Killer Magic Academy

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"I don't like it," Nile said.

"You don't have to like it," Octavian said. "It's not your choice."

"But it is my choice to not let you and Alyssa go out there by yourselves."

"Splitting up is the only way to get it done," Tessa said.

"It's also a great way to get killed and used as shadow-man fuel," Nile replied.

Tessa laughed. "Yeah, but that's not going to happen."

"How do you know?" Alyssa asked. Everyone was quiet for a second.

"So you've seen this?" Tenya asked Tessa.

Tessa nodded. "I've been seeing things less and less ever since the darkness awoke. If I see something now, it has to be important."

"Or it's a decoy," I said.

"What do you mean, Emma?" Nile asked.

"What if there's someone who wants Octavian and Alyssa to go out on their own so they can catch them? We have to be prepared for anything, and that includes any type of power."

"What do you suggest?" Griffin asked.

"Nile and I go out too, but we find a room to hide in. We can monitor what's going on. Nile can keep track of the air and fire and stuff, and I'll make sure you two have enough power to stay alive."

"What about the rest of us?" Erin asked.

"Erin, can you give Griffin enough power to keep track of the darkness from here?"

Griffin looked at Erin, who nodded. "We can try."

"What about me?" Ace asked.

Tessa glanced at him, and then smiled. "How bright can you make the school?"

~~~~~

Nile and I were fortified in one of the training rooms I found with Alyssa. Nile didn't seemed surprised when we got in here, even though this spot was my idea.

"Have you been in here before?" I asked.

"Nope," she replied. "But there were rumors of rooms like this that were used before classrooms and personal gyms."

"You don't seem to be too curious about it all." I said.

"That's because I have a job to do."

We sat quietly, each focused on our own domains.

"Why were you looking for Hayden's mask?" I asked her. That was one question I needed answered.

"Erin could use it and we could get an advantage."

"But what if Hayden still has it? You wouldn't be doing much looking for it here."

"Hayden left it behind before she left. It was destroyed in the Showdowns."

"Are you sure of that?"

"I don't think it was fully destroyed."

"I'm pretty sure if it wasn't, she would've come back for it. She put so much into that mask so she could get what she wanted."

"It wasn't working for her, and that's why she took it off. Why are you so interested in this anyway?"

I shook my head. "No reason. I just don't think you should be looking for it, that's all."

"I thought you didn't know anything about it."

"I'm not from a mortal family. Of course I know about it."

"Did you have a family member who was here the year of Hayden's Showdowns?" Nile asked me.

"Yes."

"Who?"

"That doesn't matter."

"Just tell me what year the person was in. That's all."

"She was a 1, but she should've been an 8."

"Hayden was your sister?"

"She still is. She's alive."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I talk to her. Every day."

"I don't mean to burst your bubble, but she is crazy."

"No, she's not. Not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"She was always a little off ever since her 5th year, but once I got my acceptance letter, something clicked for her. She never told me what specifically she did when she was here, but she told me she trusted the wrong person and sent him after someone who was innocent. She told me to make it right."

What had happened to Hayden was honestly the scariest thing in the world for me, but I wasn't going to tell anyone that. Neither of my parents were surprised when Hayden was invited to attend AA, as they had actually met at the school. Hayden came back to visit every summer, but after her 5th year, I could tell she was different. Something was beginning to snap inside, and I couldn't help her. Every time she came home, either for a school-sanctioned break or vacation, or because she didn't feel like being at school for a day, I could never guess which Hayden I would get. She would either make me lunch and show me cool things she learned with her energy powers, or she would lock herself in her room.

The one day everything changed. It was a few months into her final year. She went to our house in the middle of the night and came into my room wearing her mask. I didn't know what was happening, or what the mask could do, and I screamed for help. When my parents came in to help me, Hayden killed them both. My dad's gardening power and my mom's super strength couldn't do anything against Hayden's energy.

I don't know what happened after that, but when I woke up, Hayden was gone. I eventually found out what had happened during the last round of her Showdowns, which was a few days after.

My parents' friends from the Academy took turns coming over to take care of me, but I'm pretty sure they were trying to make sure Hayden wasn't coming back for me. There aren't any official laws or organizations in place to make sure stuff like this didn't happen, and I didn't ask any questions.

Hayden came back to visit me when I got into Aptitude Academy. It was the first time I had seen her since she killed our parents. She explained to me what had happened and told me that I had to make up for her mistakes. I could tell she was back to normal. I didn't know how that happened, but she was normal. I had my sister back.

"She was normal after you got in?" Nile asked.

I nodded. "It was the same day I got the message."

Nile paused for a second. "You get the letter the day you use your power for the first time, even if you don't realize it and especially if you don't know what your power is. What if you healed Hayden?"

I was shocked. "Is that possible?"

Nile shrugged. "I don't know. But if you can heal a Searcher, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities for us."

"Like if I heal Anthony, he no longer works for the darkness and it'll make Alyssa's job of burning it down easier."

Nile nodded. "Exactly. We need to test this."

"So we have to find a Searcher?" I asked. "What about keeping watch over Octavian and Alyssa?"

Nile held up her hand. "We'll do that first. But as soon as that's done, we test this."

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." Then I smiled, and so did Nile.

~~~

More on Hayden's story will be coming soon!  There will be a major plot twist in the next couple of chapters, so be prepared for that!  Thanks for reading!