Moon 1
Slow breaths, that was all she heard for millennia, accompanied by the soft burning of candlelight. Occasionally, she would stop breathing altogether, but eventually her body would draw her into a deep sleep, and the rhythmic breaths would resume. In those moments, she found a reprieve from the pain, fleeting as it was. Yet inevitably, the pain returned, entwined with life and its memories. If only she could end it, the pain would cease. But if she did, then... what if he returns? That thought, fragile yet persistent, kept her alive. The hope that her love would come back, that he would love her as he did before, sustained her. So she sat, and she waited, for the day her love would return.
The monotony of nothingness would irritate anyone; the monotony of eons would drive even the most stubborn minds insane. Perhaps she was insane, perhaps this was all madness. Maybe he wasn’t coming back, and some part deep inside her knew it. But she would banish those thoughts, only for them to resurface, again and again. This was her ritual, her distraction, the reason she hadn’t completely lost her mind.
It was crazy. Pure insanity. How could someone of her stature stoop so low, driven to her knees, submitting herself to this endless torture? Yet all of it was self-inflicted. Was it a punishment? But for what crime? What had she done to deserve this? Weakness? Betrayal? Arrogance? Stubbornness? Love?
Many had tried to save her from herself—her children, her allies, her vassals, her students, her disciples. Yet their efforts fell on deaf ears. As the ages passed, they all gave up. They saw her state and were disgusted. They locked her away so they wouldn’t have to look at her, so no one could see their once-cherished champion brought so low. So she waited, in silence, with nothing but the sound of her breathing. There was one reprieve, but even that escaped her mind as the eons rolled by. The silence persisted, punctuated only by her breathing. And then, surprise.
After an age of stillness, she finally roused. Dust cascaded down her head like waterfalls. The monotony was broken, the breathing interrupted. It was a coo, then a whimper, then wails. It was familiar, something from her memories, from when she first held her children.
"Praytell, what is thou?"
She finally stood, for the first time in eons. Dust fell off her form like snow. Where was that sound coming from? It grew louder. She turned, clutching the egg closer to her breast. She walked to the statue of her love. By his feet lay a small thing. She cradled it in her arms, gently. It was seated right next to the egg.
A babe.
She looked around, but no one was in sight. This room had been closed for eons, with dust piled like mountains and the candles all but smothered out. Where had this child come from?
The babe flailed in her arms, its tiny hands hitting the egg.
No!
She was about to drop the babe, then... One look into their tear-filled eyes, and she saw her little culver. Green like Azur, yet soft and innocent. Like her first glintstone, twinkling playfully in her youth.
For the first time in a long while, she froze. All thoughts from before slipped away. The past, the pain, all of it vanished. There was nothing but this moment, where everything changed. In what should have been impossible, she dropped the egg. It bounced on the floor, rolling into the dark.
She comforted the wailing child, soothing it with her hands. She rocked the child in her arms, their cries echoing throughout the room.
“Shhh. My little culver. Let it be for naught, for it is written in the stars. Thy life is forever safe in thee hands.”
The babe cried harder, and she whispered sweet nothings in its ear. The babe's tears soaked into her clothes, and she brushed its light hair. A scar, like the fall of a star, ran down its skull. She kissed the babe’s head, and the child's wails turned to whimpers. She hummed a melody passed down from her mother to her, a song only the ears of royalty might hear. In that lone room, locked away, the Moon found new love.
Todays the day. She got her suitcase packed, and all her supplies were in her box. It was so exciting she could barely stand still.
“Hermione, honey! Stop kicking your knees, its going to ruin the seats.”
She blushed, locking her legs, and closing in on herself.
“Sorry, mum.” She says quietly.
“Mione, I know you're excited but you can’t lose your manners like that.” Her mum’s tone did damper her mood a bit, but the excitement still slimmered under her skin. She can’t help it, it was too fantastical to be real, yet it was. She’d read a lot of books, Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, Alice in Wonder Land, Earthsea; there's a reason her cousins call her a bookworm. But none of that mattered now. Fantasy had become reality; just like in her books, she was actually going to learn magic. Real magic.
