Zodiac Academy (Draft 1)

Chapter 8: The scrolls of the Guardians

**I made a new cover! Yeah it was near the beginning of January, but still.**

"What was that?" I say as dozens of voices filled the air at once. The staff immediately tried to keep everyone from running towards the scream, but failed. We all (even me) ran towards the Main Court, abandoning our plates, all of us surging past the Houses. The few that stayed mingled with each other awkwardly, whispering to one another.

The wailing cry echoed through air once more as we approached the Main Court. A girl was sitting on the steps, her brown hair covering her face. The Council member for Aquarius, her name was Aurelia, I believe, was consoling the girl whose face was buried in her hands and her veil of hair serving as a curtain to the outside world.

Whispers rippled through the crowd like a pebble dropped in still water, "Is that Layla?"

"It looks like her."

"What's wrong with her?"

I turned to Libby, who had ended up at my side in the crowd surge. "What do you think happened?" I asked her.

"Nothing good." She answered with a serious glance.

Paris tapped my arm, I looked down at her, she was a good six inches shorter than I was, and I'm not that tall. She points at a man who had opened the court doors. "Look, that's Phelix, Council member for Pisces. I think he's got some news or insight."

Indeed he did, Phelix addressed the crowd, who had refused to return to their meals even though the teachers and staff tried to make us leave; but you could tell even the staff was curious. "Everyone, please remain calm. Although I suppose you all deserve to know what has happened since this is our home." He glanced down at Aurelia and Layla, who was still covering her face. He leaned down and exchanged a few hushed words with Aurelia, her expression growing more concerned every second.

Phelix cleared his throat, "There has been an attack on school grounds." More murmurs and outbursts rose from the student body. "By whom? We do not know, but the situation has been handled...with minor injuries." His eyes flick down at Layla." "Miss Torrey here was a witness...and an unfortunate...target in the sudden attack."

A target? No doubt Phelix was avoiding using the word victim. But what happened? Was Layla Torrey okay? How was there an intruder on school grounds? How could there be? I thought the boundary line kept out anyone who didn't have a connection to the...unless the intruder did have a connection to the Zodiacs...maybe a former student?

Besides, how did they even get here? Wherever "here" is, seeing as I don't even know what country we're in. Which brings me to the thought if we were even on earth at this point.

I swear, at the rate my mind's going, I'm going to give myself a headache.

Aurelia cleared her throat, she stood up and brushed her green robes. "The intruder has unfortunately managed to avoid capture, but there is no doubt that he has left the grounds, as we have seen him flee with our own eyes-"

"Why didn't you go after him?" Someone demanded from the back of the crowd.

Aurelia ignored the question, "The intruder was after information concerning the Prophecy, which has yet uttered another clue."