Reimagia
Summary: Now a graduate of Ever Realm Academy, Sofia accepts Cedric's invitation to train in a secret realm called Reimagia, which is home to some of the most powerful sorcerers on earth. However, there's a dark force lurking in the realm, destroying conjurors one by one, all while offering cryptic clues to his identity. If Cedric and Sofia can't solve the mystery, they'll be next.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or any characters affiliated with the show. However, I do own the Kingdom of Reimagia and many new OCs mentioned in the story.
A/N: And here we'll see what the secret message was! If you gave it a try (even if you didn't figure it out), good job. I love things like this, because they make you think and exercise your brain. 😊 Off we go!
Chapter 8: Unfolding
It took a while for Sofia to get a bit deeper into the puzzle. After using her two hints, she tried to look for sensible letter replacements. It didn't take long to realize that the first two words (which were repeated a few times) were 'I am.' She went from there, and with Cedric's help, was close to finishing the puzzle.
Meanwhile, Sir Leignton's children Axima and Hironko had stopped by with Lamaya and Bergon to check on him. Axima had pointed out that the leader had slept less the last several nights because of all of the murders and messages.
"You need a break, Dad," Axima insisted, placing her hands on her father's shoulders. "I know you're the ruler of Reimagia, but would it kill you to take a break?"
Lamaya placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Probably a bad choice of words at a time like this, girl."
The blonde grimaced as her father offered her a reproachful look. "Sorry."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Hironko asked as he and Bergon stood next to each other.
"If you can help the princess solve this message faster, that would be fantastic," Lord Cadigan mumbled, his fingers drumming on the table.
"You could go over there and help her yourself," Sir Leignton retorted, fed up with the other man's constant whining. "She and Cedric have done all they can to try to solve this thing."
"What is it exactly?" Hironko asked as he turned toward the friends.
"Some strange sort of puzzle," one of the advisors responded. "A mixed-up message that's supposed to have been written by…" He stopped, looking toward Sir Leignton for permission to reveal the context of the message.
"They have a right to know, Lord Palazzo." He turned to the four friends. "You're aware of the murders that have occurred recently." Seeing them nod, he sighed. "Bergon, that letter you delivered to me the other night… It indicated that the murderer is a Reimagian citizen. He is among us."
Bergon gasped. "Do you…know who it is?"
"That's what Cedric and Princess Sofia are trying to determine. Perhaps this letter, once it's deciphered, will offer us a clue."
Lamaya rolled her eyes. "No offense, sir, but I highly doubt it's going to say anything important. Probably something like, 'You can stop wasting your time. I'm not going to tell you who I am. Bye.' Or, at least… That's what I would write."
Before the leader could scold the girl for her sarcasm, Sofia gasped as she dropped the quill, flexing her sore fingers. She looked up at the others. "We've got it."
Cedric's face contorted into one of dismay. "And I'm afraid you're not going to like what it says…" He passed the letter over to Sir Leignton, who picked it up with slightly shaky hands.
I AM JUST LIKE YOU. I LAUGH. I CRY. I FALL. I BLEED. I DIE. YOU KNOW ME. I
KNOW YOU. I AM AMONG YOU, BLENDING INTO THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT.
YOU CANNOT STOP ME. WHILE YOU WERE READING, I HAVE ALREADY KILLED
AGAIN.
PHANTOM OF SOULS
Sir Leignton growled, slamming the parchment onto the table, causing those around him to jump in surprise. "This is disgusting. He taunts us with his riddle within a riddle, and now the fool is twisted enough to assign himself a code name."
"It's unsettling," Hironko admitted, a nervous look on his face. "Dad, before we got here, we saw…" He looked toward his friends and sister, who sighed and reluctantly nodded. "We saw Malvino moving around the streets near the Grand Cupola, and he was dragging some large bags along behind him."
"I'm kind of scared to know what was in those bags," Lamaya mentioned, grimacing.
"Maybe they were bodies," Bergon squeaked, missing the sharp look of irritation from Axima.
"Enough," Sir Leignton ordered, holding up a hand. "Guards!" He frowned as Guillermo and Cataleya hurried in, bowing respectfully. "Bring in Malvino immediately."
Cataleya nodded and responded firmly, "Yes, sir."
