The cold, dimly lit detention room felt like a cage. Harper's muscles tensed with every flicker of the lone candle on the table, the shadows of the room stretching and warping like they were alive. The stale air pressed in around her as she clenched her fists, trying to ignore the electric charge in her veins. This was the punishment? Being locked in a room with them?
Across from her, Asher barely moved, his jaw tight and his eyes scanning the room with a predatory focus. His usual cocky smirk was gone—this wasn't a normal detention. This was something worse. Something sinister.
Astra and Mira—always together, always the instigators—sat opposite them, their smug faces glowing in the candlelight. Astra was twirling a lock of her platinum hair, an almost taunting smile playing on her lips. Mira's eyes, sharp and calculating, flickered to Harper, as if she were studying her, deciding what to do next. And Harper knew better than to underestimate either of them.
"We'll get out of here in no time," Asher muttered, his voice low, though even he couldn't mask the irritation beneath the calm tone.
Harper just shot him a look. She wasn't sure they could escape this one. Not without a price. A low hum filled the room, the strange energy of the place buzzing under her skin, leaving a strange sensation that she couldn't quite shake off.
The door creaked open, cutting through the tension like a knife. Professor Thorn stepped inside, his towering figure blocking the light as the door closed behind him. His eyes were ice-cold, sharp as razors. The Combat Magic instructor, whose gaze could freeze a flame in seconds, now turned it on them.
"Miss Quinn, Mr. Reed," he began, his voice clipped, the weight of his disappointment heavy in the air, "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
Harper clenched her teeth. The altercation in the Great Hall hadn't been her fault, but here she was, trapped in a room with those who would rather see her burn. Astra and Mira had taken things too far, but of course, the whole thing had spiraled when Asher stepped in. He never backed down.
She held her ground. "It started when they started mocking the new students. And it escalated when Asher called them out. I tried to stop it, but—"
"Lies," Mira sneered, her voice cutting through Harper's words. "It was them looking for trouble, not us. Always trying to play the victims."
Harper's blood boiled at the audacity in Mira's voice, but she bit her tongue. There was no point in arguing with them here. Not with Thorn watching.
Astra leaned forward, her eyes narrowing like a predator about to strike. "They don't belong here. They're just trying to show off their powers. It's pathetic."
Asher's eyes flashed, his hands clenched at his sides. "They're just jealous," he shot back, his voice dripping with venom. "But that doesn't give them the right to bully us."
Professor Thorn's gaze turned icy, his voice dangerously calm. "Enough. I'll decide what's acceptable behavior. You're all staying here for two nights, whether you like it or not. Your task? Research and record the properties of ancient magical artifacts. The history of the Celestial Relics. You'll each need to contribute."
He gave them no room to argue. The task was set, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Harper exhaled sharply, her frustration rising, but she didn't let it show. Two nights. In a room with them.
"Fine," she muttered under her breath, but it was Asher who gave her a look, one that spoke volumes. This wasn't going to be easy.
The next night was worse.
The chill in the air seemed to seep into their bones as they sat around the wooden table in the heart of the Arcane Library. It was the dead of night, and the library was unnervingly silent. The only sounds were the faint rustle of pages turning and the hushed whispers of their breaths. Harper shivered as she looked around the towering shelves of ancient tomes, their spines glowing faintly in the dim light, as if watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake.
Astra and Mira were as uninterested as ever, flicking through the pages with exaggerated slowness, casting sidelong glances at the others. They were biding their time, no doubt plotting their next move. But Harper wasn't going to let them get away with it this time. Not without getting something in return.
Asher, on the other hand, had already buried himself in an old tome, his brow furrowed in concentration, as if the weight of their task didn't weigh on him at all. But Harper could sense the tension rolling off him, the quiet energy vibrating through his body. He was ready for something. And so was she.
"Professor Thorn said the Celestial Relics are tied to Avaloria's balance," Harper muttered, her voice low as she flipped through a dusty old book. "But there's more to it. It says here—"
A crash interrupted her, and the world seemed to shift. Books went flying, papers scattering like confetti in the wind, the air suddenly thick with magic. Mira's wand glowed with a sinister light as she flicked it, sending another blast of magic towards Asher, knocking him off balance. His chair tipped backward, and the force of it almost sent him crashing to the floor.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Harper snapped, her heart pounding as she jumped to her feet.
Mira just smirked. "You're not the only one with power," she sneered, her eyes flashing with malicious intent. "And you're definitely not the only one who knows how to use it."
Astra joined in with a mocking laugh, and the two of them stood, circling the table like sharks closing in on their prey. But just as they began to move toward Harper, a voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Enough."
Professor Thorn.
His voice was low, menacing, and it silenced them instantly. The air grew heavy with the weight of his authority. He was angry now—far more than before.
"You will stop this. Immediately," he growled. "Your behavior will not be tolerated. If you continue, you will spend a week in detention. That is the least of your concerns."
The threat hung in the air like a storm waiting to break. Harper and Asher exchanged a quick glance, silently agreeing that things were getting out of hand. They had to focus on the task.
Thorn's icy gaze swept over them. "Your task is simple," he said. "Research the Celestial Relics, and do it quietly. Cooperate, or else."
Harper felt the anger surge in her chest, but she forced it down. She had a job to do. And so did Asher. They had a lot to figure out—and now they had even more to fear. Because there was something more to these Celestial Relics. Something that tied their fates to them in ways they couldn't yet understand.
They began to work, their eyes locked on the pages, the silence of the library thickening around them. But there was no escaping it. This was only the beginning.
As they dug deeper, they uncovered something that made Harper's blood run cold. The Eclipse Stone—the very relic that could destroy everything. Hidden within the pages, they discovered it was connected to the Celestial Relics. And worse, it was linked to an ancient prophecy, one that foretold the fall of Avaloria.
Harper felt the weight of the discovery settle on her. The stakes had just risen, and they were about to plunge into something much darker than they had ever imagined.