?On this side you?ll see-? the tour guide continued to move through the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was only a little before noon on a Monday and it showed. Few people were actually walking around leaving a kind of vacant atmosphere around the normally packed building. That meant that the tour guide and the large group of high school sophomores she was leading had almost the complete run of the place. This is your class on their yearly sophomore student trip to New York that was meant to kick off the New Year. The strange part of this year being that the trip was at the very beginning of the year instead of at the end as was the norm.
The Met had become the customary stop and thus it was less exciting and more just an excuse to try and make the small town school seem cultured, or at least that?s how most of the students felt. It was a favorite of the school's principle and he had connections in high places, so over 100 students and only 20 parents and students were forced to walk around this place on what seemed like the longest day of the year. Like a herd of cattle you all are guided through the museum with with the view adults available around the perimeter.
There was one problem that weighed heavy on everyone the heat. It was uncharacteristically warm for late august, a surprise heatwave appearing over night, and the air conditioning was struggling hard to keep the large halls and exhibits cool. As such when the group reached the more enclosed and limited exhibits section of the museum, there were both sighs of relief and groans of despair. The idea of getting more air conditioning was so appealing that most did not even realize or care about the heat that would be caused from just over 100 people being crammed into those tighter spaces would mean. Any vent was sacred, any breeze a blessing, and any cool air was in high demand.
As you made your way in front of yet another inclosed exhibit the guide stopped. ?And know we have one of our newest exhibits on the art of the ancient civilization of Babylon that is still under renovation and closed off to the public.? The tour guide then winked before saying, ?however maybe just this once we?ll allow you all in isn?t that exciting!?
The tour guide removed a set of velvet ropes and began ushering people into the dark halls. The hall was almost completely black except for miniature lights that were meant to showcase different artifacts. Most of the minor pieces were all ready in place. You could see things like random bits of stonework and pottery depicting a myriad of different scenes. Shuffling through the tight corridors everyone enjoyed any gust of air coming their way. About half way through the hall split into another blockaded section that seemed far more spacious. A bright light could be seen vaguely off around a corner.
?What's supposed to go over there?? you all hear someone ask from within the crowd.
"That section is going to hold our jewel of the exhibition. A tome meant for the high priests in service of the king. It is supposedly over 8'000 years old, and so requires special care before being displayed so that it is not damaged. " The hall itself seems completely empty and one of the only places to find true relief from the heat. Following the group you go back into the main museum. You all find the heat to unbearable if you don't find sanctuary soon you have no idea what might happen. Remembering what the guide had said earlier about that old book. They would need to keep something that fragile cool right? Thinking back you cannot remember anyone standing guard or in the space. Perhaps if you could just escape there you could find what you need so badly. It does not take long for you to make up your mind whether you like it or not.
It takes you a few minutes before being able to extract yourself from the mass of bodies and slowly double back to where you had been before, as desperation and curiosity pushed you to that blocked off area. Looking around you find that a handful of other students had the same idea as you all gather around the entrance to the restricted section.
Lilly padded her way silently to the to blocked-off section and joined her fellow mildly mischievous peers. It was uncharacteristic of her to do something like this on a whim, but the heat was so oppressive it made it hard to think. On the other hand, this would be a golden opportunity to see a rare historical artifact and that prospect quickened her pulse as much as the danger of getting caught.
She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and adjusted her glasses before addressing the other students in a low whisper.
"Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone in my need for air conditioning."
Roman was burning up. The group was too large, and the subject not nearly the kind of thing he wanted to be subjected to. He needed out. That book room vas nice, I'll head back there. And with that he slipped from the crowd, back to the room.
He began to reminisce, back to cold Russia. The servants would bring out iced tea or lemonade when it did warm up, which was always much appreciated by Roman. Oh how he wished they could be here, doing the same now. He wouldn't even mind if it was Larisa who brought it. As annoying as he occasionally found the girl, she was a nice enough. He may even have married her, if it hadn't been arranged that he would then take over his father's business. He couldn't stand all that merchant stuff. He'd much rather do research.
Which brought him to another thought. Why couldn't they take a trip to a more interesting place, like a science exhibit? That would be MUCH more engaging than this old museum.
Midway through his musings, he realized he was not alone in his endeavor to cool himself. Someone had even already spoken up. Silly me, I should really pay more attention.
"Not alone? Ha! Vould be crazy to stay in group. And book room much cooler, yes? Staying here much more logical. Besides, vas getting boring. But where are my manners, I do not believe we have met, yet. My name is Roman, it is pleasure to meet you."
Ardelia was feeling the heat. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it wasn't completely unbearable either. However the thought of that book is in the back of her mind. She knows that it isn't there yet, but she can't help but be curious about anything that has to do with a good book. She dips off away from the rest of the group wiping sweat from her brow as she approaches the forbidden area. She felt bad for Issac, but he hadn't noticed her slip away so it is really his own fault for not paying enough attention. She was not sure what she would be finding, but was hoping to find out more about the artifact, or look at things that were closely related.
