Beyond The Veil: The Master's Heir

MOUNT DELOS, MYSTIC INSTITUTE* The time was 7 p.m., and it was already dark when Agatha barged out of her room angrily, her eyes flashing various colors as she stormed down the wide corridor. The disciples in the corridor knew better than to get in her way, so everyone stepped aside, and those chatting in groups stopped to turn their attention toward her. *Who pissed her off?* *A steamy fight is coming up!* *She’s definitely going to Ceres!* As predicted, Agatha reached Ceres's door and forced it open with her eyes, which turned deep green in color. The opening was so forceful that the metal door broke in two, and both parts fell heavily to the ground. Agatha stepped over them as she entered the room, meeting Ceres, who was just coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest. "You broke my door again, Agatha!" Ceres yelled, and her eyes also turned deep green. "My white bra is missing from the clothesline. You’re the only one who used it today. Give it back before I make you regret ever stealing from me!" Agatha demanded, standing her ground. By now, over fifty disciples had gathered by the door, watching the drama that would soon turn into a heated battle. It was nothing new; Agatha and Ceres were the worst enemies in the institute, and something seemed to spark a fight between them every day. "And what makes you so sure I stole it?" Ceres smirked. "I’m the only princess in this institute, so everything I own is bound to catch your attention since you can't afford that bra! Give it back!" Agatha yelled, her eyes growing greener. "You're a princess, I'm not denying that, but this isn't your palace! This is the Mystic Institute, and while you're here, we’re all disciples! Stop acting so cocky, considering your kingdom isn't even that large, you foolish girl!" Ceres spat back. "Repeat that!" Agatha raged. "Foolish girl!" Ceres yelled, and Agatha took just three steps toward her. She leaped into the air, executing a 360-degree turn before landing a kick on Ceres's face. Ceres went crashing into the wall, and some bones surely broke since she struggled to stand. She turned her gaze to the broken door, lifting it and sending it toward Agatha, but Agatha dodged it skillfully, and the metal embedded into the wall. By now, Ceres had set her broken bones. She stood and sped toward Agatha, sharply grabbing her by the throat. "Ahh! Let go of me!" Agatha struggled, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "You started this," Ceres smirked, her nails growing long and digging into Agatha's neck. "Arghhh!" Agatha cried. At that moment, Raven and Krishna entered, and Raven’s eyes widened. Raven was Ceres’s older brother, while Krishna was his best friend. "Just leave them; their fights are always fun to watch," Krishna said, crossing his arms calmly over his chest. "You're insane," Raven muttered, running over to separate them. But despite being in a chokehold, Agatha shot two sharp arrows from her green eyes, and before Raven could dodge, both arrows pierced his chest, sending him to the ground, unconscious. "I warned you," Krishna muttered. "Cat, is he still alive?" he asked, and a small black cat jumped out of his pocket, landing on Raven’s chest. "Yes, he's still breathing," Cat replied. "Great," Krishna smiled, and Cat returned to his pocket as he continued watching the fight. "How dare you hurt my brother!" Ceres yelled angrily. "What are you going to do about it?" Agatha smiled wickedly, and as Ceres moved to attack, Agatha snapped her fingers, and time stopped. Everyone in the room froze except her. "You're dying today, Ceres," she smirked, spreading her palm. A sharp kitchen knife appeared in her hand, and she raised it to stab Ceres when someone appeared, snatching the knife away. Time resumed, and everyone started moving again. "Master!" Agatha’s eyes widened when she saw who it was. It was Master Duran, dressed in his black cloak, which even covered his head, though a few strands of his long hair were visible. Expressionless as usual, Agatha quickly knelt, along with everyone else at the door. "Greetings, Master!" they chorused. "How dare you manipulate time just to hurt others! Do you think it's a game?" Master Duran demanded. "She stole from me, Master," Agatha replied. "I didn’t steal anything! She’s lying!" Ceres shouted, as Peony rushed into the room. "I'm so sorry, Agatha; I accidentally packed your bra with my clothes," Peony said, holding up the white bra adorned with pearls. "See? You just wanted a reason to fight me as usual, which is why you came here without investigating," Ceres said. The bell for practice assembly rang, and Master Duran folded his arms behind him. "To the assembly, everyone—except Agatha," he ordered, and everyone rushed out of the room, including Raven, who was just waking up. "Go call Orion in his room," Master