The Mystics Of Valenthia

38. Epilogue: Hope

It's few days after the nightmare. The nightmare of war. I use my powers to make my pen write this automatically while I walk around in the hallways. Randomly. No fixed destination. We repaired the Academy back to its original glory. A few things enhanced but the ambience was just the same.

I open up a random door and find Julian reciting the war animatedly. Eva was standing in a corner suppressing a laugh. The younger mystics are gawking at Julian with eyes wide open. Nathan, sitting beside Julian is trying hard not to doze off.

"And then this huge arrow comes flying down like SWOOOOSHHH and Nate, here, was standing right in its path, right Nate?" Julian asks Nathan, who is now fast asleep. "Get up, you sleepy head!" Julian says and smacks his arm.

Nathan awakens with a jerk and says with an eye roll, "He's right! He was our hero, kiddies! Without him, we would have been nothing!"

Eva bursts out laughing and so do I. That's when they notice me standing at the doorway.

"Hey, Renna!" Eva calls out cheerfully with a slight wave.

"Hey," I call out to her and smile at the restless and energetic audience.

"Julian was just telling the kids about his heroic acts in the war. Wanna hear them? They're more hilarious than heroic," Nathan says with a yawn.

"Oh, shut up! Them children like it!" Julian says enthusiastically.

I laugh and refuse politely. "I have work to do. See you guys later!"

"Alrighty!" Eva yells as I close the door softly behind me.

I continue with the useless walk and end up bumping into Bex who has her headphones on. As usual. She has been dancing around and listening to music a lot, lately. Can't blame her now, can I?

"Hey, Bex!" I greet her.

"Oh don't you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me." I said, "You're holding back, " She said, "Shut up and dance with me!" This woman is my destiny. She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo, Shut up and dance with me," Bex sings out loudly and starts dancing.

"Wha-Hey! Isn't this Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon?" I ask her.

Heck, I love that song! It is, in a word, amazing.

"Yeah, you like it?" She asks, finally taking off her headphones.

"Yes!" I almost shout.

And boom! She goes on and on about the artist along with a bunch of others and a few more songs here and there until finally I say, "Hey, Bex! I'll catch up on you later, 'kay?"

"Aw, sure! Gotta go anyway!" She says and dances away.

I shake my head. No, I'm not irritated. Not by a long shot. She is my friend, after all and we even share the same taste in music. But that's not what I'm looking for.

I stand outside another door again and deliberate whether I must go in or not. That's when I hear a noise coming from the other side of the door. I freeze and listen intently.

"Nyx. What do you want?"

It is Nova. And she sounds kind of exasperated at Nyx's presence. I can feel it.

"Your forgiveness. Listen Nova, you know as well as I do that it just because of the nature of powers, we are what we are. I could not help but dislike you when we were younger. You were my opposite. I just...I couldn't. But by years gone by, I have matured and so have you. I understand now, that maybe, just maybe we could be sisters again. If not close, at least not hating each other. Please?" Nyx pleads.