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. *Also, just another quick reminder that the girls have been receiving an abbreviated version of this story, especially considering some of the things you'll see in this chapter and that you've already seen in previous ones...*


Chapter 11: Marked


Grimtrix hummed a little too happily as he tossed a dazed Hugo into Cedric's cell, smirking as the teen crashed into the bars against the back of the wall. "Oops."

Cedric, his frail form even weaker due to lack of food and water the last few days (Grimtrix's sick additional punishment he'd insisted on, despite Hugo's and other guards' concerns), moaned in pain as he looked toward the crumpled guard on the floor and then back at the headmaster. "Master, please… Please stop this…"

The older man's smirk fell from his face, his mouth instead in a thin line and his brows even. He slowly approached his charge, tilting his chin up with a sharp finger. "Stop what, Cedric? You should know by now that I have a goal. And what do I do if someone gets in the way of my goal?"

He closed his eyes, cringing a bit as he felt the man's fingers dig more into his skin, almost as if he wanted to cut off his oxygen supply. Maybe he did…

"It's annoying how utterly useless you are." He held up his left hand, the dark and bloody symbol forming on it again, the soft light glowing from the source slowly pulsating and becoming more powerful each second. "I really don't have any need for you anymore, I'm afraid. And you've overstayed your welcome." Grinning, he thrust his dark power toward his charge, laughing as streams of energy and magic began flowing from Cedric and into the mark on his master's palm instead. "Shh… Soon, my dear boy, this will all be over…" He stepped closer, brushing his fingers through the sorcerer's hair, mimicking an affectionate and parental motion as he whispered, "Not much longer now, my son…"


"Nowhere," Greylock sighed in frustration, meeting up with Sofia on the main floor of the school again. "I've searched every wing on this floor."

"I checked upstairs and in different rooms. I didn't see them anywhere either." She folded her arms, attempting to comfort herself and settle the nerves she felt. "Greylock, I'm worried… I just know Grimtrix did something to them…"

"Come here, Sofia." He held out an arm, smiling encouragingly at the teen as she accepted his offer, appreciating the quick hug. "We'll find them, don't you worry. Now, think logically: we've checked upstairs and the main floor. There's only one place left."

"Downstairs… Well, we know he's not in his room, so… What else is below the school?"

Greylock released her and blinked at her. "You mean… You don't know?"

She tilted her head in confusion at this inquiry. "What do you mean?"

"Sofia…" He ran one hand through his hair, sighing. "The dungeon…"

"This school has a dungeon?" She held a hand to her head. "I mean, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised… Of course he'd want to have a place to lock up his—" She gasped, grabbing his robes in alarm. "Greylock, take us to the dungeon, now."


When the duo reached the bottom of the school, the damp and dim chamber filled with sharp odors that attacked their senses the moment they entered, they were both stunned at the scene before them. Hugo was still lying on the floor, unconscious. Grimtrix had his hand aimed at Cedric, who seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness himself. All the dark marks along his skin were glowing and searing his form. He emitted a few whimpers of pain, and a sizzling sound could be heard every now and then. Grimtrix was chanting, his eyes glazed over with a solid white glow.

Greylock lifted a hand, a solid white mark forming on his own left palm—a contrary result to the headmaster's. He blasted Grimtrix, making him lose his concentration and severing whatever magical hold he held over Cedric, who crumpled to the ground, his emaciated form practically swallowed in his tunic.

Sofia hurried over to Cedric while Grimtrix snarled and turned to Greylock, those grayish-blue eyes blazing heatedly. "You!" He thrust his own powerful blast at him, catching him off guard, sending him backwards into the bars. He smirked when the sorcerer's head connected with the steel bars, knocking him out.

"Cedric," Sofia whispered, willing him to come around. She smiled sadly as he opened his eyes, a warm gaze of affection aimed her way. He attempted to speak, but she pressed her finger against his lips, shushing him. "No… Just rest. You'll be okay."

