The Breach
On the tenth night she spent at Kamar-Taj, Hazel inexplicably woke up and was unable to go back to sleep. After lying in bed for a moment, she glanced at the clock by her bed.
2:56 a.m.
Ah. So that's how it was. Although she was in a different place, Hazel got out of bed, shrugged into her robe, and left her room. She felt a Guest—an unfriendly one at that, one she didn't invite—enter here as definitely as one could hear the shattering of a window in another room. But the girl no longer had it in her to panic; she simply walked the halls, flashlight in hand, peering into each corner as she went. She passed through the empty kitchens and the library. Strange, this room is still lit. Wong, (or something that just looked like Wong), sat at the desk, reading a book that lied flat on the desk before him. The tortoise-shell cat rested on the desk, staring at the pages and blinking slowly.
Hazel drifted past and went right to the other room, walking so she didn't draw attention to herself. However, little to Hazel's realization, Wong had noticed, as he noticed anything amiss in the library. He followed the presence into the other room, recognizing Hazel in her astral form peering up at the Ancient One's private collection. The librarian didn't know she'd been studying astral projection, and he was cynically amused that she'd honestly use that power to try to sneak into the library late at night. He approached as she leapt up, floating cross-legged in the air right next to the Tome of Dahmaan.
"Nice try, Hazel," he started, making her jump. She looked down at him, seemingly terrified out of her wits, before fleeing the scene as quickly as she could. Wong didn't pursue her; she wouldn't be back here tonight. He'd talk with her—no, the Ancient One—about this tomorrow. Of all people, she should know of Hazel abusing what she'd been taught.
Hazel wasn't surprised when she crossed paths with that tortoise-shell cat, who joined her in checking the shadows for the unwanted thing.
"It's a game we play," Hazel began after a moment of silence. Her tone was hushed, but her voice still seemed to fill the endless abyss of space they were in. "It's kind of like hide and seek, but in this case, when you hide it's not about being seen or not."
The cat blinked at her quizzically.
"That's why we're walking," Hazel explained. "The important thing is to just mind your own business and wait, then the game will end when the thing loses interest and goes away. There will be no winner or loser, but I'll wake up tomorrow, so I think that's a good reason to do it this way. I won't confront anything that will attack me."
Her companion lowered its gaze momentarily, as if nodding in agreement with her statement. They both paused in the courtyard. The wind howled, the trees trembled as if afraid of something. The cat sniffed the air, and Hazel knew. She didn't see anything, but she could feel it, like a big eye staring at her from the empty space in the courtyard. Then she heard it. A voice, lilting and reedy, spoke slower than molasses could drip out of a jar.
"Stay where you are...."
The cat darted back the way they'd come, leaving Hazel alone to face the thing searching for her. Her mind raced as she scoured her surroundings for a solution. There were various pillars bordering the courtyard, but she wouldn't be covered for long—there were nooks to either side of the stairs, but they were too far away…. There were bushes on her right; she only had to duck between them to be out of sight again. She did so and trembled, her limbs cold, as she waited for the feeling of dread to ebb away. The sound of leaves crunching underfoot echoed through the courtyard, coming close and closer to her, until they stopped right next to her.
"Hazel?"
Hazel looked up with a start. Mordo stood by her hiding place, looking at her in confusion.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked softly.
"I heard something," she murmured.
"You should be in your room. Come, I'll—"
"Wait," Hazel got to her feet and brushed the leaves and dirt from her robes. "I... I think something's wrong."
"What is it?" he watched her scan the courtyard attentively.
"I..." The voice was gone, and so was the dreadful feeling. She felt so stupid! Of course there was nothing here. She was just depressed, or lonely. Typical that as soon as another person joined her, the Guest would just disappear like that. Her apprehension ebbed away as well, replaced with annoyance at herself for letting her imagination go wild like that. She turned back to face him. "It's nothing. I was only—"
She cut herself off with a gasp when she saw the monster that stood behind him. It was tall and pale, humanoid in form, but twisted in the limbs and spine as if it were broken. It stared at her; its lower jaw dropped to reveal a row of pointed teeth. Hazel didn't have time to react before it charged for her, brushing past Mordo and grabbing the girl.
