POV Narrator:
Friday, 10 May 2019, Luna Nova
Six words of the seven were discovered on a birthday that was unforgettable for Diana, living what was the biggest moment of her life until then, being able to have the chance to see her mother again and give her a hug, even if only for a single hour, was enough for her to have the motivation to release the sixth word and thus close an unforgettable moment of her life.
In Luna Nova until then the days were passing quite normally, without many news, just days like any other, marking the end of the third term, the months were already ending and that school year coming to an end to give beginning to the summer and the holidays, but still in this way had a visit a little bit unexpected from the
Earl of Appleton and some other students that went with the same, in the more to talk with the director Holbrook.
POV Akko:
The director warns us to stay in the corridor because there will be a formal visit, I can't wait, even more now that I won't be barred from seeing this moment, I'm even thinking that it will be a visit of Andrew's father and his father, when the door opens and reveals I couldn't be more sure, there he was walking with his father, passing through the corridor while the others also came and the girls were delighted, except one or another who only look kind of indifferent, mainly Hellene and Diana.
"He took a long time to visit us, this period he only came for the Valentine's Day ball" said the director.
"I came to talk to you exactly about that and to solve some questions about you witches, you are already causing too much trouble, having too much visibility, anyway, we can solve this in a discussion in your room" Andrew's father said and he, as always, being the prejudiced guy with the witches.
"He wants cock and he doesn't know 'ow to ask for it" Hellene whispers to me and I almost laughed, she was right next to me.
"Very well, then I will call some students to accompany their boys to show them around the school while I talk to you and solve this issue with you" said the headmistress.
"Miss Cavendish approach from here" Professor Finnelan calls.
Diana goes to them, as always walking in that quiet way of hers, but she gives a little wink looking at me which I also reciprocate and even make a Korean heart to her, arriving to the men from Appleton where she went after starting to talk to them, listening to everything she had to do, I can only think about what can happen here.
"Very well, now let's go and talk, the students are free to stay here in the courtyard waiting, they can even talk to some of the boys who decide to stay" said the headmistress.
"I hope this gets sorted soon, I'm tired of hearing so much about you witches" Andrew's father being insufferable said.
I waited a bit for her to leave with Andrew's father and the other men from Appleton, as well as the female teachers and I already ran to Diana where I already saw one of the students there hinting at her side, and I even manage to get to the same time as Andrew, I even see my girlfriend's pouty face in front of the boy, as if she was practically judging him.
"I'm a lesbian, nae chance lad" Diana said.
"Oh come on, it might just be a phase, that's because you haven't found the right man, you will find out with me that this lesbian nonsense is just a phase so that you don't get any man, here in front of a decent man like me you can be sure that you will have a better experience" said the boy.
"Hey Jack, not for nothing no, but she already said no, leave Diana alone" Andrew said.
"Ohhh sorry man, I forgot that you and her are already hit, I'm not going to hit on your girl" said the boy already talking shit and leaving.
We've just been waiting for him to really move away and everything, now we're really at peace, where I'm finally standing next to Diana, even Lotte and Frank come up to us, kind of also for less boys coming to
bother us, just as a boy appears next to us, the one Thomas I had seen in the enchanted parade last year, now he's all fancy.
"Thomas, long time no see" I tell him.
"I studied hard and got into Appleton, even though it's not the witch academy I wanted, I can still make my family proud" he said.
"We are part of a secret club we made in Appleton, where Andrew teaches us about magic hidden from everyone, we have learnt a lot of good things there, he is really a very good witch" Frank said.
"I'm still in practice, but I'm learning what I can, the girls here who know best" he said.
"Woah, they're restoring magic over there then, I liked seeing it, it's rare to see witches around here" I tell them.
"Witches are practically an extinct class, a lot because of social pressures and misoginy, society puts the idea that magic is something exclusive tae lassies and the witches' society also implies that, especially since Jennifer, it kind of changed tae what it is today, before the fire of Luna Nova things were quite different, finally stories of the past" Said my girlfriend being the usual nerd and I end up remembering something here.
"Hey I have an idea, how about we explore that place underground in Luna Nova, then we show them what Luna Nova's past was" I said, remembering when we got the book from The Council.
"The ruins of the Luna Nova fire, it's a forbidden place and I dinnae know if I can trust them tae go there with us" said my girlfriend and I really don't give a fuck if it's forbidden or not.
