AuthorSME

  The gateway’s shimmering light dissolved around Sora and Wendy, leaving them on a cracked cobblestone path. The air shifted immediately—cooler, damp, and heavy with an earthy sweetness. Sora’s ears twitched, catching faint rustles from unseen movement in the distance, but no footsteps followed. The towering branches of the World Tree loomed overhead, their gnarled silhouettes curling like cws against the hazy twilight.

  “Wow, spooky much?” Wendy muttered, her tail puffing slightly as she scanned the overgrown ruins ahead. “Feels like Halloween threw up here.”

  Sora’s nose crinkled at the faint, sweetly decayed scent of the bioluminescent fungi clinging to the crumbling walls, but a smile creased her eyes. “Nice one. It really does feel…off.” Her tail flicked in a restless rhythm, brushing lightly against Wendy’s leg. “Where are—oh, there they are. Hey!”

  Nerida stood straighter as she called out, the siren standing at the edge of the path, her usually shy demeanor magnified by her wide, darting eyes. She leaned in, sticking close to the teen cat who seemed to be drawing courage from protecting the fish girl.

  “Wait, are those the things you were talking about?!”

  “I told you,” Nilly decred, puffing out her chest and pnting her hands on her hips. “This pce is crawling with shadow monsters but they’re hiding! That’s Sora and Wendy, silly,” she snickered, swishing her tail dramatically. “They won’t jump out so long as it’s night and I’m here!”

  Sora’s mouth twitched at the subtle quiver in the cat’s tone. Yeah, you’re totally scared, too, Nilly! I guess even the Cat Mother can be scared when she’s just a teenager… Wait, does that mean Grandma and all the other 1st Generation were just like us, too? Hmm. How would Nilly tell the origin of the 1st Gen?

  “The shadow monsters are real?” Nerida groaned as she jogged over to join them with the cat by her side. “Sora, Nilly says there are horror creatures here. I’ve never seen a horror movie, but…is this what they’d feel like?”

  Wendy’s ears flicked as she gnced at her, her mouth twitching in a lopsided grin. “Oooh! Darkness stuff, right? That is Se’s specialty and the pce is ‘creepy vibes’ personified.”

  Sora tried to suppress a ugh as Nerida stuck close to them, the French siren clearly being the sheltered type. “I don’t think Se’s aiming for cozy,” she said, brushing her hands against the trembling girl’s arm as the faint hum of dark magic rippled through the air. Her gaze shifted toward the distant ruins ahead, the jagged spires cwing at the dim light like skeletal remains. “That being said, she’s really leaning into the theme. It’s dark but constrained.”

  The faintest scent of something familiar lingered in the air, tugging at Sora’s attention. Her nose twitched, and she turned her head sharply, catching only a hint of earthy dampness mingling with the fragrance.

  Aelion…and Diane came through here? Not together, but not far apart… Okay, now I’m getting shivers!

  “Sora?” Nerida whispered, face going white. “I-I hear some weird melody from those ruins. Is this really where a teacher gives lectures?”

  Her ears fttened slightly, her chest tightening as Wendy gave her a look that said, ‘What’s up with you?’ before tilting her head and straightening her ears.

  “I don’t hear anything… In fact, I don’t really feel anything threatening. Well, other than the vibes,” she snickered. “You sense monsters, Nilly?”

  The cat’s head tilted to the side, arms now crossed and hiding behind them while peering out from behind Wendy’s tail. “Eh, kind of. Just shady people walking underneath us in inky soup—like, a world upside down, but it’s also up there,” she pointed above the World Tree with a shrug. “They’re everywhere but mostly below and above. They’re not dangerous. Are they?”

  “Uh-huh,” Sora mumbled, skipping forward a step to show a bold face and trying not to let paranoia get to her. “Let’s not get too crazy with the vibes, guys! Se probably made it this way to scare everyone off so she wouldn’t have to teach anyone. And, I just…thought I smelled something weird earlier. Let’s keep moving. We gotta be Se’s first students!”

  She didn’t miss Wendy’s skeptical gnce, but her sister didn’t press further. Instead, Wendy’s tail swished cautiously as she took Nerida’s hand like a big sister and guided her forward, while Nilly sauntered behind, humming an off-key tune that only added to the surreal atmosphere—probably the notes she was hearing.

