Chapter 1 – Dream of Flames
There's nothing. I'm weightless as I float in this void, this abyss – no landscape, no life, no colour. Just me and this… this endless expanse of black.
The novelty of this situations passes quickly, and I feel like I should be panicked or scared in this abyss, but I only feel…
Empty.
But then, the void around me seems to twist and I can scarcely breathe as the world explodes into flames – vivid oranges, burning yellow and scorching reds so bright and psychedelic they seem cartoonish and painted on as they fill the black expanse around me. The sharp contrast from the emptiness of the black void to this inescapable realm of flames is so strikingly different, not just in appearance, but in emotions. When I felt apathetic and unfeeling, I feel absolute panic clawing at my lungs as I hyperventilate
A scream catches in my throat as the flames, instead of burning around me, begin burning on me.
The vivid flames wrap around my skinny calves like fingers, licking up at my black pyjama shorts. They entwine themselves in my hair, contrasting with the light blonde strands as I feel them lapping at my cheekbones, leaving lines of fire behind.
Vaguely, I know that this isn't actually real fire, this is simply a nightmare, and that if this was real fire I would be in a lot more pain. The burning sensation is painful, embedding itself in my skin, but, it's subsiding, and the pain is only being amplified by my fear.
"You must not let them tip the scales of life!" The deep, powerful voice fills my mind, and I startle as I realise that this voice isn't speaking aloud, it is speaking to me, in my head. I twist and flail, my panic reignited. With no warning, my muscles tense, and I'm unable to move, but the tendrils of flames are warping as they detangle themselves from my body. Unable to move my head and avert my gaze, I see as the tendrils wrap around each other, as they create a vaguely human shape – I can see a rough head, with darker fire where the head and eyes should be; arms with tendrils at the end, mimicking fingers; and a torso that fades to nothing.
I shiver despite the heat, vowing to never have a horror movie marathon with Jerome and Alfie again.
Well, maybe for a couple weeks, at least.
The burning figure stands out strikingly from the black void surrounding it, and I find I can move, flexing my fingers and rolling my shoulders back. The figure takes a 'step' forwards, but for some reason, I don't quite feel fear anymore, but a strange sense of familiarity.
"You will be aiding the Chosen one in your journey, child. While the Osirian is still sleeping, you are the only one who can protect her in her endeavour to halt those with evil intent. The morning sun may hide, but it shall never sleep." The enchantingly deadly figure moves further forwards, the colossal figure perhaps only two meters away now. I feel so bare, so vulnerable as I'm suspended in this void.
Despite the obvious choice to never trust 'random flaming figures that appear in nightmares and talk cryptically', as the figure stretches out its finger-like flames and wraps them around my hands, I don't even flinch.
A soft, warm feeling pools in my fingertips and travels up my fingers, through my wrist and up into my shoulders, filling my body with this pleasant, tingling warmth. My skin becomes luminous much like the figure's flames, my pale skin emitting a soft light.
If possible, I swear I can see the figure's 'lips' twitch up in a semblance of a smile.
"I am glad you know not to fear me. This a heavy burden, and one that would not have been given, but mere mortals are dabbling where the Gods are, but enough of such trivial matters - for now, my time is limited, as I am borrowing from your energy." The colossal figure utterly dwarfs me, as he moves closer, perhaps slightly less than a meter away, as he leans down significantly to become face-to-face with me, "Protect and aid the Chosen, Khepri, and you must not allow the scales of life to be tipped!"
With those words echoing in my skull, I find myself sitting up, gasping and breathing in oxygen as desperately as a drowning man I barely recognize the fact that yes, I am awake and this is my room and I'm safe, before I realise my legs are tangled in my blankets and I tumble to the floor with the grace of baby elephant with absolutely no motor skills.
My body is still tingling with warmth as I reach out to flick my lamp on, disturbed my skin is slightly glowing. I find myself unable to organize my thoughts, just trying to orientate myself. My pyjamas are stuck to my body with sweat, and I loosen them as I go to detangle my headphones from around my neck with heavily trembling hands.
I'm an absolute train wreck: sweaty, hyperventilating, disorientated, trembling and slightly nauseous.
Bracing myself on my bedside table, I stand on shaking legs and then proceed to collapse on my bed. I struggle with the lid on my water bottle, taking much longer than I'd like to admit unscrewing the cap. I go to take a sip.
There's a knock on my door. I startle and spill water down my pyjama shirt.
Of course, someone would have been awoken by the thump from when I took my absolutely graceful and purposeful tumble out of bed.
"Hey, Khepri! It's Joy. Can I come in?" She quietly hisses through the door. Giving up on my shirt, I wipe my slightly wet hands on my face, hoping it might make me look more awake.
Who am I kidding? I'm beyond salvation.