Duran ordered, and Agatha gasped. "Superior Orion hates when his privacy is disturbed! He’ll hurt me!" "And that's your punishment. You have five minutes to bring him to the assembly, or you'll spend five minutes in the Beastly Territory," Master Duran replied before vanishing. TWO MINUTES LATER Agatha reached Orion’s door and took a deep breath, studying it. Three warnings were written on the door in Orion’s blood: DO NOT KNOCK DO NOT ENTER NO NOISE ALLOWED She swallowed, raising her shaky hand to the door. She would do it and face Orion's punishment rather than endure a death sentence in the Beastly Territory. After her third knock, no sound came from the room, so she slowly pushed the door open, and darkness filled the room, as usual. The lights weren’t on—Orion hated brightness. "Super...ior... Orion, your attention is..." She was still talking when the lights suddenly came on. "AHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed, falling on her butt in fear. The room was empty. He wasn’t in. STREETS OF DELOS The moon wasn’t out that night, so it was perfect for Orion’s outing. He hated the moon—the brightness was annoying—so on nights with a full moon, he preferred to stay inside. Despite the moonless night, the streets were bright with lights, and people were merely going about. Orion stood in front of a house, and as he stopped, all the lights in the house went off. He closed his always-red eyes, savoring the darkness. His hands were folded behind him like his father's, and on the back of his left hand was the birthmark he bore: three red stars. For a moment, dark flames surrounded him, and as they vanished, he resumed his solitary walk down the street. A lady suddenly ran toward him, so focused on her destination that she collided with him. The moment they touched, she fell to the ground—dead. Orion stopped and glanced down at her body. "Pathetic," he said, his voice cold and emotionless, as a dog began barking in the distance. For him, a barking dog signaled that someone was in danger and needed help, but tonight, he wasn’t in the mood. He resumed his walk, but the barking echoed in his ears, deepening. "Help me!" a faint female voice called, and he stopped. He vanished and reappeared in an alley, where he saw a girl about to be assaulted by three men. The leader, who appeared the boldest of the three, looked Orion up and down with a sneer. "Who’s this? Get lost, or would you like to join us?" he taunted, not sensing the danger before him. Orion’s red eyes flicked to the girl, trembling and almost bare, then back to the leader. He extended his left palm, and his blood-red sword materialized in his hand. The leader laughed, "That’s a cute trick, but do you know who I am? My father’s the wealthiest Honourable in Delos; you'd better leave now before you regret it." "He's glaring like he's really gonna do something," the second man sneered. "Do something? Ha! No one would dare cross me!" the leader boasted. Orion’s sword glinted, and in one swift movement, he sliced off the leader’s head. The man’s expression hadn’t even registered shock before his head tumbled to the ground. The remaining two men screamed, stumbling over each other in a frantic attempt to escape. The terrified girl, too, stood, bolting out of the alley without a backward glance. Orion calmly watched the headless body slump to the ground. His sword dissolved back into his hand as he picked up the fallen head, disappearing as swiftly as he had appeared. Moments later, he reappeared in the opulent bedroom of Honourable Mazi. The Honourable and his wife were entangled under their silken sheets, enjoying a night together when Orion’s presence startled them both. "Who the hell—" the Honourable’s voice cut off in horror as he spotted his son’s severed head, now lying on the foot of their bed, lifeless eyes staring upward. The wife screamed and fainted instantly. "Monster!" the Honourable shrieked, his voice full of terror, as Orion’s piercing gaze remained fixed on him. Without a word, Orion vanished, leaving behind the blood-soaked reminder of his vengeance. STREETS OF SPAIN, HERCULES VILLA Samara was rapping at the top of her lungs, dancing wildly in her white towel as she strolled into the bathroom. She didn’t stop singing, even as she unwrapped her towel and stepped under the hot stream of the shower. Finishing her verse, she grinned mischievously, stretching her hand out. An ordinary hairpin flew from her bedroom to her hand. Without hesitation, she pressed it against her palm, gritting her teeth as it cut her skin. “f**k!” she hissed, but just a second later, the wound healed completely. "Real hard girl sh*t!" she crowed, thrilled at her powers. Her powers had manifested from birth, a gift inherited from her mother. Yet, she hadn’t mastered them fully, so for now, she could only use them in the privacy of the bathroom. “Yes! Yes!” she