  Sora led the way, trying to lighten the mood for the others, but there was something haunting about the area she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Her gaze drifted around as Wendy teased the other two, taking full advantage of them being somewhat sheltered or innocent.

  The ruins loomed rger with each step, their shadowy arches jagged and fractured like broken teeth. Sora’s gaze traced the shifting inscriptions on the walls—lines that rippled and twisted as though alive. She rubbed her arms while following an invisible scent trail further beyond the semi-colpsed lecture hall, the faint pulse of magic in the air making her fur prickle.

  Aelion kept going into…whatever district this is. Did he go into the bck forest? She gnced around, noting how a lot of the gnarled trees around them almost seemed to be parted unnaturally to allow sunlight through. Did Se do this… It feels like dark magic was used here recently… Se’s magic. And Diane went inside.

  “This…” Nerida hesitated, her wide eyes darting between the crumbling walls. Her grip tightened on Wendy’s sleeve as the brunette puffed up with courage. “I really don’t think lecture halls are supposed to look…like this. Mom would always tell me that a tidy cave with decorations invites good luck.”

  Wendy gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder, her ears flicking at the faint whisper of movement from somewhere within. “Yeah, well, she probably just wanted you to clean up. My mom used to do the same…but with the threat of bedbugs. And considering everything Sora told me about Se, I’d be worried if it wasn’t like this.”

  Nilly’s tails flicked as she skipped a few steps ahead, gncing over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “Ooo! Spoookie! Se did good! I was worried this pce wouldn’t be creepy enough with how the st professor was talking. A+ ambiance. Really setting the mood for academic enlightenment in The Darkness! Do you think we’ll get candles and a bck cat? Eh—I am a bck cat!” she gasped.

  Sora couldn’t help a ugh this time, her focus drawn to the hall’s unsettling details. The air felt thicker here, clinging to her fur and brushing against her skin like invisible threads. “Can you guys…really not hear that?”

  “Nilly’s song?” Wendy asked, ears straightening and now looking slightly annoyed. “Nope. Just the wind and Nerida’s quaking ankles.”

  “Hey… I’m used to fog and darkness in the ocean, but this is…different. There’s nowhere to hide.”

  Sora didn’t hear the responses. The faint whispers of shame, guilt, and pain echoed from the cracks in the walls, not voices exactly—just vibrations that nudged at the edges of her senses.

  Am I sensing Se’s magic…or The Darkness? Aelion said he had more advanced csses to go to, and the timing isn’t perfect on the scents, but…he could have passed by or spoken to Diane. Diane’s scent hasn’t left either. Is she listening to Se’s lecture?

  Her eyes narrowed as she studied the faint glow of inscriptions, her tail swaying restlessly. The potent dark magic hummed through the hall, weaving a dissonant melody that seemed to echo from everywhere at once. She couldn’t tell if it was the environment, her nerves, or something more sinister, but the weight of the pce pressed against her chest.

  “Maybe there is something deeper at py here… But we’re here to learn all about it.”

  “Definitely not your average lecture hall, for sure,” Wendy muttered, her voice low as she fell into step beside Sora. Her tail flicked sharply as her gaze swept the shadows and the other two trailed behind them. “Do we…knock or something? I don’t hear anyone nearby.”

  “No need! Nilly knows the way!” the cat chirped, making Sora stiffen. Wendy choked as the thirteen-year-old teen Cat Mom abruptly skipped around them, her grin widening as she pushed the heavy door open with surprising ease. “C’mon, torchbearers of courage! Nilly’s a brave little kitten, ready for adventure! Let’s go make the Honey Lover proud and face the shadow sardines with holy water of pure heart!”

  “Nilly—can she reverse age?” Nerida gasped, spinning in a circle as if expecting dark fairies to fly out of the mushrooms to turn her into a little girl. “No—did the magic make her younger?! I only took my eyes off her for a second!”

  Sora sighed, ears falling ft as the door groaned loudly, the sound reverberating through the darkened space beyond. “No… This is just a Nilly thing. Give it a few seconds, minutes, or maybe a few hours and she’ll be back to normal… Nilly?”

