The Monster of Hexley Hall
Summary: *Based loosely on The Hunchback of Notre Dame.* Cedric is a reclusive sorcerer who was taken in by Grimtrix the Good many years ago, now living within the confines of Hexley Hall and never daring to venture beyond the school grounds. When a newly recruited student named Sofia begins attending the school, Cedric is immediately drawn to her for some reason. In addition, there is a dark secret lurking below the surface of the pristine magical school's exterior: students are getting severely injured, and some have even perished. When Sofia appears to become a target, Cedric will do anything he can to protect her while also trying to solve the mystery of what is happening to the other students. (An AquaMan Production. Read Me a Story format. Takes place 5 years after my "Season 5" stories.)
Disclaimer: I own neither Sofia the First nor The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Tanya and Nana belong to MarionetteJ2X. Serena and Charlie belong to me, and so do a few OCs mentioned in this story.
Chapter 10: Losing Light
A few more months passed, including the holidays. Instead of going home, Sofia actually stayed at Hexley Hall and spent them with Cedric, giving him his first gift ever: a warm dark gray scarf with a purple 'C' stitched into the fabric. She'd made it herself, which meant a great deal to the normally isolated sorcerer. They hadn't kissed since that first time a few months ago, but Sofia had been cheeky enough to utilize the scarf to her advantage, gently pulling him forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips, whispering 'Happy Wassailia' to him that evening.
While the friends were growing closer, and probably leaning more toward a romantic connection (which neither had ever had before), Grimtrix was up to no good. He was more inclined to treachery than ever, luring several Light Magic Wielders into his clutches, and ultimately draining them of their powers before destroying them. "How did no one notice?" you might ask. It's a very good question with a very simple answer: mind control.
Grimtrix was especially good at this on a variety of different levels. From dark magic to pure psychology, he was able to make the remaining students and even his own staff believe whatever he wanted. He didn't exactly hide his deeds from Cedric, though, who had expressed his concerns on more than one occasion. That provoked the one extensive psychological trick Greylock had effectively managed with his charge on and off the last several years: gaslighting.
He would often remind Cedric that he too had a darkness within him, so he was unfit to question the headmaster's motives. Sometimes he'd rehash the times the younger sorcerer spent in the cult, listing in detail all the marks he'd received: the mark of sadism, the mark of debauchery, the mark of sacrifice… Every mark he listed, Cedric cringed and pulled tighter on his hair, begging his master to stop… Stop reminding him of his past, his unwilling plunge into darkness…
Sadly, Cedric's living conditions had gotten worse as well, though he hadn't told Sofia (whom he'd been meeting secretly outside recently, rather than in his former bedchambers). When Grimtrix found out from Hugo that Cedric had managed to sneak out one evening (not even realizing how often he'd done it before), he'd punished the sorcerer to the dungeon, where his new 'home' was. No more dresser, window to the outside, extra clothing, or even sufficient bedding. Thankfully, he hadn't found the scarf, which Cedric had magically concealed in his tattered Hexley Hall robes for safe keeping. While the dungeon stayed locked a majority of the day, Cedric still had teleportation after he was sure that Grimtrix was asleep and the guards (including Hugo) were stationed elsewhere.
Cedric spent his birthday in early January with Sofia as well: under the stars, as they preferred. When she mentioned his sunken facial features, a new bruise on his partially exposed arm, and the dark circles under his eyes, he'd simply passed it off as not sleeping enough and falling off his bed and into his side table the previous night.
"And the reason you look so skeletal?" she'd inquired after that, concern etched into her features, nearly in tears at how her friend seemed to wave away any apprehension she felt.
Merely lack of appetite, he'd assured her. Headaches… Isolation… The usual. He could tell she wasn't buying it, but distracting her with a shooting star seemed to do the trick…for now.
What she didn't see was what led to this… And what happened again when he returned from his birthday outing with her…
Cedric teleported back into his dungeon cell, a little dizzy from the overexertion, and gasped sharply when he saw none other than Grimtrix sitting on his dingy bed, a cup of coffee in one hand lifted to his lips and a book in his other hand, which his eyes lazily roved over before peering up at him. "M-Master Grimtrix…"
"Perusing the grounds without my consent, were you, Cedric?" He tossed the book onto the foot of the bed before finishing up his coffee, using his magic to incinerate the cup. "Where have you been?"
"I-It's my b-birthday, s-so—" Cedric gulped when the headmaster grabbed his tunic, yanking him closer to glare heatedly into his frightened brown eyes.
"Your birthday is of no concern, do you hear me? You're just a small blip on the fabric of reality. Smaller than a particle of dust on a fragment of a cell. A worthless shell of a man, wasting away, in a world that couldn't care if you lived or died." He released the younger sorcerer's tunic, not even giving him two seconds to feel any sense of relief before he backhanded him across the face, knocking him onto the bed, the squeaky springs beneath the thin mattress breaking through the fabric and dragging through Cedric's tunic, cutting small gashes in his skin as he groaned softly in pain. "You were with that Light Wielder, weren't you?"
