CELESTIA (Unicorn Blessed Chronicles Book 2) by Yumoyori Wilson (6)

"I suggest no shifting for now and don't use any magic until Monday when you start classes. Your body is still healing but it's a lot better than just a few days ago. The guys have said you haven't been sleeping well, so I'll prescribe some sleeping pills. They're strong, so just take one and if you feel weird or depressed, come back and see me," Ms. Arcadia urged.

I nodded, sitting up before sliding off the medical bed to put my uniform back on. I'd undergone another medical exam, Ms. Arcadia volunteering to do my assessment rather than allowing one of the Aslan nurses. Father mentioned none of them had worked with a unicorn shifter before and felt more comfortable if Ms. Arcadia did it.

After our moment, I'd explained in detail about what had happened during the Forsaken attack to Father. Magnor stayed behind to help fill in the details of what had occurred at the school afterward. Father had been so busy with everything that had happened at the Old Aslan, when another incident occurred in a different dimension, which resulted in a group of shifters coming to Aslan for safe haven after their dimension was overtaken by the darkness.

I knew he was busy and had other things to attend to, so I reassured him I was fine, aside from feeling a little depressed here and there and my lack of sleep. He said I should continue being checked once a week, and if I was struggling to come talk to him or Magnor.

Even though we'd patched things up, I still felt more comfortable with Magnor. I knew it sounded bad, but I just felt more reassurance that Magnor would have the time and mindset to listen to my concerns and he'd always made me feel at least a little better when I talked with him.

"I'll let whoever is outside waiting for you know they can come in to see you now. Wait a few minutes for the relaxation spell to wear off and you should be good to go exploring," Ms. Arcadia reassured me.

"Thank you, Ms. Arcadia."

She smiled. "You don't need to call me that here, Celestia. That's my Old Aslan name. Please, feel free to call me Miona. Just as you call Othello by his first name."

"But aren't you a professor here?" I asked, not wanting to sound disrespectful.

"Yes, I am. I teach a bunch of classes and should be your teacher for a good four of them, but titles are only used for ranks black and below. Red ranks and above are allowed to use our given names as long as it's done in a respectable manner. Since your group is close to Elite, I don't see the point of such formalities,” she explained.

"Is Elite really special here?" I questioned.

"Elite is the title given to someone who automatically becomes a hunter or huntress by the end of their schooling at Aslan. Your group has already proven yourselves, having killed a Forsaken during your first physical challenge together. You showed teamwork by continuing to stay as a team after all that occurred, and once again proved yourselves during the school incident. I know the information from earlier hasn't sunk in, but the Council is very fond of your group after all that has occurred. If it weren’t for the fact you are all new, you would have achieved Elite status right away,” she concluded.

"Wow." I glanced around the empty medical room. Miona had brought me to the private sector in the clinic. "Aren't you scared someone may hear our conversation?" I asked.

Miona laughed. "Nope. I always make sure to put a barrier around whatever room I'm in for privacy. You'll learn quickly at New Aslan that everything and anything can be used against you as a weakness. If you thought Vincent was amusing to watch, you'll enjoy the multiple fights that occur in class every day. I'll make sure to bring some popcorn and phoenix bird food for Arielle. She can take her pick."

I glanced at Arielle, who was fast asleep next to my pillow. I smiled at her resting bundle of feathers, before returning my gaze to Miona who was also looking at Arielle.

"She'll make friends here too," Miona whispered.

"Arielle? Are there familiars here?" I asked.

"Something like that. You'll see during your trials." She finished the last report and began gathering the different colored sheets together to place in my file.

"Trials?" I questioned.

"We'll explain more about those tonight when we present you all with your schedules, but trials are like exams. It's either as a team or with a partner. Together, you undergo a challenge. Your performance determines your score. Some trials are easy, while others could cost you your life. It's what separates the weak and the strong, the rude and the humble, and the shifters with evil intent and ones with hearts of gold." She stared me right in the eye and smiled softly. "I'll go get one of the guys. You can lay down for a bit."