  “And, she’s gone,” Wendy snickered. “I thought she was starting to act a little off. We need to come up with names for each Nilly. Is this one Pirate Nilly because she’s always talking about battle sardine armies? Maybe she went to connect with Sora’s new boyfriend.”

  “Ack! Wendy!” Sora gagged, her ears tilting forward while shooting a gre at her smirking sister; she knew Aelion’s scent but not Se or Diane’s since she was a human at that time. “What are you talking about?”

  “B-Boyfriend—you’re in a retionship already?” Nerida asked in awe, now looking starstruck and totally past the weird vibes. “Vulpes move fast. Holy sea cow. My mom said I better not come back without one, so how do you do that? Hypnosis is off limits. You didn’t…”

  Sora’s tail stiffened, all other thoughts vanishing as she turned to the smirking brunette, face turning bright red. “Wendy! What are you even talking about? I don’t have a boyfriend!” Her voice rose slightly, drawing a startled gnce from Nerida, whose wide eyes sparkled with curiosity.

  “Uh-huh,” Wendy replied, giving her a look that screamed mischief. “Sure, Sis. You only lit up like a firefly when Aelion walked by or talked with you, and now you’re sniffing the air like you’re tracking him down. I smell that other female scent around, too. Totally not suspicious at all,” she sang. “Both our moms would be agreeing with me if they were here.”

  “Ugh, you’re impossible,” Sora grumbled, her ears tilting back as heat rose in her cheeks. She shot a gre at Wendy before sighing and shifting her focus to Nerida, who looked ready to take notes. “And no! There’s no hypnosis involved—seriously, where is this even coming from? We were talking about how spooky the vibe was and now it’s all about romance?”

  Nerida tilted her head, her aquamarine hair falling over one shoulder as she csped her hands together in front of her; her cheeks went a crimson as hers. “Oh, it’s just—well, I’ve heard vulpes are, um, persuasive? A-And when I learned we were going to the vulpes district. Umm. Yeah, with that kind of magic, you could probably—”

  “Stop right there!” Sora interrupted, holding up a hand, her tail fluffing significantly. “I’m not hypnotizing anyone! I already did that once in a bowling alley and—Wendy!”

  Wendy pced a hand over her mouth. “No! A bowling alley? Bad things on your mind, Sis.”

  “Maybe in your mind! That’s not how this works and you know it! That was the recreational center employee when I was with Nilly—no! Don’t you even…”

  “I didn’t have to!” Wendy snickered, her tail beating left and right. “You’re too easy!”

  “Whatever. And, for the record, there’s nothing going on with Aelion, okay? He’s just…friendly.”

  Wendy raised an eyebrow toward Nerida, her grin widening and putting all sorts of thoughts through the innocent siren’s head. “Friendly, huh? Is that what they call it these days? What did they call it in France, Nerida?”

  “Wendy, I swear—” Sora’s tail shed as she stepped toward her sister, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper. “If you don’t knock it off, I’ll—”

  “Guys,” Nerida cut in, her voice trembling slightly as she gnced toward the open door, her fingers clutching her coral bracelet. “Um, I-I didn’t want to start a fight. It’s, umm, what do we do about Nilly?”

  The words snapped Sora out of her growing frustration as she glowered at her smug sister. Wendy doesn’t act like this unless she’s trying to blow off steam… She’s bothered about something and trying to get me to read her mind. But going the boyfriend angle, really?! Geez. Way to put thoughts in Nerida’s head.

  Her gaze darted to the gaping doorway where shadows seemed to ripple, waiting, but it was only an illusion. She swallowed the lingering embarrassment and focused. “I half think you want to date Aelion with how obsessed you’ve been with me being with him.”

  As she stepped forward, Wendy followed. “And what if I said yes? Tattoos, a pretty face, and that body,” she said with a nudging elbow that had Sora directing a sharp look in return. A quiet ugh bubbled through her chest, but her tone softened. “Okay, okay. I’ll y off…for now. But you owe me a full expnation ter because he may not be your boyfriend yet but I know that blush.”