The instant they made contact, the creature disappeared and Hazel dropped, in a daze as her astral form was forced out of her body. Startled, Mordo rushed to catch and gently lower Hazel to the ground.
"What is...?" What was that thing he saw? Realization quickly turned to guilt. He knew there had been a breach in the wards—why didn't he prepare for Hazel being attacked by anything that got through? He quickly expelled his own astral form, hoping that Hazel and that thing would still be nearby.
Thankfully, he didn't have to look far. He heard Hazel and the monster struggling nearby. On a higher balcony? Inside the sanctuary? He just had to find her quickly before she was harmed.
Hazel was disoriented after being forced out of her physical body. Her mind was completely blank; she remembered nothing—knew nothing—except that the monster attacking her was dangerous and, given the chance, it would hurt her. She couldn't conjure magic at a time like this; she couldn't even try. She didn't remember how. She relied on instinct as she fought against it, but the Guest was a skilled hunter. After so many years pursuing Hazel, he was bound to have the upper hand.
The Guest pinned Hazel to the ground and stood on its hands and knees over her. Hazel writhed as it held down one of her arms and raised her free hand to its mouth as if it was going to bite her. The girl shouted insults and swears at the beast, praying something would happen—that she'd wake up or regain her strength and sense and memory enough to fight back...
"Let go of me!" she snarled, yanking one arm free and trying to push the monster off her. She punched and kicked, but even when she gouged her fingers into the monster's right eye, it didn't waver. It continued to hold her. The beast held one arm in both of its skeletal hands and raised it to its open, fang-filled mouth once more. Hazel let out a final shout, one more plea for help. Anyone, save me now!
Then, just as Hazel's head fell limply aside with resigned despair, the Guest was torn away from her and all but thrown across the corridor. Hazel scrambled to gather herself up and looked heavenward at her savior. A woman dressed in glowing, golden robes stood before Hazel.
"Get up," the woman commanded, and Hazel looked up at her in a dumb wonder, as if she'd never seen the woman before her. Yet it was her power that she knew.
"You..." Hazel gasped.
"Get up," the other repeated, more forcefully. Hazel did as ordered, staggering to her feet and feeling a new rush of power surge through her. The woman spoke again. "Do you know who you are?"
The girl replied with what frightened her most.
"No."
"Very well," the Ancient One stepped forward as two more Guests similar to the first crept into sight. Hazel cowered. A new figure entered the astral dimension.
"Stand and fight!" Mordo ordered, standing on Hazel's other side and assessing the growing number of enemies before them. He didn't expect her to know the first thing about fighting, but he expected her to try. "Conjure a shield!"
"I don't know how," Hazel's hands shook. Mordo glanced at her in annoyance and confusion. Her face was stained with tears and blood, and she seemed smaller somehow, meek and terrified. But that wasn't what caught his attention.
"That creature…"
"It sealed her spells," the Ancient One decided. "She can't use magic in this fight."
"Then stay back," Mordo ordered the girl. Hazel did as she was told, retreating a few feet and looking back as the two masters went up against the horde of monsters that had haunted her ever since she could remember. There were seven monsters now, all flailing, shrieking, fighting to reach Hazel Grace. They made the corridor seem crowded and narrower than it was. Hazel couldn't sit idly by, but in that moment, the monsters were all she could remember. That, and one phrase.
"Daargein ni vodah tol..." she whimpered.
I didn't forget anything.
The Ancient One glanced behind her at Hazel in disbelief. The monster took advantage of the opening, managing to knock the Ancient One against the wall and hold her there. Watching their struggle alerted Hazel, as if something clicked into place at the sight. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood up straight, speaking loudly and clearly so any beast could hear her.
"Kren sossal!"
