Sacrificium

Prologue

...

Two of the same of blood, born of the same day,

Their love shall conquer all, but heavy it will weigh

The ultimate sacrifice, blood shall spill.

And in their hands, to rise or to kill.

...

"Alexandria!" her mother called from downstairs, her shrill voice carrying easily through the empty corridors.

"One sec," Alexandria replied, taking a deep breath as she cast one final look at her bare walls, painted a clinical white without the addition of her decor.

As she turned to go, she caught a flash of Burgundy out of the corner of her eye. With a frown, she bent down to inspect the offending object.

It was her Ilvermorny badge, caught beneath the leg of her desk. Her nose scrunched with exertion as she struggled to dislodge it. When she finally managed to retrieve it, she examined the worn badge with warmth, any signs of damage hidden by years of scratches.

Her fingertips brushed over the embossed emblem of the Wampus mascot. It was odd, she thought as she stared at it, how five years of memories could fit between her fingers.

She recalled meeting her roommate for the first time, the way her warm smile had eased her nerves.

She recalled the pride that had swelled in her chest when she received her exam results, assuring her that all her efforts hadn't been in vain.

She recalled breaking curfew for the first time, only to be caught a few minutes later. She recalled the howler she had received the following morning, accusing her of disgracing the family name. She recalled the way her friends had laughed it off as the hefty guilt sank to the pit of her stomach.

Alexandria slid the badge into her coat pocket. Her fingers tightened around the token of her past, the sharp edge biting at her skin as her father's comforting voice reached her ears.

"Alexandria," he called.

"Coming," she replied softly.

The words echoed off her walls, the whisper of a goodbye—a warning, but she was already gone. 

...