The Academy of Magical Arts

Chapter 22: The Plan

~Noelina~
"Noelina? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" Grandmother asked.

"A lot happened. But what's important right now is that we have to protect the kingdom." I said.

"Protect the kingdom? What happened?"

"I think it has something to do with the Province of Darkness." I said. "Mrs. Thunderthorne was lying this entire time. She sided with the Province of Darkness - the Academy of Masterminds. They destroyed the school."

"Mrs. Thunderthorne did? What about our country?" She asked.

"We found her secret hideout. Their next plan was to destroy the Province of Wind." I said. "We found some books where she wrote notes in. These could be clues." I said.

"Let's all discuss it later. Show your friends around first. You might have to live here until we figure out a plan." She said. I nodded and walked out of the throne room with my friends.

"I guess you guys would have to stay in the guest rooms. Here, I'll show you around." I said. I showed them to their new rooms. I headed to my room and opened the book we found. All the notes were directed to the main points and places of the Province of Wind. Reading through them all, some saying to place explosive bombs or poisoned smoke bombs. I closed the book and walked out the balcony, the fresh air calming me down.

'I wonder what's gonna happen to the kingdom. We need to protect it.' I took the book out to the balcony and read it there. All these plans were from Mrs. Thunderthorne and the Province of Darkness.

Wait, the Province of Darkness.

Didn't Raynor get a letter from his home country warning him about this before?

I walked over to Raynor's room and knocked on the door. It opened almost right away.

"Noelle? What's up?" He asked.

"No time for that right now." I said. "Didn't you get a letter that warned you about the Province of Darkness? That they were planning to do something over a year's time?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah I did." He said. "When I first revealed my real identity to Emily."

"Do you have it? Or at least remember what it said?" I asked.

"It said that I had to return to the kingdom soon because we had to protect it from the Province of Darkness. They said that they heard rumors saying that they were planning to do something bad over the course of one year." He said. We walked over to the window seat and sat down to discuss the hints and clues we found.

"This could be a clue. Maybe that destroying my kingdom was a part of their plan as well." I said. "But shouldn't you be getting to your kingdom?"

"My kingdom's not the target right now, yours is. I'll help you out first, I'll go back when the Province of Darkness stop destroying the place." He said, taking my hand. "I'll help you out, and I won't stop until you're safe. If it's important to you, then it's just as important to me." He kissed the back of my hand.

I blushed. Ever since Emily told me that Raynor liked me, I've now become less oblivious of his actions towards me. I can see how her theory comes together, but I'm still unsure.

"Mm." I nodded.

~Later~
"The Province of Darkness has already destroyed the school, and that was the first step. So far, we haven't found any clues leading to the destruction of any other kingdoms." I said. "Raynor received a letter back when the school was still standing, warning him about the plans of the Province of Darkness. We need to somehow warn the other kingdoms."

"I'll read the book first and discuss some things with the guards. We need to find a way to protect the kingdom. We don't know when this will happen, so we need everyone to pitch in to be able to defeat them. Noelina, I think you and your friends might want to strengthen your magic. This could greatly help. I've heard you've gained purification, that would be very essential." Grandmother said. "For now, get some rest. It must have been a long journey all the way here. I'll find some of the guards train you and your friends soon."

"Yes, Grandmother." I replied and headed back to my room.