Upon reaching the entrance to the exhibit, Ardelia catches sight of a few of her fellow schoolmates. She is not particularly familiar with any of them and it seems two of them are currently having a conversation. It appears to be two blondes, one male one female. Both are much taller than Ardelia, just from eyeballing it. Not really one to take the lead in these situations, she stands kind of close to the entrance, near the two that are talking. She catches the male say that his name is Roman, he seems to have a bit of an accent like he is not from around here. Then again a European immigrant being around is hardly uncommon. Many would find Ardelia to be far more strange than this guy named Roman. Through his accent though, the guy seemed nice enough.
Ardelia gathers up her courage and speaks up to the two that are talking. She wasn't very good at dealing with strangers.
"Hi... I-I'm Ardelia. Sorry to interrupt but are you also coming back to this interesting exhibit?"
Stuttering was a bit embarrassing for her, but she couldn't help it. As soon as she was finished talking she had wished that she could talk to everyone as easily as her brother Noel, and friend Issac. Noticing that a few more people were drifting in, She did her best to move out of the way to accommodate the newcomers to the little circle that was forming. At least now if there was some sort of problem, she would not be getting in trouble alone.
Lilly studied Roman for a moment, tall and lanky with outstandingly fair hair, his accent sounded... Russian maybe? He seemed pleasant enough and it would be prudent to at least give her name.
"Lilly, nice to meet you."
As she went to offer her hand in greeting she heard from behind Roman a tiny stutter of an introduction and peaked around the towering boy to find its source. She raised an eyebrow at what she saw. Tiny frame, inky-hair, striking mismatched eyes... Her quiet introduction was almost endearing. She seemed the little sister type. A cool breeze from the air conditioning made her skin prickle, or was it something else?
Lilly smiled gently in her direction.
"Ardelia was it? Yeah, I couldn't help that it piqued my interest."
The heat was pissing him off. It's fine when its used for cooking, but when it's used against people? No way. He remembered last year when the damn school made him go to places like these. Who the hell even wants to go to a museum? Oh, that's right. The principal. It was common knowledge that the old guy loved the exhibit. It was nothing but old pieces of art that no one really cared about - probably fitting for their school head. Sure, the first time was alright, but a second time?
He moved his hand through his hair, feeling the dampness of his sweat against his head and hand. As he thought about the trip. This year was worse than the last. It wasn't this warm, it wasn't this boring, nor was it this crowded! He was one of the first to sneak away, but slowly and surely more of his classmates gathered. He glared angrily at the crowd around him. It wasn't likely that anyone would notice his glaring anyways, everyone thought him to be some delinquent. No one really paid attention to delinquents. There was a hint of sadness in the thought, but Brian brushed it away. He was used to it.
He noticed his three classmates nearby standing and talking not a few feet away. They looked familiar; he probably had some of them in his classes last year before. He shrugged as he realized that the three were introducing themselves. This was probably the first time the three actually met. For an instant he considered joining them, talk about the museum or the heat, or how much of a dumb-ass their principal was, or maybe introduce himself.
He pulled down the hat he was wearing, covering his eyes.
No. That was just stupid.
(http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/7c4a532585ce0f222b457a4d70dd21d11336130771_large.jpg)
|
"Hey, nice to meet you all!" Kevin said casually, as everyone began introducing themselves. Like them, he had also moved away from the group, but, unlike them, it was not because of the heat. The guy even had on a light fur-lined coat despite the sudden heatwave terrorizing the place and was now smiling quite contentedly, without a drop of sweat on his forehead.
Thus, he wasn't drawn to the spot from any need to stay cool (he hardly cared about stuff like that); he was drawn in by the people. He was already bored with the museum's tour after all, and when he saw a small group of people break off to do their own thing, he found himself curious as to who they were and what they had in mind.
But to be perfectly honest, he was also curious about the book.
|
He thinks, and motions to each as he speaks, "Now let's see...Ardelia and Lilly...and...one in fur coat, I do not believe I got your name. With such coat, you must have great stamina! Commendable!"
'It is pleasure to meet you all. You seem like great people, despite upbringing. I would love to one day hear your stories. Ah, but first! Let us make good of this trip, yes? Certainly there are interesting things to be found that tour guide avoids. Like this book! He points, "Sure, it is just old book, but why give it whole room? The rest we have seen last year, yes?"
Roman was happy to see so many people introducing themselves. He enjoyed meeting new people, as his childhood had kept him doing so. It was one of the happier reasons he came to a foreign country for school. After being cloistered and taught in his home back in Russia, with anyone who needed to see him coming to his very room, he had not known the refreshing feeling of meeting and befriending complete strangers.
But then, he realized someone had followed their idea, or maybe even lead it he did not know, and was keeping to himself. He looked a little rough, but felt that he was still a good man, despite his looks. He decided to call out, "You, standing alone over there. Come and join us! It is more fun than wandering on your own, yes?