The monster raised its head just before Hazel tackled the beast. The two masters watched the struggle in surprise. Hazel had transformed, taking on the aspect of a beast that neither could identify. Hazel's body curved until she stood on her hands and feet. Her nails turned to claws, and her messy hair became a mane over her neck and shoulders. Once the monster was still, the others of its kind retreated, intimidated in the presence of a stronger monster. When Hazel turned back to look at the masters, they saw her face had elongated and transmogrified to resemble the skull of a wolf or fox. She looked more beast than human.
The Ancient One turned away, scanning the area. Where was that breach?
"Master Mordo, please take Hazel Grace back to her body and take her back to bed for the night," she ordered. "I'll take care of the breach."
Mordo wanted to question her. He didn't want her to go alone, he wanted to know what was attacking the area, and he wanted to know how Hazel was involved in all this. Was this the threat she'd come here to address?
"Hazel needs and escort. Go now," the Ancient One gave him a stern look when he didn't move to comply.
Mordo bowed his head reluctantly. "Yes, Ancient One."
When he turned back to Hazel, she was human again, but she still crouched on the ground, giving him a feral look.
"Come here, Hazel."
She lurched to her feet and followed him. Even when she returned to her body, she seemed dazed. She didn't speak, and that worried Mordo to an extent. However, as they reached Hazel's room, the witch said one thing.
"It's gone now." Her shoulders sagged.
Mordo nodded. "The Ancient One will take care of it. Now, get cleaned up and go back to bed. We have much to discuss tomorrow."
Hazel nodded aloofly and ducked into her room.
Mordo returned to his patrol in a hurry. Questions raced in his mind. He'd seen how the Ancient One and Hazel both acted out of the ordinary during the fight. How did that pathetic worm of a monster manage to get the upper hand against the Ancient One? Why did she allow herself to be vulnerable, even for a moment? And how did Hazel invoke a transformation so powerful at a moment's notice? Why did Hazel act so… lost in the astral plain?
He halted before he reached the courtyard again. The Ancient One stood in the middle of the hallway. He waited for her to speak, but even when she did, something in her tone unsettled him.
"I've repaired the wards for the night," she replied. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. How is Hazel?"
"Shaken, but uninjured," Mordo reported.
"Good. She'll undoubtedly be confused in the morning," she murmured. "If she doesn't seem herself, she shouldn't go to classes."
"Yes..."
"You have questions."
He did, and he knew she wouldn't answer all of them. He prioritized.
"How did Hazel do that?"
The Ancient One turned her head only slightly, staring at the ground.
"Let's not overwhelm ourselves tonight." Her tone changed to one of sympathy. "You haven't slept yet, have you? Rest tonight. I'll answer your questions in the morning."
"Yes, Ancient One." Why was she so... withdrawn? What had happened in the astral plain that had startled the Ancient One so badly? That question would surely never be answered.
The next morning, at Dawn
News of a breach in Kamar-Taj's wards spread once the rays of dawn reached the courtyard where it had happened. Some masters went to the courtyard to help repair the damage, whilst others checked the rest of the grounds for additional flaws or things left out of place. After making a sound patrol around the entire grounds, Mordo brought word to the Ancient One, who was standing on the edge of the courtyard and watching other masters repair the breach.
"No one was hurt, and nothing was taken," Mordo reported.
"Oh?" The Ancient One didn't turn to look at him, just kept staring ahead and flicking a folding fan in her hands absentmindedly.
"Whatever caused it might not have wanted to cause harm," Mordo dared. "It could have been a wandering ghost."
She raised her chin. "Does that look like the work of a ghost to you?"
He turned his head to appraise the damage for a first time, visibly staggered at what he saw. The far side of the courtyard was crumbled, as if a large thing had crashed there. Whatever had gotten in, everyone was lucky it left without incident. What had the beast been after?
"Do you even remember half of what happened last night?" the Ancient One asked. "Try to remember. We found a breach in the courtyard, you, Hazel Grace, and I. We fought monsters in the astral dimension alongside Hazel."
