IMPERIAL ACADEMY

Blood is not as thick

"In here!" Aurora called out from the distance as she led the healers into Master Orion's office. The healers were earth mages, and Professor Kelly was with them.

"You brat! What did you do?" Professor Kelly yelled at Alex as soon as she stepped into the room and saw Alex. As the healers took over, Alex gently let go of Master Orion.

"I didn't do anything!" Alex yelled back at professor Kelly. She scoffed and crossed her arms.

"It seems evil follows you wherever you go, Alex. I still stand by my suggestion that you should have been killed on the spot for trying to get into the academy. Your presence has caused so much disruption!" Professor Kelly yelled at Alex, who frowned. Alex could feel his energy rising. The energy danced inside him like a smoldering wave, begging to be let out.

Alex took a step closer to the professor and looked her in the eyes.

"I belong here, professor Kelly. And I'm not going anywhere. I'll show the entire academy that I am innocent of all the allegations labeled against me," Alex said to her and walked out of the office. Aurora rolled her eyes at the professor and followed Alex.

"So, where should we go now?" Aurora asked Alex as they kept walking.

"I know where they might be," Alex said to her. It didn't take long before they hurried to the building where Klaus Hodgkin's painting was. When they got to the gate, Alex took a deep breath and touched the chain binding the gate.

"Break!" Alex commanded and in the next second, the chains broke into pieces. Aurora gasped as she beheld what had just happened. As Alex stepped into the building, she followed. Alex led the way down the staircase, but each step took them closer to the whispers and the chanting that were coming from the haunted room. And of course, Alex knew the voice all too well. It belonged to Professor Dora.

"Franga spelium, libera captivum"

"Franga spelium, libera captivum"

"Franga spelium, libera captivum"

"Franga spelium, libera captivum"

Professor Dora kept chanting while Alex and Aurora stepped into the room. There were red candles lit around a pentagon, and placed centrally in the Pentagon was Bruno. He was chained down, and although he fought, Bruno could not break free from the chains. When Bruno saw Alex and Aurora, he stopped wriggling.

Professor Dora picked up Klaus' painting and turned around. However, she saw Alex and Aurora and then smiled.

"Oh, Alex. I see that you have decided to join us," she said with excitement in her voice.

"Let Bruno go," Alex said to her, but Professor Dora pouted.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that, Alex. I really need your friend's heart to complete this spell. But it's okay. After this night is done, you will have more friends. And better looking ones too," Professor Dora said and shot Bruno a disgusting look. Bruno cowered as the odd remark was made about his appearance, but Alex stepped closer to the Pentagon.

"Why do you want to set Klaus Hodgkin free? What's your relationship with him? Did he promise you something?" Alex asked professor Dora, who laughed. She slowly placed the painting down and gazed at Alex.

"Oh, Alex. You really do not know anything, do you? It's not about what I have to gain from him. It's about what we have to gain. Klaus Hodgkin is my father. And he is your grandfather!" Professor Dora broke the news to Alex. Alex gasped while Aurora looked at him. He clenched his fist and gnashed his teeth.

"I don't believe you. You're lying!" Alex yelled at professor Dora.

"I'm not…" Professor Dora started and snapped her fingers, causing sudden darkness to fall on the room. Other than the lit candles, the only other source of light was a rectangular frame hanging above the center of the Pentagon.

"Fifty years ago, my father had a dream to unite the magical world…" images began to appear on the tab as professor Dora began to speak.

"... He discovered that there was so much we could get from dark magic as well. Elixir for immortality, powerful spells to stop hunger in poor countries, you name it. It was all there waiting to be seized. But Master Orion forbade him from going through ancient, forbidden scrolls. Master Orion was afraid of the sacrifices we would have to make to create a perfect world…" Professor Dora stopped for a while before she forced a smile.

"When my father didn't stop, Master Orion had him imprisoned in this painting for all eternity. He could have killed him, but he wanted my father to suffer as punishment for disobeying him. My brother, your father, was also a student here at the time. Master Orion expelled him and stripped our family of our privileges. My brother grew up ragged, insane half of the time, but me, I survived. And I ran. While my brother roamed the world, I continued my father's work. I changed my identity, and sold my soul to a demon to access dark magic. Using a very powerful spell, one that even Master Orion could not detect, I disguised myself as a mage and returned to the school, hoping to set my father free…" Professor Dora snapped her fingers and the darkness disappeared.

Alex watched as she slowly approached him.

"My father told me all about you, Alex. About your destiny. It's why I fought so hard for you to be here. Your place is with us, your real family. You can run all you want, but you will forever be one of us. Accept who you are, and join me to finish this spell," she said to Alex.

Alex slowly gazed at Aurora with an uncertain look in his face. Then, his eyes roamed to Bruno who was still lying bound on the ground. Finally, Alex gazed at professor Dora.

"I don't belong with you. You don't love me. You just want to use me," Alex said, and took a step backwards. Professor Dora chuckled while she gazed at Alex and Aurora.

"My brother refused to join me as well. So I killed him. I'm sorry it has to end this way, Alex. I really thought you would make the right choice," professor Dora replied and struck Alex with black lightning.

The same yellow shield appeared to protect Alex, but the lightning shattered the shield and hit Alex on the shoulder.

"Hahahahahaha. Nice trick, Alex. But I have the power of the blood moon now. And after I'm done with you, I'll rip your friend's heart out of his chest and release my father from his prison. Then, I will burn this academy to the ground!" Professor Dora yelled at Alex.

"Get Bruno out of here!" Alex said to Aurora.

"But, what about you?" She asked him with worry in her voice.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," he replied to her. Aurora nodded and dashed toward the Pentagon. But Professor Dora groaned and cried out.

"Fulgur Atrum!" Professor Dora screamed and as lightning shot toward Aurora, Alex fired a stream of yellow energy at the lighting, redirecting it so that it hit Klaus Hodgkin's painting instead. Professor Dora gasped at the lighting hit the painting.

"You little rat!" She yelled and hurled at Alex, but he released another blast of energy from his body, and it hit professor Dora, sending her crashing into the wall.

At that time, Aurora had successfully dragged Bruno out of the Pentagon. Bruno used his phasing spell and freed himself from the chains.

"So much power. So little control!" Professor Dora groaned while she stood at her feet.

"I can help you control your power, Alex. You need me," she said to Alex.

"No, I don't!" Alex replied to her and blasted her with another energy stream. Professor Dora screamed as the energy burned through her body, and while she disintegrated into thin air, her haunting screams echoed through the room.

Alex fell to his knees, exhausted, as soon as it was done. Aurora quickly helped him stand.

"Alex, are you alright?" She asked him and Alex nodded.

"Bruno, how are you?" Alex asked Bruno, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you know. I was just kidn*pped by a powerful witch and almost got sacrificed, but other than that, I'm great!" Bruno said and Alex chuckled. "Thanks, Alex. And you too, Aurora. I may have misjudged you at first," Bruno said to them.

"From one weirdo to another, it's totally okay," Aurora replied with a smile. Then she looked at Klaus' painting.

"What should we do with the painting?" Aurora asked Alex. "Should we destroy it?"

"I believe Master Orion will handle it. Let's get out of here," Alex replied to her, and they all walked out of the room.

However, a midnight haze seeped from the canvas, tendrils curling around the frame's carvings like grasping fingers. Within the painting, shadows deepened, and the figures' eyes burned with an unearthly light. And when the painting slowly tore into two, a dark hand pushed out from within.