A bead of sweat ran down Serena's forehead, her violet eyes looking at the art pieces with little interest. Like many others, she found most of the art rather boring. But, despite the dullness of the museum, she was excited to be there. Traveling was one of her favorite things! And, despite the heat, she was much more welcoming of the sun than the rain. "Ahh..." Serena let out a sigh of relief as she pulled her thick blonde hair back into a pony tail, the cool air of the special exhibit feeling nice on her neck. The darkness of the room gave it both an interesting, and mysterious appeal...something the rest of the museum had sorely lacked in thus far. She was almost sad as they left the room, a wave of heat washing over her and the others.
As they continued through the stifling halls, Serena couldn't help but notice their group had thinned out a bit. She glanced back, catching a couple of her classmates sneaking off. Serena smiled as she casually followed after them, curious as to what they were all up to...And also hoping to find refuge from the heat. Coming aorund the corner, she found a small crowd of her peers had gathered back aorund the roped off exhibit. She walked over to the little group. Serena seemed to recognize a few people, but wasn't close with any of them. "Hey guys." She greeted sweetly. "Hot huh? Reminds me my trip to Mexico last year! Man, that was crazy." Serena lied as she quickly fanned herself with her hands. She glanced at the exhibit, longing for the coolness they had felt while inside not long ago. She wasn't quite brave enough to go in on her own though - Or be the first one to step inside.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/10yl02b.jpg)
|
"Mexico, huh?" The young man said, raising his eyebrow as another classmate decided to join them. He grinned wryly. "Nice place," he remarked while turning to face the newcomer directly.
As soon as he saw the girl, however, Kevin immediately recognized her. Then again, it would be difficult finding anyone who couldn't identify the school's number one idol. Top grades, good looks, and a sweet personality altogether made her the target of affection for a growing number of males at school. Thus, it was utter blasphemy for any among the male populace to know nothing about her.
Kevin spent a moment in thought.
If he recalled correctly, her name was either "Serena" or "Lorena..." It was something-ena. Of that, he was sure. But apart from her name and face, he had to admit he knew little about her.
|
He shrugged. Perhaps he could amend that now. He didn't
want to be seen as a blasphemer, after all.
But when he looked out among the rest of the cast, he found that he was equally as intrigued with each one. From the eccentric Russian transfer student who spoke with a strange accent to the half-breed girl with a genetic defect, everyone present brought something new and interesting to the table.
"Humanity really
is something," the young man observed, regaining his smile. "By the way, Roman, Ardelia, Lilly, Mr. Delinquent and... Lorena, right?" Kevin asked, listing each one's name but still unsure about the last (and the second last).
"Anyways, you guys can call me 'Kevin' for now. I'm
most pleased to meet you all."
(http://forum.fantasyworldcreations.com/images/80166.jpg) | Pij was hot, really hot, the sweat on his brow protested against his persistent wiping. Not like it did any good, the heat was unbearable and his head felt like an old frying pan, the cast iron ones to be specific, like his grandmother used to use.
He remembered back when she used to let him smell the eggs as they cooked, her using barely a drop of oil. "Don't touch it.", she would say. Of course Pij never listened, he was never prone to being obedient it just wasn't in his nature. So often he would get burned, never really learned his lesson, not really. It was therefore not really an issue for him to leave the group, he didn't care about rusty old relics, he wasn't even sure why they had come to the museum. Yeah it was the only real attraction in town, through really it wasn't much of one at all. It was the gust of cool air that caught his attention...
Finding the source proved uneventful save for the handful of other students who had had apparently the same idea. "Great" he thought to himself, before dryly coughing into the air. "What's up?", he said trying to remain cool and collective. He knew most of the students, not really by name, but could recognize their faces. He scratched his head briefly as another gust of air from the vent washed over his now tepid brow, at least he wasn't hot anymore, bored but not hot. |
Carrence Wayne 'Pij' |
Suddenly as you all chat appreciating what little breeze that is coming your way you feel an electrical buzz come through the air, which quiets all conversation setting a chill down all your spines. For a moment you all stand in near silence shaking off the strange feeling. All eyes are drawn to the corded off section shrouded in darkness, what lay beyond was completely obscured. Led by curiosity of the book or this mysterious energy one of you jump the rope to have a look at the book beyond. Once one of you did it each of you follows along into the darkness driven like each before you for one reason or another.
Roman taking up the rear sees a streak of long hair out of the corner of his eye, but turning you see nothing and enter with the rest assuming it was just your imagination. The hallway to where the book is being kept is only lit by dim pot lights keeping almost everything in long shadows. They obviously have not finished redoing the lights for this area. You must watch for loose hanging wiring and spare bits of tarp. As you round a corner you are met with an unexpected smell. Burning candle wax maybe?