"Ah come on Diana, it will be nice, it's a bit scary but we can find more clues" I say anxiously.
"I don't care, it's just going to be one more place I've walked here, more and more abandoned stones, I feel like I'm in a museum"Andrew said.
"How cool, like witches' lore, Lotte tells me a lot of great stuff about it, I'll definitely want to go" said Frank, being the energetic kid he always is.
"Man, I'm up for it too, staying here with just the girls is kind of boring, I want to explore" Thomas said.
"So Diana what do you say?" I ask her, who runs her hand over her face.
"OK, we'll go, but behave yourselves" said my girlfriend and that's great I'm very happy.
"Yay! I'm going to love it" I say bouncy.
"But it's just me, ye, Andrew, Frank, Lotte and Thomas, the rest will stay here, I dinnae want tae cause too much noise" Diana said and we agreed with our heads.
And we went, we found a way to get out of the main path, where we walked through the corridors, until they were pretty empty, as it's day it's not full of fairies watching, until we got to the underground, too strange, when we arrived we found some workers sleeping, they were lying on the path, good at least this way it's safer, we walked slowly until we got to the place where the entrance to the underground and strangely the door was open.
"Wait a minute... What the fuck is that? Someone came through here" Diana whispers.
"Kind of obvious, don't you think, Diana?" Andrew sneers.
"We'll see what it is, anything goes defensive" I tell them while I'm already holding my wand in a more defensive position.
We lit the lanterns of the wands, where we were entering the staircase, walking in the middle of the dark place, it gives me a fear and a shiver to go through here, but anyway, it's just a bunch of abandoned ruins, we were arriving at the corridors, soon walking through the dark place, I really didn't expect to walk around here, we arrived at a room and soon Diana started to introduce the place to the boys.
"Is this an abandoned school? Holy shit" said Andrew as always being the guy with no filter with words.
"Listen right ye daft cunt, this here were the ruins of what was the old building of Luna Nova, during the medieval era, between the years of 1017 and 1517, those were the years when Luna Nova still managed tae hold on, it was a simple school of witchcraft, but it was already the most known in Europe, When Bill Cavendish arrived here with his hunting party, the whole place was burned down, the students and teachers were killed, without any mercy, killing the legacy of Luna Nova" That story is so creep and fucked up and to think that is a Cavendish is even more shocking.
"Is this really going to turn into a boring history lesson?" Said Andrew who gets a spell on his forehead and then donkey ears grow on him.
"Hey ye shut yer mouth that the conversation dinnae reach the sewer" Diana really turns into a child in front of him, the two are like cat and mouse.
"Woah gives them to behave" I'm surprised I'm the one saying this.
"Okay, let's continue exploring, this is the old Luna Nova as ye can see" said Diana who was leaving the room and we followed her.
We went following until the main courtyard, there we heard the screams of the penitent souls, it's a really scary noise, I get scared listening to it, it's scary, people begging for their lives, the lack of humanity around here, it's really scary, the corridor is still huge, but the lanterns don't illuminate a lot, that was until Diana used a Lux and illuminated everything around.
"This here is the main courtyard of the old Luna Nova, where the students ate, gathered tae talk and everything else, it was the socializing corner, exactly like the one above, as ye can see there are constant screams of souls, those who were killed by the old "The Council" The same one that has connections with the Appleton Academy in the past, the greatest witch hunters of all times, they were cruel and merciless, tae the point that the souls here could nae free themselves" Diana explained.
"HeyAndrew doesn't think it's half bad that Cavendish is badmouthing the school" Thomas said.
"It's the absolute truth, unfortunately it's the dark past of Appleton academy and we have to change that so that things don't get worse and we don't repeat that history, anyway I was already aware of that part because I read the various books about it at home, there's still a lot of the remnants of the Benson story there" Andrew said.
"The Benson family is now practically extinct, there's only Margaret Ford, a criminal left, and her family who combined with the Cavendish family and today they claim tae be the Cavendish of London, even though they are very different from the Cavendish and even have brown hair, they are starting tae look like Bensons again, from what I've heard the younger generation is trying tae let go of that part and return to the Benson name" Diana said as we walked through the courtyard of the old Luna Nova.
We followed the path going through the corridor that leads to the bath room, I love it here because it is too beautiful, even abandoned, I imagine that in the past the witches must have had a beautiful landscape while bathing in this huge pool, even more so because the water must have been very hot, it just must be a bit embarrassing to be open like that.