  Sora shot her a sidelong gre but said nothing, her focus shifting to the oppressive atmosphere beyond the door. The unsettling hum of dark magic thickened as they entered, pushing aside the banter with an uneasy silence. Her tail flicked nervously as she muttered under her breath, “Seriously… We’ve got some nights of truth and dare ahead of us. Just you wait.”

  Nerida mouthed the words as if some holy rite. “Truth or dare… I’ve heard girls talk about that on the beach houses. I’d watch them at night through windows and, eh—I’m not a creep or peeper!” she groaned, shrinking as they both turned to look at her. “I just… I should keep my mouth shut.”

  “You’re fine,” Sora said, feeling a tad bad for the lonely and isoted French siren teenager. “We can py it ter tonight with Kari and Eyia… Well, maybe,” she mumbled upon seeing Wendy’s sudden scowl that if the wolf joined then she wouldn’t.

  Sora led the group cautiously into the lecture hall, her tail brushing Wendy’s leg as they descended the cracked stone stairs. The oppressive air within the ruined chamber pressed against her cmmy skin, the shadows seemingly curling tighter around the space as they moved further inside.

  Her fingers twitched at the faint scrape of cws—no, not cws—Nilly’s small cat paws as the teen Cat Mother, now in feline form, lounged atop a decayed wooden table at the base of the hall. The once-grand space felt cavernous, empty of students save for a lone figure sitting in the center.

  Se hovered slightly above the shattered remains of a lecture podium, a thick tome levitating in front of her. The glow of her translucent wings barely lit the gloom, their edges quivering with faint, residual light. Her honey-blonde hair hung loose, framing her stoic expression, and her bright eyes reflected the cold ambiance of the room, despite their brightness.

  Sora’s heart twisted. She looks so…alone. I thought Titania was going to smooth things over with the staff. But, I guess prejudices run deep in a race that basically lives forever…

  She gnced back at Wendy, who raised a skeptical brow, clearly unimpressed with Se’s choice of décor, or ck thereof. Nerida clung to Wendy’s arm again, the siren’s aquamarine hair spilling over her shoulder as her wide eyes darted nervously to her, looking for guidance and no doubt wondering if she was a demon in disguise. Nilly was totally obvious to them in her lounging position; Sora was sure that wouldn’t st long.

  Clearing her throat, Sora stepped forward, her voice gentle but clear. “Se… Hey. How’ve you been?”

  The Unseelie-turned-professor lifted her gaze from the book, her bright pupils bckening and hollowing out as they narrowed. “Of course, it would be your little group of misfits that grace my hall. How have I been since you tortured me?” Her voice carried a dry, biting humor and Nerida’s jaw sckened at the accusation.

  “Se!” Sora huffed, pcing her hands on her hips. “I’m not even going to humor that; I didn’t torture you and you look fabulous! I like the wings—pretty.”

  The half-Unseelie, at this point, sighed, her vision returning to normal. “Pretty are they? Not even half of the shine of my mother… In any case, I’m better than these walls—they don’t have to endure teaching students who flee like frightened birds at the sight of me. Your new siren groupy seems to be on the verge of running in fright.”

  “Not doing herself any favors in this environment,” Wendy muttered from behind Sora. “If she wanted to py a witch teacher, she could have at least bought candy for the css.”

  Se’s lips quirked, a faint, bitter smile tugging at the corners. “Bluntness runs in the family, I see.”

  Sora’s tail straightened as she approached cautiously, her steps measured. “That’s not fair. You’ve been through more than most… I don’t understand. I couldn’t. But…I get it. People just…need time to understand you. It’s not your fault they’re too scared to stick around… Well, never mind, it kind of is with how you decorated the pce,” she added with a short chuckle, “but the rumors spread by some of the other faculty don’t help. I heard a few on the way here. Professor Kurosaki is a fan, though.”

  “A fan?” Se repeated, her voice heavy, almost contemptive. “That’s something to be concerned about, not propped up, child. Perhaps they are right to flee. The sight of me is a reminder of what they fear most—what they could become. Would you not agree after the manipution I did to harm your doorman friend?” she asked with a small smirk as the book closed. “His succubus fiancée would have stronger words for me. And what do you think of me?”