As you round the corner you all surprised by what you see. Instead of a book in a case you see it lying open to the elements unprotected and unattended. A single candle stands burning on top of an ornately decorated page of what must be the Babylonian religious tome a drop of wax falling onto it every now and again. Two slips of what look like paper lay on the page opposite. As you step closer youth can feel once again that strange energy seemingly pulsating from the pedestal. The wisps of smokes being produced from the candle smell of a strange wood as they waft in your direction as everyone enters the space.
Unable to resist her curiosity, Ardelia hops over the rope and starts heading down the hallway. She hadn't said much else to anyone, preferring to observe but a book this old would have to be interesting. As she led the way she remained silent. As she reaches a bend in the dimly lit hall, a strange smell reaches her nose. I thought that they were supposed to be keeping people out of this area... So why does it seem that someone was back here recently? The scent of what could be candle wax reaches her nose, and as she rounds the corner Ardelia's suspicions are affirmed. A candle sat upon the valuable artifact. It didn't make any sense to her but at this point Ardelia knew she had to keep going.
The girl rushes over to the book, in a bit of a panic and examines the pages. The smoke making its way into her eyes, she looks at the pieces of paper that are sitting on the book. She reaches out for one, hoping to get an idea of what it is and who could have potentially left it here. This definitely didn't look like it was a planned part of the exhibit. It looked more like one would see passed off as a magical ritual in different TV shows or movies. Either way, this field trip just got a lot more exciting.
After seeing Ardelia scurry off into the unknown, Lilly adjusted her glasses, hopped the barrier and followed suit. As she walked quietly into the gloom she caught sight of the artifact standing upon a lone pedestal, a lit candle burning above it. An exotic scent hung in the room that was almost cloying and the air was mysteriously electric. Smells like cheap incense in here.
Lilly quietly sidled up beside Ardelia, eying the tome wearily as a glob of wax dripped down the side of the candle and onto the exposed page. Her heart beat double time as she studied the text, she had always enjoyed mysterious things like this, it was probably what attracted her so much to history. As badly as she wanted to inspect it in greater detail she reigned in her curiosity with trademarked caution. It seemed like Ardelia, however, was unable to keep herself from continuing her own investigation. Lilly watched her reach for the book slowly and cautiously, and she felt a quick jolt of protectiveness.
"Uhhh, are you sure you want to do that?"
Ardelia had withdrawn into her own world. She heard the voice of a girl beside her, but could not focus on what words were said. Examining the tome was the top priority at the moment, even if it was not the most reasonable approach. A chance like this would never come again.
The shy girl was ignoring Lilly, she moved like she was possessed by something beyond her control. Lilly could understand the feeling. There was something uncanny about that tome, she misliked the feeling it gave her a great deal. It almost felt like something whispering in the darkest recesses of her skull, urging her forward unlike any curiosity she had ever known before. She bit her lip and put a hand on Ardelia's back.
"H-hey... maybe we shouldn't..."
She let her words trail off. It seemed there was no fighting this.
Ardelia felt a hand on her shoulder and it briefly brought her back to the real world. She turned and noticed that the owner of the hand was Lilly who she didn't really know. Her most recent words echoed in Ardelia's mind. "H-hey... maybe we shouldn't..." Looking Lilly in the eye, she smiled briefly.
"Sorry, this is a once in a life time chance. I-I've got to take it."
The girl sounded unsure of herself, perhaps afraid but also determined to go on despite those fears. Ardelia turned back to the book and examined the extra papers more carefully while also running her hand across one of the pages of the book proper. It's held up well over the years... but that just makes this more confusing. Why would they leave it exposed to the open air if it is in such good condition?
"It's just a book ain't it?" Brian said as he found himself in the room behind the two girls. He had enough of the company in previous room, and though the Russian kid called out to him, Brian was unsure whether or not he should go forward in introducing himself. But their group's conversation had drifted, and when the strange chill in the room had passed, Brian saw no more reason to hang out in there. There were too many people, and the heat didn't make things any better. The room beyond probably would have been cooler, and as he saw the two girls take off in the distance, he decided to follow.
As the high-schooler walked, he couldn't help but think that something was odd. Hell, at least it was a new part of the museum; if one of the teachers or museum employees catch them, he'll just say the museum just had too many interesting things to see, and for the latter he'll claim he was simply lost. Plus he found it some-what interesting these two girls would not only split with the class, but take off into some unknown, restricted area of the museum. Though, as Brian thought about it more, he had to admit that something drew him there as well.
?Mexico was nice, but certainly not the nicest place I've been to.? Serena said. ?It's Serena, nice try though? She replied to Kevin with a playful wink, her attention suddenly being drawn toward the exhibit. A strange feeling washed over her as she peered into the darkened hall. What was that? The others around her had obviously felt something similar, since the conversation had come to an unsettling halt. The silence didn't last long though as one of the girls...Ardelia?...made her way passed the rope barrier, briskly heading toward, what Serena could only assume, was the source of the strange energy.