“Mione, baby. Are you alright?” her dad asked from behind the wheel. “You’ve been squealing for the past hour now.”
Have I? She blushed again, her red cheeks growing even redder.
“It’s okay, Dad. I’m just so happy,” she muttered.
Her dad shrugged and turned on the car, grumbling under his breath, thinking she couldn’t hear him. He's still skeptical, considering it might all be a scam. And why wouldn’t he? Only a month ago, they had discovered magic exist. Now, a magic school? Even if magic is real, why on earth would he send his only daughter to board in some far-off place he’d never heard of? Information was scarce; all they had been given was a name. Never mind the government stooges who had strong-armed him into doing it, with their subtle threats about what would happen if he didn’t comply, what they would do to his family, to his daughter. He didn’t have the heart to tell Hermione. That revelation would shatter all her smiles.
For his daughter, he would do anything. He clenched the wheel tightly as the car moved.
They drove through London, past the tall buildings, past Buckingham Palace, past the Tower of London, Big Ben, and King's Cross Station, to the back end of the city. Where the buildings are shady, the litter was abundant, and the smell of smoke and drugs was rampant.
“Richard,” his wife tugged his shoulder as they slowly drove to the address. He quickly looked back at his daughter, sleeping peacefully in the backseat. Maybe there was still time to turn back. Maybe he just needed to think about this more, to come up with a plan, to—
“This is the place,” his wife whispered.
They stopped between an alley, a slender space between two townhouses, a fire stairway to the left, dumpsters to the right, litter all over. It filled Richard with dread.
“We could still go,” he muttered to his wife. As he was about to turn the wheel, his daughter woke.
“Are we here?” She rubbed her sleepy eyes.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Yes…”
Her eyes sparkled as she pounced on the window, her surprise turned to confusion. “Is this it?”
“I, uh—maybe they gave us the wrong address. Let’s go back—”
“No.” His daughter reached into her coat pocket. A silver brooch in her hands, a clock-shaped thing where a sword and wand clashed, with a green gem at its center shining bright like a star. It twinkled in her hands, brighter than ever. Her smile returned, and her hand touched the knob.
“This is it!” She ran out.
Richard chided himself for not using the child lock. “Hermione!” He hurriedly ran after her, not even bothering to turn off the engine.
He heard his wife yell behind him as he chased her through the alley. She was in his sights, and he grabbed her shoulders.
“Hermione! What are you doing!” He held her tight, turning her around to meet face to face.
“But Dad! It’s here!”
“I don’t care! We're going back to the car!”
“But Dad—”
“Don’t argue with me!” He cupped her cheeks. “We're going back home. And we're going to think about this, alright? I don’t think this school is right for you.” He spoke with as much sincerity as he could.
Her eyes met his, a steel determination clashing with her glassy browns. She didn’t know what to say, but the look on her dad’s face made her waver. She slowly nodded, and he hugged her, whispering things in her ear that she couldn’t comprehend.
“Let's go home,” he muttered.
“Will you two bugger off!” A loud voice came from the alley, and both their eyes turned to the source. Behind them, on the floor, against the wall, was a man. He wore a long furry coat covering his entire body, and a weird red hat that looked like it belonged to Father Christmas.
“Sorry,” her dad said in a hurry, pulling Hermione closer to him. “We’re just leaving.”
As they were about to move, Hermione spoke up. “Wait! Is there a school here?”
“Hermione,” her dad scolded.
“Please, sir. I was told there would be an academy here?”
The man stirred, and her dad pulled her back with him.
“School?” The bloke's voice was raspy, reeking of booze. “Are you high? Why on earth would there be a school here? Bugger off, potheads.” His long arm waved them off.
Her dad held her tighter. “Let's go.” He dragged her out of the alley.
“Okay.” She emitted a soft sigh, then the brooch shone with bright light. The heat almost burned her, and on reflex, she dropped it on the ground. “Ouch!”
Her dad's hands moved to hers, inspecting them as they walked away.
“Wait.” The stranger's voice, now filled with authority, froze them both. He slowly stood, picking up the silver brooch. He was taller than her dad, his fur cloak making him look like a grizzly bear, with two shining eyes glowing under the shadow of his hat, obscuring his face.