  Her gaze drifted to Nerida, who instinctively shrank back, prompting Wendy to tighten her grip protectively around the siren’s arm. “This pce, well…isn’t just creepy,” Nerida whispered, her voice trembling. “It feels like…something’s watching us.”

  Se sighed, her wings twitching slightly. “Good instincts… There is. The walls are steeped in lingering magic, echoes of a perpetual Shadow Pit from a past battle that shook the academy to its core. It is not dangerous now, merely…invasive. A suitable stage for an Unseelie lecture, no? It is critical to understand what you are dealing with.”

  Sora studied her face, noting the faint tremor in her voice—subtle, but unmistakable. “Is that why you’re here, then? You weren’t forced here, right? The other teachers are treating you okay?”

  Se’s gaze sharpened, a faint spark of amusement lighting her otherwise somber features. “You’re bold, Sora. No fear, only curiosity and an urge for justice…which can even extend to your enemies. Quit it. You are making my stomach turn.”

  “Huh?” Sora’s brow furrowed. “That’s mean.”

  Wendy snorted. “Sorry, but I’m on her side, Sis.”

  “I’m sure you are,” Sora mumbled, eyeing her frowning sister and reflecting on their earlier conversation about being too trusting. “I’m not going to change who I am, though. You can hate me all you want. You know, Daisy was terrified of me and wanted me to just leave her in her sorrow at first, too. But tell me, Se, are you better before or after you met me?”

  Nerida was stiff as a board, looking as if she’d give up her ghost at the tone she was taking with a professor. Wendy appeared more critical of her. She understood both perspectives but she still wasn’t going to back down. Nilly was now on a table near the top of the hall, smiling eyes on her as she yawned.

  Se folded her hands in her p as her question lingered in the still air, and after a few sections, she whispered, “That is a question I ask myself every ten minutes… What goes without question is that you’ve already poked your nose into more danger than any sensible creature would dare… A Founder’s right through raw power, I suppose. And now you wish to learn about the Pits? Hah. What a joke. What is your next project?”

  “Yep,” Wendy threw up her hand to aim a gre her way. “You’ve hit the nail on the head, dy. Who is the project, Sora? Let me guess, he’s hot, has tattoos, and happened to be from a Shadow Pit.”

  “Wrong!” Nilly’s cheerful voice broke through the tension, now an eight-year-old in a chair, shifting to the left and right with a big grin. Yet, only Wendy and her appeared to notice the feline. “Nilly never turns down a creepy bedtime story but Sora is helping Fenny! Nilly wants to help Sora because Sora is nice. Wendy can be a jelly-jelly bean!”

  “Wha—you did not!” Wendy snarled to Nerida and Se’s bewilderment as she chased after the invisible cat, who Sora knew would never be caught. “Why don’t you just go back to a cat and beg for more milk?!”

  “Milk is good! Nilly loves milk! Wendy’s a broke squirrely and can’t buy Nilly milk,” she snickered. “Poor broke Frisbee! Wait, that’s Sora!” she giggled, falling off the edge of the table to vanish and appear on the ceiling. “Wendy’s a fatty sparkly twirly spinner.”

  “Oh, you’re going to get your ears pinched!” Wendy shouted, causing the other two to look to her for answers. Of course, she wasn’t going to give any. “Wait… Can no one else see her? Ugh. Never mind…”

  Go ahead and ramble like a crazy girl, Sis! And…there’s the blush!

  Se’s mouth twitched, almost forming a smile, as she regarded their group. For a moment, her hand rose to her chest, fingers brushing lightly against her colrbone. “I owe everything I am now to you, Sora. So, perhaps I am being a little too harsh. Allow me a moment to refocus my attitude.”

  Closing her eyes, she breathed in and then released it in a way that made Sora’s exasperation melt. Bright eyes opening again, the darkness around her dissipated, a whole new vibe illuminating the space.

  “This…light-giving seed within me—it is not an easy reality to bear. But I…thank you.” Her voice dropped, tinged with unspoken weight. “If it is the Shadow Pits you wish to know, then so be it. Although, I know you well enough at this point to know this is not for your benefit. Be cautious, Sora.”

  Sora’s hands tightened into a fist, but she knew Se, of all people, wouldn’t be threatening her. It was genuine. “I will be. So please, teach me about these Shadow Pits…and what creatures might be in them, like a Shadow Wolf. Does that ring any bells?” she tentatively asked, catching Wendy’s frown deepen.