I nodded in agreement, watching her gather my file, then go over to pet Arielle, who didn't even stir from the petting motion. She had been so anxious over the last couple of days she probably was having even worse sleep than me. I really hoped we'd be able to relax this weekend and get some snooze. I felt that we'd need it for next week.

"I'll let Magnor and your father know about the results. I'll see you tonight at eight,” she reminded.

"Yes. Thank you, Miona." I gave her a wide smile.

"You’re welcome, Celestia. I have to admit, even though you and your father have very similar traits, your beauty definitely comes from your mother."

"You know my mom?" I asked.

"Yes. We were in the same dimension for a bit. I guess you can say I left because my views changed and I decided my skills would be better off here helping your father with Othello. She's a very strong-willed woman. Very stubborn." Miona winked at the last sentence and I huffed. 

"I'm not that stubborn," I muttered as I lay back on the bed, making sure not to disturb Arielle.

"Sure," Miona replied sarcastically. "Your mom would beg to differ."

"I miss her," I admitted, staring up at the dim lights in the ceiling. Miona leaned over so her head hovered above me, her eyes meeting mine. "She misses you too. I know it must have been difficult growing up without your parents, but I can reassure you, your mom is making a difference out there. Regardless of my change in professions, she's doing something that will maybe end everything that's happening beyond the protective walls. You'll learn more during class, but hopefully in time you'll get to see your mother as well. I think Orlando needs a good dose of her. He's been playing more cautious than usual. Maybe you'll help reignite the fire he once had."

"Hmmm." I tried to soak up everything she'd just said. I was unsure really how to reply or feel about her words, so I thought silence would be best for now. I'd figure it out later and if I had any questions, I could just ask Father.

I noticed the gold ring on Miona's fourth finger; the sky blue diamond matched her eyes perfectly. "Miona...um, sorry to be intrusive but you’re married?" I asked.

She blinked, appearing confused by my question before she lifted her left hand to stare at the ring. A serene smile formed on her lips and she returned her gaze to mine. "Yes." The simple word held weight to it and I could tell whoever her partner was, she adored them.

"That's nice. Hmm. I thought you and Othello would be perfect together, though," I mumbled before yawning. I relaxed my head into the white pillow.

Miona smirked, walking over to the white curtains and pulling them closed to give me privacy. Before she left, she looked back over her shoulder. "I agree and we're very happy together. Thank you, Celestia, for the compliment. I'll tease Othello about it all day now. Get some rest,” she encouraged.

I opened my mouth to speak but she was already gone, closing the curtain before the sound of her heels faded away.

"Well...that was an interesting conversation," I whispered to myself as I closed my eyes. I considered what we'd talked about regarding the Forsaken. My heart clenched at the thought of the students lost in the surprise attack. Even if we knew that our lives would be at risk at Aslan, it didn't settle the pain and sadness I had for those lost souls. I just wished the darkness could be gotten rid of. That lives didn't have to be lost.

I guess that was the reason for hunters and huntresses, but wasn't there a better way to deal with the Forsaken without such risk? Would we end up being so immune to the loss of life that we wouldn’t care if someone died, or even worse, became a Forsaken themselves? Was there truly no way to heal them? To save them from the darkness within themselves?

The world was black once again, and there I stood, alone. I clenched my fists as I scanned my surroundings, looking for a way out. I bit my lip as fear began to course through me, each inhale and exhale reminding me I was still breathing...for now.

A chill ran through me and I turned my head, my eyes landing on a man. He was cloaked in darkness, only his head and hands visible. Aside from the dread that filled my being, I knew he held great power.

Power I knew I didn’t possess. I would be no match for him and as he continued to stand there amongst the darkness, the suffocating energy grew stronger, making it difficult for me to breathe. I needed help. Someone had to help me.

The voices began to sing once more, the same hymn that I suddenly remembered knowing.

"I will not be your queen!" I snapped, outraged by their words. I wouldn't succumb to them. Why wouldn't they listen to me? I wasn't here because I wanted to be. I was here for some type of purpose, but not one of my own choosing...right? I wouldn't volunteer to be their queen. I would never choose the darkness. The light was a part of my being. So why was I here?