Several minutes later, the guards returned with Malvino, who looked a little ragged and worse for wear. His hair was disheveled, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. Around his wrists and ankles were shackles. Both of the guards had their swords drawn and pointed at him.
"Malvino," Sir Leignton began, moving around his table and walking toward the Hand Magic expert, his burgundy eyes narrowed as he stared the boy down, "I need you to do me a favor."
The magic expert frowned, shaking his hands as the chains clinked against each other. "Clearly," he snapped, angered. "What is the meaning of this? What have I done?"
"That's exactly what we would like to know." The leader folded his arms, his glare set on Malvino. "Mind explaining what you were doing dragging large bags around the courtyard earlier? Bags large enough to hold bodies…perhaps the bodies of dead or missing conjurors?"
Malvino blinked in shock and shook his head. "Sir, I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I…" He frowned, raising his hands to his head, feeling a massive migraine building up. "I…don't remember doing anything like that."
"One would think one would recall hauling large bags through Reimagia," the leader remarked sardonically, scowling. "I suppose, however, that it's rather convenient that you 'don't remember.' I wouldn't want to remember committing such terrible crimes either."
"Dad, don't you think you're jumping to conclusions here?" Hironko asked, stepping up toward him. "I mean, yeah, it looks suspicious, but…"
"Silence, Hironko." The leader glared at his son. "Stay out of this."
"Sir Leignton, he has a point," Cedric began respectfully, trying not to further agitate the man. "This boy is clearly suffering with some sort of ailment—perhaps a bad headache. Malvino, are you prone to migraines, by any chance?"
Malvino stared at Cedric for a few moments before asking, "Who are you again?"
Sir Leignton snapped in that instant, slapping the Hand Magic expert across the face. "You show disrespect to a visitor of Enchancia, and a royal sorcerer no less. You're being insubordinate. Avoiding or misdirecting questions asked of you. You're as guilty as they come, aren't you, boy?"
Malvino growled lowly as he scowled at the man, his left eye with the dark mark quivering a bit. "I've done nothing."
"I agree." The leader snapped his fingers, and Guillermo and Cataleya each took one of the boy's arms. "You've done nothing…to stop yourself from hurting other people—killing others. You've done nothing to provide an alibi for yourself. And you've done nothing to prove that you are not the 'Phantom of Souls.'"
The magic master refused to speak further, staying silent and just defiantly glaring at the old man.
"Take him to the Magic Depletion Cell."
Hironko gasped. "Dad, no!"
"Five hours," Sir Leignton continued, ignoring his son.
"You can't be serious," Axima argued, grabbing her father's arm.
"Release me, girl," the man ordered, glaring at his daughter, "or you can join him."
She gaped at him in surprise but did as he said. "C-Come on, you guys…" She, Hironko, and her friends left, not wanting to be around the angry man any more than necessary.
"What's the Magic Depletion Cell?" Cedric asked, although he had a feeling he already knew.
"It does exactly what it sounds like," Lord Palazzo told him grimly. "It drains magic from its prisoners until there's nothing left within them."
"That's really harsh," Sofia declared as Sir Leignton sat down in his chair again, staring at her over his spectacles. "Isn't that one of the things that the murderer is doing? Depleting someone's magic until he's left with nothing?" She placed her hands on the table, standing up, even as Cedric tried to pull her back down. "What's next, Sir Leignton? Are you going to take his life, even though you don't have solid proof that he is the murderer?"
"You know not to whom you speak, young lady," the leader said in a dangerously low voice. "And princess or not, it would do you well to hold your tongue and speak no more on matters you do not understand."
Cedric sensed the obvious tension in the room and stood, excusing himself and the princess as he quickly removed her from the room.
"I don't like this, Mr. Cedric," she confided as they left The Galley and began walking back toward the Diamond Dormitory. "Even if Malvino is the murderer, what's his motive? They barely even gave him a chance to defend himself before locking him up. And now draining his powers?" She wrapped her arms around herself, sighing as they walked. "Something is really wrong…" She sneezed once, groaning in discomfort.
Cedric nodded, placing one hand on her back and the other on her arm to comfort her. "I agree." As they moved along, he looked back over his shoulder, frowning as he saw the figure of Sir Leignton standing at the window, watching them from a distance. "Something is definitely wrong…"
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Feverish