  Se’s wings fred, shedding faint light as she gestured for them to sit amidst the shadows. The ruined walls seemed to pulse in response, the faint inscriptions rippling with dark energy. “A wolf specifically? I’m afraid not. However, if we are going to engage in this facade of teacher student, then you should take the proper tone, Sora… Agreed?”

  Nodding, she turned her head toward the siren, the teen holding her breath and totally lost. Sora felt a little bad at the chaos she’d brought to Kari’s new roommate, but it was a good introduction into the kind of lifestyle they lived. Plus, it helped her trust that the songstress wouldn’t stab them in the back, as terrible as it sounded—she was desperate for friends.

  “Right, Queen Se. We’re in your care! Right, guys?”

  She heard grunts from the others, and after taking their seats, they all had to do a double-take as Nilly showed up in the seat beside Nerida.

  “I had to go to the bathroom,” she said with a strained smile. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing, little kitten,” Se chortled. “You have quite the potent force underneath that cute exterior.”

  “Oh! Thank you,” the cat mumbled, shrinking a little in her seat. “I try to eat a banced diet. Umm. So, is this really the whole css?” she asked, turning to look at the door. “Seems…empty.”

  “All the better to adjust the lesson to your needs,” Se smoothly returned, raising her hand as the shadows intensified, her aura flipping to a darker shade. “Pay close attention. I won’t repeat myself… The Shadow Pits are ancient scars upon Avalon, remnants of The Darkness’s corruption. But its origin dates far before our great goddess fell under its corruption.”

  Sora’s brow furrowed as she used her magic to tug out a notebook and pen, spelling it with a desire to take perfect notes as she listened. She stayed silent but her mind was buzzing. I thought The Darkness was caused by the Foundation, or that’s what Titania believed…

  Se’s sly tilt to her eyes reminded her of the queen’s former presence, alluring and mysterious; she seemed to be enjoying the teaching environment.

  “Shadow Pits are ancient magic that served as both prisons and crucibles, pces where magic is twisted into unrecognizable forms. Those who enter into these pits risk not only their lives but their very essence and are reserved as trials for our greatest heroes or to imprison our greatest enemies. At least…that was their purpose.”

  Sora’s ears fttened as she listened, her fur prickling at the raw intensity in Se’s tone. “How did they come to exist?” she asked, quickly throwing up her hand as an afterthought. “Was that prison on Earth’s moon a Shadow Pit? It felt like one.”

  “The moon?” Se giggled, holding up a hand to show a magical illusion of it. “I cannot say since I have never been there. It is true that a dark force had seeped out of the celestial sphere over Earth for long before I became an Unseelie. However, there was a point when the potency of drawing upon it became nearly impossible, which timeline corresponds rather nicely just after the human’s first nding. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or…”

  “The Foundation,” Sora mumbled, reflecting back on the giant seal pced over the crater. “I…smelled Diane come in here, Professor. Can I ask why?” she tentatively quired.

  Se waved her hand, dismissing the illusion with a long sigh. “I was waiting when you’d comment on the devious human who meddles in things she should not… I was informed about her retionship with you,” she said with a small chuckle at Wendy’s scowl and curse on her name.

  “Why was she here? Well, to cause trouble of course. She uses the guise of the treaty between The Foundation and Avalon that your mother demanded in order to gain access. She used to be a student here, I am told. Personally, I never met her, but Avalon is a rge pce. I’d rather not specute on her movements and focus more on the reason I am here.”

  “Yeah, sorry,” Sora said with a forced smile and catching Nerida’s face that said she had so many questions. She wasn’t brave enough to ask them just yet, though. “I didn’t mean to derail your lecture. Umm. So, as far as I know, Unseelie magic twists normal magic and corrupts the soul, right?”

  Se’s head tilted to the side with an exaggerated sigh as if she were teaching a bag of bricks. “How can you affect souls on such fundamental levels and know absolutely nothing about the divine chords you pluck? It is a tad infuriating. I will admit. Not exactly, Sora…”

  Having built up more than enough thick skin in regards to this, Sora let it bounce off with bright eyes and a wagging tail, ready to listen.

