The Academy For The Aces: BOOK 1 OF THE ACE SERIES

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As Faith and Madame Lavigne ascended a flight of stairs and proceeded down a long hall, they were met with grand double doors. Madame Lavigne opened them, revealing a gathering of students already present in the vast assembly hall. The indistinct chatter went silent as Madame Lavigne made her appearance, commanding respect and attention from everyone present.

The assembly hall was grand, with high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings, and polished wooden floors gleaming under the warm glow of chandeliers. As Faith walked into the crowd, she blended in with the students dressed in their distinctive navy blue uniforms. Next to her, Antheia asked, "And you are?" Glancing at her, Faith was surprised to realize the girl was Princess Antheia.

"Faith Holmes, Your Highness," she responded curtly.

"Oh please, drop the formalities, call me Antheia," the princess smiled warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Antheia," Faith replied, feeling more at ease.

"The pleasure is all mine, Faith," Antheia responded. "I'm a big fan of Sherlock Holmes!" she whispered excitedly.

"May his soul rest in peace," she sighed, and Faith was a bit taken aback.

"He's missing," she corrected, her tone a bit harsh, and she felt a bit bad when the princess's smile dropped just a bit.

"Oh Faith, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like—"

"No, Your Highness, it's alright. It's been four years; it's only natural for you to think he's, well, dead," Faith said, trying to soften her tone.

"What's your ability, by the way?" Faith asked, attempting to change the topic, and the princess's smile returned.

"It's Musical Enchantment, but I have not really—"

"Welcome, students! As you all know, I am the Headmaster of the Academy, Rosalind Lavigne," Madame Lavigne's voice echoed through the hall, interrupting their conversation.

"Firstly, I'd like to give a brief history lesson, so listen carefully. During the Arcane War between humans and Aces, in the year 1852, which you'll learn more about in History class, Charles Robert Darwin and his wife resided in this very same mansion," she began.

"He was also an Ace. He first opened his home to families who had nowhere else to go. Soon enough, he was helping young Aces master their abilities. He realized that for such extraordinary children, there was no way they'd fit in the mundane world. Soon enough his home became an Academy."

As Madame Lavigne finished, everyone broke into a round of applause. "Settle down, students. I hope you keep that enthusiasm for the next two years of your studies," Madame Lavigne said, "Now I'd like you all to follow me." She instructed as she left the podium and they followed her out the door.

"Rumor has it, this school is not as it seems, and dark secrets hide within the walls," Antheia whispered, and Faith looked at her.

"Yes, my Grandfather once told me that it hadn't just been Aces that sought refuge with Darwin but creatures as well from a place called Arden," Faith whispered back, and she suddenly felt Madame Lavigne briefly glance at them thanks to her intuition.

"Shhh!" Antheia said, and Faith lifted a brow skeptically.

"What?" she questioned.

"Arden is taboo here in the Academy, though I'm not sure why," Antheia stated, "In our curriculum, they'll teach that creatures such as Onion were one of Darwin's many...scientific mishaps," Antheia explained.

"I see, you seem to know a lot about the Academy," Faith said.

"It was one of the many things I had to learn about back at the palace, alongside which spoons should you use for your tea?" the princess sighed in an eccentric accent, and they both chuckled.

"Princess Antheia, Ms. Holmes, is there something you'd like to share with us?" Madame Lavigne said, and all eyes were now on them. They vigorously shook their heads in response, "I thought so. Now, let's continue," she stated.

As the students followed Madame Lavigne down the hallways, through the large glass windows, they were able to see what looked to be massive-sized training grounds. Students were wearing navy blue tracksuits and were armed with swords, bows, and arrows, and some were not even armed at all but displayed exceptional combat skills. But what stood out was that they were fighting with...nothing?

"Throughout your studies, our main goal is to help you master your abilities. However, you'll be put through a variety of different courses designed to both assess and test your abilities," Madame Lavigne stated, and suddenly a ginger-haired student raised his hand in question.

"Will our courses include combat similar to that? No offense, Madame, I just don't understand why sparring with air is essential to nurturing our ability."

"Why, you ask? It teaches a student to become more disciplined, more patient within themselves, and encourages humility above ego."

"A student coordinating courses, isn't that a bit of a cheat code?" Faith said to Antheia.

"He's not coordinating the courses. Just the simulations. The simulations are just for...assessment? This is a new addition to the course, so I believe it's still in its preliminary phase," Antheia responded.

"Mr. Edison, though your fellow students may seem as if they are sparring with the air, they have been placed in an illusion, a simulation, as we like to call it," Madame Lavigne replied. "These simulations are coordinated by one of our professors alongside one of your classmates," Madame Lavigne stated with a smile.

"He? Do you know hi—" Faith said to Antheia but was immediately interrupted.

"Oh, there he is," Madame Lavigne said, pointing to the back of them, and everyone's head turned in the opposite direction. A tall, black-haired boy stood before them, the color of his eyes resembling that of wild gooseberries, his hair combed neatly back. He was a student just like them, wearing the school's iconic uniform, yet he radiated a mature-like spirit. With his indifferent facial expression, if it weren't for the uniform, anyone may have thought he was a professor here. This boy was one the entirety of England would recognize without a second look. He was Antheia's twin brother...

"Prince Andrew," Madame Lavigne stated.