The evening arrived quickly. Kristen was out with her friends, while Alice stayed in her room. She had gotten a book issued—the one that contained information about the locket. The book stated that the locket had been lost after the king of Mosvil died, or more accurately, was killed. Alice closed the book in frustration; she couldn't find any new information—everything was already familiar to her.
Getting out of her bed, Alice walked into the living room. She noticed that the door to Kristen's room was open, sparking her curiosity. As she stepped inside, she saw that the room shared the same decor as her own. However, unlike Alice, Kristen was a neat freak. Her desk was tidy and organised, featuring a pen holder, several books, a small diary, and a sketchbook. The bed was perfectly made, in stark contrast to Alice's messy one. Not a single speck of dust could be found in Kristen's room.
Alice walked to Kristen's table and picked up the sketchbook, which was filled with drawings of human skeletons—a subject that did not interest her. Then she turned her attention to the diary.
The first page contained Kristen's schedule. In addition to her mandatory classes, Kristen had chosen Mundane Arts and Sciences from Human World Studies, Bladework Discipline from Non-Magical Combat Training, and Aura Reading and Manipulation from Advanced Magic Courses. There were also several classes related to Magical Healing and Restoration. So, Kristen is a healer. Alice thought, recalling how rare Magical Healers were.
With this new information filed away for later, Alice flipped to the next page of the diary. There were notes about Aura Reading, starting with the signs of an evil aura. Poring over the text, Alice read:
EVIL AURA
Evil auras draw their energy from death and its powers. Wrathlight (Evil aura) balances out the Etherlight Aura (Good aura). However, if an evil aura overpowers the Etherlight in a location, that place becomes haunted. The spirits can escape and remain trapped there.
This sparked a realisation in Alice: the locket possessed powers that could be feeding the evil aura surrounding it, meaning it could likely be found in haunted places. Since the king had died in Mosvil, the locket must be hidden somewhere there. She noted this information and decided her next task would be to find maps of Mosvil in the library.
Just then, Alice heard footsteps in the corridor—it was Kristen. For once, she was thankful for her ability to hear distant sounds. Quickly, she left the room, hiding the diary as before. She sat on the couch, picking up a magazine just before Kristen entered.
Kristen sank onto the couch, resting her cheek on her hand as she leaned back. She looked at Alice with keen interest, who glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Anything interesting?" Alice asked. Kristen replied, "Yes, for the first time, I see someone reading a book upside down." Startled, Alice closed the book. Stammering a little, she said, "Well, I was waiting for you. I was heading outside, and—I'll leave now." With that, Alice walked back to her room.
"Well, where are you going this late?" Kristen asked, still untieing her shoelaces.
"Just remembered some work. You don't have to wait for me; I'll be late," Alice replied, sliding a card into her trouser pocket.
"Of course! I witnessed your skills at breaking in through the balcony first-hand," Kristen remarked with a smirk.
Alice rolled her eyes. "If you want to wait until midnight, then sure," she retorted before walking out.
Alice hurried to the library, only to discover it was closed—no one was allowed entry after 7 PM. Determined to find a way in, she transformed into her bat form and sneaked through a small vent pipe. She landed right in the Aura Reading and Manipulation section and stood up, dusting herself off.
The library was massive, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to illuminate the space. It was divided into various sections, each containing a distinct collection of books. There was even a dedicated room for students who wanted to study. Alice made her way through the Aura Reading and Manipulation section, heading straight to the Enchanted Architecture area, where she began searching for books related to Wrathlight.
Just then, Alice heard footsteps in the corridor—it was Kristen. For once, she was thankful for her ability to hear distant sounds. Quickly, she left the room, hiding the diary as before. She sat on the couch, picking up a magazine just before Kristen entered.
Kristen sank onto the couch, resting her cheek on her hand as she leaned back. She looked at Alice with keen interest, who glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Anything interesting?" Alice asked. Kristen replied, "Yes, for the first time, I see someone reading a book upside down." Startled, Alice closed the book. Stammering a little, she said, "Well, I was waiting for you. I was heading outside, and—I'll leave now." With that, Alice walked back to her room.
"Well, where are you going this late?" Kristen asked, still untieing her shoelaces.
"Just remembered some work. You don't have to wait for me; I'll be late," Alice replied, sliding a card into her trouser pocket.
"Of course! I witnessed your skills at breaking in through the balcony first-hand," Kristen remarked with a smirk.
Alice rolled her eyes. "If you want to wait until midnight, then sure," she retorted before walking out.
Alice hurried to the library, only to discover it was closed—no one was allowed entry after 7 PM. Determined to find a way in, she transformed into her bat form and sneaked through a small vent pipe. She landed right in the Aura Reading and Manipulation section. She, then, stood up, dusting herself off.
The library was massive, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to illuminate the space. It was divided into various sections, each containing a distinct collection of books. There was even a dedicated room for students who wanted to study. Alice made her way through the Aura Reading and Manipulation section, heading straight to the Enchanted Architecture area, where she began searching for books related to Wrathlight.