  The woman held her hand up with mournful eyes as a bright golden sphere appeared in it, chasing away all shadows and making Sora squint. The glowing sphere in Se’s hand dimmed as she let it drift upward, casting flickering golden light over the darkened ruins. Shadows twisted and stretched in its wake, retreating just enough to allow them to see each other more clearly.

  Se’s wings shimmered faintly as she turned, her honey-blonde hair catching the soft glow, contrasting the heavy sorrow that lingered in her gaze. Her voice broke the silence, low and resonant.

  “Twist normal magic? Hah. It is so much deeper… You see this light?” She gestured toward the golden orb. “This is what the Unseelie fear most—not the brightness, but the warmth it carries. The promise it holds.” Her hand trembled slightly as she brought it down to press to her chest. “It terrifies them… Terrified me.”

  Sora’s ears twitched, her tail curling instinctively as a tear slid down Se’s cheek, vulnerable and raw. The vulnerability drew her in, striking a chord deep within her as the queen showed a smile that tore all thought from Sora’s mind. She exchanged a gnce with Wendy, who seemed more focused on the faint patterns of magic rippling along the walls, obvious to the spiritual waves emanating from the woman.

  “This light,” Se continued, her tone hardening, “was not always a part of me. There was a time when I thrived in the shadows… When I reveled in their power. You knew that part of me first. I was proud, untouchable—a queen of chaos…or so I thought. But The Darkness does not offer power without cost. It takes, bit by bit, until nothing of you remains but a shell.”

  Her voice faltered, the words catching in her throat. For a moment, she closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath. When she spoke again, her tone was softer, tinged with a quiet ache. “I lost everything, Sora… You cannot fathom. My kingdom, my people…my family. Me. I did that. All because I believed I could control something that was never meant to be tamed.”

  Sora’s chest tightened as she listened. She wanted to say something, anything, to break the tension, but the weight of Se’s words held her silent. The former princess’ gaze drifted to the golden sphere as she let it go from her bosom, her lips curving into a faint, bittersweet smile.

  “I used to sing to the shadows. It likes the attention… It likes the devotion. My heart’s weave. You see it is so much more than simply magic but the thing that can twist the very fabric of reality… Your aspirations. Your dreams… Your soul. But now…after everything in me is burned, all I hear is the echo of a song I cannot finish.”

  Her words hung in the air, and Sora felt the raw pain beneath them. It was something so deep that it pulsed out of Se in waves of relief at finally being able to speak it while at the same time it ripped her heart to pieces.

  Se’s wings folded tightly against her back as she turned to them again, her gaze lingering on each of them in turn. “This is not something I share lightly. Shadow Pits are not merely corrupted pces to be purified—they are the blood of the soul… Wounds that bleed into the very fabric of space. When you met me, Sora, I was at my weakest. Why?”

  Tail bristling, Sora had to take a moment before her voice would respond. “…Because you already burned and devoured everything you loved… Almost everything that made you…you.”

  “I did,” Se whispered, bringing the light up to look at the small seed of love she’d given life before them. Something she held dear, and from it, Sora could see a mother’s smile—Se’s memory of her precious mother. “Shadow Pits are scars left by The Darkness when it carved through Avalon, infecting everything it touched…

  “Not by force, and that is the most horrifying part that will tear you apart in the end, leaving you an empty shell that is terrified of what you once held most dear. They are prisons for magic, for souls, for hope itself… And they remain because we are too afraid to face what they represent because if you are to purify it, you must mend what is broken… The twisted hope of a fallen soul. And to do that, you must give it a new spark that is brighter than what it lost.”

  Nerida’s voice broke the silence, hesitant but earnest. “W-What if you can’t?”

  Se’s gaze closed her eyes, her slightly red eyes fixating on the young siren. “It will take whatever it can to fill the void and leave…loss,” she said simply. “The loss of control, of self, of everything you hold dear. The Pits are mirrors, showing you the parts of someone they want to forget…abandoned hope. If yours cannot overcome it, then it will overcome you.”

