School of Angels

Chapter 5 - Demons and Shadows

Over the next few weeks, Jimmy learned a lot - more than he could have ever imagined. The telepathy lessons were his favorite, and although he could easily receive links from Mr Mortimer, he still struggled to initiate one himself. One day, however, during one of their telepathic sessions, something unexpected happened.

Jimmy found himself once again wandering the dark, narrow corridors of Mr Mortimer's mind. This time the teacher wasn't showing him memories of his parents - Jim hadn't asked for that. Instead, he wandered along the winding staircases, studying the dust-covered paintings on the walls. Faintly, deep in the recesses of Mortimer's mind, he could hear the sound of a piano.

What's that music? And what are all these pictures? Jimmy asked in thought.

The music? It's been stuck in my head all day. I'm sure you've had days like that. As for the pictures—they're old memories. Very old, came Mr. Mortimer's rough-edged reply.

Jimmy squinted at the paintings. They reminded him of ancient illustrations he had seen in books or woodcut prints. Winged angels clashed with fearsome demons, while humans stood in the background, terrified. The demons' faces were twisted with vengeance, their forms dark and grotesque. At times it almost seemed as if the paintings were moving, like scenes from a film trying to tell a story of battles long past.

Demons... Jimmy thought to himself. I've never really thought about whether they exist or not. Then again, I didn't believe angels were real either, not so long ago.

This isn't the best time for me to explain all this, Mr Mortimer's voice interrupted. But if you're curious, we can talk later.

After class, Mr. Mortimer approached Jimmy. "Come to my office later," he said quietly. "You'll find it on the ground floor, one of the left-side corridors. You'll see my name on the door."

As the day wore on, Jimmy's curiosity grew. During a break, he turned to his friends, Adam and Sally. "Mr. Mortimer told me to come to his office after class. I think he's going to tell me about demons. Do you guys know anything about them?"

Adam frowned. "I've heard stories from my mentor. He's a warrior. But you should probably hear it from your own mentor or Mr. Mortimer. It's... not something they talk about lightly."

Sally nodded. "Yeah, maybe Mr. Mortimer has a reason for wanting to tell you himself."

That didn't make Jimmy feel any smarter.He spent the rest of the day wondering what he still didn't know. Are demons real? Do we have to protect people from them, too? His head was buzzing with questions. If Lucifer exists, is this all part of a war? The thought made him uneasy.

When the lesson was over, Jimmy sent a message to Brian:  I'm going to be late Mr. Mortimer wants to talk to me about demons. He added, You could've told me about this stuff, you know.

Brian didn't reply, which wasn't surprising. Jimmy thought the most he'd get from him would be a shrug of the shoulders. Determined to get some answers, Jimmy went to Mr Mortimer's office. Why didn't he just give me a map?

A faint echo of Mr. Mortimer's voice sounded in his mind, guiding him: Three turns to the left from the dining room, two to the right, down a small staircase. First door on the left.

Of course. Who needed a map when you had telepathy?

The door to Mr. Mortimer's office was heavy and black, but Jimmy didn't need to knock. The moment he arrived, it swung open. Inside, the room was dimly lit, filled with books and papers scattered across a desk. The walls were lined with paintings—similar to those Jimmy had seen in Mr Mortimer's mind. A small, narrow window overlooked the moat that surrounded the school.