"Bath room, this reminds me a lot of the ones I used to read about the history of rome, my dream to go back in time and be in one of those" Andrew said.
"Ye say that because ye wanted tae be next tae several Greek Twinks," Diana said with a straight face.
"Ah go tell me you wouldn't want to go to sappho island time and pick up several Greek girls too" Andrew said.
"I dinnae, die fae anything, outside that it was nae the gayest period among lassies in the history of witches, there was the time of Ville Sapphique and also the time of the nine witches where most were gay, these should be interesting, although the first is full of homophobia, anyway, here is the students' bathing room, they talked and bathed and everything else, as you can see there are more private parts that are also divided, the more fae those who do nae like tae be exposed tae nudity in front of others, like me for example" said Diana and I sign below too.
"I'm used to the shower with the water falling on me, but this here is already too weird, it should be nice, except for the part of taking off your clothes in front of others" Thomas said.
"I have nae doubt that at that time these bathing rooms were open tae both, since in those days even when there were witches, they all shared the same place" Woah I imagine how nightmarish would be to be exposed to boys too, well at least there's some little privacy there and the times were other.
We left the bath room, where we went a little further than we were used to walking, in the last exploration we didn't get to go in that part, so it'll be all new, I love that we'll walk a little further, voices started to echo too "Help", "Help me", "Shut up witch", "Don't touch me", screams and cries were being heard and I was getting terrified of how real it sounded.
"Ghosts of Luna Nova, it seems more real than it seems. We are finally reaching the dormitories" Diana said.
It was an open room, a bit dark, but soon everything is illuminated by the spell, and wow, the beds even seem half intact, there's even a boat at the end of the corridor, we're walking towards it out of curiosity, I kinda suspect there's something like that around here, but anyway, let's see what's around here.
"These are the old dormitories, there wasn't a division by teams back then, everyone shared the same room, witches and wizards, there wasn't a distinction between genders, just one place, which according tae history is even impressive, because both respected each other in their spaces, as it was something normal tae live together dinnae have sae much impact, finally this trunk I dinnae know what... Akko dinnae try tae open it" said Diana and curiosity was stronger.
A huge curtain of smoke then rises in front of us, a little greenish, occupying the whole place, wow this barge was really dusty, so much so that together we use a spell to inhibit all this smoke and we discover that there is a flute, which is quite intact and even glowing, I'm impressed, a reddish flute, with silver lines, I hold it and even feel the magic flowing.
"That's... That's... Akko we found... Fliút An Neart, my mother Laura already told the legend of it, one of the three relics of Arcturus that are present in the restoration of magic, which the nine witches created, this is the flute that has an immense power with its songs" She said speaking all enchanted while I looked at her and then I was going to put it in my mouth, but Diana took it first.
"Hey! I was just going to blow" I say half with inflated cheeks.
"That thing has been around for 500 years Akko, ye'll get sick this way, by the way, be very careful when ye handle the legendary Fluit An Neart" she said and I shook my head.
"I prefer to call it the Bizarre Flute, that name is a bit complicated" I say to my girlfriend, who looks at me with a straight face.
"I just dinnae answer because it's yer Akko way, it's going tae be a bizarre flute just because ye said sae, now let's go before we get into trouble" Diana said.
"Well, we've barely explored here"
"I want to go back more, this place is all dark and there are only abandoned things" Andrew teases and I think Diana will fly in his face next time.
"Talk more shit and I'll shove that Flute up your ass" Diana said to him who continued to tease.
"That way I enjoy it" he said I swear I'll be laughing for hours, it's great to hear you two fighting.
"Let's go before Diana really does it" I say laughing.
"Man this is so cool, I never thought there was a Luna Nova underneath another Luna Nova, I love it, it's just a bit scary the story here" Thomas said delighted as a child.
"Man, this is kind of a place with the most death atmosphere, but I liked coming here, it's curious, this flute must be important for you I imagine, I wanted to know more about you witches" said the curious Frank.
"We'll talk more about it soon my love" Lotte said being affectionate with her boyfriend, how he is the biggest Bimbo seriously hahaha.
We walk through the dark corridors, still hearing the screams, it's kind of scary to go through here, but it's history, the important thing is that it's being preserved, well let's get back soon, I don't like to stay here too
long too, it gives me the creeps, the screams get worse, we get to the courtyard and the screams continue, but at least muffled until we get to the corridor, which relieves us.
