Chapter 4 - Conall Augustus“April Rose, come in! Come in! Mr. Soloman was just leaving.” Miss Foxglove’s deep, recognizable voice resonated throughout the office, yet certainly, it wasn’t enough to break the young she wolf’s horror.The tall man with a striking silver hair glared down at April Rose; the look on his face was stern and forbidding. Behind the glasses, his piercing eyes were so menacing that she quickly turned her head down in fear. She stepped aside, making way for the man to walk out of the room.For a second, she questioned the state of her sanity. She was entirely sure she saw the bickering that eventually led to Conall slitting Mr. Soloman’s throat. She saw what occurred with both of her eyes, and they were real. They appeared real. They felt real. However, the sudden appearance of the man she thought was already dead changed what she perceived as reality. It has become apparent that what happened last night was a part of her nightmare.Still trembling, April Rose w
Chapter 4 - Conall AugustusApril Rose instantly felt a shooting pain at the base of her nape when Conall Augustus showed up at the doorway. It was the same throbbing sensation she felt when she first locked eyes with him in the dining hall. She tried her best to cover up the painful feeling, even though her head was about to explode.Conall gave her the same stern and menacing glare that Mr. Soloman had just given her earlier. Now that she’s looking at Conall from a closer distance, she just realized he shared some striking similarities with Mr. Soloman. The silver hair, the piercing eyes, and most of all, the posture. However, instead of feeling horrified by Conall’s presence, she felt much more bewildered. Conall appeared fit as a fiddle, and it’s as if he never sustained any sort of damage. From what she had witnessed, Conall’s face received the most damage from the fight, and yet now, his face doesn’t look like it’s been punched multiple times. He looked perfectly fine and dashin
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAPRIL ROSEApril Rose woke up early on a Monday morning filled with good energy and such enthusiasm to start the day. It’s been a full week since she arrived at the Sun and Moon Academy, and so far, with the great exception of her first night, she has not experienced a single episode of a nightmare. Perhaps she must have truly convinced herself that moving to a different place would help solve it, though she did not expect the nightmares would go away faster than the whirlwind of a week she had, but either way, she was more than grateful.It’s been just a week, but in that short amount of time, she has already begun to notice a few changes in her life. Her week started slow and unbearable. Her official first day was everything she had already experienced and envisioned. The most unendurable part of it was standing in the middle of every single period and awkwardly introducing herself to the whole class. Everyone gawked at her; some were judging her from hea
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAs Conall Augustus and the other torchbearers reached the dais, the Sun and Moon Academy hymn came to a close. Each torchbearer stood proudly in front of the flag of the team they were representing. The teacher who led the school hymn quietly stepped down from the podium, and the headmistress took her place.“Welcome to the annual Sun and Moon Academy games,” Miss Foxglove began. “I’m Cordelia Foxglove, and I’m highly honored to celebrate this greatness with all of you. At the height of the great hunt in the sixteenth century, when our race was being sought and killed, four extraordinary beings banded together to construct the enormous fort of Helios and Selene, which saved many lives and provided shelter for our kind. The fort developed into a stronghold and a haven for people like us. When the great hunt ended, the fort was reformed, which became the Sun and Moon Academy, the same building we are standing in today. They continued housing refuges, but slo
Chapter 5 - Secrets and Lies“But I thought you were a witch?” April Rose inquired. She must have misjudged Sabina for her gothic aesthetic and creepy demeanor. Sabina’s such a loner and infrequently hangs out with them that April Rose never really had the chance to ask.“I’m not,” Sabina said, shaking her head in response. “I never was. I’m only wearing dark make-up not because I like it but because I needed to fit in with the rest. No one really liked mundanes around here.”“Sabina was also once a vampire like me,” Marceline interjected. “She acquired the illness when she was young. I never knew her then but my dad knew her family.”Looking at Marceline, Sabina let out half a smile, signifying her gratitude. “The Bloodlock family helped me, and I’m forever grateful for that. Speaking of your family, why aren’t you the one bearing the torch for Bloodlock? That guy’s clearly a phony,” Sabina asked Marceline.“You mean Drason? He’s not a phony,” Marceline replied, consciously defending
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesApril Rose, Marceline and Sabina were all huddled up at Maxence Square several hours after the team draw.“I can’t believe we weren’t on the same team.” Leaning towards April Rose, Marceline blurted out clearly, riddled with frustration. “This is so fucking stupid.”“Why are you mad, Marcy?” Sabina asked. “You’re a Moonbane and that’s literally the best team out of all the teams. Moonbane wins the games literally like all the time.”“I know, and I’m happy to be on the team, but April here—” Marceline held April’s hand and looked at her piteously. “She’s a Spellflower. The team’s cursed and you know that’s like a death sentence. Team Spellflower is the worst team in all of the games’ history. They have only won twice.”“W-what do you mean?” April Rose asked, looking exponentially confused. She’s been confused and anxious ever since the lighting ceremony began. She woke up early in the morning beaming with bright energy. For the first time in a long while, s