Cedric was hardly able to brush his fingers along the bloody injury on his stomach before hearing that inquiry. He gazed up at the older man, frowning. "What?"
"Sofia Balthazar, the incessant Light Magic Wielder from Enchancia… The one who could probably outperform anyone on my staff." He smirked aberrantly when Cedric shied away from him, trying his best to tend to his wound. "She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?"
"I…" Hearing the man speak of his friend (and quite possibly more) was unsettling. It bothered him. Sofia wasn't some object to be discussed. She was a person: a beautiful, kind, loving person…
"You ever wonder what it would be like to hold her close, Cedric?" He lifted a hand, several rings lining his fingers, and used his own magic to create a magical outline that looked eerily like the student. He ran one hand along the line of the magical imitation's hip, grinning as it gave way to his touch, the form even emitting a soft whimper of pleasure. "To brush your hands over her supple curves? To plunge your hands into that long, thick hair and just pull as she squirms and moans, and to trap her against the wall and tease her until she begs for you to just…take her?"
"T-Take her where?" Cedric asked, blushing deeply as Grimtrix made lewd gestures both toward and with the magical imitation of his friend.
Grimtrix let out a guffaw and sent the magical imitation away as he wiped a few tears from his eyes. "Oh, my boy… For someone your age and affiliated with the darkness, you are awfully innocent." He sneered at his charge. "Never you mind, Cedric. It's nothing to concern your precious head with." He lifted a hand, blasting Cedric with a powerful cascade of magic, which caused the sorcerer to groan in even more pain than before. "There. A magic block for a few days should do the trick. No more venturing in and out of the school while I'm busy. In fact, my new guard Hugo will be down here later to keep an eye on you."
Cedric whimpered lowly, trying to keep his breathing under control as he doubled over in pain. "P-Please, Master Grimtrix… Please don't hurt Sofia…"
"Mm, and why do you speak her name as if you know her?" A look of intrigue passed on the older man's face as he saw Cedric slink backwards onto his bed, still trying to compose himself. "Oh! Oh-ho! So Cedric has a little crush on one of my students, eh?" He grinned maliciously, reaching out to take the other sorcerer's ear, his grin dropping instantly to a scowl. "Now listen here, you pathetic sack of rusted bones. We don't flirt with the enemy. We don't fall in love with the enemy. She is nothing more than a sacrifice, and as soon as I drain her powers, I intend to use her for my own gratification, and then she'll be nothing more than dust. Poof, gone! Vaporized into the wind…" He patted his charge's cheek perhaps a little too forcefully before shoving him back into the mattress. He stepped over to the cell door, unlocking it, and then he moved outside the door, locking it back. "Don't disappoint me, Cedric. You're covered in symbols of the occult, not rainbow sprinkles from a cupcake. You're filled with dark magic coursing through your veins. Start acting like it." With that, he turned and left, magically dousing the lamplights as he did.
Cedric shivered a bit, frustrated that his clothing was in worse condition than before. He had bloody patches all over his stomach from the springs catching his skin earlier, and he was sweating from nervousness and fear: fear of what Grimtrix would do not to him, but to Sofia… "Sofia," he whispered, groaning as he attempted to use his magic, but failing nonetheless. "I… I must warn her…somehow…"
A few days went by, and Sofia didn't hear from or see Cedric anywhere. He wasn't at any of their usual spots, and she didn't see him in his infamous 'Shadow Student' robes. It was like he'd just vanished into thin air.
"Would you stop pacing?" Wormwood asked, irritated as he sighed, watching his owner slow her movements, only to turn to him with a sulking expression. "I'm sure he's fine."
"What if Grimtrix did something to him, Wormwood?" Sofia asked worriedly, twirling some of her hair in her hands, a nervous habit of hers. "He's creepy and doesn't treat Cedric right as it is." A few tears sprung to her eyes as she sniffled. "I just…want him to be okay…"
The raven shook his head before fluttering over to the student, resting on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek in a comforting manner. "There, there, Sofia… I'm sure he's all right. He may just not be feeling well, hmm?"
"He was fine the other night when we spent his birthday together." She folded her arms, frowning thoughtfully. "Though… He did say he had a headache, and he obviously hadn't been sleeping well."
Wormwood hummed. "There you go then. He probably is just catching up on some sleep."
She paused a few moments before shaking her head. "I need to go check on him."
This suggestion startled the bird. "Y-You can't, Sofia… It's past hours, and you'll get into trouble if you're caught."
