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"Stop!" cried Lys. "You can't take Melody! I won't let you!" Everybody turned to look at her. Roxane glanced at Selene and tilted her head as if to say should I intervene? Mistress Selene shook her head. She stepped forward and addressed Lys.
"And just who might you be, my dear?" Mistress Selene looked down on Lys, her cool silver eyes filled with disdain.
"I-I'm her best friend." She gulped and gathered her courage. "And I won't let you turn her into a monster!"
"Lys no!" Melody screamed. Every single person in the room gasped. It sounded like the air being let out from a balloon. Corin shot Lys a horrified look. Furious, she whispered to him "If you're not going to stand up for our friend then somebody has to!" Turning her attention back to Mistress Selene, she made her way to the front of the room to stand directly in front of her.
Selene laughed. "A monster! How delightful. I see the rumors have sparked quite the imagery among you…" She sniffed. "Pitiful creatures. Well done, Roxane."
Roxane bowed her head.
"Of course there is much preparation to be done before you can attend the moon ceremony in two days. Come with us Melody. Your…eccentric friend is sadly forbidden to follow. Roxane? You may bring this to a close. We are done here tonight," Mistress Selene glided off the stage with Melody in tow. She shot frightened glances back at Corin, who was holding Lys back from following. We will help he mouthed. A weak almost sob escaped her. I know she mouthed back.
Mistress Selene led her through the crowd to the back doors. The students parted as she and the rest of her Mystik entourage passed. Melody acknowledged some of the sympathetic looks from her fellow classmates but was surprised to see that most of them looked upon her with fear and awe. It made her feel awful. She didn't want her classmates to fear her. She just wanted to blend in! Was that too much to ask? Now she was chosen to be inducted into Mystik ranks! She was terrified. Melody knew the rumors. Everything said about the Mystiks was horrible and simply redoubtable.
Melody hardly noticed when they arrived at a closed door at the end of a hallway. Mistress Selene turned around and motioned for her entourage to stop.
"Melody and I shall proceed alone. You are instructed to wait here." She fixed her silver-gray eyes on the relatively small ensemble. They kneeled and touched their right forearms to their foreheads with closed fists; the Mystik sign of respect. The leader nodded and unhooked a thin silver key from around her neck. She unlocked the door, gave Melody a slight push inside and locked the door behind them. Melody trembled while Mistress Selene snapped her fingers and the lights came on. Inside the room, there was a small sitting area with a glass coffee table in the center. French doors with sheer curtains opened to a miniature balcony where two white wicker chairs sat facing out to the gardens.
"Have a seat, my dear," Mistress Selene said soothingly. Her voice was as calming as a light spring breeze. Melody sat, body tense. Selene clicked her tongue. "Now, no need for that." She reached out and touched Melody's hand. Melody jumped but just as quickly calmed. The Mistress Selene's touch was like the softest silk grazing her skin. This lovely girl wasn't dangerous. She was beautiful. Wonderful. Perfect. She meant no harm. Selene laughed.
"It's wonderful how fresh new member's minds are. Simply a breath of fresh air. I can't just can't wait to induct this one. Don't you think she'll make a perfect addition to the society, Roxane?" Melody looked up, startled to see Roxane standing there. Hadn't Mistress Selene locked the door?
"Yes, my Lady. She is quite new and the perfect addition. Her mind is fresh. I believe she will cooperate very nicely." Roxane smiled a chilling smile at Melody. She felt her insides turn to ice. Swallowing hard, she managed to ask, "W-what are you going to do to me?"
Roxane and Mistress Selene laughed. "Do to you? My dear, wouldn't you like to be powerful beyond human capacity? Wouldn't you like to radiate awe and power? Be a queen among your people? A person to be feared?" Mistress Selene took Melody's hand and continued. "Isn't it every mortal's dream to have ultimate power?"
Melody was confused. Ultimate power? Beyond human capacity? Who, or what, were the Mystiks? "No, I just want to live! I want to spend time with my friends and think about colleges and just fit in with society! I don't want ultimate power or anything! I just want to live," Melody cried. Mistress Selene and Roxane looked at each other.
