Breaking the Spell: A Diamond Castle Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Apprentice

Melody sat in her usual spot, playing her flute and getting lost in the sweet music that the three muses were playing, as if under a hypnotizing spell. Their music was indeed beautiful, almost like it was speaking to an individual, guiding them. Phaedra's instrument was the lute, and the lyre was Dori's. The sun peered in through the windows as they played, painting the castle with brightness and optimism.

They were interrupted, however, by a knock on the door of the large circular music room. Phaedra set down her lute and called, "It's open." Dori and Melody set their instruments on the stand as well, and got up to greet whoever had come to see them. As the door opened, a young girl of about sixteen hesitantly walked in, her honey brown eyes holding a look of curiosity. She wore a white sleeveless Grecian gown, and her long, dark brown hair fell in waves, resting just above her waist.

"Hi," the girl said shyly, "I was told I'm to be your new apprentice."

"Welcome," said Phaedra kindly. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My name is Lyra," she replied. "You must be Phaedra. It's really nice to meet you."

"it's nice to meet you too," said Phaedra. "This is Dori, and Melody."

Lyra looked over at the other two muses, and gave a polite smile. "Hi."

"Hi," said Melody.

"Hello," added Dori.

"What instruments do you play?" asked Lyra, noticing the stand where the muses' instruments were kept.

"I play the lute, Dori plays the lyre, and Melody plays the flute," replied Phaedra, leading the young apprentice over to the stand. "Are there any instruments in particular you enjoy playing?"

"Yes," answered Lyra. "I adore the piano."

"Wonderful," says Dori. "Let us show you around so you can become more familliar with the castle."

"Thank you."

Melody had to admit, she liked their new apprentice already. Lyra seemed like a very nice person, and she also seemed to have a real passion for music. During their tour, Lyra was very patient and was able to find her way back to the music room when it was over. When the four of them returned, Lyra noticed something near the balcony. It was the statues of a flying serpent, and a woman who appeared to be holding her hands above her head.

Lydia.

She and Slyder, the serpent, had attempted to take over the Diamond castle some time ago, when lydia insisted she wanted to be the one and only muse, however her plan had failed due to her being defeated by Liana and Alexa, two of Melody's friends. She had been stuck in this state since then, never moving nor breathing. Completely still.

Lyra thought Lydia looked beautiful, though she was a statue devoid of colour, and she walked over to Lydia to take a closer look. At first, she just thought they were merely statues and had never been alive, and after examining them for a moment, she turned to the muses and asked, "Who's this?"

Phaedra and Dori glanced at each other, torn whether or not to reveal the story. However, they didn't want their new apprentice to follow in Lydia's footsteps, so they finally decided to explain.

"You see," said Dori, "This isn't an ordinary statue, Lyra. This was once a real person. One of us, in fact. Her name was Lydia."

"You mean...she was a muse?" asked Lyra, glancing once more at Lydia's frozen figure.

"Yes," said Phaedra. "But one day she turned on us. She wanted the Diamond Castle for herself, to be the one and only muse. When we tried to explain to her that music was for everyone, she stormed out, furious. She found an ancient cave filled with magic and transformed her flute into an instrument of dark magic."

"It's the same flute I have, except it reverted back to its original form when Lydia was turned to stone," said Melody. "She was turned to stone because two of my friends played the other two instruments and created a force field that repelled her magic and sent it back at her. She was trying to destroy the instruments, and it clearly didn't work." She gestured to Lydia and Slyder.

"What about the flying serpent?" asked Lyra. "Was he real as well?"

"Yes," said Dori. "His name is Slyder, and he's Lydia's servant. he's able to detect whenever one of us sings, even the apprentices."

"I see," replied Lyra. "Sounds like there's a lot of history between the four of you." Dori and Phaedra nodded in reply. After a few more minutes of discussion, the three muses returned to their instruments, and Lyra glanced back at Lydia once more.

She really is beautiful, thought Lyra.