The Realm Protectors

Chapter 6 - Ciana

By the time we walk out of Rockin' Rosie's, we're all stuffed full of chicken, milkshakes, and laughter. Enya holds her stomach as she leans on Nile, laughing.

"You're a genius for that fries in the shake idea, Ci," She says to me. "I can't believe I thought it'd be gross!"

"It was gross!" Avani laughs. "But somehow it was good too!" We double over in another fit of laughter as we stop under the twinkling lights of Academy Avenue. I look around, taking in the sights of the brightly colored buildings that I missed on the way over here. Everything is cheery and beautiful.

"This place is amazing!" I spin as I look around. Enya smiles.

"We should go on a walk and burn off all these calories. You guys want a tour?"

Nikolina, Avani, and I all nod enthusiastically before Enya for us to follow her and Nile. Carter and Lyra take the back, talking about something.

"Academy Avenue was built shortly after the school, when the High Arches of the time realized that the students and faculty would need some place to buy all of their things." Enya speaks, waving at the buildings. "It started out as one ring around the school gates filled with shops, but then it evolved to include restaurants, arcades, roller rinks, a carnival... anything you could possibly think of!"

"Wow," I breathe. Fairy lights are strung from storefront to storefront, creating a web of twinkling lights above our heads.

"Soon the High Arches themselves took up residence outside the massive ringed city, and the capital of the Realm was established!" Enya points to a massive mansion seated on a rise beyond the seemingly never-ending rings of buildings. "There, the High Arches live and send out important broadcasts and hold meetings and such for the rest of the Realm's greatest minds."

"That's where we'll be someday," Nik mumbles. She looks pale in the lights, but not quite as timid as she did earlier. The darkness seems to pool around her feet in puddles, like a shadow guard dog. I take a little step away when one nips my ankles.

"The actual city itself is built in rings of houses, apartments, hotels, and other buildings around the main Academy Avenue area. The city gets less colorful as you go farther away from the school," Enya continues on. She points to a building to our right. "That's the bookstore, where students can purchase textbooks for school, as well as any personal reading books for themselves." The massive store takes up the space of five other storefronts, with huge windows that allow a view to the next street on the other side of the store.

"All of the fun stuff is in the second or third ring," Nile points to a building labeled Arcade to the left. "All of the school-related stores are in the first or second."

We continue on, Enya giving us more history and fun facts as we tour three or four rings around the campus. Nile, Faris, Carter, and Lyra pipe in with their favorite stores, memories, or helpful facts whenever we come across them. Lyra points out her favorite store, filled with crystals, candles, and different herbs for making smudge sticks and other things. Faris points out the salon, where lots of students go to get haircuts. Carter shows us his favorite music store, complete with an impressive vinyl collection.

Finally we arrive back at the school gates. The moon is high in the sky as we all split up and go to our separate campuses. Faris and I make our way over to where our campuses are.

"I can't believe there's a whole store for just records!" I giggle. "Where I come from, all types of music were sold in one shop!"

Faris laughs too, shaking his head. "I know, right? These people are, like, obsessed with Otherborn music. They probably have every record ever made!" We laugh as we come up to where the path splits and heads towards the air campus. Faris turns to me.