Sofia just smiled, wiping her tears away as she helped her familiar onto his perch. "Then I just won't get caught…"
"Sofia…"
She leaned forward, kissing her longtime friend on his beak, causing him to sputter. "I'll be back later." With nothing else to say, she teleported out of the room, much to the raven's chagrin.
Wormwood frowned, fluttering some of his feathers in concern. "Be safe, Sofia…"
Sofia crept along the main hall's outer shell, quietly slipping through the door and down the pathway that led to Cedric's bedchambers. When she reached the door to his room, she knocked softly. Hearing no response, she frowned, using some of her magic to unlock the door. She would apologize for intrusion of privacy later; right now, she wanted to check on the sorcerer and make sure he was okay.
When she entered the room, she had to lift a hand to her mouth to keep from gasping sharply. The room was empty. No bed, no dresser, no window… It was all gone. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Something's really wrong," she mumbled as she lowered her hand. "Cedric…" She turned and quickly moved back through the corridor, up the steps to the exit, and was instantly stopped by-
"Look who thinks she doesn't have to follow the rules of the school," Grimtrix remarked coldly, grabbing Sofia's wrist and pulling her toward him, slamming the door shut simultaneously. He glanced toward Hugo behind him, who seemed uneasy by the headmaster's actions. "Hugo, make note of insubordination for Ms. Balthazar, would you?"
"Y-Yes, sir," the young guard responded hesitantly, scribbling something not entirely legible in his writing tablet. He could see the fear and distrust in Sofia's eyes, and as someone who'd gotten to know her the last several months, as a really good friend… He didn't like seeing that. But he also had a job to do, which conflicted with everything pretty much.
"What did you do to him?" Sofia demanded lowly enough for only Grimtrix to hear. She frowned heavily as he smirked at her. "Where is he?"
"Why are you so fascinated by my charge, anyway? The man is tainted by darkness, literally engraved with dark magic markings all over every inch of his body. You should be concerned that it would spoil your pure Light Magic soul, wouldn't you think?" He reached up with one free hand, tracing his forefinger over her bottom lip, sneering as she recoiled, glaring at him. "If you wanted an older dark sorcerer to rule over you, to dominate you in every sense, you could have just sought me out… I'm far more attractive and successful, as it is. Cedric will never be able to provide for you the way I would, my dear."
"Maybe not," she muttered quietly, still keeping her voice hushed so that Hugo couldn't hear, "but you aren't him. You're cold, cruel, distant, and disgusting. You use your magic and your status to get what you want, and I refuse to fall under that category. I will never belong to you."
"We'll see about that." He lifted his left hand, his palm glowing with a dark mark infused with what looked like boiling blood, his eyes beginning to glow a soft white. "Look into my eyes, Sofia…"
She recognized it for what it was: hypnotism. She immediately tore her eyes from him, focusing instead on Hugo, who seemed confused and concerned. "Hugo, help! He's-"
Grimtrix snarled at her, grabbing her shoulders, and shoving her up against the wall. "No one can help you now, girl," he whispered, chuckling with a hollow echoing sound coating his vocal cords.
Hugo frowned, tossing his writing tablet aside, and hurried forward, withdrawing his sword, pressing the cold blade against his boss's neck. "Release her, Headmaster," he ordered, his voice shaking just a bit but his tone serious and low. "That's an-an order."
Amused, the dark sorcerer dropped Sofia, who cast a grateful look toward her friend and then scurried away. He turned slowly to Hugo, who gulped but still managed to keep the sword pointed at him. "Now I know you don't think you can order me around, Hugo. Why, I'm your employer, after all…"
"I-I had to do what's right-" The teenager's eyes widened as he noticed that any semblance of irises that Grimtrix once had were now gone, vacant, only those glowing white pupils remaining. He swallowed nervously as the older man calmly reached up, bending his hand, the magic flowing from it twisting the blade into a knot.
"Stupid boy. Don't you know the goody two-shoes are always the first ones to go?" He threw the blade aside, pressing two fingers to Hugo's forehead, watching as his eyes rolled back into his head and a mark began glowing on his skin. "You'll regret that. I'll make sure of it…"
Sofia rushed out the doors of Hexley Hall, nearly slipping on some compacted snow, and she gasped when she found herself falling into outstretched arms of someone she hadn't expected to be there. She looked up, startled to see Greylock the Grand. While she didn't know him as well as she knew Cedric and Hugo, she'd learned a bit about him over the months. He seemed like a decent enough person… "Greylock?"
"Sofia Balthazar," he responded with a small smile. "Dear girl, it's freezing out here and past hours." He slowly frowned as he helped her stay steady on her feet, allowing her to hold onto his arms as she did. "What is the matter?"
"There's a monster in Hexley Hall…"
He tilted his head. "Is it Cedric? Has he done something?"