"Because you chose this path, my Queen,” the man whispered, opening his eyes. I froze at the chilling white eyes, no pupil in sight. I wanted to scream and call for help but the tendrils of darkness took that opportunity to wrap around my ankles. They moved upward, making my struggle futile. In no time, the tendrils curled around my wrists. I hissed in pain, the chill of their touch almost excruciating. I closed my eyes tightly, wanting desperately to wake up from the nightmare. That is, if it was a nightmare. My wrists burned and I whimpered from the pain.

I opened my eyes and saw my wrists glowing. The markings Orion had given me shone brightly and the voices that once sang in joy, now screamed in agony.

"Impossible,” the man snarled, storming towards me. I closed my eyes, waiting for the punishment I knew this man would soon deliver, his pure white eyes unable to hide his rage.

---

"Celestia! Wake up!"

I snapped my eyes open, bolting upright. I worked to catch my breath, trying to figure out what had just happened before the memory left me. Orange orbs entered my line of vision.

"Hun...ter?" I asked, my eyes already beginning to close again. He placed his hands on my shoulders, shaking me slightly.

"Don't go back to sleep, Celestia. Orion told me to ask you what you saw," Hunter insisted.

I scrunched my face in confusion, curious as to why Orion wanted to know about my weird dream.

"C'mon, Cutie Pie. Tell me what you just saw,” he whispered, brushing his hand against my cheek. The worry that lingered in his eyes made me sad, and though I was tempted to go back to sleep, I fought the fogginess of my mind to reply.

"Darkness. Singing. A man was there. Eyes pure white. Wants me to be queen. I didn't want to be. Cold...afraid...wrist glow...markings..." I trailed off, unable to fight my tiredness any longer.

"Bru?!" Arielle's chirp sounded far away, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was just so tired and a quick nap would do me some good. Just a few minutes would be fine. Just a minute...or two.

~ORION~

"Wait, so Celestia's been having dreams about Forsaken ever since the attack?" Caio questioned.

"And we're only finding out about this now because...?" Cairus added.

I was quiet, cradling Celestia in my arms and using a small dose of my magic to give her a boost. I'd felt her frustration even though I had been nowhere near the private medical clinic.

I told Hunter to go check on her while Magnor, Finn and I finally got a moment to talk about Celestia's dreams. The conversation was interrupted when Caio and Cairus showed up saying Celestia looked really pale all of a sudden.

Magnor had just finished doing his own scan and was comparing it to what Ms. Arcadia had done less than an hour before. I didn't think we'd have to deal with the topic so soon and I wasn't in a good mood to discuss the details regarding it.

It wasn't that I knew what was going on, but I wasn't completely clueless, either. The problem was, did I trust the higher-ups at Aslan to know about it?

"We thought her dreams would go away. We didn't see the point of worrying you guys and let's be realistic, we'd all be fighting to sleep in her room in order to keep watch, which would go against the "consistency" rule Ms. Arcadia made. Remember?" Finn crossed his arms as he stared at Caio, Cairus, Theo, and Hunter who were lined up against the white curtain. 

Magnor was still near the table next to Celestia's bed, still focused on comparing reports. Lastly, Arielle was perched on Finn's shoulder. It took both him and Hunter to calm her down. Her constant chirping because of her worry for Celestia made me sad for her.

I knew she cared for Celestia dearly and hated what was going on with her. All of us did, but I'd keep my suspicions about what could have been going on to myself for now. Or at least, wait till when I was alone with Magnor and Finn.

"I remember the consistency rule," Theo sighed, ruffling his red hair. He'd dyed the ends back to black after Celestia said he could. His red eyes landed on me. "So she has these dreams about Forsaken but within seconds of waking, she forgets having them?"

"That's what we've gathered. Hunter was able to get her to give more information than we’ve ever managed,” I replied calmly.

Hunter ran his hands through his long brown hair, then walked over to the medical stool with wheels. He sat there and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She said darkness, singing, a man with white eyes and something to with this man wanting her to be queen. The darkness might be the Forsaken. I have no idea why they would be singing, or why on earth would they want OUR Celestia as queen," Hunter huffed, sounding pissed off.

