INSIGNIAS: THE LUX SIGNIFER ACADEMY

The fortress was swarming with men in red. Their footsteps were heavy, loud, and fast. Five guards stood guard near the stairs leading to the private bedchambers. Faz and Clyne easily overpowered them and left them unconscious in an empty room not to arouse suspicion of their location. It was a long climb. They were greeted by a deafening silence when they reached the top. The grey hallway of the third floor was wider than the others. The wooden doors on each side looked old and worn-out but it was cleaner than the soldiers’ living quarters. The exterior of the black fortress looked grand despite the terrifying design but the interior was unfurnished. How long were they living here?

The third floor was probably reserved for the people in high rank in their system. As to what system they have, Tessa was curious. She wondered who their leaders were and their reasons for leading this movement. The fact that the enemies wanted to destroy magic was frightening but she knew that there must be something to it. Do they plan to kill all magic users in Arconien?

“There aren’t a lot of rooms here,” Nate said. Tessa noticed that the doors were far from each other. The rooms must’ve been huge.

“I’ll check the one in the right,” Clyne said and ran toward it without waiting for a reply.

“Leave the left to me,” Nate offered. Faz nodded at her then they both run toward the rooms near the end of the corridor. He grabbed the handle of the door on their left and entered without a word. Tessa turned to the door on her right. Inside was a white room as large as their dorm apartment in the academy. A queen-sized bed stood in the middle near the farthest wall. There were books on a study table. An average-sized closet stood on one wall. Aside from those, the room was empty. She was about to leave the room when she noticed a small door. Must be the toilet. Something was telling her to open it. She moved quietly toward it. She grabbed the knob then swiftly pulled as she turned it. Not even a second when she opened it, she saw something flying toward her. It was too late to dodge. The item painfully hit her forehead, making her shout in pain. She had her eyes closed while touching her throbbing forehead.

“Who are you?” a girl cried. Tessa blinked rapidly then looked up. A man as tall as Skhy stood in front. His blonde hair was a mess. His bloodshot black eyes glared at her. A girl with shoulder-length hair stood close beside him, holding a book in each hand. Another was peeking behind the man. Tessa couldn’t see the girl’s face but she noticed her black hair and also bloodshot ice blue eyes. Faz could finally see her. There was a slight pang in her chest.

“Eloise…” Tessa subconsciously whispered.

“Who are you?” the girl with red hair asked. Tessa tried to clear her head. She removed her hand on her still throbbing forehead.

“I’m Tessa, Skhy, and…Faz’s friend,” she started. There was a mix of surprise and doubt in their eyes. “We’re here to rescue you.” The guy glanced at his companions who did the same. They don’t trust me. Tessa figured that it’s better to let them see for themselves.

“Tessa!” She turned toward the door when she heard Faz’s shouts.

“Faz?” It was a different voice from earlier. She looked back and found Eloise now standing outside the door. She had the same long black hair and pale skin as Alyssa but her eyes showed more emotions.

“Yes,” Tessa managed to reply. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, Eloise,” the guy said. “We can’t just trust her.” This must be Ice.

“You don’t have to. I’ll go out and tell Faz to come get you,” Tessa offered. Ice glanced at her with doubt in his eyes. She understood his feelings. They had been locked in this fortress for almost four years and they couldn’t trust anyone.

Tessa went outside the room. She found a frantic Faz closing a door. When he saw her, she noticed as relief spread on his face. He ran toward her. She bit her lip to stop it from quivering. He stopped in front of her.

“Are you okay? I heard you shout,” he said with a deep frown on his face.

“Eloise and the others are inside.” She smiled. His eyes widened. “Go inside. They don’t trust me yet.” But he didn’t move at first. He stared at her for a moment. This confused her.

“Thank you.” Then he moved. The image is embedded in her memory. The happiness in his face as if he couldn’t wait to be reunited with her. Ahhh. One mission done.

She saw Clyne and Nate running toward her.

“You found them?” Clyne asked while panting. Tessa nodded. Clyne beamed then went inside the room.

“I’ll go to the exit first,” she said. Nate frowned at her but didn’t ask. She was thankful for that.

“Alright. You can check if it’s safe.” With a small smile, she left the corridor and looked for another hidden path to leave the third floor. She didn’t want to see their reunion. She knew that this is a stubborn side of her but she didn’t want to watch. But at least, he’s happy now.

When she noticed narrow spiralling stairs hidden behind a wall, she went back to the corridor to tell her friends. Once she set foot in the hallway, she heard the loud and rushing footsteps. She ran toward the room where they are.

“They’re here,” she whisper-shouted. “Let’s go.” I need to focus. Everyone followed her. Ice wasn’t in his best condition but he could walk properly. They didn’t have the energy to use their elementals. She wanted to ask what happened to them but it wasn’t the time for that. They were being chased by the red enemies.

The stairway was narrow. The descent was steep and slippery. Tessa couldn’t see anything under the darkness but based on Faz’s constant curses and Clyne’s complaints, they were bumping on the cold brick walls and low ceiling. She heard shouts just above them, making her increase her pace. She was becoming anxious by the second. Not just because of the guards but because she was worried if she chose a safe path.

