Crossed Spells

Chapter 18: The Bookshop of Secrets (Part 1)

The sun was barely rising over Ravenswood, bathing the small town in a golden glow. Lucas opened his eyes, roused from his sleep by the excitement that had been bubbling inside him since his discovery in his father's office. He got up quickly, glancing at his phone to check once again the photo of the mysterious paper he had found.

"Vega Bookshop," he murmured, his eyes scanning the address scribbled below. He was eager to share this information with Aria and explore this new clue that could bring them closer to the answers they were desperately seeking.

As he prepared for school, Lucas couldn't help but think back to the events of the past few days. The intensive training sessions with Aria, the fusion of their powers, the strange phenomena that continued to occur in town... Everything seemed to be converging towards something bigger, more dangerous than they had initially imagined.

He descended the stairs, trying to appear as normal as possible as he entered the kitchen. His father, Damien, was already there, reading the morning paper with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Good morning, Lucas," Damien said without looking up from his newspaper. "You seem in a hurry this morning."

Lucas forced himself to smile, hoping his nervousness wasn't showing. "Yes, I have an important exam today. I wanted to get there early to review a bit."

Damien finally looked up, scrutinizing his son's face. For a terrible moment, Lucas thought his father had guessed his lie. But finally, Damien simply nodded. "Very well. Good luck with your exam."

Relieved, Lucas quickly grabbed a piece of toast and left the house. The journey to school seemed endless, his mind constantly returning to the discovery he had made and what it could mean.

At school, the atmosphere was electric, but for reasons very different from those preoccupying Lucas. The hallways were buzzing with excitement, students animatedly discussing a topic that seemed to captivate everyone.

Lucas spotted Aria near her locker and headed towards her, weaving between groups of overexcited students. "Hey," he said softly as he reached her. "I have something to show you."

Aria looked at him curiously, but before she could respond, they were interrupted by the boisterous arrival of Marcus and Ivy.

"Ah, there you both are!" exclaimed Marcus, a big smile on his face. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

Ivy, equally enthusiastic, immediately chimed in: "Have you heard the news? There's going to be a huge party on Friday night!"

Lucas and Aria exchanged a quick glance, caught off guard by their friends' excitement. "A party?" Lucas repeated, trying to sound interested.

"Not just a party," Marcus corrected, "THE party of the year! Jake's parents are on a trip, and he's organizing a monster event at their house. Everyone's talking about it!"

Ivy nodded vigorously. "It's going to be epic! There will be music, a professional DJ, and even an indoor pool. We absolutely have to go together!"

Lucas felt his heart sink. Part of him would have liked to be able to join in the general excitement, to enjoy a normal evening with friends. But he knew it wasn't possible. Not with everything that was happening, not with the threat hanging over Ravenswood.

He glanced at Aria, seeing the same inner conflict in her eyes. "Uh, it's nice of you to invite us," he began cautiously, "but I'm not sure we can come."

Marcus's smile faded slightly. "What? But why?"

Aria intervened, trying to find a plausible excuse. "We have... family commitments that evening. Right, Lucas?"