"Wow those screams are the worst of all" I say to Diana.
"They're nae really love, they're just souls, I know how ye feel, it's quite impactful tae feel the screams as if they're right next tae ye - My girlfriend said and it's very suspicious it's like someone was really there not only a spirit, but it must be my mind, this place really bugs me.
"I agree, it's very distressing," Thomas said.
"I still don't know why I had the idea to go to that place," Andrew said.
"It was Akko's idea, she wanted tae explore here" Cavendish said.
"Look I couldn't even read the souls properly, it was too traumatic for my spirits to listen one by one, the impact it has, well at least things will be much calmer when we leave" Lotte said.
We finally arrive at the staircase, the good thing is that there are no screams or anything, we go up and the place remains the same, open and with some workers sleeping, this is really too strange, we walk and they remain there, I'm relieved to leave there, I hate to be in this place it's so cursed and not nice at all.
"Kind of weird, looks like they're fainting" I whisper to everyone.
"Someone came in here before us, I wonder if the screams were really someone's?" Lotte whispers.
"It may have been something the workers took that left them like that too, at the same time they have this suspicion, I imagine they will soon find out" Diana whispers and we continued to pass between the sleeping workers
We get back, well it's still pretty quiet at least there's no one around here to pick us up, when we got to the courtyard there were still the same people, good that Andrew's father didn't show up, that only made things better, I was even a little relieved.
"Oh, I heard you rebuilt the house, how are things going there?" Andrew asks Diana.
"Better than ever, my mother is dedicating herself tae rebuilding the house, now she is about tae finish where she will keep the sacred relics of the Cavendish family, as well as the parts tae give the finishing touches, like spreading some plants, making the environment more comfortable, even preparing a surprise fae us in the summer holidays, if ye want ye can visit there" Diana said even giving a pat on Andrew's shoulder.
"I'll have to run away from home, but I'll manage, your mum is at least nicer than you, she's not that nerdy bitch" Andrew said teasing as usual.
"Fuck ye daft cunt" Diana replies.
POV Narrator:
Things could seem quite calm with everyone, the atmosphere was quite calm, but the truth is that someone invaded Luna Nova and made the workers there unconscious, taking one of the students to this underground part, where there were heard the screams of a girl suffering, this was Mary Brooks, one of the girls of the lilac team, down there was the presence of three hooded men with reddish tunics, they put the girl to sleep, after the cruelty they did.
- Excellent work, now The Council Revival will begin, we will return to the world and bring a hegemony to the true and pure witches - Said the leader of this cult.
- And what do we do with this witch? - asks the other.
- We will take it with us and do some experiments on it, no one will notice the disappearance of a witch and if they do it will be too late," said the leader.
Together they were all tying Mary's body, as well as blindfolding and gagging the girl, after she was already passed out with chloroform, she was being placed in a bag then with a hole that they put for her to breathe, so everyone then walk to where was the room of the candle that wouldn't go out anymore.
"Sarah Campbell and Diana Cavendish I may have invaded here in the 17th century and tried to expel The Council, but our ideas are still alive and I will bring the old honour of this great organisation to the fore and show the world the superiority of witches, our organisation is great and will bring a new way that real men should act, such as dictating the behaviour of women who should not have the power of magic in their hands" said the leader who then went on to make the candle kind of shoot a flame full of sparks going to the ceiling.
"May the spirit of the witch-hunt continue among us, may the greatness of God bless us," said another.
"Amen!" They all say, and then they all kind of go out of there.
Unnoticed, the members of The Council sneak around disguising themselves as workers from Luna Nova, take one of the goods trucks, arrive at Glastonbury and park the truck, place Mary's bag inside a van and set off towards their hideout.
In Luna Nova things were going on the same for the time being, Holbrook finishes the conversation with Paul Hanbridge that was about the lack of confidence of the same being around his son being influenced to be a witch, since he has been noticing the academy having some clubs related to magic, even if none of them is about the practice, but to comment about related subjects, what was already enough to irritate the English count, who was arriving in the middle of all witches in the courtyard and the director was making an announcement to change things, after a lot of talking.
POV Akko:
NowAndrew's father is back, less bad, I already thought that Andrew and Diana were going to get out of hand here, to think that the two of them should really do it as children, they look like two brothers from different mothers, it's funny, in the end they are getting along and being friends, go figure, soon the director arrives on the microphone to communicate something to us.
