Crossed Spells

Chapter 23: Revelations in Class (Part 1)

The hallway of Ravenswood High buzzed with activity as Lucas made his way to the history classroom. The air was charged with the typical excitement of a Monday morning - a mixture of animated conversations, laughter, and the sound of lockers slamming shut. Yet, amidst this familiar cacophony, Lucas felt strangely isolated, as if an invisible wall separated him from the rest of the world.

Each step that brought him closer to Professor Nightshade's classroom ratcheted up his anxiety. His backpack, loaded with books and notes, seemed to weigh a ton on his shoulders. Or perhaps it was the weight of the secrets he now carried that made it feel so heavy?

As he reached the classroom door, Lucas spotted Aria arriving from the other end of the hallway. Their eyes met briefly, silently exchanging their shared apprehension. Since their parents' revelations about the Order of Guardians and the prophecy concerning them, the world seemed to have taken on a whole new dimension. Every interaction, every class could potentially hide a deeper meaning, a subtle test of their knowledge or their powers.

Lucas took a deep breath before crossing the threshold of the room. The familiar smell of chalk and old books greeted him, but today, even this seemed charged with a new and unsettling significance.

Professor Nightshade was already standing in front of the blackboard, his piercing gaze sweeping across the class as students took their seats. As always, he exuded an aura of mystery that seemed almost tangible. His dark eyes shone with keen intelligence, and an enigmatic half-smile played on his lips.

Lucas couldn't help but wonder if their teacher was part of the Order of Guardians. After all, he had always seemed to know more than he let on, and his mysterious aura suddenly took on a whole new meaning in light of what Lucas now knew.

As he sat down at his usual desk, Lucas felt Shade's reassuring presence in his shadow. The familiar had been particularly protective these past few days, as if sensing the growing importance of the stakes surrounding them. Lucas appreciated this silent support, even if he couldn't help worrying that someone might notice the slightly too animated shadow that followed him everywhere.

"Good morning, everyone," Nightshade's voice resonated in the room, cutting off the last conversations. "I hope you had a good weekend and are ready for another exciting week of historical exploration."

There were a few groans and stifled laughs in the class. Nightshade's enthusiasm for history was legendary, and not always shared by his students. But today, his tone seemed to carry an extra note, a sort of contained excitement that made the hair on the back of Lucas's neck stand up.

"Today," Nightshade continued, his gaze sweeping across the class before briefly stopping on Lucas, "we're going to cover a particularly fascinating chapter in Ravenswood's history. A chapter that, I think, might interest some of you more than others."

Lucas felt his heart rate quicken. Was it his imagination, or had Nightshade really looked at him while saying that? He glanced at Aria, seated a few rows away, and saw that she too seemed tense.

"Before we begin," said Nightshade, walking towards his desk, "I'd like you all to take out a sheet of paper. We're going to do a little word association exercise."

There was a general rustling as students took out sheets from their bags. Lucas, his hands slightly shaking, took his notebook and opened it to a blank page.

"Good," Nightshade resumed once everyone was ready. "I'm going to give you a series of words. For each one, I want you to write down the first thing that comes to mind. Don't think too much, let your intuition speak. Understood?"

The class nodded silently. Lucas gripped his pen, his anxiety rising a notch. He felt like every word could be a trap, a way to reveal what he knew.

"Let's begin," said Nightshade. "First word: Shadow."

Lucas felt a shiver run through him. Of course, this word had a particular meaning for him. But he couldn't write "my power" or "Shade". He quickly jotted down "Night", hoping it was a sufficiently ordinary response.

"Second word: Light."

This time, Lucas immediately thought of Aria. He saw her stiffen in her chair. He himself wrote "Sun", trying to keep a neutral expression.

"Balance."

Lucas hesitated. This word resonated too much with what his parents had told him about the Order of Guardians. He ended up writing "Nature", thinking it was a general enough answer.

"Portal."

His heart skipped a beat. He immediately thought of the sound portals his father had mentioned. But he couldn't write that. He noted "Door", hoping his hand wasn't shaking too much.

"And finally: Ravenswood."

Lucas looked at his sheet, uncertain. What could he write that wouldn't be suspicious? He ended up noting "Home", thinking it was a natural response for someone who had grown up here.

"Very good," said Nightshade after leaving a few more seconds. "Keep these sheets. We might come back to them later. Now, let's dive into today's topic."

Lucas put away his sheet, his heart pounding. He felt like he had taken a test, but he wasn't sure he had passed.

Nightshade began his lecture, talking about the early days of Ravenswood's foundation. His voice took on almost hypnotic inflections as he painted the picture of a small colony in the heart of a wild forest, surrounded by mysteries and unknown dangers.

"Imagine," he said, "a group of pioneers arriving in this valley centuries ago. Around them, a dense and dark forest, full of unknown sounds and menacing shadows. But they chose this exact spot, guided by... what? Instinct? Fate? Or perhaps something even more mysterious?"

Lucas found himself fascinated despite himself, recognizing in this account echoes of the stories his father had told him about their ancestors. He could almost see those first Blackwoods, manipulating the shadows to protect the nascent colony from the dangers of the forest.

"The archives of the time," Nightshade continued, "speak of strange events that allegedly occurred during these early years. Unexplained lights in the forest, shadows that seemed to move by themselves, impossible sounds carried by the wind."

Lucas felt a shiver run down his spine. These descriptions sounded strangely similar to the phenomena Aria and he had recently observed. Was it possible that these events were repeating cyclically?

"Of course," Nightshade added with a small smile, "many consider these accounts as mere legends, stories invented by frightened settlers facing a hostile environment. But I ask you this question: what if these legends had a kernel of truth?"

His gaze swept across the class, briefly stopping on Lucas. "After all, every legend, every myth usually has an origin based on real facts, doesn't it?"

Lucas suddenly felt exposed, as if Nightshade could read him. He lowered his eyes to his notebook, scribbling some notes to give himself composure.

"The founders of Ravenswood," Nightshade continued, his voice taking on an almost reverent tone, "were not simple settlers. They were visionaries, guardians of ancient knowledge. They chose this exact place for a reason."

Lucas abruptly raised his head. The word "guardians" had resonated in him like a clap of thunder. Was it a coincidence, or was Nightshade deliberately referring to the Order of Guardians?

That's when something strange caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, Lucas noticed a movement on the blackboard behind Nightshade. He blinked, certain he had imagined it, but no - symbols were beginning to appear, as if drawn by an invisible hand.

Lucas felt his breath catch in his throat. He recognized these symbols. They were the same ones Aria and he had seen in the ruins during their nocturnal explorations. Complex spirals, broken lines forming impossible geometric patterns, concentric circles dotted with luminous points...

It was as if the walls of the abandoned old church had suddenly come to life on the blackboard of their classroom.