The others looked just as displeased, but I managed to contain my rage. I glanced at Finn, who met my gaze. He could tell I knew something and that I didn't want to discuss it here. I'd known Finn the longest out of our group and though the others had earned my trust ages ago, a part of me wasn't ready to reveal such valuable information so easily.

I knew Finn would carry that information to his grave if he had to. As for Magnor, I could tell when he introduced himself after Celestia had defeated the Forsaken and passed out, that he cared dearly for her. 

The way he looked at her wasn't just like a mentor and student. It was the look a father gave their daughter, one filled with both worry and admiration. I knew he’d do anything to keep Celestia safe and I figured I'd be more comfortable sharing with him than her real father who had yet to earn my trust.

"You think the Forsaken are after Celestia for some reason?" Caio asked.

"Dearest is the only unicorn registered in the shifter directory from her home dimension right now. Maybe they need her for something?" Cairus considered.

"Or they want to get rid of her because she has the power to destroy them," Theo pointed out. We were all quiet and Magnor took the opportunity to clear his throat.

"For now, I don't want anyone else to know about this. Not even Othello and Ms. Arcadia, Understood?" Magnor said in a threatening tone. We all straightened our backs at his low tone and nodded in agreement. He sounded pissed off and I wondered if he'd be more upset when I presented my hypothesis.

"Bru...bru...bru," Arielle chirped quietly. She looked so tired on Finn's shoulder and he frowned, petting her head.

"Hey, Arielle, why don't you go out for a fly with Hunter? Some air would do you some good,” he suggested.

"Bru?" She looked back at Celestia, who was fast asleep in my arms.

I gave Arielle a small smile. "I won't leave until you and Hunter come back. You need sunlight just like Celestia. Go get some air, she'll be okay." She flew off Finn's shoulder and I outstretched my hand for her to land on. She stared me in the eyes for a moment, before she looked down at Celestia.

"See? She'll be fine, just sleeping now. I gave her a little energy boost so she'll be back to her bubbly badass self in no time," I encouraged. I lowered my hand so Arielle was able to nuzzle against Celestia's left cheek. When she was satisfied, she flew off my hand, landing on Hunter's shoulder.

Hunter stood up, petting Arielle for a moment before turning to face the others. "Why don't we explore the campus? I think Celestia's going to sleep for a little while so it would be best if we used our time wisely."

"I agree. Don't know about you guys, but this place feels like it's going to be a lot harder than Old Aslan. We should prepare while Celestia rests. We can't protect her if we don't know our way around here," Theo reasoned.

The twins exchanged glances. "Cairus and I will go explore outside the school grounds and see what's around. Let us know when Celestia's awake. We can take her around to get some fresh air. She'll feel a lot better with some sunlight and a moment to relax, at least until nightfall when we have to return back," Caio explained. 

"She definitely needs some fresh air. She's been cooped up recovering the last couple of days. That could be contributing to her dreams as well," Cairus added. 

"Sounds like a plan. Orion, Finn, you two staying here? Theo and I will walk around and Arielle will get to spread her wings a bit. I'll come back to relieve you two in a bit," Hunter offered. 

"That sounds fine with me," Finn replied. 

"Sure," I agreed. 

"Okay. If we don't see each other later, we'll see you tonight," Theo pointed out. 

The others nodded, saying their farewells to Magnor, who merely nodded. We waited for them to leave and closed the door behind them. Then we sat in silence for a minute. Magnor took a deep breath, snapping his fingers. A gold cube of energy appeared, surrounding us.

"That will make sure no one hears what is discussed here," Magnor reassured us. I glanced at Finn who walked over and sat on the left side of the bed, shifting his position so he could reach out and move a strand of hair away from Celestia’s face. 

She stirred slightly from the touch but then relaxed, still deep in slumber. "What's going on, Orion? I can tell you know something," Finn demanded.

I nodded, staring down at Celestia. Her expression was so peaceful compared to the last couple of days, with one nightmare after another disrupting her sleep. "I think I have a theory of what's going on, but it could be way off. However, I have a question," I explained, turning my gaze to Magnor, who gave me his full attention.