"What? No… Cedric is a kind soul, and despite his outward appearance, he's never done anything dark and horrible. I'm talking about Headmaster Grimtrix the Good." She frowned, nearly biting her tongue. "His title… Such a lie. There's nothing good about him."
Greylock's face fell. She knew. She had to know… "I'm so sorry, Sofia… I had hoped you would…" He slowly pulled his arms back as she was able to stand securely on her own. "I, um… I never should have brought you here… I hoped they wouldn't want you… Not you…"
She was even more confused than before. What was he talking about? "Greylock… You're the one who always raved about Hexley Hall being such a wonderful place. You encouraged us to enroll here and learn and grow here…" She glared heavily at him as he eyed her quietly. "What have you done?!"
"S-Sofia, please, please listen to me…" He gestured toward a bench to the side. "Have a seat, and I'll… I'll explain."
Hesitantly, she obliged him and sat down, folding her arms to keep from shivering in the cold night air. The normally vivacious and excitable Greylock the Grand seemed completely disheartened about something. What did he know? What did he do? Did he have something to do with Grimtrix? Did he know the truth? When he still hadn't said anything, she demanded, "Now, Greylock."
"There's a monster at Hexley Hall, all right," he admitted, sighing. "Grimtrix is terrible, but I fear I'm no better than he is…" He shook his head, leaning one shoulder against the bench as he turned to her. "This school was once a completely reputable and glorious place. I myself attended, as you're aware, and I even worked here for a bit of time. Grimtrix fired me, though, because we didn't exactly see eye to eye. I knew his devious inclinations and wanted to try to fight him somehow. My family is filled with Light Magic Wielders, though I've never quite managed to flourish under the same powers. I'm mediocre at best. Anyway, one thing I know is that Light Magic counters the dark, and with Grimtrix alone, there is a lot of dark magic to go around…"
"So, you encouraged me and the other students to attend here, even knowing the truth about Grimtrix?" She frowned as he looked away. "Greylock, how could you do this? Why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"I'm so sorry, Sofia… I know that I should have been honest with you from the beginning, but it was for your safety that you didn't know all the details." He lifted his hands, forming a magical projection that showed other Light Magic Wielders, now walking aimlessly or lying motionless on the ground. "Do you see these people? They were all once like you: prodigies, keepers of the Light Magic left in the realm, as there is so little remaining. Grimtrix either drained them of their magic and then kicked them out, their minds reprogrammed to believe they'd never had magic, as if it were all a dream; or...he destroyed them." He watched her expression change to one of dread, reality dawning on her. "The school isn't the bad entity here, Sofia… Grimtrix is. I thought I could fight him by recruiting new magically gifted students every year. Many came back to me, crying, saying they felt empty and didn't know what they were doing here. They'd lost their magic. People obviously don't just lose magic, so I knew the old man had to be behind it. However, without proof…"
"You still didn't answer my question," she interjected, blue orbs locked onto his hazel ones. "If you knew all this from the beginning, why would you encourage me and others to attend?"
Greylock frowned. "I had always hoped that I would one day find someone special who could change things around here. When I first saw you, Sofia, I thought I'd finally found that person… But… It was wrong of me to put you in this position, and I'm terribly sorry. I hope no harm befell you, my dear."
"Not me… But I became friends with Cedric, his...charge." She shook her head as she grew anxious, wondering what had happened to the other sorcerer. "And I met Hugo, who just risked his life to make sure that I was safe from Grimtrix. I don't know if he's alive or not, and I don't know what's happened to Cedric… I went to check on him, and his room was empty, Greylock…" She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes again. "What if he's…?"
He shifted a bit so that he could extend his arms, smiling disarmingly, welcoming her into a warm hug, which she accepted. He patted her back. "I can tell you're very fond of him."
"He's my best friend," she murmured against his robe, sighing. "I don't care about the dark marks, his terrible upbringing… I just care about him." She sat back a bit, looking him in the eye. "We have to find him, Greylock… Please."
"I'm aware, but we must be careful. Grimtrix is still a force to be reckoned with."
"Yeah, and he had a dark mark on his left palm when he cornered me earlier. It looked like there was even...blood...in it."
Greylock's breath caught, and he gaped at her. "No… It's gotten worse, then…"
"What has?"
He inhaled slowly before nodding. "He's becoming stronger, Sofia. If he's not stopped, he could destroy everyone."
"But how do we stop someone like that? Who even has that much power?"
Greylock looked down when he noticed Sofia's hands glowing a bit. He reached out, turning her palms up, his eyes widening a bit at the sight. He glanced up at her, still in mild shock. "Y-You do…"
Sofia blinked at him. "What?"
"Sofia… I need you to trust me. I have an idea how we can stop Grimtrix and hopefully save Cedric and the others before it's too late."
She slowly nodded, her curiosity piqued. "What did you have in mind?"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Marked