"Yeah, of course," I answer, wrapping a fluffy blanket around my legs, the morning chill more pronounced now I'm thinking more like a rational human being. I feel slightly calmer now, too. Slightly.
Joy cracks the door open, Bunsy Bun in hand, catching sight of me immediately. I must look as bad as I feel or she is simply mothering me as always – I hope it's the latter. She tiptoes in and winces as she steps on a creaky floorboard, but settles down next to me on my bed, covering her pink pyjama shorts with the blanket.
"You are okay? There was a thump from your room that woke me up. I don't think it woke anyone else up though, you know I'm a light sleeper." Joy questions, looking and sounded concerned, but also pretty tired. I feel guilty for waking her up, as I know she's had some issues with her father and really could use the extra hour or two.
Joy is a really light sleeper though, it is how we kind of became friends. If one of us woke up and went to grab a drink or something, the other would wake up and we'd talk for a bit. Joy was definitely my closest female friend.
"I'm fine, just missed the switch when I turned my light on," I respond quietly, fiddling smoothing down my grey blanket. Although knowing my clumsiness, it was a completely plausible excuse, Joy looks sceptical at my explanation.
I cast a glance at my little and cheap electric clock. It was early, but I usually get up not much later. I've always been an early riser.
"Okay. Just know that I'm always here. Just because you're quiet doesn't mean you won't be heard, Riri." Joy reassures me, and I give her a small smile as a thank you for the kind words and the old, familiar childhood nickname. Sometimes, I feel like I really don't deserve Joy.
We have a tight hug before Joy says she's going back to bed and sleeping in if she can, and I decide to go off to the bathroom to have a shower and just start my day a bit earlier.
I start to think about my friendships and interactions with my peers over the many years I've been here, at Amun boarding school. Joy was probably my closest female friend, but I was friendly with Mara. Patricia and I had simply never really interacted, and most of it was either awkward nods of acknowledgement that the other existed or a reminder for chores and the like. Alfie and Jerome were the ones I 'hung out' with the most, but I would call Fabian a friend and was friendly with Mick. Overall, apart from people within the house, I had little to no friends or acquaintances.
I'm just not that much of a people person.
"Wait…" I groan, stopping my train of thought as realization strikes me. "My uniform is in my room!"
"Khepri? This is a bit earlier than you usually come in." Trudy remarks, busily grabbing ingredients from the fridge. I yawn in response, carefully holding my sketchbook as I stretch.
"Can I help you, at all?" I offer, although I know how this will go, as always. She'll deny the help, saying it's her job and such and make me a cup of tea.
"Shoo! It's not your job, Khepri. Now sit down and I'll make you a cup of tea. And take your headphones out!" I begrudgingly pull my headphones out at Trudy's request. I drag a stool up to the kitchen island and bring my sketchbook out, flipping to the page I'd been working on for the past one or two mornings.
I'd just been sketching Trudy as she'd been making breakfast. It had been very close to finished, just a few tweaks needed, mostly with shading and her jewellery, which I had avoided due to my tendency to never quite get it right.
Despite the fact I'm often by myself, I enjoy capturing life in my sketches. Most of my sketchbooks over the years are filled with drawings of everyone in Anubis – ranging from everyone having a food fight at supper to Viktor talking to Corbiere.
I thanked Trudy as she placed a cup of tea beside me, and I nursed my cup as I sketched, finishing up on Trudy's sketch and moving onto mindlessly drawing between sips of tea. Trudy made conversation, and I replied or nodded in the appropriate places, still listening. I found out that Viktor's coffee ran out yesterday so he'll be a grouch; the new American girl, Nina, should be here today or tomorrow; and a few other miscellaneous things.
In all the years I've been at Anubis, my routine never changed. Come down here, sketch while Trudy started to prepare breakfast, Fabian would come in at some point soon and read and Mick would grab a smoothie and some fruit before his run, then the rest of the house would start showering, waking up and coming down for breakfast.
"Morning, Trudy, Khep." Fabian greets, his tie still undone as he has a book in hand. I recognize it as what he's been reading for a while 'Theory of Computational Intelligence'. He pulls up a stool next to me stretches, placing his book on the counter.
"Can I take a look?" Fabian asks, gesturing to my sketchbook. I blink and realise I'd started sketching the figure from my dream. It was still drawn in light, sketchy lines, and wouldn't be the same in greyscale when completed, but it was recognizable. Fabian was probably the only person I let look at my sketchbook, despite the fact I'd say I talked with Jerome, Alfie or Joy more than him. For me, letting someone look at my sketches would be the equivalent of letting someone read my diary, or I assume it would be equal to, as I don't own one.
"Just sketching now, but earlier I finished the drawing of Trudy I started one or two days ago." I flip back to the page with the drawing and Fabian gasps, tracing the outline of Trudy with a fingertip, almost reverently.