Student after student followed the girl inside, Serena watching them with a bit of hesitation. She wasn't exactly a rule breaker ? While she had been confident enough to stray away from the mind numbing tour, she wasn't thrilled about the idea of treading into an area they obviously weren't supposed to enter without supervision. However, the curiosity of what they might find was a little stronger than her fear of being punished. Besides, Serena had no doubt she'd be able to come up with a decent lie if the group was caught. She hopped over the rope just before Roman, finding herself near the end of the group.
As they rounded a corner, Serena's eyes fell upon an odd site. A book, with a candle sitting precariously on top. Unlike Ardelia, Serena kept her distance from the artifact. Surely this had been done by the staff...Or perhaps it was some kind of prank? She couldn't be sure. But, what she did know, was that touching something so old and precious was an awful idea. The book was likely fragile. ?Uh, guys, you probably shouldn't touch it. Maybe we should tell the staff?? She suggested, a hint of nervousness in her voice. She didn't like this at all. But, remembering they were currently breaking the rules themselves..."Or at least just put the candle out. That doesn't look very safe."
Roman still felt uneasy about the small glimpse he'd had as he followed to take a look at the mysterious sight. That could not have been...no, there is no way. Is there? He shook himself from his thoughts as he realized the set up of the book.
"Something is not right here. This hardly looks like any sort of restoring work. It looks more like one those weird occult worship things, yes?"
Then he watched as Ardelia began to turn pages in the book, examining it. "Whoa, whoa! Yes, it is mysterious situation, but perhaps we should not be tampering with it. It is old book, after all. Damage would be bad." As he got closer, however, he realized that it was in great condition. "Boʐye moy!...How is it in such good condition!? And what is this...feeling? Be careful, Ardelia, this seems like more than just old book."
The larger book was in almost perfect condition, as everyone looked it over. The colors all brilliant and distinct, everything embossed in gold leaf it was a wonder to behold. As you run your finger over the page it feels like it could fall apart if you were to try to turn the page. Looking the lettering over you can?t make heads or tails of it. But tracing the foreign letters you feel a tiny shock run through your hand and up your arm. Pulling back quickly you shake off the feeling as simply static and turn your attention to the other papers.
Ardelia looked over the two freestanding papers that had been left aside the candle on top of the religious tome. There was only one problem however; they were both almost completely blank. The first had a glossy feel and looked like a photograph. The second looked slightly bigger then a page from a novel. As she looked over the pieces she gasped what little she could make out was actually fading away!
Quickly she tried to make out as much detail of what was left before it was completely gone. Both pieces seemed from the center out so she tried to look at the borders of each to guess at what they were meant to depict. Unfortunately, the larger piece of paper was almost completely gone. What little she could make out were what looked like some kind of black border and shading. Some kind of art, or drawing perhaps? The second smaller piece Ardelia was now certain was a photograph was fading fast in her hands. Just before it went completely blank she thought she could make out a faint hint of blue tint at the top and if she squinted she could just make out what looked like an American flag. Then it was gone, both were now completely blank before she could even say a word.
Feeling thoroughly spooked by the entire situation, everyone jumps slightly as they here a bang from somewhere behind them. Ardelia drops both the candle and the papers to the ground where they promptly set fire with a deep purple back flame. The air shifts in the room at that moment and comes alive with that same strange energy. Before their vey eyes a giant circle of purple light etches it way across the floor in an intricate pattern. With the book at the center everyone in the room watches mesmerized by what is happening. With the circle complete it shines brightly and then is completely gone along with everyone in the room. only leaving the book behind.
Roman's jaw had dropped, his eyes following the purple light around the room, taking in the whole spectacle. It's magic, real magic! But that didn't exist, did it? Then again, not even some weird magnetic trick could cause this. Well maybe it could, but it would take much. How would that be done?...
No, no, NO! Now is not time to think of that. There was someone here just before us, and they had this set up...the candle may have been like a timer, similar to how some experiments are done. Did they know we were coming and WANT us to trip it? Right as he asked himself this, the circle formed ad began growing brighter and brighter. "...Definitely occult."
Right as the light reached its brightest point, he remembered, That figure with the long hair! I DIDN'T see things!
And then, along with everyone else, he disappeared.
Ardelia looks around with excitement as stuff begins to happen. She notices that the others don't seem to be quite as excited as she is. The magic circle on the ground lights up and the room around her fades to black. Something has to be happening, though she is not sure what.
When color starts to return to her vision, she is not in the room any longer. Trying to get a grasp on her location or at least what type of stuff is nearby Ardelia wheels around trying to get a look at everything. She notices her peers standing nearby, and laughs nervously.
"O-Oopsies?"
She doubted that would make the situation any better for the others, but she found the current predicament quite interesting without taking into account how much potential danger she could be in. At the very least she hoped it would lighten the mood.
The world swam slowly back into view. The other students stood around, most looking as confused as she felt. Lilly removed her glasses from her face and massaged the bridge of her nose gently before returning them to their perch. What..?