"What is your question?"

"The results. There's a major change, isn't there?"

Magnor was silent for a moment, making Finn and I exchange nervous glances.

"Yes. There's a significant difference. The results from earlier show Celestia is perfectly fine. Aside from her exhaustion, everything was normal. But..." He trailed off, looking rather upset.

"But the results you took were different?" Finn suspected.

Magnor sighed, walking over to us. He pressed his hand to Celestia's forehead, closing his eyes for a moment. Neither of us interrupted, knowing he was conducting another assessment. It took him four minutes before he sighed in relief, removing his hand.

"She's back to normal again,” he confirmed.

"That doesn't answer our initial question," I pointed out.

Magnor nodded. "The second results showed that Celestia was tainted,” he revealed.

We were both silent, the news striking a chord of fear inside me. I figure that was the cause of her nightmares and weakness, but when individuals were tainted, it was a downhill path until they were overtaken. Celestia had been recovering fine when she was awake and her health reports displayed that. How was she tainted one minute and healthy the next?

"Seeing as you haven't freaked out, I’m guessing there has to be a reasoning for this?" Finn asked Magnor.

He nodded, walking back to the two files. "Whenever we've examined her, Celestia's been awake or in a state of light sleep," Magnor began. He picked up two sheets with graphs, coming back over to where we sat. He flipped them so both graphs were facing us. One looked to have normal lines in three different colors, while the second graph displayed a bunch of black lines that were all over the place.

"This graph is what Celestia's vitals and magic balance look like." Magnor lifted the graph with the chaotic lines, dropping his other hand to rest at his side.

"Are the chaotic lines a representation of the darkness trying to take over while Celestia is asleep?" Finn wondered.

"Yes, that’s correct.” Magnor walked back over, putting the two sheets back in their designated piles.

I decided to speak up. "Forsaken normally take over a person at their weakest point. Celestia being a unicorn shifter means her magic and general essence is of light. Her heart is pure as well, which only makes her even stronger. Forsaken would have a hard time tainting her when she's awake. When she's asleep, however, it would be easy to manipulate her through her dreams and force her into submission through a nightmare."

Finn and Magnor both stared at me like my alicorn horn just popped out of my head. I sighed. "When my family was alive, there was a story my parents stuck by and told my sister and I. To other shifters, you might think of it as a fairy tale, but it’s not."

Finn ruffled his hair, tilting his head in curiosity. "What story was this? The only fairy tale I was taught was the one about the Unicorn Queen."

"The Unicorn Queen is derived from a different story," Magnor pointed out.

I nodded, understanding the correlation. “Have you heard of the Reaper of Darkness?"

"It’s the tale of a man who made a contract with the darkness. He gave up his body so the darkness could have a physical form. In return, he was given the power to reap the soul of his wife who had left him for his best friend. That friend was of light and there was no way for the reaper to get near the woman he had once loved during the day. He waited until the peak of the night and slipped into her dreams, deceiving the woman into choosing his side by threatening to kill her new lover," Magnor explained.

"So he went into her dream and killed her?" Finn seemed astonished by the tale.

"He took her soul and she was basically manipulated to return to his side, thus becoming part of the darkness she had so desperately tried to avoid in the first place by leaving him for his best friend who was of light," I summarized.

"What does this have to do with Celestia?" Finn’s expression was serious.

Magnor turned his attention to me. "You think that tale is coming true with Celestia?"

"Maybe. I hadn't thought of it before, but when Hunter said she'd seen a man who said she would be his queen, that story came to mind. The reaper never died, because darkness still reigns our lands, but there is only so long a soul can cling to the land of the living. My parents always said there would be a time where this woman's soul would finally crossover, leaving the man without a queen once more. Then he’d reap once again, looking for a queen that would join him and help him in his attempt to rule again," I explained.

"Why now, though?" Finn whispered.

"The Forsaken have been increasing in numbers lately and seem to be growing stronger and stronger. I don't know what's boosting their growth, but maybe Orion's theory is right and this reaper is after Celestia." Magnor looked thoughtful.

