assumed so, coming to the royal family of a realm such as Deianira. One that was exceptional of making themselves unknown to the rest of the universe. She had thrown away that thought before continuing. Unaware of the trouble, the boy walking alongside her would cause for the Realm of Magix and Eraklyon.

ZARA WAS TIRED, SO TIRED. She walked out of her room with her toothbrush in her mouth, still in her pyjamas. Which was basically an ancient oversized t-shirt with shorts. She was tempted to close her eyes and pass out right on the floor as she passed Bloom and Aisha's room, but decided against it. After all, today was the first day that the fairies would receive their lessons.

Zara made her way to the shared washroom. It was empty, and for once she was thankful. She continued with her tooth brushing and face washing and so on. She then proceeded to take off her shirt, revealing a black sport bra under. It was then when someone entered. She turned around and saw it was Terra. Zara simply smiled. "Good Morning lovely!" She greeted with a smile. Terra was equally cheerful.

Zara believed herself to be Terra's protector of sorts, actually all the Espero and Ohm kids were extremely protective of the nature fairy. The group wanted nothing but the best for her, but they also had a side agenda. Concerning a certain crush, Sebastian had on the girl.

"Nothing much, super excited for classes today" Terra smiled. Before turning around and taking her robe off. She stopped and put it back on when the door opened, revealing the water fairy of the dorm. Aisha.

"What's up, sleepyheads?" Aisha asked. Terra seemed uncomfortable for a second before masking it with a smile and her usual awkwardness. Zara simply nodded as she watched Terra's mood change. The princess knew how the start of Alfea was harsher on Terra, especially with the bullying and the comments surrounding her weight and the way she looked.

Zara never understood why they should be concerned, after all Terra was beautiful just the way she was and if nobody would acknowledge and let her live then fuck them!

"Oh, nothing much, you know.  First day, uh, waking up, and, um... Um... And you are peeing in front of me, which is new. Um..." Terra grew increasingly uncomfortable as Zara tried to but in, hopefully saving Terra from her lack of social confidence.

"Which is fine." Zara whispered. Her help did nothing at all.

"Is that weird? I'm not used to caring. Swim team and all. Were you going to take a shower?" Zara was impressed with how comfortable Aisha was, and yet the water fairy was completely oblivious to how Terra was feeling at that moment. Zara made her way to Terra and had whispered in her ear. "You can change in my room, I don't share with anyone" Zara pulled her head back and sent a smile towards the nature fairy as Terra breathed out a sigh of relief. She mouthed a thank you before making some excuse about her bra and rushing out of the washroom.

"Is she okay?" Aisha asked Zara. "Yeah, she went to get a bra, remember... because she forgot hers" Zara replied as she finished changing into her skirt. Zara grabbed her things, sending Aisha a quick grin before leaving the washroom.

Zara was just in time for Stella's appearance. "My mum is the queen, and the ring you lost is one of the crown jewels of Solaria." Stella was mad. She paused before spitting out, "That might not mean much to a First Worlder." Zara scoffed at Stella's sentence. Dropping her things onto the couch, she approached the trio.

"You shouldn't have given it to her, knowing how important that jewel is to your nation. She comes from the first world, she doesn't understand how important objects like that are, none of them do... not like you and I. You were stupid for giving it  to her, and you are simply receiving the consequences of your actions....for once" Musa and Bloom were stunned at Zara's defence.

"Like you would know" Stella replied as she stopped closer to Zara. Stella was mad at Zara for still being in between Sky and her. Even if they broke up. Stella was mad that Zara was still the first choice.

"Don't test my patience, Stella, remember your place, or I will gladly put you in it." Zara whispered. Though everyone present heard the threat. "Why yo-" Stella was interrupted by the princess of Espero. "Dowling has the creature locked up, which you would know if you were here last night when she gave us an earful." Zara spat out. The two royal figures had glared at one and the other.

Bloom and Musa looked at one and other in curiosity, what was this tension between the two girls. Why did Zara have the upper hand?

"I didn't tell her that I lost the ring, and I'm sure if we do, then..." Bloom cut in, trying to defuse the situation between the two. Bloom stepped forward but stopped once she received a look from Aisha, who she just registered was here.

The princess of Solaria had turned away from the Princess of Espero and looked at the red head, "We will do no such thing. I will figure it out after class, but for now, no one says anything to anyone and can someone make sure that Terra knows that?" Stella turned towards Zara as if she was mocking her.

"She can never keep her mouth shut." Zara laughed at the blonde. "and you can?" Zara commented as she smiled wolfishly at the girl in front of her, Stella's smug face had been wiped off immediately as she pressed her nails against her palm.

"watch yourself....princess." Zara didn't wait for a reply before she aggressively grabbed her things and entered her room, knowing it was empty from Terra's entrance to the awkward situation everyone in the suite was presented with.  The obvious rivalry between Princess Zara and Princess Stella.