Lilly looked around at her peers to see if anyone might betray a look of insight. No luck it seemed. Ardelia let out a small nervous laugh and stammered "O-oopsies?"
Yes. Oopsies indeed. Lilly crushed any potential resentment she might have felt and let out a low sigh. No point in dwelling on it. Can't change the past.
She brushed her bangs to the side and folded her arms across her chest. "Thoughts anyone?"
As if on cue a small beam of light appeared creating a small cone of visible existence in the otherwise empty void
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/337/1/a/norn_by_mysticsage_01-d6wnc8l.png)
[spoiler]http://www.youtube.com/v/gy7Y0VF8zp8&autoplay=1
(http://media.animegalleries.net/albums/fate_stay_night/Caster/fsn_caster0007.png?=123)[/spoiler]
?Welcome to the Observatory~? A light female voice said materializing as if from the void itself. You all realize that you are now sitting around a large circular table with a flowing satin tablecloth and a brilliantly shining crystal ball at the center. An island in the nothingness you are unable to move from your seats. Nine chairs sat around the table in total you could see as each person slowly awoke. The female voice had come from a hooded woman who was sitting between each group of four.
?Pleased to meet you all you may call me Norn the denizen of this room and your guide.? The woman?s face was completely obscured by her hood and the shadows cast from the crystal that the light was hitting. Everything except for a slight smile and a strand of purple hair could be seen. The same shadows were also obscuring the person directly to her right completely in shadow, seemingly unconscious and female.
?It has been a long time since anyone has set foot in this place known as this space between spaces.? Even though the space of nothingness seemed massive it felt some how claustrophobic as all your attention is driven to the hooded women alone.
?you all are extremely lucky you?re here instead of on the other side, there is a major curse disrupting everything.?
Ardelia looks around the table, a bit confused but soon turns her focus to this odd woman who introduced herself as "Norn"
"Our guide for what, exactly? And a space between spaces? You mean we teleported between dimensions or something? And a curse? What do you mean a curse? Did I trigger it somehow? Is there going to be a way to go back home?"
Ardelia asked a lot more than she would under normal circumstances, but this was far from normal. She saw the faces of her new companions but she was unable to read their emotions.
She was genuinely curious about what was going on, and even more so about what was going to happen to her now that she was here. Not sure if returning home was going to be an option at this point, she just hoped that Norn would provide some sort of information, ideally information that would reassure her that the situation was not all bad.
Lilly darted her eyes quickly around the space and lost her mental composure for a minute. What the hell is this!?
She raised a softly trembling hand to adjust her glasses and took a deep breath to steady herself. Her mind was racing as she tried to rationalize what was going on. The setting defied logic, and that woman gave her the creeps those things were certain. There has to be a reasonable answer to this. Maybe a mass hallucination? Maybe that smell was some sort of preserving agent on the book that had hallucinogenic side effects? Yeah, that sounds good.
She kept her thoughts to herself though. Even if it was a fever dream, a heat stroke, or hallucination it only made sense to listen to what "Norn" had to say. Ardelia's mouth was moving a mile a minute as she rattled off a handful of questions, and Lilly wanted to see if there were to be any answers.
Serena's suggestions had been completely ignored. She couldn't really blame the girl for being curious..they all were. But, wouldn't not touching the thing be common sense? She sighed, but let Ardelia do as she pleased. This whole situation was already enough ? It was time to take her leave. ?You guys have fun, I think I'm gonna go...finish..the....tour..?? Her words trailed off as a mysterious circle began to form beneath her feet, and continued snaking its way around the room. Before she could speak another word, her entire world seemed to shift.
Serena's vision was a bit blurry at first as she slowly came to. Little by little, her classmates came into view. All of them were seated, some only just regaining consciousness like herself. Her attention was quickly drawn to the crystal ball sitting mysteriously in the middle of them all ? She squinted, a look of utter confusion apparent on her face. The confusion only seemed to grow as a voice broke the silence, Serena's eyes falling on what looked to be a hooded woman, muttering some kind of nonsense about ?between spaces? and ?curses?. A smile crossed the girl's lips. This was quite the prank! She listened as Adrelia seemed to fall for it, throwing out question after question. ?Right, well, this has been great but...? As Serena went to stand, she found herself stuck. Well, that was weird. She pushed against the chair with her hands, but found herself to be thoroughly glued to her seat.
[spoiler]http://www.youtube.com/v/kSVZMG6lTGQ&autoplay=1[/spoiler]
After speaking, but before receiving a response from Norn, Ardelia noticed that her companions had started to lose their composure. Primarily, she saw that Lilly and Serena seemed to be in a bit of a panic. Serena was struggling to move, which seemed odd. She clearly wanted to leave, but it seemed like that was not possible. Lilly seemed to be out of her element, before she had always seemed in control but now she appeared to be in disarray.