"Perhaps I have foreseen the wrong girl," Roxane said regretfully. Mistress Selene shook her head. "No, Roxane. This is her. I know it. She just has no idea." They turned back to Melody.
"Melody. Do you know who the Mystiks are?" Mistress Selene asked. Melody shook her head. "No. Nobody knows who they…you really are."
"Very well. I will tell you the story of how we came to be." Mistress Selene sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Many thousands of years ago there was a young girl by the name of Lucy. Every full moon she would sit under the willow trees and pray to the moon. She wanted so much to live beneath its surface in the cool shadowy caves. The rest of her village believed her to be insane so they took her out one full moon and tied her to a tree for the wolves to devour her. Soon enough, they came. She prayed to the moon to accept her when she died and right before the wolves attacked, a silver winged serpent whisked her away, for that was the moon spirit's physical form. The moon had heard her prayers and took her away to the caves beneath the surface. The serpent landed and spoke to her in her mind. Child of earth. You have worshiped me so faithfully all these years that I shall reward you. Henceforth, you and your children and your children's children shall possess the powers of the moon. You will become stronger than any human, and have powers beyond your imagination. That is my gift to you. The serpent reached out a talon and touched the middle of her forehead. A silver glow illuminated the cave and Lucy screamed and fainted. When she came to, she felt different. Her body thrummed with an energy she never felt before on earth. She discovered she could teleport and make objects come to her merely by stretching out her hand and thinking come. But once she returned to earth to prove to her village that she wasn't crazy did she discover the most important gifts. She could influence the thoughts of others. She soon convinced a group of followers to return to the moon with her. There, she started the first colony on the moon known today as the Mystiks, or Mysterious Ones. She married and produced children to carry on the legacy of the Mystiks. Some returned to live among the Earthens. Others, remain on the moon, which we call Luna. Those of us on earth search for people who have Mystik blood and induct them into our ranks. This is where your story starts, my dear Melody," the Mistress Selene stopped and Roxane stepped forward with a glass of water. After taking all this new information in, Melody's head was spinning. She couldn't think straight. She was…Mystik? She, Melody Lynn Cresta, a normal seventeen year old girl, was Mystik? She shook her head in denial. "No. No, no, no. It can't be. There must be some mistake. I'm not Mystik!" Of all the worst possible things to be! Mystik! It was disgusting. Humiliating. She couldn't, wouldn't be Mystik.
"I'm afraid not. What's more, you are no mere Mystik," The Mistress Selene looked levelly at her.
"What could be worse than being Mystik?" Melody cried. Roxane stiffened and looked at Mistress Selene. She shook her head. "She means no disrespect, Roxane. Now, Melody I know this must be a lot to take in at the moment but you have to trust us."
Melody whipped her head up. "Trust you? Trust you? Why on earth would I trust you! You're the leader of one of the Mystik societies! One of the worst! I would never trust you for as long as I live!" She spat.
Mistress Selene's eyes started to glow. Her posture though remained calm as a daisy in summer. She stretched out a hand toward Melody and pulled the air. Melody shot towards her until they were face to face. Mistress Selene forced Melody to look into her eyes. "I have understood your situation so far, girl, but you try my patience. That last insult to our kind was too far. This is not just some mere exclusive club. This society of Lunar people are yours as well. You can deny it as much as you like but you are Mystik! You want proof? I can give you proof. Roxane! Bring in the portscreen. If it's the truth you want it's the truth you'll get," Mistress Selene hissed. She opened her hand and Melody fell to the floor. Trembling, she sat back down in her chair.
Roxane arrived and turned the portscreen on. It flickered to life and she handed it over to Melody. Reluctantly, she took it and pressed play. The first thing she read was the title: PRINCESS LUCINDA STOLEN FROM NURSERY: QUEEN RAINA LIVID. Confused, she slid to the article and started reading. After just a few paragraphs in she stopped and looked up. Heart beating hard, palms sweaty she asked in a trembling voice "It's me isn't it. I'm Princess Lucinda."
Roxane and Mistress Selene nodded. Melody couldn't help it. She fainted.