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesBy the time nightfall came, April Rose and Marceline had retreated to bed. It has been a long day for both of them, and a snoring Marceline proved things right. April Rose, while feeling exhausted mentally and physically, couldn’t bring herself to sleep. Her mind has been thinking about a lot of things and she can’t blame anybody but her thoughts. She promised she would never think about home again, but having had the conversation with Nessie earlier, she couldn’t stop thinking about her mother and her little brother. But that’s not the only thing she’s thinking; there’s also this whole Sun and Moon games thing, the whole Spellflower curse, and even Cordelia Foxglove basically telling her she’s nothing but the personification of disappointment. Her thoughts were convoluted but the one thing that stood out above all was the thought of Conall Augustus.Who is Conall Augustus?She’s been thinking about why Conall accused her of following her when she clearly
Chapter 6 – Smoke and MirrorsAPRIL ROSEApril Rose tried to struggle for freedom, but when someone turned the lights on illuminating the entire place, she was convinced to stay calm and quiet. April Rose and Conall, furtively peeking from the crevice by the bookshelf, witnessed a figure clad in a red robe emerge from the door. In her attempt to see who was under the robe, April Rose looked closer and was instantly disappointed to see the person was wearing an intricately sculpted white mask resembling the shape of a face. Clearly, the person underneath the robe is strict about keeping their identity a secret.Both April and Conall watched stealthily as the figure sauntered towards the center table where April had left a mess of books. The figure paused seemingly trying to figure out the mess on the table before quickly ignoring them and eventually climbing the spiral stairs going up tow
Chapter 6 – Smoke and MirrorsAPRIL ROSEApril Rose tried to struggle for freedom, but when someone turned the lights on illuminating the entire place, she was convinced to stay calm and quiet. April Rose and Conall, furtively peeking from the crevice by the bookshelf, witnessed a figure clad in a red robe emerge from the door. In her attempt to see who was under the robe, April Rose looked closer and was instantly disappointed to see the person was wearing an intricately sculpted white mask resembling the shape of a face. Clearly, the person underneath the robe is strict about keeping their identity a secret.Both April and Conall watched stealthily as the figure sauntered towards the center table where April had left a mess of books. The figure paused seemingly trying to figure out the mess on the table before quickly ignoring them and eventually climbing the spiral stairs going up tow
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesBy the time nightfall came, April Rose and Marceline had retreated to bed. It has been a long day for both of them, and a snoring Marceline proved things right. April Rose, while feeling exhausted mentally and physically, couldn’t bring herself to sleep. Her mind has been thinking about a lot of things and she can’t blame anybody but her thoughts. She promised she would never think about home again, but having had the conversation with Nessie earlier, she couldn’t stop thinking about her mother and her little brother. But that’s not the only thing she’s thinking; there’s also this whole Sun and Moon games thing, the whole Spellflower curse, and even Cordelia Foxglove basically telling her she’s nothing but the personification of disappointment. Her thoughts were convoluted but the one thing that stood out above all was the thought of Conall Augustus.Who is Conall Augustus?She’s been thinking about why Conall accused her of following her when she clearly
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesApril Rose, Marceline and Sabina were all huddled up at Maxence Square several hours after the team draw.“I can’t believe we weren’t on the same team.” Leaning towards April Rose, Marceline blurted out clearly, riddled with frustration. “This is so fucking stupid.”“Why are you mad, Marcy?” Sabina asked. “You’re a Moonbane and that’s literally the best team out of all the teams. Moonbane wins the games literally like all the time.”“I know, and I’m happy to be on the team, but April here—” Marceline held April’s hand and looked at her piteously. “She’s a Spellflower. The team’s cursed and you know that’s like a death sentence. Team Spellflower is the worst team in all of the games’ history. They have only won twice.”“W-what do you mean?” April Rose asked, looking exponentially confused. She’s been confused and anxious ever since the lighting ceremony began. She woke up early in the morning beaming with bright energy. For the first time in a long while, s