I wish I knew of a way to help calm these two down... but I only just met them really, i've seen them around but never talked to them. If I knew them a bit better, maybe I could do something. She looked a bit between the two before deciding to give up on that idea for now and thought more about the situation at hand. What could this space between spaces possibly be? This is what bothers me the most about the whole situation, it feels like it is completely different than anything i've ever experienced in my life so I feel quite inclined to believe what Norn has said so far, but if we are indeed in somewhere other than the earth we know and love was it just by chance? Did someone choose us? Norn did say we were lucky, but is that luck because of an accident? Or was our luck a work of fate? She also said we are in the observatory... it didn't really strike me as odd before, but what would you even observe from here? I wonder if there is a way to see what is going on back at home since clearly Norn knows something. It seems like this would be far too much effort to put into some sort of trick on a small group of curious or bored high school students...
Roman didn't want to believe all that was happening, but seeing as he couldn't move, and was just teleported, he didn't really have a choice in the matter. So all he did was listen. The hooded figure revealed little, and Ardelia asked all of the questions he would have, so all Roman could do was wait for answers. He knew nothing of occult matters, because frankly he hadn't believed anything was real about them. So hypothesizing now would lead nowhere.
That 'curse' part is bugging me though.
"What does this 'curse' do exactly? Considering you said we were lucky not to be in our world, it can't be good." He knew he had glossed a lot of things that needed clearing up, but he simply didn't want to think about them. He wasn't trying to learn, he just wanted to solve whatever problem had arisen and get back to either his home or the lab at school.
"Oh yes," Kevin smiled fiendishly, becoming more and more aware of the unnatural aura within the room. He had been one of the last to follow after the others, so caught up was he in the moment. But when he finally rejoined the group in the next area, he nearly burst out in laughter.
"Keep it up, Ardelia!" he exclaimed, cheering her on from the sidelines while the girl flipped through page after page of the mysterious book.
The young man laughed. At this point, he found himself caring even less about the book and more about the people involved. Their reactions were just so priceless.
Then the unthinkable happened: Kevin farted.
Bang!
It was hard to tell whether the noise came from the explosion behind the group or the explosion within Kevin's trousers-so perfect was the timing. But one thing was certain, as the uncharacteristic distraction caused heads to turn and the candle to fall.
"I hate fate."
However, as soon as those words left Kevin's mouth, the candle and the pages that fell erupted into purple flames, as if to contest his words. All heads were turned now as the flames began tracing an intricate pattern on the floor. First a line, then a squiggly, then somehow an ENTIRE circle was formed.
Light drew out from inside and within moments, the room was fully engulfed. And though Kevin squinted his eyes in a vain attempt to see what was really going on, all he could make out were the forms of the other students as they each winked out one by one. The light intensified then and even he felt he was being removed from the place.
In sudden reflection, the feeling that stirred within him then was strange, but oddly liberating. And before the light could encompass him completely, just before he could "wink" out from existence like the others, he briefly thought that this was how birds must have felt in those precious few moments before they first achieved flight.
When his vision finally returned, Kevin quickly realized he was in another place. A familiar voice let out a small "O-Oopsies?" from nearby, however, bringing him back to reality; his smile re-emerged.
"Good job, Ardelia!" Kevin laughed while patting her on the back. It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.
But before the conversation could continue, another flash of light and he now found himself somehow strapped to a chair, while a hooded dude with purple hair was busy talking while practically breathing down his throat. And though he found the discussion mildly interesting and just somewhat satisfactory, he had a far more pressing issue at hand.
"You," he basically yelled, "Yeah, dude with the hood-the one too ashamed to show his face."
"Mind dropping the whole 'THOU SHALT NOT MOVE' thing?" he asked in a polite tone.
"My nose itches."
Lilly took a deep breath, and then another, and then one more. Each long inhalation brought with it a little bit of equanimity, and soon her panic was all but forgotten. She needed her wits, how else would she get through... whatever this was?
The dark haired boy in the coat was shouting something at the woman, so Lilly was unconsciously forced to look at him. There was something she found particularly repellent about him. His eyes maybe, or just his general volume. Now that I think about it, wasn't he encouraging Ardelia to mess with the book?
Lilly wondered for a moment, how the dark haired girl felt about all this. She was certainly uncannily talkative for her previously shy behavior, and maybe that was a coping mechanism for stress. Regardless, Lilly turned to Ardelia and gave a gentle, but wan, smile.
?These chairs act as anchor points to allow you to stay within the observatory for the moment you may move you may move the rest of your body freely she said not even glancing to look at Kevin. Otherwise she ignored his ploys to get a raise.
?The curse? She said getting back on topic, ?was set in motion before you all approached the Book of the Tiamat?. As she spoke the air seemed to come alive with energy. And the darkness seemed to fade slightly. Turning the surrounding void to a grey.
Norn bit her lower lip slightly as the energy faded back to as it was before, ?I must make this quick. We do not have much time to talk before you all are forced back to your world?