“Ouch.”

“What happened?”

“Did you hurt yourself?” she heard Faz asked.

“Scraped my hand on the wall,” Eloise replied. “Don’t worry.”

“Go, Tessa.” Only when Nate lightly pushed her that she noticed that she stopped moving.

“Right,” she absentmindedly replied. I’m sorry. She wanted to say that. She didn’t check the stairway before leading them inside. She was thankful for the darkness because her companions couldn’t see her uncertainty and fear. Somehow, the thought of Faz being disappointed entered her already troubled mind.

“It’s not your fault,” Nate whispered behind her. “You’re doing a great job.” He noticed. She could only whisper a ‘thank you.’ She shook the negative thoughts away. They needed to survive this first. Before long, Tessa noticed a ray of light on the steps. She breathed a sigh of relief. The end steps were illuminated by a faint light coming from a small doorway.

“I’ll go first,” Nate said then rushed past her. He had to bend his upper body to pass through the one-meter-high doorway.

“Are you injured?” she heard Faz ask.

“No. Just… drained of energy,” Eloise replied.

“Thank you for saving us, Faz,” the other girl, Levy, said.

“There’s a lot you should know-” Ice started then stopped. “But, safety first.” There were more exchanges but she was trying hard not to listen. It was the first time Tessa saw Faz fusing over someone. His voice was shaking sometimes.

“I wonder if Skhy and rest found the portal…” Clyne whispered just behind her.

“They’ll find it,” she replied, not noticing that her voice was shaking. Nate was taking a long time checking the vicinity. She was getting anxious.

“Tessa, is something wrong?” She tensed when she heard his voice. What does he want? Before she could form an answer, she noticed a shadow outside.

“Coast’s clear,” Nate’s voice reached them. Save by Nate. She released a shaking sigh. She didn’t waste time and moved. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed the large concrete field on their right. The sun was getting ready to rest, painting the sky a deep shade of red. The shouts and footsteps reached them before she could look at their surroundings.

“Dammit,” Faz cursed.

“Let’s go,” Nate said. He started running and the others followed. The exit was easy to find, but not without hindrances. Five soldiers were waiting. Too few. But Tessa noticed that the exit, which is an open pathway without a door and is only about two meters high and wide, faces the cliff. They knew that we won’t go here and jump to our death. She hesitated. Then she saw Faz, Clyne, and Nate run past her. With a few punches, the enemies were down.

Faz glanced back.

“Let’s go,” he said. She knew that those worried glances weren’t directed at her. The breeze was warm and strong outside. Half of the sun was already resting below the horizon. The shade of red kept getting darker while a part of the sky was turning black. No stars. There was a narrow path beside the fortress extending to the back. They had to walk one at a time beside there wasn’t enough space. They had to move quickly. Tessa could hear the enemies’ shouts and footsteps. Soon. Nate was the first to go while Faz was the last. Once they were safe, they ran toward the cave where the soldiers caught them hours ago. Or was it days ago. She wasn’t sure if the time flew normally in the place. The descent into the darkness of the cave involved scratches but Tessa knew better than to complain. The light outside was still enough to illuminate their path. Her heart sank when she saw Faz hugging Eloise to help her get down. Focus, Tessa!

Faz led them further inside after their eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was cold and damp inside. He stopped in front of the cave’s jagged wall. Tessa noticed that not all parts are rough to touch. She showed the trail.

“Ten smooth elongated stones,” Faz mirrored her thought.

“Is this the other entrance?” Nate asked.

“Do we need to destroy this wall?” Clyne placed his hands on the rocks. The elongated rocks were half a ruler thick. The first rock was near their knees and the last one just above their head. The others were probably confused with what’s happening but only Ice voiced his thoughts.

“What’s your plan?” Ice asked. Only when Tessa turned to Faz that she noticed he was staring at her.

“Among the seven ancient leaders is the mediator, the peacekeeper,” he started, confusing her. “What is the person’s elemental?” She frowned.

“I…don’t know. Is it related to the puzzle?” His gaze didn’t falter.

“That person is also the healer,” he added. When he said that, realization hit her. It was worth the try so she touched each stone to look for the engraved insignias. Which of these is related to Water? She noticed that the design of the ancient leaders’ insignias wasn’t as complicated as today. Waves. Of course.

Faz and Nate helped her remove the stone from the pile. Once it was gone, the wall shook lightly. Everyone moved away. Small stones fall from the wall as a part of it moved slowly to the right. Tessa’s wide eyes watched as the path replaced the wall. She was sure that the enemies felt and heard the movement.

“We don’t have enough time. Let’s go,” Nate pointed out.

“So cool,” Clyne and Ice whisper-shouted simultaneously. They didn’t waste time and entered the new darkness. Tessa could see the ground but there’s nothing around except darkness. Her heart was drumming in her chest every step further into the abyss. What’s out there? What if they fall into nothingness?

“This is scary,” she heard Eloise say.

“It’s fine. We’re here,” Faz replied. Tessa bit her lower lip. Suddenly she felt a hand around hers. She looked up with wide eyes. Her heartbeat quickened. She didn’t know if it’s because of fear or his stare or his warm hand.