shadows

August was the coldest month (3)

Ray was driving. Green was in the front passenger seat. Any other day, that would have been Emil’s seat. For one, he liked sitting in the front. When he was bigger, he promised Ray he would drive and she could enjoy sitting in the car like everyone else. And two, neither of the grandmas would allow the other to sit closer to their darling grandson, which left them in the back with Emilia.

Today, the grandmas were fighting. Not with arms and feet. Or even mouths. They were much too proud for that. The eyes did all of the fighting. And because of that, the two couldn’t be sitting together in the car. Emil was in the middle, where he had the best view of the front and the sides. Of course, he wasn’t tall enough. So, the armrest was his lift for his seat. And that gave him a great view. Renee was was to his right, behind Ray. And Emilia to his left.

It was a little after noon. And they were driving to Augustus academy.

Augustus academy wasn’t like other schools. It was a private school. It didn’t have a website. It didn’t feature in the lists of schools in the city. And no one spoke of it to outsiders. The parents whose children were students at the academy had once been students at the academy themselves. And so, they knew perfectly well what the academy was. And the parents of first time students were affected the mood easily.

And it wasn’t just that the school wasn’t renowned. The academics were different too. Sure, students were taught regular subjects with regular textbooks. And there were sports and other extra-curricular activities. Like other schools. But what the school concentrated on more was the other subjects.

To put it simply, Augustus academy was a school of the night. The students belonged to the shadows more than the day.

The school itself was outside of the city limits. No one knew for certain exactly how old the school was. Its history was as much a mystery as an open book. And if legends were to be believed, the school had been built and demolished and rebuilt more times than could be counted. The many buildings inside the vast grounds had all been renovated many, many times.

Ray braked outside the gates.

“There are things you must know,” Green said solemnly. “Augustus academy is not like other schools. You will feel the difference from the moment we drive in through the gates. Just know, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to think too much, pay too much attention to that feeling of strangeness. You’re not in a place you don’t belong at. Because this is where our Emil will be going. This is going to be our Emil’s school. Just remember that.”

Emilia nodded. She had long since accepted the strangeness that had been thrust into her life. She convinced herself this was a result of that day, of surviving. She was no longer the girl she was before. She was no longer of the day. She was almost someone of the night. Terms she had gathered from Ray and Green. And she didn’t doubt the slightest that all of this had to do with her little boy. Her Emil. And wherever her Emil belonged, there she belonged as well.

Renee, however, was stiffly silent. That was her being quiet not because she had nothing to say, but because she understood it wasn’t yet time to voice the questions. And patience was something she had a lot of.

Green was satisfied with the response. She nodded, with her eye glued to the front. Ray stepped on the accelerator. And the car moved again.

In through the large gates.

They were inside Augustus academy.

-

Aram was a grand sage. Anyone else might feel that was the highest title one could attain, short of a god. Adam, however, was also the principal of Augustus academy. And this was something he was prouder about. And no one would think of showing him wrong. Such was the position.

Augustus academy was school to seers, elementals, witches. And even Shuuto, in the last few decades. It truly was a school of the night.

Today, Aram was welcoming someone important. A grand sage like him. Only, grander. Stronger. So much more powerful. And so much more terrifying. Green. And she was bringing along her grandson. Someone she said belonged at Augustus. Not just because he was a child of the night. But even more so because he found the academy all by himself. And that was a feat in itself.

Aram wasn’t aware of the circumstances in entirety. He knew the grandson was adopted, because Green had no children. The closest she was was to her only student, Ray. And Ray herself had no children. The boy must be adopted. The boy was just seven. And someone so young catching Green’s eye was definitely not normal. And so, Aram allowed himself to get excited. Which principal wouldn’t like a spectacular student in their school?

He felt it, he felt them, the moment they entered the school grounds. Five of them. Two he recognised easily enough. One didn’t belong. One was strange. And the last, was spectacular. The grandson. He understood pretty much immediately.

-

The mother and aunt and grandmas were sitting outside. It was just Aram and Emil. It was the interview. Aram assured the boy would be fine. Green assured it too. But only when Emil repeated the assurance did everyone leave. Aram sat in the chair next to Emil. They were looking at each other, with nothing between them but the clear air.

And the interview began.

“Can you tell me how you found the academy?” Aram asked.

Emil smiled. That beautiful smile exclusive to children, born of their unblemished innocence. Even someone like Aram who saw those smiles everyday couldn’t remain unmoved. He smiled too. And in the face of that smile, Emil’s smile grew, and grew, and grew, into a giggle. And that giggle was like a sword fiercely swung on a battlefield.

Aram was stunned. He fell back in the chair. The chair pushed back, the legs screeching over the carpet. He had asked the question, but he sought more than the answer in Emil’s voice. He was looking into Emil’s eyes, into Emil’s head. And the giggle broke the spell. Snapped the lights out of his eyes. And the recoil had him falling back.

“How?” Aram asked, a little shaken.

“How?” Emil repeated, head tilted, eyes confused. “How what? How I found the school? I was on the internet. I was looking at schools. And I came across Augustus academy. There was something about it. Gave me the feeling this was what I needed to convince grandma Green and aunty Ray to let me go to school.”

Aram shook his head. That wasn’t his question. Not exactly.

“I know,” Emil continued, “I should be careful where I go looking. Grandma warns me. And I am careful. This was an accident.”

The words were a trigger. Aram felt an invisible wave smash into him. His eyes turned grey. He was having a vision. But he couldn’t see. Someone was standing in the way. Something. It was laughing at him. And saying something. The words were hazy. Illegible. But they were etched into his memory. The vision ended with that thing slapping him, throwing him out.

His head fell back. He took deep and loud breaths. The blacks and whites of his eyes returned. As he sat looking at the roof of his office, he understood that he didn’t yet meet the conditions. That was why he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what the conditions were. But when he satisfied them, he would understand the words. He would understand the vision.

He looked back down at Emil. Until then, he would approve Emil’s application. His belief was proven correct. Emil was spectacular.