Mordo stared at the ground, wracking his brain for any such thing.
"I do..." he finally admitted. "But it feels like... some strange nightmare I had. What could've—?"
"Something very powerful tried to attack last night," the Ancient One continued, her voice even as ever.
"Tried to?" Mordo glanced at her, and his gaze lingered. She looked paler than usual, and her gaze seemed more tired than bored. She looked nearly ill from fatigue. Mordo wanted to question her, possibly inquire as to why she didn't alert others to aid her before she pursued the powerful thing, but the Ancient One wouldn't give him a chance.
"Hazel's power is growing more quickly than I'd anticipated. We must ensure she'll be prepared the next time this happens."
"What are you planning to do?" Mordo asked, but the Ancient One brushed him off, folding her fan and tucking it away before stepping out to help conjure a new ward.
Once eight o'clock rolled around, Hazel was roused by urgent shouts in the hallway. She made no haste to investigate the noise, but when she did, and heard what all the fuss was really about, it frightened her a bit.
"There's been a breach in Kamar-Taj's defenses," a master was speaking to different groups as they passed. "We're repairing the damages, but until the grounds are secure, stay in groups and don't wander off."
Upon hearing that, Hazel dressed quickly and trailed after a group that was heading her way. As they moved, the corridors were crowded with students chattering animatedly about the catastrophe, and every opening looking out at the courtyard had a cluster of people peering out at the damages. Hazel hesitated by the balcony, surveying the damage for herself.
The wall protecting the courtyard dipped and crumbled in the center, as if something large ran into the wall and made the stones buckle from the force of the blow. In front of the site, four masters—the Ancient One among them—conjured protective wards and spells to mend the damages. The near-invisible ward spell rose from the ground and over Kamar-Taj like a dome, until it met the wards that were still intact.
Just what happened last night? Hazel didn't know, yet in her mind, only a few nonsensical words conjured in her mind and repeated themselves over and over again.
They found me.
Meeting
Luckily, Hazel wasn't the only student out of sorts after that morning. Several other students struggled to perform in class, but the masters were patient and understanding on the matter. It wasn't every day the sanctuary was compromised, and the students would regain focus after a day or two. Hazel just tried her best during class and waited until she was free again. After classes, Hazel retreated to her room for some much-needed alone time.
Her room had become a bit of a mess in the last couple of days, so she took her time tidying up. She thought she remembered last night's nightmare in vivid detail, so she blamed that on her unkempt surroundings. If you keep house, the nightmares will go away—a scientifically proven fact that served her time and time again. She put her laundry in a bag and slid that under the bed, then she dusted the windowsill and dusted her altar. In the midst of cleaning out her ash catcher and reorganizing her candles and art supplies, Hazel barely noticed her visitor joining her and sitting on the bed.
"Oh," Hazel straightened up, calligraphy set still in hand, when she saw the same cat perched on the edge of her bed. "It's you again."
The cat glanced at her, but regarded her no further as it busied itself licking and chewing at its left paw. Hazel squinted and inched closer to the cat. Not a moment later she realized the cat was picking at a small cut just above its paw.
"Where'd you get that?" she breathed, searching the room for her first aid kit. She grabbed the box from under her altar and sat on the bed next to the cat. She gently stroked the cat's neck and chin, distracting it enough that it looked up and blinked at her contently. The wound wasn't bleeding, but Hazel was afraid of it getting irritated with the cat constantly licking it like that. She soaked a cotton ball with some peroxide and took the cat's injured leg gently.
The cat didn't struggle with her until she put a small patch of gauze over the wound and started wrapping that with vet wrap.
"Cut it out," Hazel scolded the cat and wrapped an arm around its shoulders to keep it in place. Ancient One or not, this cat needed to sit still and be treated. "Do you want to lose your paw or not?"
The cat narrowed its eyes and glared at her, tail flicking irately, but it didn't make another fuss until Hazel was finished wrapping the wound.
