Chapter 12: Shadows of the Past
The ancient library stood at the heart of the Council's school, its towering shelves lined with books that seemed older than time itself. The walls were adorned with portraits of legendary witches and wizards, their eyes following students as they passed. The trio-Joy, Zephyr, and Ash-entered the library reluctantly, already feeling the weight of the upcoming Council History test looming over them.
"Do we really have to do this today?" Ash grumbled, slumping into one of the wooden chairs at the long study table. His wavy black hair fell into his eyes as he halfheartedly flipped through a textbook. "I can't focus with all this boring Council stuff."
Zephyr, sitting beside him, shot him an annoyed glance, their silver hair shimmering in the dim light of the library. "It wouldn't be so boring if you actually tried reading for once. This test is important, Ash. The Council's watching everything we do."
Ash rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. "The Council can watch me fail, then."
Joy, on the other hand, was the only one who seemed fully engaged in her notes, her blonde hair falling into her face as she scribbled down details about the founding of the Magic Realm. "You two should really take this seriously," she said without looking up. "We're going to need to know all of this if we want to stand a chance."
Zephyr nodded, trying to stay focused but still visibly irritated by Ash's attitude. "Joy's right. We don't have time to mess around."
As their friendly banter continued, a sudden thud echoed through the library, startling all three of them. A large, dusty book had appeared out of nowhere, slamming down in the middle of their study table with a force that shook their papers.
"What the-" Ash started, sitting up straight for the first time that afternoon.
Zephyr leaned forward cautiously, their pale fingers brushing the cover of the book. "Where did this come from?" They glanced around, but no one else in the library seemed to have noticed the strange occurrence.
Joy, her curiosity piqued, reached out and pulled the book closer. The cover was worn and faded, but the gold lettering was still visible: Records of the Charm Bloodline. Her eyes widened. "The Charm family..."
Zephyr stiffened, their discomfort immediate. "I don't like this," they muttered, glancing nervously at the book. "Why would this just show up like that?"
Ash, who had never been one for subtlety, leaned in eagerly. "Wait, isn't Wardell a Charm? And Willard too? This could be interesting."
Joy's fingers traced the cover thoughtfully before she opened the book, revealing old, brittle pages filled with names and dates tracing the lineage of the Charm family. But something was wrong. Many of the pages were missing, torn out, and several names were heavily scratched out, as though someone had tried to erase them from history.
"This is weird," Joy said softly, flipping through the pages. "Look at this-half the family tree is missing or ruined. It's like someone didn't want these people to be remembered."
Zephyr shifted uncomfortably, their silver hair catching the light as they looked over Joy's shoulder. "It's not just names," they said, their voice tense. "Look at the pictures."
Joy's eyes followed Zephyr's gaze to a photograph at the top of the family tree, burned and charred around the edges. The image was too damaged to make out, the face of the person completely obliterated. But beneath the photo, the name-whatever it had once been-had been furiously scratched out, leaving only deep gouges in the paper.
"This feels wrong," Zephyr whispered. "We shouldn't be messing with this."
Joy, however, couldn't look away. Something about the ruined photo and the missing names called to her, like a puzzle she couldn't help but want to solve. "Why would someone go to all this trouble to erase a person from history?" she murmured, her fingers hovering over the charred photograph.