  A shiver ran through them and Sora couldn’t help but feel a chill run through her belly. If Kari falls into one… If it’s about hope, then… There’s no way Kari could survive that. Hope is her kryptonite… No wonder Jin wanted to see me before we try to figure out what connection she has to that Shadow Wolf.

  Sora straightened as Se’s eyes shifted to her, her expression unreadable. “You asked about Shadow Wolves, didn’t you? Creatures born of these pits are typically echoes of the soul that was consumed, fragments of what they once were before sinking into The Darkness. The rger the pit, the stronger the light required to fill it.”

  Wendy crossed her arms, her tail swishing sharply and not looking nearly as sympathetic as she should, given the conversation; Sora felt like she was about to burst into tears. “So you’re saying they’re not just wolves—they’re…what? Ghosts? Zombies? What happened to the person who fell in? Obviously, there can be some people that emerge from them without being corrupted.”

  “Neither,” Se replied, her tone more clipped now. “They are the essence of despair of a soul given form. Not Unseelie, which are Shadow Pits incarnate—far more potent. No, these are relentless seeds of fallen hopes, seeking connection with their source and reaching for all light.”

  Sora’s mind raced, piecing together fragments of what she’d learned from her short adventure with Kari, and Aelion’s expnation. “Then we aren’t destroying them…but healing them. That’s what the next grade of student is supposed to do? People like…Aiden?”

  Se’s expression darkened, her wings twitching slightly. “It is not as simple as fighting the lost hope within the shadows. To save them, you must first face your own darkness to reach the pit’s core. If you wish to free the space of such negative force, you must first face what it represents within you.”

  Her words sent a chill down Sora’s spine, but before she could respond, Se’s voice softened again. “But enough of this,” she said, gesturing to the golden sphere, now dim and flickering. “I owe you more than lessons in fear. You gave me something I thought I’d lost forever—a chance to feel again. As painful as that is.”

  Her gaze met Sora’s, and for a moment, the weight of her sorrow lifted, repced by something fragile and hopeful. “This light…it’s not mine. It is my mothers that she left in me as a final act… And I only carry it now because of you. And though it tears at me every day, I would not trade it for anything.”

  Sora’s ears fttened, her chest tightening as Se’s words sank in. “I didn’t even do that much—”

  “You did,” Se interrupted, her voice firm but kind. “And for that, I thank you.”

  The moment hung between them, heavy with unspoken emotion, before Se turned back to the group, her wings spreading slightly. “Now, let us continue. There is much to learn, and even more to unlearn. The Shadow Pits are but one piece of the puzzle within The Darkness. It is more of a symptom. If you wish to understand The Darkness, you must first understand yourselves.”

  A seed of caution rose up in Sora as Se continued, taking them through exercises to face miniature Shadow Pits. Nothing compared to the real thing, but they hurt all the same with past scars rising up in the form of the betrayal she felt from Wendy stealing her bubble gun in grade school to Nerida arguing with a puffer fish about a shell.

  When Se sent them on their way, a surprising group of new, semi-reluctant students entered the room, Sora lingered at the top to see the former Unseelie queen glow, welcoming the new souls here to learn how to avoid the abyss she fell into.

  You’re doing better than you think, Se… I think you don’t give yourself enough credit to the light you can spark in others. I can see why Titania pushed so hard for your acceptance. Now, I need to figure out how to use my powers to do the same. I have so much potential. I just need to focus it right… Avalon is in pain. Is that why Mom sent me here? I asked to help Kari, and she sent me here. What do you see, Mom?

  Leaving the hall, Sora was surprised to see the sun already fading. She waved off Wendy and the others, her brunette sister was more than a little upset due to Se’s magic not working on her. Before she could talk to her about it, Wendy went off with Nilly and Nerdia to find food. Sora decided to visit Jin before retiring for the night, though.

  I need answers for Kari… I promised her to figure this out with her. Whatever it is, it’s important… Very important to her. Wendy just needs to blow off steam. She looks like a magical girl, but we still need to figure things out with Dad’s side.

  She paused at the transport gate, passively using it to get to Jin’s training grounds. I mean, it makes sense. She’s made out of Null-Void. My magic won’t work on her, so…what does that mean for the Shadow Pits? Interesting. We’ll have to discuss that. We’re making progress!

  AuthorSME