cheered, jumping around under the water. When she finally stepped out, she found her mother waiting at the bathroom door. “You scared me, Mum!” Samara held her hand to her chest. “You need the Mystic Institute, my dear. You have to learn how to control your powers outside the bathroom,” Mrs. Hercules insisted, following her to the bedroom. "I already told you, I’m not interested! The Mystic Institute? In some backwater town where I can’t even use my phone? How would I survive without listening to Megan Thee and Cardi B? I’d die, Mum!” Samara exclaimed, tossing her hair towel aside. Her long white hair cascaded over her shoulders, adding to her already striking appearance. “This time, it’s not up for debate. You’re leaving tonight,” Mrs. Hercules said firmly. “What?!” “Pack your things.” Without waiting, her mother walked out. “Mum, no!” Samara yelled. “Daughter, yes!” her mother called back, and Samara’s phone buzzed on her bed. She snatched it up and saw it was her red-haired best friend, Ruthie, calling. Ruthie was also a witch, and her mother was friends with Mrs. Hercules. “Sam! My mom’s insisting I leave for that boring institute tonight!” Ruthie’s voice crackled with frustration. “Something's happening here! I think they planned it together. Let’s escape and meet at the soda shop,” Samara whispered. “Deal, twenty minutes,” Ruthie replied, and the call ended. It took Samara only five minutes to change into a short jean skirt and a s*xy net top. She grabbed a ready-made rope from her closet, tied it securely to the window ledge, and shimmied down, landing with a satisfied grin. "Mission accomplished!" she whispered, sprinting away from the villa. Twenty-five minutes later, she arrived at the soda shop where Ruthie was waiting. They clasped hands in excitement. "Clubbing?" Samara winked. "Clubbing!" Ruthie echoed, and they flagged down a taxi that took them to their favorite nightclub. “Booze!” Samara whooped as they entered the crowded, pulsing room. “Yes! Booze, baby!” Ruthie joined in, and they made their way straight to the bar. “Sidecar with extra Grand Marnier,” Samara ordered confidently. “Of course!” the bartender replied, mixing their drinks with a knowing smile. When he finished, he handed them their glasses with a flourish. They took a sip in unison, but as soon as they did, their eyes began to droop. Without another word, they both slumped to the ground, fast asleep. “Come out, please,” the bartender called softly. From the shadows stepped Mrs. Hercules and Mrs. Reed, Ruthie’s mother. Each held their daughter’s packed bag, and they shared a determined look. “Don’t miss me too much, Ruthie,” Mrs. Reed smiled, placing the bag beside her sleeping daughter. “You need this, Samara,” Mrs. Hercules whispered, setting her own daughter’s bag down. Together, they chanted a soft spell, and in a flash, the girls vanished. NEXT MORNING Samara felt someone’s arms around her as she woke up, and she yawned sleepily. “Mum, when did you sneak into my room last night?” she mumbled, half-awake. “Shut up, Sam, I’m trying to sleep,” replied Ruthie’s voice, not entirely registering the oddity. Still drowsy, Samara murmured, “Mum, you smell different. Not like pomelo. It’s baby powder now.” “I said keep it down!” Ruthie replied sleepily. Suddenly, the realization hit them both. They sprang up at the same time, wide-eyed as they took in their surroundings. They were in an unfamiliar room. Leaping from the bed, they dashed to the door, but it wouldn’t open. “The bartender last night!” Samara shouted. “Have we been kidnapped? Will they sell our organs?” Ruthie’s eyes went wide with horror, and Samara slumped to the ground in a dramatic fit. “My future husband will be all alone! What about the three kids I wanted? Cardi B! Megan Thee! I can’t die like this!” she wailed, clutching her head. “Hold on—let’s try teleporting first,” Ruthie said, helping her up. “Are you serious? My powers only work in the bathroom!” Samara shot back. “Then hold my hand, and I’ll try,” Ruthie suggested, and Samara clutched her hand with hope. They closed their eyes, and Ruthie murmured a spell for three minutes. “Okay, we’ll open our eyes on the count of three,” she said finally. “Sure,” Samara replied, and together they counted down. When they opened their eyes, they were still in the same room. “We didn’t disappear!” they shrieked. “Will they sell my b**bs too? Brand new, untouched!” Samara moaned dramatically. “There’s a window!” Ruthie noticed at last, and they ran over, pushing it open. Their heads peered outside, taking in the fresh air that blew through their red and white hair, respectively. But their eyes fixed on a large board surrounded by hibiscus flowers, bearing the words: “MYSTIC INSTITUTE: HOME OF HIDDEN MYSTERIES. WELCOME.” Their eyes widened in disbelief, and they looked at each other slowly. “Nooooooooooo!!!”