"This is really good – I think you've really improved on drawing jewellery, especially." Fabian smiles at me and I nod in thanks, trying to shove down my blush at the compliment.
"Thanks," I say, ducking my head down, flipping to my previous sketch, debating whether or not to continue it. I continue, noting that this is going to leave my hands stained in lead for days with the amount of shading I'll be forced to do. I let my mind wander as I drew, nodding along to the music blasting from my headphones that I'd snuck back in.
Although one or two people had gotten the wrong idea, Fabian and I were not dating. We were simply good friends, and that was fact. Apparently, some people don't believe that a male and female can simply just be friends. Plus, I was rooting for Joy and Fabian – she's been crushing on him for an absurd amount of time.
After a little while of Trudy cheerfully humming while Fabian and I sit in companionable silence, Mick comes in, in joggers, trainers, and a tank-top underneath an unzipped light hoodie.
There's customary good mornings, a joke or two and brief conversations as Mick makes his smoothie, practically inhales two bananas, then goes off on his run.
About one bathroom trip and half an hour later, both my hands are already covered in smudged lead from shading and the postman arrives. Patricia runs downstairs as Viktor signs off the orders, and Patricia grabs a parcel, muttering something about a 'rom-com box set'. Probably for herself and Joy, knowing Joy's obsession.
Alfie comes running into the room with the force and intensity of a hurricane, panting, looks around, sees me and runs up to me. I close my sketchbook and raise an eyebrow at him.
"Do… Do you have any fake… fake blood?" Alfie is out of breath as he leans on the counter. Fabian mutters something about just wanting peace and quiet and I send him a sympathetic look.
"I don't suppose you're going to have a 'surprise' fall, scratch or nosebleed during English to get out of that paper?" I question, Alfie smirks and I sigh. "Second draw down, right at the front. Don't use the whole bottle or you'll be buying a new one." I warn. Alfie pays no attention and exclaims 'yes' over-enthusiastically as always, jumping up and down. I lean my head on my sketchbook, Alfie's energy draining me.
"You're awesome, Ri! I would hug you if I didn't think it would ruin my chances with Amber by making her think I like you! Or be slapped! See you!" Hurricane Lewis runs out of the kitchen and Fabian sighs deeply.
"I'm going off to school early, it's getting too noisy in here." Fabian picks up his uneaten apple, dumps his empty plate in the sink, collects his bag and leaves with his book underneath his arm.
It does get busier, with Mara bursting in, grabbing some breakfast to go, as she overslept, so Amber got into the shower before her and therefore Mara has to use the school changing room's showers. It's a well-known fact that as soon as Amber gets into the shower, no other girl will have a chance to get in there. Every girl at Anubis usually has to resort to using the showers at school or sneaking into the boy's once they've all finished, sneaking to avoid Viktor.
Of course, a boy going into the girls' bathroom or vice-versa was strictly forbidden.
But then again, to Viktor, everything was strictly forbidden. I'm just surprised he hasn't added breathing to that list yet.
After Mara's hurried entry and exit, Joy and Patricia settle down. Jerome and Alfie soon enter, dragging me over the table to eat.
"Orange-flavoured cereal today, Khep?" I tilt my head at Jerome in question as he makes the snarky comment, a smirk plastered on his face. I look back and forth between his smirk and the jug I'm about to pour into my cornflakes. Smirk. Cereal. Smirk. Cereal. Sigh. Cereal. Look of exasperation. Cer- oh.
"Not today, but I could be onto to something there." I correct myself, placing down the jug of orange juice and checking the purity of my cornflakes. I reach for the jug as Jerome gives me a look that's half amused, half concerned.
"Maybe I should try it…" Alfie muses aloud as he picks up the jug of orange juice, ready to pour the juice in. I sigh, turning up the volume of my headphones a few notches in an attempt to ignore the food travesty about to happen.
"Alfie, that's disgusting!" Amber cries as she walks in the room, scrunching her face up in clear disgust at the food sacrilege about to occur. Alfie immediately puts down the jug with such speed some splashes on his clothes. I bite my lip to conceal a laugh at his expense. Trudy peers in from the kitchen and frowns. I take pity on Alfie and hand him some napkins as he frantically wipes his shirt and pants.
"Alfie, just use milk! Amber quickly, sit down and eat before you run out of time." Trudy scans the table and her eyes flit over me but come right back. "Headphones out, Khepri." I sigh at the all-too-familiar reminder. I snap to my right as Jerome pulls his hand back, with an exaggerated innocent grin. I put my hands protectively over my ears, giving him my best glare.
"Is that a glare or a pout, Ghostie?" I roll my eyes at the nickname Jerome had christened me with many years ago, claiming that with my light hair and pale skin I surely must qualify as a supernatural being. I lightly punch his arm for the comment.