“The symbol of Caria.” The brooch twinkles in his hands. “I see… Hehehehehe.” He drops his cloak, small fireworks magically appear behind him. “Well, why didn’t you say so!” He posed, jazz hands and big smiles. The man was in a suit, sleek, clean, with long white stripes. His skin was pale, like a snake with sheen. But the hat, it still obscures half his face, the shadows cover his eyes and stop to his nose.
“You’ve come to the right place! A little later than usual, but as they say, better late than never!” The man stood tall and gave them a long bow, forming a perfect right angle.
Richard eyed him warily, his grip on Hermione tightening. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“Me?...” He stood up again, as straight as a pole. “I’ m the greeter. But as for my name, you may call me Pelham. I am a guide to all those that seek the academy!”
Hermione’s face smiles, bigger than it has ever been.
“And you my dear, are in for a treat.” In a flash he placed the brooch back in her hands. It was too fast for Richard to react, too fast for anything human.
“Keep that close. Its the only thing between you and the undesirables.” His voice slithers in the air, a worm in Richard’s brain. “Well I guess we should be going.” He says with his back against the alley.
“Where–”
“Richard!” His wife came running, until she was right in front of them. “Richard, where did you go!?”
“I was–” He turns back to see the man is gone. “But he was just…”
Then all of a sudden out of the walls came an arm. It was the man’s, beckoning them to enter, the bricks rippling around it like water. Richard swallows, his limbs start to tremble.
“Lets go!” Hermione says with stars in her eyes, urging her dad to move.
“Richard.” His wife mutters, placing a hand on his shoulders.
“Come on, let's go!” Hermione squeals, rocking in her dad’s arms.
The man didn’t know what to do. He had never faced anything like this before. His life had been dreadfully mundane, studying to be a dentist, marrying after university, having a child shortly after. And then, weird things started happening—fires, floating books, walking cookie jars—then he found the source, his only daughter. At first, he thought she was possessed, but after visiting a few churches, the strange occurrences disappeared, and his mind rationalized it as a series of coincidences. It's amazing what the human mind can do under stress. But then, a week after Hermione’s eleventh birthday, a strange letter appeared in the mail. He thought it was a joke at first and threw it in the trash. Then the government came knocking on his door.
They told him things, fantastical things, insane things. And what would happen if he were to reject their ‘generous’ offer.
‘Magical children are a danger to themselves and others. You wouldn't want your family to be in danger, would you? Magical accidents happen all the time. And when it does, trust me, you wouldn't want that Mr. Granger.’
He didn’t want to lose her.
“Dad?” She looked at him with her doe eyes, brown like his, with her mother’s hair and her sweet smile. He didn’t care if she was different; she was his joy, and he would do anything to keep her safe. Even if it meant...
“Is this really what you want?” he asked.
She looked at him, her head tilted, her eyes blinking in confusion for a moment before nodding with glee.
He worked up the courage to smile back. ”Alright.” Then all three, the small family, walked into the wall.
As they entered, mist enveloped them, and he heard his foot crunch on leaves. Impossible, he thought, they were in a forest. He looked back, and a long stone slab greeted him; the alley was nowhere in sight.
“Come on!” The man’s voice echoed in the distance. He could vaguely see his shape out of the trees. Hermione was too excited and escaped from his grasp.
“It’s just like the wardrobe!”
“Hermione!” Her mum screamed, and they both chased after her. As they breached the forest's end, they came across a wondrous sight: the world was a painting, the sky a deep purple, a huge lake surrounded by crags and cliffs. At the center stood a citadel, defiantly towering over the lake—a castle, with blue lights sparkling around it.
“What is…” He was at a loss for words.
“Dad! Mum! Look at this! It's more amazing than I imagined!” Hermione was giddy; she couldn’t contain her joy.
It took him a few seconds to realize where they were, next to a cliff. “Hermione!” He called her closer, but she wasn’t listening. She kept walking towards the edge, maybe unable to see it.
“Hermione!” Her father ran to her.
But the poor girl couldn’t stop her awe. It wasn’t until the last second that she stopped and looked down. Her joy turned to fear, and she could finally hear her dad’s screams. She quickly turned around.