"There," Hazel released the cat, letting it dart to the open window and start fiddling with the bandage. "I made it loose, so it'll come off in a day or so, but don't fiddle with it so much."
The cat glowered at her as it chewed on the vet wrap. Hazel stared back in disbelief. She never thought the Ancient One would act so absurdly. A knock on the door made the two of them momentarily freeze. The cat duck out the window as Hazel moved to open the door for the unexpected visitor. A young woman dressed in red robes, an acolyte Hazel assumed, waited on the other side.
"Yes?" Hazel bowed her head.
"The Ancient One wishes to see you," the acolyte replied. "Follow me."
"Really?" Hazel straightened up. She quickly slipped into her shoes and followed the woman down the hall. Hazel fidgeted as they went, and figured it best to interrogate the acolyte rather than the master that wanted to see her. "D-do you know why? I mean, am I in trouble for something?"
"Why would you assume that?" the woman gave her a level stare, and Hazel shrank. There is no good answer to that question. Hazel stayed anxiously silent until they reached a set of doors at the end of a corridor. The Ancient One stood outside the doors, (human, this time), speaking quietly to a healer.
"It looks fine. Just don't fiddle with it," the healer said.
"Yes, of course," she nodded. "Thank you, Kai."
The healer bowed his head in response before retreating down the hallway. The Ancient One turned to greet the approaching girls.
"There you are. Thank you, Reiko. I'll take her from here."
Normally, Hazel would look her teacher in the eye and greet her politely, but today she was preoccupied with the fresh grey vet wrap bandage around the Ancient One's left wrist.
"How'd you get that?" she blurted out. The Ancient One raised her eyebrows.
"Oh," she turned her left hand a little and tilted her head to catch Hazel's eye. The girl, understandably, went red in the face. "It's just a scratch. Don't worry for me."
Hazel stuttered a little, but followed the Ancient One when the elder beckoned her to. They went through one of the double doors into a large, high-ceiling room with a large, low table occupied by the other Masters that resided in Kamar-Taj—Mordo, Hamir, Wong, Tashi, and Junzo. Hazel's legs carried her forward uneasily, her head shaking slightly and her breathing erratic. Why was she here? Had she done something wrong? A few of the Masters stared at her as she passed, likewise confused at her presence here. Sensing Hazel's distress and how it was quickly agitating the Masters in the room, the Ancient One quickly explained herself in a gentle murmur.
"I'm holding a council with the other masters," she said. "I'm sorry for doing this on short notice, but the matter is quite urgent, and your input is vital."
"Really?" Hazel squeaked, but was thankfully ignored.
The Ancient One sat at the head of the table and gestured for Hazel to sit to her left. Hazel obeyed and glanced about the quickly settling company of Masters. Wong sat at the other end of the table, and Mordo sat to the Ancient One's right.
"I'm sure you're all aware of the breach in our defensive wards that occurred last night," the Ancient One began, her gaze meeting that of each master in the room.
"Forgive me, Ancient One," Master Junzo interrupted her as politely as he could. "But why is that girl here for our private council? She's a mere novice. This matter doesn't concern her."
"Actually, it does," the Ancient One politely interrupted him back. "And after today, Hazel will be an acolyte, seeing as she was involved in locating and sealing the breach last night."
"What?" Hazel's head snapped up. She didn't remember anything of the sort.
"She's here to bear witness," the Ancient One concluded, refusing to even glance at Hazel. "Last night's attack was one made by followers of a very powerful entity—one that may be seeking her out specifically. We'd be wise to hear out anyone who has information on the incident, even if the witness is of an inferior standing."
Master Junzo lowered his gaze to the girl, who stared at the grains in the table uneasily. She obviously had no idea what the Ancient One was talking about.