"He most certainly will not!" Grimtrix countered, growling angrily. "Cedric, move immediately, or I'll kill you along with this wretched Light Wielder. One less problem to deal with in my life, anyway!"

Cedric, gathering the little bit of strength he had remaining, shuffled in front of Sofia, defending her as best as he could. "N-No… I won't let you hurt her."

The older man jeered at him, "You think you can protect her? Even if you make it out of this alive, those marks on your body will never allow you to have a normal life. You'll always have a tainted darkness inside of you, and no amount of Light Magic can ever take that away."

Sofia looked toward Cedric, grabbing one of his hands. "Give me some of the marks," she insisted, seeing the astonished expression on his face. "It'll take away the pain I know you're always in… It'll give you a chance to feel more at ease, and I can take some of that burden away."

Grimtrix burst out laughing, catching the pointed glare from the girl. "You have no idea what you're suggesting! You stupid girl; don't you know that taking on Cedric's marks will put a target on your back?"

"You'll—You'll suffer, Sofia," Cedric added, agreeing with his master for once in his life. "Maybe only temporarily, or maybe permanently… But… He's right." He sighed, feeling her holding him closely. "I don't want you to have a life of pain like I've had…"

"I don't care," she returned softly, lifting a hand, brushing her fingers through his bangs. She smiled gently at him, placing a kiss to his forehead, a far more affectionate and meaningful gesture than what Grimtrix had done earlier. "I love you, Cedric…" She saw his eyes fill with a few tears, and she used her thumb to stroke the moisture away. "I love you, and I want to help you…"

Greylock slowly came to, his bleary vision just catching sight of Sofia's palms glowing again, like earlier. He'd heard some of their conversation as he'd come back to consciousness, and he called out to her, "Sofia… Do you really want to do this?"

She looked at him and nodded. "I do."

"Take his hands and repeat after me…" He sat up, watching as she did as he said.

"No, you don't!" Grimtrix yelled, diving at Sofia, his hands wrapping around her throat, slowly cutting off her oxygen. Seeing that she still hadn't released the sorcerer's hands, he smirked. "Fine. You can die holding his hands… You can both die for all I care! I honestly don't give a damn anymore…" His eyes glazed over once again, and his dark magic enabled his strength to increase, his hold on Sofia even stronger.

"G-Greylock!" Cedric looked toward the other man. "Hurry! I'll say it!" He strengthened his hold on Sofia's hands, despite the pain it caused him in his weakened state.

Luce et tenebris, ut iungere.

Dividerent marcas.

Ad coniungere contrariorum.

Cedric repeated Greylock's words, feeling the warmth from the glow Sofia's hands were still emitting flooding him. He also felt something leaving him… Several marks began to vanish from his arms, hands, face, and other areas on his body. Each mark that disappeared, more energy and life returned to him.

Greylock lifted his hand, blasting Grimtrix away from the friends, knocking him out in a corner of the room. He sighed, lowering his hand.

Sofia gasped in relief when she realized she could breathe normally again, and then she shook her head, looking at Cedric, who seemed confused and surprised. "C-Cedric… A lot of your marks… They're gone…"

"I… I know…" He lifted their joined hands, indicating the new additions to her own skin. "But…"

Instead of dark marks, Sofia's were light, and they were glowing ever so slightly. They didn't hurt her at all, which she wasn't expecting. She could see that the sorcerer didn't seem to be in nearly as much pain, though he was still in bad shape. She winced as he lifted a hand to her throat, the soft pads of his fingers caressing the red marks from Grimtrix's grip. "I'm okay…"

He nodded, trailing his hand up to her face, where a few more marks had nestled on her cheek, her forehead, her chin, and even her earlobe. The marks he brushed were warm to the touch… "Why…?"

Greylock smiled tiredly. "Soulmates, Cedric…" Seeing the baffled expression on both friends' faces, he shrugged. "You and Sofia were drawn to each other with a type of Yin and Yang connection, it seems: two halves of the same whole, as it were."

