Chapter 3| How it happened
1119 Words
“Jason? Impossible.” Evan sputtered in disbelief. “He’s not supernatural. How can he take something from the archives?”
“Exactly,” Alarick said. His face shows restlessness that they had never seen before. “The night he left the school, I asked Brayden to compel him. I know Jean showed him around the school before Brayden showed up, and it was my fault because I allowed that to happen. I thought it was okay. Turns out, it wasn't. Brayden is the best compeller–”
“So, it didn’t work on him?” Jean’s face twisted with confusion. “Is that what you’re saying?”
Alarick started pacing. A habit he never outgrew when anxious.
“It didn’t work because?” Jean insisted. “Quit pacing, Alarick! I want answers!”
“Missy, show them what happened that night they chose to leave Harrington.” He ordered. His voice is low and resolute. “Use my memory.”
“Got it, Dad.” Missy stepped closer to Alarick and touched his head with both of her hands, and started murmuring a spell to project her father’s memory of that particular night.
**
Jason Everstone became Evan’s friend. Ever since Evan’s admission to Harrington, he has always been fond of humans and the way they live their lives. Jason was studying at the nearby school, and he plays basketball, a sport Evan adores. Evan loves hoops and is good at it. It led to their friendship, and they hung out every weekend to play. This went on for years. During one of the many occasions, Harrington School for the Gifted opened its gates to the public to create the illusion that they were running a normal school just like everybody else in the state–it happened.
October 7, 2018.
Jason wandered from the group of students exploring the campus for the elites. He studied at the nearby public school then. Evan found Jason in the school archives. The archives were considered a sacred room in Harrington; no one was allowed to enter the room without a teacher or without permission. In fact, it wasn’t supposed to be found by an outsider. The entrance was hidden in plain sight, and it would take a lot of knowledge of spells to c***k the sealing spell used or pure luck to be able to open the heavy door. All the precious and historical artifacts were kept there.
For some reason, Jason made his way there.
Over the years, Harrington acquired tons of artifacts that the human mind might consider junk and piles of useless antiques.
When asked why he was there, Jason couldn’t give a valid answer.
The incident looked harmless at first–a random teen went on his own exploration, and he strayed and found himself in the archives. Harrington School for the Gifted had always been an establishment deemed exclusive, and every outsider wanted a sneak peek of what was inside the castle-like academic institution, so it was no longer surprising, given the fact that they had outsiders attempt to sneak in during the night before for the sake of bragging rights to their peers.
Until Alarick found an old talisman glowing. A relic as old as time.
What they thought was a relic from a long-time ago, long dormant and its history forgotten, was emitting a red glow from its glass case. The talisman was gifted by the Moon Goddess, Hera, to Fenrir himself.
Fenrir, the God of werewolves. The first werewolf to walk the earth.
And in front of the glass case was Jason Everstone.
“I—impossible…the talisman… I thought it lost its power a long time ago…who is this young man, and why did the talisman awaken after a hundred years of dormancy?” Alarick raked his head for possible answers.
“Jason!” Evan came rushing in. “Dude! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
Evan notices Alarick and his friend in front of the glass case. Totally oblivious of the fact he’s there. Jason seemed to be in a trance. Unaware of his surroundings–it looked like, to him, all that mattered was the talisman and him.
“Alarick,” Evan began, “what is going on here? Is the talisman supposed to glow like that?”
Not breaking eye contact with the scene unfolding in front of him, Alarick raised his hand and gestured to Evan to stay where he was. “Get Jean. Quick!”
“What? Look, I am sorry for this. Jason is my friend, and it’s my fault he wandered here…” Evan frantically explained, knowing fully what his admission would bring him later. However, once Jean was summoned, he also knew something was messed up. “No need to drag Jean in here, I’ll just ask someone to erase his memory and we’re all good…”
“I want Jean here, and keep your big, fat mouth shut,” Alarick ordered. “No talk about this sh*t, Evan. I mean it.”
Left with no choice, Evan went to fetch Jean.
After a short moment, he returned with her.
The sight of the talisman glowing and Jason’s noticeable attraction to it caught Jean by surprise. This is the first time Jean meets Jason. Though Evan had told her about him, they had never met in person.
“The talisman…” Jean said in shock. “How?”
“Jean, do an unbinding spell. He’s too close. We don’t know what’s going on,” Alarick instructed, his voice showing signs of concern and slight panic. “The school is filled with kids from nearby schools; the last thing we want is to raise suspicion. We’re already the talk of the town!”
She’s a level three spell caster now; it should be easy for her, given that part of her ancestry, it should be easy. Jean allowed her natural spell caster ability to take control and work its magic. She directed her focus on the talisman and Jason Everstone.
“Solve, dissolve, vincula cedi,” Jean muttered under her breath. A spell she knew by heart.
The moment the last word was uttered, a strong surge of power erupted, knocking away all of them inside the archive. Jean thought she must’ve died from the impact, but a gentle and warm blanket-like red glow protected her from possible hazard.
She saw how it protected Jason as well.
But Alarick and Evan were not as lucky as they are.
- Writer