"Then let's hear it," he looked back at the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Thank you, Master Junzo," she nodded. "To recount the events of last night, Master Mordo found Hazel just before she was attacked by something that came through the barrier. This monster forced Hazel's astral form out of her physical form and sealed her magic temporarily. Mordo and I both defended Hazel in the astral plain and located the breach there. Thankfully, Hazel wasn't physically harmed, but she was disoriented to the point where she didn't recognize herself or have any memory of her identity, past, or lessons learned here at Kamar-Taj. That's why I wouldn't be surprised if Hazel had limited memory of what transpired last night."
She finally, finally looked at Hazel for confirmation. Hazel nodded weakly.
"Even Master Mordo was confused about the events of last night," the Ancient One nodded to the sorcerer to her right. "From this, we can gather that this enemy entity targets the mind, and may very well work oneirically—through dreams."
She paused, and the debating started at once.
"Who dealt with the breach?" Master Tashi asked.
"I did," the Ancient One replied. "I asked Mordo to guard Hazel and confronted the breach directly."
"Why were we attacked?" Hamir was the next to question her. "And why were no other masters alerted?"
"Whilst urgent, the problem did not require the attention from anyone else," Mordo explained. "Hazel and I just happened to get caught in the crossfire."
"Speaking of," Wong interjected. "What was Hazel doing out of the dorms past curfew?"
Hazel's eyes shifted uncertainly. The Ancient One turned to her.
"I-I don't know..." Hazel mumbled.
"It sounds like we have a rule-breaker in our midst," Master Junzo sneered. "Not a future acolyte."
The Ancient One spared him a look.
Hazel spoke a bit more loudly. "I said I don't know. I don't remember leaving my room. I mean..." she turned to the Ancient One. I remember you. "I know what you're talking about, but... I think it was a dream I had."
"Tell us what you remember," the Ancient One requested. "Why were you out of bed?"
Hazel took a breath. "Well, I felt a... disturbance?" She shook her head with a sigh. She felt dumb. Why are you doing this to me? However, the other masters regarded each other with knowing looks.
"She sensed the breach before anyone else," Master Tashi decided. "But how?"
"I... it's not like it hasn't happened before," Hazel shrugged. "These monsters show up all the time around me. That's why I'm here. I didn't think they'd have the gall to attack Kamar-Taj—I didn't even think they'd found me already."
"So they're attracted to you," Mordo stated. With that, the events of last night made sense.
"That's right," Hazel nodded. "But they're not all like this. The Guests I invite are all different, and usually don't sneak around or cause trouble. But the ones that came last night—those are the bad ones. They vary, of course, in terms of looks, but they act the same, they seem to be after the same thing. They come from the same place."
"Another dimension?" Hamir guessed, glancing at the Ancient One.
The Sorcerer Supreme regarded him seriously. "That's a possibility."
"The monsters that attacked us last night were easy to deter," Mordo recalled. "They could be agents of a more powerful creature."
"That's absolutely what they are," Hazel said it like she'd just fully realized it for the first time. She spoke freely, for once not hesitating even as the masters stared at her. "Whenever I find a breach, I feel something big staring at me. Something that can't come to this world. So it sends its little Guests instead. But if we strengthen the wards around the property and ensure they're maintained, we can prevent another incident."
Master Junzo frowned. "Whilst you're speaking out of turn, advising masters on what to do, you have a logical solution. Ancient One, what do you recommend?"
The Sorcerer Supreme exhaled, glad they were starting to accept Hazel. "Protective wards should be conjured before sundown."
"And what of Miss Grace?" Master Tashi gestured to Hazel Grace. "She may be an acolyte, but she's still a liability. These creatures are attached to her. If that thing could break through our wards as they were, we'll have another incident on our hands soon."
"I'm aware of that," the Ancient One nodded. "However, as an acolyte, Hazel will have more resources available to her. She knows these Guests better than any of us. I'm sure she can learn, as we all can, how to deal with another attack."
Hazel had resumed staring at the table thoughtfully. She knew before coming here that running was no longer an option. She had no choice but to confront this thing, the attacks orchestrated and overseen by her Main Guest.