"Well witches, we have an important announcement of extreme relevance and a radical change, the Luna Nova's valentine's day ball will be changing from now on, due to the count of Appleton not liking the exposure of magic that may be influencing his students, we have come to the conclusion that we will no longer promote this event here, but don't be discouraged, the tradition was not broken, The tradition has not been broken, it has just been reformed so that we can understand the count's demands and understand how he is uncomfortable with the presence of magic that may be influencing his students, and with this I would like to say that, starting from the next ball, we are the ones who will go to Appleton and, for all that is good, having class, Paul will pick us up with carriages at Glastonbury and all the guests must be dressed up to match the class, the use of magic being expressly forbidden there. We must show that we are normal, that is what I have to communicate, I know that this can make difficult for some witch or other with less conditions to get a possible match, but we have to understand their side" said the director and what a crooked talk.
"I have nothing against you witches, but I want you to understand my demands, it's a matter of keeping purity, I haven't forgotten the agreement we made at the time to end the persecution of witches, that's part of our stories, I expect understanding from you and present yourselves with class and height to be suitors of my students" Said the other scrotum and I could see that Diana didn't react well at all
After this bunch of nonsense Paul was calling all the boys of Appleton, they were waving to us saying goodbye, the girls were adoring their presence and finding the perfect princes, they didn't question the director's decision, until they left and with that I look like an idiot.
"This is absurd" Diana said.
"It's almost as if de headmistress wants to erase us as witches" said Hellene, who entered among us.
"Oh it's not that bad, we'll get the chance to go to the hot Appleton school and class is important, we have to look our best" Hannah said.
"No love, don't say such a thing, if you go there next year go alone and I won't go to that place again" said Amanda.
"I hated that decision, I dinnae like the tradition anymore, I'll probably be forced tae have tae go, I dinnae doubt it at all" Diana said.
"I'm devastated by something like dat, she dinks she's made de best decision, almost as if she wants us not to show we're witches because it's something unpleasant" Hellene said.
"But that's the idea, Headmistress Holbrook is very much on the fence, she has never really stood up fae the importance of witches, she has always lowered her head tae all mundane demands, that's why things never move forward here, it makes me sad tae know that and tae criticise our headmistress, but it's still true, especially after what we learned about Mama Laura's story" Diana said to her sister.
"I don't care about this dance either, because I want to go if I have you, my love" I say while hugging her
"I even wanted nae tae go, but I'll have tae, I imagine that things will be very tense in this third year fea us, at least it's the last one after here everything ends" I just nod my head and it shocks me to know that I'm already in the third year, I never even imagined that I would pass the first year and soon I'll be graduating from the second year to go to the third year.
"Oh lassies, I know you're on dis subject, but I 'eard you had a walk with the lads, where did you go?" Diana's sister asks.
"Akko had the brilliant idea of going tae that hidden part of Luna Nova, and it seemed that there was someone there, we saw the workers fainted and the door was open, we even heard some screams, but I think it's just the souls" said my girlfriend and it was really tense, more than last time because it seemed so real.
"What are we waiting for then? Go if dere's someone! Let's go save dis person!" said Hellene and so we did.
Now with a bigger group we ran to the corridors, the same workers were still half unconscious, we walked to where the door was and closed, I think they must have already left, we looked back and some of the workers were waking up, which we had to change the plan to pretend we were helping them up.
"What happened here?" asks a minotaur.
"Ye were knocked out by something and we found ye asleep" Diana said.
"Oh really, three hooded men appeared and that was the last thing I saw, they were wearing a red tunic, I remember that, but then I fell to the ground and slept, they must have been carrying something, like a bag, I don't know what it was..."Said the minotaur.
We are in shock, someone is here in Luna Nova on the sly and it really must have been someone, but who was it? by the nine witches and how did they know from down here? This is extremely suspicious even too suspicious.
POV Narrator:
The visit of the Earl of Appleton was to bring a reformation, since Paul's intolerance to witches spoke louder, the same does not want to see their presence around, doing everything possible not to influence the students, without knowing that his own son is practicing magic in hiding, but at the same time a new threat is emerging, The Council Revival, mysterious cultists who want to return to the era of witch-hunting and cause havoc, starting with the capture and kidnapping of Mary Brooks.
See you, gay wizards...