Speaking with more urgency now Norn continued, ? The book has the ability to rewrite the very fabric of reality upturning the world order completely in favor of what has been placed within its pages. This has happened only once before draining the tomes strength greatly. What had been left has now been spent in enacting this new curse. Nothing will be spared from the coming changes-?
Norn stopped once again as the lights dancing from the crystal ball dimmed drawing her attention. ?The only reason I was able to pull you eight here in the first place was because you burned the medium releasing a little of the book's power.?
?The curse will warp everything including peoples memory. Everyone but the caster of the curse is meant to remember the world of the past. However now here you all are in the same position as they are.?
At this Norn dramatically waved her arms, ?You all being separated from the curse even for such a short time while it begins to take root shall be the only line of defense against the ensuing insanity. By maintaining your own memories you shall have the ability to affect change to your own advantage. Only by building a network of bonds will you all be able to succeed and save your loved ones from their fates.?
The entire space began to shake violently as Norn began to seemingly evaporate into the darkness. ?To help you in this task I shall do all I can from here! In times of struggle or demanding decisions look for these,? From Norn sleeves flew a deluge of blue glowing butterflies. ?These shall be my markers and my messengers watch out for them!? she yelled before she was completely gone. As if on cue the storm of butterflies surrounding you in a vortex of colors obscuring all else and then suddenly nothing was left.
The next thing you all know you wake up heads pounding just as your alarm clock go off in your respective bedrooms. You all have no memories of the observatory or the strange occurrences there in. In fact your memories seem to have gone missing about the entire experience having been replaced with a simple sneaking into the restricted section finding it boring and leaving.
It is Tuesday August 27th the first day of school.
Everything seems normal as you ride the bus or are driven to school, nothing out of the ordinary the usual chatter and sights. Only when you get to your respective homerooms do feel a strange sense of electricity run up your spines setting your hair on end. The teacher has yet to enter the room as you glance around uneasily.
When Norn began to speak, Ardelia felt relieved. It wasn't her fault that all of this was happening, in fact because of her there might be a chance to right things down the road. After that initial amount of relief, all that remained was confusion. Every so called answer only raised more questions. She sat silently, hands cupped around her mouth as she listened to Norn's words. As Norn faded out of existence and the swarm of ethereal azure butterflies fluttered about, Ardelia felt as if it were a scene she could never forget. The butterflies had distracted her just enough for her to be a bit slow in realizing that Norn had vanished. So many questions were left unanswered. What is this ragtag group of teenagers, who don't even know each other supposed to do to fix the world? What exactly was the "network" of bonds supposed to be? Were they supposed to be friends with each other now? Or meet new people and somehow gain power from that? Hoping it was the latter rather than the former, Ardelia continued to ponder. If something like this had happened before, how come there isn't a record of it in history? Surely if the world was changed so drastically someone would remember it. Who would even bother casting such a spell? What was so wrong with the world that it had to change?
As the butterflies dissipated, the world went dark. Ardelia lay in bed, confused at what had happened. She felt as if something was off, but could not put her finger on it. The sun had managed to rise far enough in the sky to shine through her blinds and into her eyes. She closed them in a response, and a loud knock came upon her door. As she was barely becoming conscious it seemed that her brother Noel had come to make sure that she was awake, being late for the first day of school would be in bad form.
Leaving the house, Ardelia was greeted by her childhood friend Issac, and they went off to school. They were in the same class again this year, it seemed. Everything appeared to be normal despite how weird the previous day was and how it felt like a chunk of memory had just vanished. She waved timidly at the people around town who she regularly came into contact with, just like always. At school, everything seemed to be normal, she was greeted by the usual suspects, and caught the odd glance here or there from people that she had shared classes with in the past. They never were really more than classmates, anyways.
Sitting in the classroom, Ardelia and Issac made some idle chatter while waiting for the homeroom teacher. They hadn't shown up yet, which was a bit odd, though they were not particularly late, but also not early. Some of the students seemed to be particularly nervous about the situation, but Ardelia didn't think it seemed that odd. "Perhaps they are just getting a few logistics issues out of the way" she suggested to Issac.
Looking at her, Issac shrugged. You could tell that he wouldn't mind if the teacher didn't show up at all.
"You know, if they are 15 minutes late, I am gonna get out of here. Maybe I will head over to the arcade and waste my day away. We respect the times they tell us to be here, so they should too! If they can't do that there is no point in staying, it's the first day, so I doubt i'll miss anything important."
Ardelia's brow furrowed, as she looked a bit upset with Issac.
"Skipping the first day is not the way you want to make a name for yourself Issac" She was sure he knew this, but felt the need to remind him none the less.
Shrugging again, Issac put his head down on the desk looking idly out the window. Either way the situation would resolve itself soon. Either he would see the teacher walk in and have his hopes of freedom dashed, or he would burst into the hallway with a whoop of joy and run off into town to spend his day that way. If he isn't going to be at school, he sure doesn't want his parents to know.
prolouge finsihed please move to designated first chapter