"I thought soulmates were just fictitious," the sorcerer murmured. "Mas—er… Grimtrix always said true love was just a fairytale."

"Because he doesn't know anything about love," Sofia whispered, hugging him gently, her head resting next to his neck. "But we do, Cedric…"

Grimtrix stirred from his spot, his head pounding, and he grew even angrier seeing the other two hugging, and Greylock smirking knowingly from his position on the ground. He unsteadily clambered to his feet, his hands outstretched as much as he could manage.

Seeing this, Cedric and Sofia slowly stood as well, holding hands as they huddled closer together.

"You disappoint me, Cedric," Grimtrix said with an irritated grumble, his head shaking. "No matter what you think, or how much you try, you'll always be just some ugly, evil, wretched magic man with no real place in this miserable realm."

Sofia glanced at Cedric, who smiled calmly at her, and she nodded once, lifting a free hand as Cedric did the same.

Grimtrix's eyes widened, noticing how powerful they looked together: marks and symbols glowing either dark or light shades, serious expressions on their faces… "W-Wait!" He knew his time was limited. He felt the cold claw of Death already slowly pulling him away. "Cedric, you can't kill me! I raised you! I gave you everything! You should be grateful!"

"You stole me from one bad situation and brought me into another," Cedric corrected, his voice stronger than it had sounded in a long time. "You taught me to fear you and others. You taught me that I'm nothing more than an evil being trapped in a helpless form. You abused me, lied to me, and hid me away from the world, and I'm supposed to be grateful?"

"Y-You need me!"

"No, Grimtrix. I don't need you… 'You can die for all I care.'"

Grimtrix gasped sharply as he heard his own words tossed back at him.

"'I honestly don't give a damn anymore…'"

The headmaster screamed as the power from both Cedric and Sofia erupted from their hands, drowning him in a mix of light and dark magic, tearing him to shreds and leaving nothing but sparkling magic behind.

Sofia caught Cedric when he nearly fainted, and she gently guided him into a sitting position on the bed. "Hang on, Cedric… You need some medical attention."

Hugo finally came to, the mark that had been on his forehead earlier (probably a freezing and energy draining spell or something Grimtrix had concocted) gone now that the headmaster had been defeated. He looked around, blinking as he saw his friend and the others there. "W-What happened?"

Greylock sighed, shaking his head as he stood up. He walked over to Hugo and carefully pulled him to his feet. "I'm not sure if you'd believe us if we told you."

"Honestly, after what I saw, I'd believe just about anything at this point." He laughed when Sofia turned and hugged him, and he slowly returned the hug, feeling all the bruises he'd probably endured from his conflict with Grimtrix. "I'm so glad you're okay, Sofia…"

She nodded as she glanced up at him, smiling. "I'm glad you're okay too, Hugo. You had me worried." She felt him touch one of the marks on her cheek, looking at her inquiringly. "It's…a long story…"


After Greylock had used a medical spell to heal them all, especially Cedric (which relieved his withered and sickly form), they escaped the dungeon. Hugo made sure to report the incident, citing illegal and wrongful methods from Grimtrix, who was…considered a 'missing person' now. Greylock supported the young guard, validating his claims. A new headmaster would be instated soon, and no one ever really questioned Grimtrix's disappearance. (Turned out not many really liked him anyway, so…)


That evening, under the stars, Cedric and Sofia finally got to just hold each other at last. No more Grimtrix… No more uncertainty… No more fear…

"I still can't believe you took away so many marks," Cedric whispered to her, his right hand lost in her hair as his left hand brushed her neck and jawline, caressing the new marks etched into her skin.

"I can live with the marks," she whispered back, blushing softly as he smiled at her. "I can't—I won't live without you… I love you, Cedric…"

He sighed happily, leaning down toward her, brushing his lips over hers. "I love you too, Sofia…" He pressed his lips more firmly to hers, kissing her with all the love he had, and she returned the affection, her arms wrapping around his neck as he held her closer.

They were together, they were in love, and…they were finally free

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Chasing Away the Monsters