"You won't be questioning my facial experience when you find your hair dyed fluorescent pink tomorrow." At my casual threat, Jerome narrows his eyes at me and Alfie makes an over-the-top 'ooh, shots fired' from beside Jerome.
"You wouldn't dare mess me with my hair," Jerome announces with certainty, "and if you did, your sketchbook would be taking a bath." I clutch my aforementioned sketchbook to my chest from where it was on my lap, leaning away from Jerome. He laughs at the action and crams half a piece of toast in his mouth at once.
We both knew that while we joked about getting Jerome's hair or my sketchbook in the line of fire, it was one of our unwritten rules we'd developed over the years. Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Viktor and hear his shoes tapping against the tiled floor as he approaches.
"Miss Parker." I turn around, not too shocked while Alfie flails, knocking orange juice over himself again, "I believe Trudy asked you to remove your headphones. It'd be a pity for you to lose your headphones this early on in the term." Viktor gives a scrutinizing glance to every student at the table before walking into the kitchen and briefly talking with Trudy.
I listen in, but even with my usually sharp hearing I can only catch a couple words over the sound of Patricia and Joy leaving, their chairs scraping against the tiled floor and loudly chatting. 'Arrival', 'midday' and 'complete preparations' are the words I'm able to clearly make out. Trudy looks confused as she faces Viktor, but he repeats something and she nods. I observe Viktor closer: his eyebrows are furrowed, voice tight and he just generally seems very tense and stiff. My mind connects the dots as I remember Trudy's and my conversation about the new girl, Nina coming today or tomorrow. Seems like today, though, with how Viktor is acting.
I tilt my head at the kitchen, trying to think about what else could be happening today to have Viktor be so tense– probably the coffee thing Trudy mentioned as well? He really becomes a grouch on steroids without coffee in general, and from mutterings of 'that instant muck', I find myself proven right.
"He hasn't threatened to confiscate your headphones since the last time we outsmarted him." Jerome remarks, and I put my hand in front of my mouth to conceal a smile at the 'Headphone Saga' that had been going on for years. Viktor had eventually given up after many attempts thwarted; by going into town and getting a new pair; online shopping; using one of the many backup pairs I had; getting the others to buy them for me.
I tune out the conversations happening at the table, one hand lazily tracing circles onto my sketchbook and one elbow leaning on the table.
I think what eventually made Viktor stop in his attempts of confiscating my headphones was when I took a leaf from Jerome's book – doing homework and selling assignments – in order to buy a ridiculous number of cheap headphones from eBay.
Viktor certainly had a shock when he woke up and found headphones in random places – hanging from the chandelier, in his coffee beans. As a bonus, I'd also picked the lock to his office and hung them where I could, staying mindful of Corbiere: I'd wanted a protest, not Viktor to plan to murder me in my sleep.
"We should get going to school – I think we'd best avoid Viktor as much as possible, today." I stand up, pushing my chair in. Jerome and Alfie stand with me, although I notice Jerome looking at my barely touched cereal bowl.
Despite the comfort of normality, routine and banter, I couldn't get the feeling of scorching flames to leave my skin.
I think about my nightmare as I walk behind Jerome and Alfie, as they start roughhousing each other, pushing and shoving.
I want to dismiss this dream as silly, but it all seemed so real. Maybe, just maybe this new girl, Nina, could have something to do with it? I entertain the thought. If she was, she'd either be the 'Chosen' I have to help or the evil.
I shake my head to myself. Focus, Khepri, it was just a stupid dream, I think to myself.
"You still asleep, Ri?" Alfie questions and I feel myself flush as I realise I stopped walking while thinking and jog to catch up to the boys.
"Do you think Viktor will enforce an early bedtime again after all the emails he receives from teachers about a certain Miss Khepri Parker falling asleep in class?" Jerome mocks and I bury my face in my hands as Alfie laughs.
"I very much hope not."
And... that is the end of our very first chapter!
I hope anyone reading this enjoyed! This is really my first major multi-chapter work I've stuck with, and while I have read through this chapter a couple times, please notify me if you spot any mistakes.
Also, I know this was a bit of a slow start, but I wanted to establish Khepri's place in House of Anubis and some basic plot points and small foreshadowing points, but I do promise it will pick up once most of the setting up has been finished. Another point to make is that there will be alterations to the canon universe, subtle at first but larger diverges later on.
Admittedly, I haven't planned much of this story, and kind of doing this on the fly, as inspiration strikes me and I've been considering posting something for a while and wanted to get something out there.
Viktor is spelt with a 'k' instead of a 'c' simply because I find it more menacing and Viktor-like.
Please, give me reviews, criticism or any comments. Anything you'd like to see from this story in particular? Any thoughts about Khepri?