"If he makes her queen, what's the benefit? How does that help?" Finn argued. I looked down to Celestia, who stirred in my arms. We waited to see if she would wake, but she settled again, still asleep.

"Unicorn shifters have strong magic. Twice the strength a mage or sorcerer would be able to carry. Adding the fact Celestia's father is an extremely strong magic user, even for a centaur shifter, and her mom who is a powerful magician, Celestia would be the perfect weapon on either side of a war," Magnor admitted uneasily.

"There's hardly any unicorn shifters left with Celestia's level of magic. I may appear to be strong in magic, but if Celestia really tried, she'd be able to outdo me with ease," I confessed.

"What do you think the reaper's ultimate motive is, then? Make Celestia his queen and then just vanish?" Finn asked.

Magnor shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Forsaken’s increase in strength must have an explanation. The darkness has always wanted to take over all dimensions. With the recent events, Forsaken were able to destroy a dimension not too long ago. Only a few students survived, but they are not attending Aslan. It's only a matter of time till the Forsaken work on taking over dimension after dimension until there's nothing left and no one who can stop them from their reign of evil," Magnor concluded gravely.

"Would having Celestia on their side speed up that process?" Finn wondered.

"Most likely. Maybe give the reaper a boost in strength," I considered.

"The reason why unicorn shifters have been hunted for so many years is their high magic caliber. Their rarity and enhanced magic abilities when manipulated can cause harm to many people. Unicorn shifters can use any element of magic. Aside from darkness, they have no other weaknesses," Magnor explained.

"It's only a weakness when you don't accept it," I whispered. Finn and Magnor looked at me with wary expressions. I lifted my gaze to glance between them. "If Celestia accepted the darkness, it wouldn’t be a weakness. It would be just another element she'll be able to use and manipulate. I think that's why she's so vital to this equation. Female unicorn shifters are rare and crowning her as queen would just help create more Forsaken. Since the reaper, if that's who's pulling the strings, can't get to Celestia through the Forsaken, he has to do it through her dreams," I acknowledged.

"So what can we do to prevent it? Celestia can't continue having these nightmares. She's barely had any good sleep over the last five days and it's only a matter of time till it wears her down, especially with starting classes soon on top of everything. Forsaken feed off the weak. If she continues to grow weaker, it's only a matter of time until..." Finn didn't finish, glancing away.

"Can we make her some type of dream catcher or an object that can ensure she can't be intruded upon in her sleep when she wears it?" I asked.

Finn stood up, pacing around. "I can make something. I'll need a nap after though, but it would use nature magic to create a type of barrier around Celestia when she sleeps. It wouldn't drain anything from her since her magic complements the elements. It would be like Mother Nature protecting her without really trying. The stone would activate when any type of negative force attempts to disrupt her sleep."

"That would work," I agreed, thinking it over. "It wouldn't appear to be a protective dream catcher of the sort if you made it look like jewelry, like an amulet of some sort."

"Sounds like a good idea. Then it would be unnoticed by anyone who might have evil intentions," Magnor admitted.

"That brings up the other thought I had. Did you guys figure out which professor went to finalize things for the exam?" I questioned.

"Yes, it's been determined. Why?" Magnor asked.

"Did he talk to anyone before that?"

"We don't know. They're still conducting their investigation," Magnor replied.

Finn narrowed his eyes at me, then closed them for a moment before opening them again. "You think someone at the school set the Forsaken thing up? Like, maybe even the same person who left a Forsaken fragment in the Omako forest?"

I slowly nodded. "I feel one of the professors or potential Council members could have been the culprit behind all of this. Whoever ordered it must have told this professor to do the final check, knowing they wouldn't stand a chance in their current mindset. I may not have seen the other professors, but Ms. Arcadia once said in class that all professors have to be trained to handle the Forsaken, even in multiple groups. If you said the surveillance showed that the professor merely tried to run away, wouldn't that be a silly move? Celestia was trapped but was smart enough to create a barrier around herself like we were taught. How can a professor be easily defeated by Forsaken when they have been trained in the basics of how to survive long enough for help to arrive?"