Chapter 5 - Secrets and Lies“But I thought you were a witch?” April Rose inquired. She must have misjudged Sabina for her gothic aesthetic and creepy demeanor. Sabina’s such a loner and infrequently hangs out with them that April Rose never really had the chance to ask.“I’m not,” Sabina said, shaking her head in response. “I never was. I’m only wearing dark make-up not because I like it but because I needed to fit in with the rest. No one really liked mundanes around here.”“Sabina was also once a vampire like me,” Marceline interjected. “She acquired the illness when she was young. I never knew her then but my dad knew her family.”Looking at Marceline, Sabina let out half a smile, signifying her gratitude. “The Bloodlock family helped me, and I’m forever grateful for that. Speaking of your family, why aren’t you the one bearing the torch for Bloodlock? That guy’s clearly a phony,” Sabina asked Marceline.“You mean Drason? He’s not a phony,” Marceline replied, consciously defending
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAs Conall Augustus and the other torchbearers reached the dais, the Sun and Moon Academy hymn came to a close. Each torchbearer stood proudly in front of the flag of the team they were representing. The teacher who led the school hymn quietly stepped down from the podium, and the headmistress took her place.“Welcome to the annual Sun and Moon Academy games,” Miss Foxglove began. “I’m Cordelia Foxglove, and I’m highly honored to celebrate this greatness with all of you. At the height of the great hunt in the sixteenth century, when our race was being sought and killed, four extraordinary beings banded together to construct the enormous fort of Helios and Selene, which saved many lives and provided shelter for our kind. The fort developed into a stronghold and a haven for people like us. When the great hunt ended, the fort was reformed, which became the Sun and Moon Academy, the same building we are standing in today. They continued housing refuges, but slo
Chapter 5 - Secrets and LiesAPRIL ROSEApril Rose woke up early on a Monday morning filled with good energy and such enthusiasm to start the day. It’s been a full week since she arrived at the Sun and Moon Academy, and so far, with the great exception of her first night, she has not experienced a single episode of a nightmare. Perhaps she must have truly convinced herself that moving to a different place would help solve it, though she did not expect the nightmares would go away faster than the whirlwind of a week she had, but either way, she was more than grateful.It’s been just a week, but in that short amount of time, she has already begun to notice a few changes in her life. Her week started slow and unbearable. Her official first day was everything she had already experienced and envisioned. The most unendurable part of it was standing in the middle of every single period and awkwardly introducing herself to the whole class. Everyone gawked at her; some were judging her from hea
Chapter 4 - Conall AugustusApril Rose instantly felt a shooting pain at the base of her nape when Conall Augustus showed up at the doorway. It was the same throbbing sensation she felt when she first locked eyes with him in the dining hall. She tried her best to cover up the painful feeling, even though her head was about to explode.Conall gave her the same stern and menacing glare that Mr. Soloman had just given her earlier. Now that she’s looking at Conall from a closer distance, she just realized he shared some striking similarities with Mr. Soloman. The silver hair, the piercing eyes, and most of all, the posture. However, instead of feeling horrified by Conall’s presence, she felt much more bewildered. Conall appeared fit as a fiddle, and it’s as if he never sustained any sort of damage. From what she had witnessed, Conall’s face received the most damage from the fight, and yet now, his face doesn’t look like it’s been punched multiple times. He looked perfectly fine and dashin
Chapter 4 - Conall Augustus“April Rose, come in! Come in! Mr. Soloman was just leaving.” Miss Foxglove’s deep, recognizable voice resonated throughout the office, yet certainly, it wasn’t enough to break the young she wolf’s horror.The tall man with a striking silver hair glared down at April Rose; the look on his face was stern and forbidding. Behind the glasses, his piercing eyes were so menacing that she quickly turned her head down in fear. She stepped aside, making way for the man to walk out of the room.For a second, she questioned the state of her sanity. She was entirely sure she saw the bickering that eventually led to Conall slitting Mr. Soloman’s throat. She saw what occurred with both of her eyes, and they were real. They appeared real. They felt real. However, the sudden appearance of the man she thought was already dead changed what she perceived as reality. It has become apparent that what happened last night was a part of her nightmare.Still trembling, April Rose w
Chapter 4 - Conall AugustusAPRIL ROSEWhen April Rose opened her eyes in the morning, the room was still dim, which was something she’s more than used to. Most times, when she’s not experiencing an episode and waking up in the middle of the woods, she often wakes up early to welcome daybreak. The early bird gets the early worm; that's what hardworking people always say to convince themselves that they’re doing everything, and that phrase applies in Wolverhampton, or at least in the case of April Rose’s family status.Yawning immensely, she rubbed her eyes just as hard. She can barely remember the last time she felt such itchiness in her eyes or yawning, like she got a full night of sleep, but sure enough, it felt good. It took a few moments for her to realize this is not Wolverhampton anymore. She doesn’t have to be an early bird anymore. She felt a dose of relief at the fact that she doesn’t have to work early at the first crack of light before attending school.April Rose quickly no