Wynd Academy
Recovery

Dark skies loomed over the city of Avadey, a city that very rarely enjoyed the light of day, being the home of the Crystal of Darkness, and Abysial Academy. Sebastien and Andre neared the front gates, after nearly five months of travelling, they had reached their destination. Five whole months they spent, keeping to the shadows, as not to alert Lumina to their survival.

The two walked through the main gates, the guards recognizing Andre on sight let them skip any legalities. Unlike the majority of Crystalla, no refugees had fled to Avadey, the streets were fairly quiet, tall skyscrapers pierced the clouds above, all of them with their lights switched on permanently.

As Andre and Sebastien neared the centre of the city, the Academy was not yet visible, Sebastien looked around, confused.

"Where's the Academy?" Sebastien asked, as he looked around at his surroundings, confused.

"Below our feet" Andre smiled as he tapped his foot against the cobbled streets "Safest place in Crystalla."

Andre led Sebastien over to a darkened alleyway, Sebastien hesitated as he could not see the opposite end of the cramped ginnel, but Andre pulled him in anyway.

Moments later, Sebastien's eyes stung from blinding light, he fell over and looked around "What happened? Where am I?" Sebastien panicked.

"Welcome, to Abysial Academy" Andre offered his hand to help Sebastien up, Sebastien stood up and looked around, they were in some kind of teleportation room, a glass paned door led out to a balcony, he ran over to the balcony and looked down, below were dozens, if not hundreds of identical floors, rows and rows of balconies, with people walking around them.

"Very few outsiders ever get to see the Academy of Darkness themselves" Andre walked up behind Sebastien and put his hand on his shoulder "Here is where the true battle for the future of Crystalla begins!"

Roisin was sat up in bed reading an old book that her Uncle had brought in, a few days had passed and her wounds had nearly completed healing, thanks to Crystech lending some experimental medical equipment. Dex was sat by her bed, fast asleep. Roisin put the book down, leaving a bookmark where she had finished reading and sat back.

She looked at Dex's scarred ear, a large scar ran down the middle of his left ear, on the back side of the ear, no hair had regrown where the scar had been. Dex stirred from his slumber, and looked up at Roisin.

"Have a nice nap?" She teased, and handed Dex a bar of chocolate.

"Hey, that's meant to be yours!" Dex laughed as he took the chocolate bar.

"It's fine, I've had enough chocolate to last a lifetime" Roisin chuckled, Dex took a bite out of the chocolate bar and stretched.

"So, stuff you missed while you was away from the Academy... Professor Chatterworth accidentally flooded the chemistry lab with poisonous gas... again, Penelope from 3rd year managed to turn herself into a frog, don't ask how, but she was like that for three days and... the old combat tutor did a midnight flit, some say he went to Disceath to be with his one true love" Dex explained as he ate the chocolate bar. He finished and turned to look Roisin in the eyes, and cleared his throat.

"Also, I figured out how much you mean to me" He said, putting his hand on Roisin's, Roisin looked surprised, but she didn't back away.

"I..." Roisin began, but then shrugged and leant over to Dex, she kissed him on the lips then smiled "I learned that life is too short, and that there is no point wasting it" she grinned "I feel the same, Dex."

"I'm so glad you are okay, these last few months have been horrible, not knowing if you'd pull through or not... when they first brought you in... I was so scared" Dex thought back to the day Roisin was flown to the hospital, she'd lost so much blood, it didn't seem likely she'd pull through, but she did.

Roisin sat up and hugged Dex tightly, "Don't worry about me, I'm as tough as old boots" Roisin chuckled "but, I'll try not to worry you like that ever again" she smiled as they finished hugging.

Amanda walked down the halls of the Imperial Academy, the floor was marble white, and the walls were made of dark steel, giant flags adorned the walls, bearing the emblem of the Araneian Empire. Amanda walked into an elevator, and headed down to the sub-basement floor, while the elevator lowered, she leant back against the wall, and examined a dagger in her hands.

The doors slid open, and Amanda walked into the dark corridors, unlike most of the city, this passage was made of dark mossy stone, likely it was the last remaining part of the city that stood here before the Empire came into being. She walked down to the end of the corridor and pushed open a heavy iron door, the room she walked into was guarded by four armed royal guards.

"You are all dismissed, I can take it from here" She commanded, the guards left the room, Amanda lit two braziers at each side of the room, the light revealed the true purpose of the room. It was a prison cell. "I hope the accommodations are still proving acceptable for the heiress of the Iryn Oil Company." Amanda grinned as she walked up to the bars, she looked at the back of the cell, where a young adult girl sat, with long dirty red hair, she looked towards the Empress, her face was a familiar one.

"Go away" Victoria growled as she rattled her chains that linked one of her legs to the wall.

"How very unbecoming of someone of your stature!" Amanda cackled, she pulled a chair over from a small wooden desk at the far side of the room and sat down.

"I'm afraid I must ask you some more questions" Amanda stated, her face turning serious.

Back at the Academy, Victoria and Ashe were having lunch, it was a roast beef dinner.

"I don't get how people don't like horseradish, it completes the meal for me!" Victoria laughed.

"It just... it's too hot for such a mild tasting dish, it doesn't match the other foods well" Ashe smiled.

Victoria smiled, knowing that her plan was working, her mother, and brother would at last be proud, knowing her brother had now secured a position in side the school, it was nearly time for them to execute their plan, to take over the school, and the city.