Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

95. Custas' Judgement

Memories and pain drenched him like a dark tidal wave within the shadows of his mind, electrifying his consciousness, beckoning him to the light. Kliff awoke. His eyelids peeled open, the haziness blurring his vision disappearing with each slow blink he took, and when he tried to move, a groan involuntarily shot out of his mouth. Pain assaulted him, pushing him back where he lay, his head resting on a pillow as he focused on the stone ceiling.

He didn't know where he was nor how he had gotten there, just that his body felt like it was on the cusp of shattering to pieces. The muscles in his legs, worn and torn, ached with agony, and when he tried moving his arms underneath the bed sheets that covered him, an electric pulse shot from the tip of his fings and radiated to his shoulders. A heavy, oppressive force kept him where he was, his back sinking into the plush, soft bed surface as his eyes remained locked above, the creaking of a ceiling fan interrupting the otherwise silent room.

"Well, well. Looks who's finally awake," said a familiar, cheery voice. Kliff glanced to the side of the bed; there, he found Casey—the leader of the Aire Club—smiling with her hands on her hips. Beside her, standing straight with his arms at his side was Raine. As always, Kliff couldn't tell what the emotionless boy was thinking. He stared down at him not with concern, curiosity, or even fear; his dark eyes took him in, his mouth drawn into a line. "Praise Aeris! When they told me what happened, I didn't know what to think. I mean, I knew you were tough, but light and shadows, you seriously surprised me! I shouldn't expect any less from a member of my club."

"Casey? Raine?" Kliff, with his dry throat, weakly attempted to shift his body to the side to face them better. "Where...Where am I?"

"You're in the Medical Ward. Have been for the last two days."

Medical Ward? Kliff thought with confusion. With effort, he forced himself to sit up on the bed slightly, enough to see the rest of the room.

Although he had never actually set foot in the place, Kliff was confident that an esteemed institution like Glyph Academy would feature such an essential facility. The room was surprisingly spacious, housing ten beds in total, including the one he occupied. These beds were arranged, creating two distinct halves of the room, with each cot separated by turquoise curtains, giving the space a sense of privacy amid the shared environment.

The absence of windows was notable; Kliff scanned the room futilely for any hints of daylight. Instead, his gaze was drawn upward to a striking black metal chandelier that hung centrally from the ceiling. Its design featured unlit candles, hinting at a soft glow that would illuminate the room in the evening hours, and the floors beneath him were composed of smooth white stone. Apart from himself, Casey, and Raine, the room was devoid of any other occupants or sounds.

Kliff glanced at Casey again. "And did you say...two days?"

The girl nodded morbidly. "Yup. Ever since you guys came back, they've kept you here. They only just started letting us see you yesterday evening, though. It wasn't easy, mind you. Especially considering how strict they are with their lockdown protocols. But they made an exception for Fearne and me since she'd technically be an assistant of Professor Dragonthorne, and I'm a club leader. As for everyone else? Well, save for mealtime, I hardly see any of them."

"Lockdown? What do you mean?" Kliff asked, leaning toward the edge of the bed. "The academy's in lockdown?"

"We were attacked by one of the country's three most dangerous criminal organizations, Kliff," Casey replied, as that should have explained the issue. "What did you expect?"

Suddenly, a wave of memories collided with him yet again, and Kliff shot a hand to the side of his head despite the pain. He remembered it all, cruel images flashing into his unseen sight and reminding him of what had transpired in that accursed forest. He saw the carnage, saw the blood, saw his classmates struggling to defend themselves, saw Custas bleeding on the ground. And then, Kliff saw Elaine, her blue eyes looking concernedly at him. He had watched her retreat into the mouth of Glyph Forest, and that had been the last he'd seen of her.