Finn nodded in agreement. "He could have made himself into a diversion by setting up a bubble barrier. The Forsaken wouldn't have left the chamber until he'd given up, which should not have taken place. As a professor, I would have expected him to stall them until help arrived."

"You two think the same person who planted the fragment in your exam was the one to put in the real Forsaken in the chamber and somehow controlled that professor to release them early?" Magnor clarified. I frowned, not agreeing with what he said.

Yes, the same person was involved but it couldn't have been a controlled act in regards to the professor.

"What are you thinking, Orion?" Finn asked.

"What if there was more than one person involved? Maybe the main culprit who set up the fragments in the exam was told to do so. Same with the professor who went to ensure the test Forsaken were ready. I can understand the person who planted the fragment following his instructions because his life wasn't on the line. But the second one makes no sense. You said he tried to run away. That only tells me he truly had no idea what to do and panicked. If he was aware of the plan, he would have made sure he survived it. Someone in a higher position is coordinating all of this, but I feel they’re doing so from the outside. None of the professors give off 'reaper' vibes. Celestia and I would have been able to tell if they had." I thought it out as I explained my theory.

Finn and Magnor were quiet, staring at one another before returning their gazes back to me. "So not anyone we know," Finn concluded.

"No. Othello and Ms. Arcadia are genuine. Celestia's father is fine too and I don't suspect Magnor, obviously." I added the last part.

Magnor grinned. "Probably only because you already did a scan on me when we first met."

I glanced away, not wanting to admit that I had done just that.

Finn chuckled. "Orion's rather overprotective. He just tries to hide it from everyone else. I bet only Celestia picks up on his protective ways."

"I can agree with that. Celestia's very perceptive," Magnor praised. We all looked at her and I decided to get off the bed. Hunter would be here soon to take over and I didn't want to delay the switch. Finn came over to help me, lifting Celestia up so smoothly she didn't even stir.

I slid off the bed and Finn lowered her back down, pulling the thin blanket to cover her lower half. "What's the plan?" I asked.

"Start classes as normal. If anything, and I mean ANYTHING, is off with Celestia, you tell me. I know Orlando means well, but he's busy being headmaster and all, especially with the Forsaken attack and the realization we may have a breach in our organization. Whatever we've discussed stays here. I will do my own investigation into the matter. If Celestia has any more dreams, make sure to get as much information out of her as you can before she falls back asleep or forgets. Finn, can you make the amulet here? I'd like for it to be refined with fire when you’re done, and I'd need Hunter for that," Magnor concluded.

"Yup, I can make it now. Then I'll take a nap in the bed over there. I'll pull the curtains so Celestia doesn't notice," Finn replied.

"I'll stay with him just in case. Hunter and Theo can explore the campus interior and Caio and Cairus can take Celestia for some air," I offered.

Finn smiled. "Sounds good."

"Alright. Let's end this private conversation here...oh, and one last thing," Magnor announced. I walked over to stand next to Finn and Magnor turned to face us directly.

"This school will be different from anything you guys have ever experienced. There will be trials you will have to face, four or five to be exact. They will play with your mind and pull at your deepest fears. I think it’s fair to assume that all six of you will have a common weakness." He turned his gaze to Celestia.

I figured that much. Celestia had made an impact on all of us and I knew without a doubt that people would try to use her against us.

"Regardless, you all know Celestia and the difference between the real her and a feared-induced fantasy. Don't let Aslan Academy's tricks fool you. That's the best advice I can give you for now. If any of you are in a jam, feel free to find me,” Magnor offered.

We both nodded before bowing in respect. "Thank you, Master Rune."

"I haven't heard such formalities in a while. You're very welcome. It’s the least I can do seeing as Celestia decided to get six boyfriends. Hmph. You give her one rule and she defies it six times,” he mumbled.

Finn and I smiled and chuckled quietly. I felt more at ease now that we'd had a talk with Magnor. So far we weren't ahead of whatever was brewing behind the scenes, but we weren't behind either. As long as I could keep Celestia safe, that was all that mattered.

Sorry Reaper of Darkness. I can't let you have what's rightfully mine.