“Da–”
A loud roar, then a powerful gust of wind blew the girl away.
“Hermione!” Her dad screamed in terror as he watched his daughter fall off the cliff.
He ran towards the jagged edge, ready to jump down after her. Then, all of a sudden, a shadow jumped up the cliff. When the figure landed, he held his daughter in his arms. He immediately released her, and she ran straight into her father’s arms.
“Hermione.” He kissed her face, salty tears on her cheeks. His wife quickly came, and the entire family hugged each other.
“That was reckless, puppet!” The shadow stood and walked to a shrubbery. He was draped in black robes, an old man with a blindfold. He unsheathed a staff and struck the bush. The flora dissolved, and something slithered behind the man. He aimed the staff at the serpent, its end pointed face-first at the greeter. The pale man smiled awkwardly at the other.
“It’s fine; I knew you were there, Wilhelm.”
“Do not place the blame on me! They are your charges!”
“Come on, it’s not like I would let them—” The tip of the staff glowed a dark blue, and the greeter pulled his hand up.
“Ok, you made your point.”
“I am this close to skinning you alive.” The greeter started to chuckle. “Don’t give me another excuse.”
With that said, the old man turned and vanished into the air.
The pale man calmly walked towards the family, his hands pressed together. “Well, isn’t this lovely. But we have a schedule to keep.”
Richard stood in anger, ready to punch the man. But then he felt a subtle pressure emitting from the pale man, like every cell in his body telling him that if he fought this guy, he would die. Slowly, he put down his arm.
“Smart choice,” the man smiled, pointing to a plateau where many families were gathered, waiting on the grass with picnic sets and flashing cameras. There were a lot of kids too, some running around, most gawking at the setting. On the edges stood people in armor, their metalwork a masterpiece, wielding blue swords.
“We're still waiting for a few more. We have about an hour until we leave. So wait, relax, and enjoy the view.” He ignored them and walked to the crowd.
Richard looked towards his family, his daughter crying in her mother's arms. He slowly went to them, whispering in her ear.
“Are you alright?”
Sniff “Yes.”
“Do… Do you wanna go back home?”
She was silent for a moment before wiping her tears away. Determination returned to her eyes, and she shook her head. Her dad kissed her cheek as they all got up and carefully walked to the crowd.
“Richard?” His wife called.
“Yes?”
“Did you bring the luggage?”
He clicked his tongue.
“Alright, listen up, everyone! It’s been an hour now, so I guess you're it! How exciting! Have you all said your goodbyes? Your final farewells!? Good! Hey, you up front, wipe those tears away. It's not like you’ll never see them again. Ok, no more crying; we're not moving until you’ve all stopped crying... Ok, ok, good.”
With a clap of his hands, the pale man continued, his voice booming yet oddly comforting amidst the nervous murmurs of the crowd.
“Thank you all for coming. Take in the view of Liurnia of the lakes. It's breathtaking, isn’t it? But that’s not why you're here today. Your destination lies there.” He pointed confidently towards the majestic castle.
“Now, make sure your brooches are visible; they're your key into and out of the academy, so don’t lose them. The carriages will be here any minute now.”
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing with a reassuring smile.
“I know it’s scary; new places always are. But put on a brave face. It’s going to get better from here. So chin up, smile; wonders await you. Years of magic, mystery, and adventure lie ahead.”
As the carriages pulled by giant crows came into view, eliciting gasps and whispers of amazement from the crowd, the pale man's excitement seemed to intensify.
“Our time is almost up; your bags will be waiting for you in your dorms. You’ll be guided to orientation when you get there. And who knows? Perhaps you’ll see more of me in the future.”
With a flourish, he gestured towards the now-landing carriages, each touching down perfectly in a straight line.
“And thank you for choosing the Academy of Raya Lucaria. May the moon guide you.”
The Silver Brooch
A small trinket used to gain access to the Academy. It bears the sigil of the royal family, with the exception of a single green glintstone. Whoever holds this means you are sponsored by the royal family. And therefore protected under the House of Caria.
Its green glintstone symbolizes the eye of the prince, always watching.