NEXT MORNING

Samara felt the arms of someone around her when she woke up, and she squinted.

"Mum, when did you enter my room last night?" She muttered sleepily.

"Shut up Sam, I'm sleeping here" Ruthie's voice replied, but her sleepiness didn't make her realize it.

Ruthie hugged her tighter on the bed, and she smiled.

"Mum you smell different, not pomelo anymore, it's baby powder now" she muttered.

"I'm sleeping I said keep it down!" Ruthie replied sleepily too, and that was when she realized...

She sprang up at once, and Ruthie did the same.

Their eyes widened, and they faced each other when they realized they were in a strange room.

They jumped down from the bed at once and rushed to the door, but it won't open.

"The bartender last night!" Samara shouted.

"Have we been kidnapped? Will they sell our organs?" Ruthie's eyes widened, and Samara slumped on the ground.

"My future husband will be lonely for life! What about the three kids I planned to have! My Cardi B and Megan Thee!!! No, I can't die like this!!!" She shouted dramatically, holding her head.

"Hold up, let's try teleporting first" Ruthie pulled her up.

"Are you serious right now? My powers work only in the bathroom!" Samara retorted.

"Then hold my hand and let me try it" Ruthie replied, and Samara held her hand hopefully.

They closed their eyes, and Ruthie whispered some spells for three minutes.

"I'm done, let's open our eyes at the count of three" she said.

"Sure" Samara replied, and after the count, they opened their eyes at once.

They're still there.

"We didn't disappear!!!!!" They screamed at once.

"Will they sell my b**bs too? Brand new, no one has sucked on them before!!!" Samara said dramatically again.

"There's a window!" Ruthie finally noticed, and they ran to it at once, pushing it open.

They peeped out, and a different air blew their red and white hair respectfully, but they saw something.

There's a large board in the middle of hibiscus flowers, and on the board, it was written...

MYSTIC INSTITUTE, HOME OF HIDDEN MYSTERIES. WELCOME.

Their eyes widened madly immediately they read it, and they faced each other slowly.

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" They both screamed, and the room door opened behind them.

They turned away from the window, facing the door as a really cute girl came in with an equally cute guy.

They still look young, wearing white historic robes.

"Hey, newbies! Welcome to Mystic Institute at Mount Delos!" The guy waved cheerfully.

"It's real, Ruth we're in trouble" Samara muttered, gumming herself to the window.

"How could our mothers do this to us?" Ruthie muttered too.

"You both need to clean up and meet the master and chiefs" the girl said.

"Who are you guys?" Samara asked.

"I'm Echo! The youngest female disciple here" the girl smiled.

"And I'm Merlin, the youngest male" the guy added.

"We are eighteen!" They both chorused, and Ruthie held her forehead.

"Help, this is frustrating already, I wanna leave this place as soon as possible" she muttered.

"Master is waiting with the chiefs already, and you both have to meet the other disciples too, fast" Echo said, and Samara gasped when she remembered something.

"Wait! Clean up? Like, take our baths?"

"Sure" Merlin replied.

"Then take us to our room!" Samara said.

"Room? Roommates aren't allowed here, you both can have your rooms beside each other though" Echo said.

"Whatever! Ok, take us to our rooms!" Ruthie snapped, and they were immediately led out of the room to the disciples' villa.

"Whoa! It's really big" Samara said, surprised.

"As it should. There are over 500 disciples" Merlin replied.

"What!" Ruthie and Samara faced them at once.

"Are you sure it's really an Institute? Not slave trading home or stuff?" Ruthie asked, and Echo laughed.

"Why am I not seeing any discipline though?" Ruthie asked.

"They're all currently at the assembly for their morning practice" Merlin replied.

"Here, your room" Echo pointed when they finally got to the front of a door.

"Thanks" Samara winked.

"And this is yours" Merlin pointed at the next door.

"Sure" Ruthie replied.

"Another disciple will come for you both in ten minutes, so make it fast" Echo said, and they both nodded as she left with Merlin.

Samara and Ruthie rushed into Samara's room immediately, and they located the bathroom fast, luckily.

They got in, and they didn't bother to pull their clothes before putting on the shower, getting under it.

They held hands and closed their eyes as the water poured on them, and Samara began whispering the spell.

At each line she says, the pouring water becomes warmer and warmer, and immediately she said the fifth line of the spell, the water became hot, and they had to run out of the shower

"Damn it! What was that! Why is the water becoming hot?" Samara shouted.

"Were you saying the hotness spell ?" Ruthie asked.

"Listen, I know I'm still an amateur in this crazy supernatural stuff, but our mothers taught us the lines together, and I know what I read" Samara replied.

"Don't get mad, I'm just frustrated" Ruthie said.

"Let's try it one more time" Samara replied, and they returned under the shower.

AT THE PRESTIGE HALL

Prestige Hall is Master Duran's hall of residence, located on top of a cliff at the far end of the Institute.

It's covered in ivy, and it's surrounded by chrysanthemum flowers. The most beautiful of all the halls.

He was meditating silently in his room when the voice of a disciple came from the door.

"Master! The chiefs are here"

He opened his eyes and stood, leaving the room for his open room where the two chiefs were truly waiting.

Chief Water and Chief Feathers are like his assistants.

"Are you both ready to meet the new arrivals?" He asked, taking his seat.

"That's not important right now, Duran. A report came from the city" Chief Water replied.

"What's it about?" Master Duran squinted.

"It's always about one person" Chief Feathers replied, and the black bird on her right shoulder chirped.

"Orion again?" Master Duran stood.

"He wasn't in his room last night when Agatha went for him. He didn't come back throughout the night practice either, " Chief Water said.

"The body of a human lady was found on the streets with the mark of three red stars on her forehead. She obviously collided into him" Chief Feathers said.

"Then he beheaded the only son of Honourable Mazi, he's planning to burn down this institute" Chief Water said, and her bird chirped again.

"Shut up" she ordered, and the bird went low on her shoulder.

"Orion" Master Duran mumbled, turning around on his spot, and almost immediately, Orion appeared in the room.

"Y'all are calling my name too much, is anything the problem?" He said grimly.

"You!!!" Master Duran shouted.

"Oh...the humans? The lady collided with me and was bound to die. It's not my fault that I was cursed with loneliness, and about the unfortunate boy, he deserved it" Orion replied.

"I warned you about going out of this institute didn't I? You're like a death trap and it's impossible not to collide with someone in the always crowded streets of Delos! Three people died the last time you went out Orion, and about the Honourable's son...

"I said he deserves it! And I'm not ready to tell his offence" Orion replied stubbornly.

"Orion, why don't you calm down and let's talk this out" Chief Water held his shoulder.

"You can't keep going like this Orion. Astrid your brother won't be happy up there" Chief Feathers smiled prettily. She's undeniably beautiful.

"I got cursed cos of his death anyway, so I don't care" Orion replied and walked out of the hall.

"Honourable Mazi will be visiting the Institute soon, we have to find a way to calm him down. Orion has to beg on his knees" Chief Water said, and Chief Feathers cackled.

"Water, don't be silly. Orion would rather murder himself than go on his knees" she said.

Master Duran faced them.

"For now, let's focus on the new arrivals"

AT THE MORNING ASSEMBLY

The disciples are all currently busy with practice.

Some sparring, some combating, some weighing their powers and some are alone.

Krishna released a heavy breath after defeating Raven for the third time, and he sat on the ground.

"Are you sure this place is for you? Your younger sister Ceres is even stronger than you, I guess you're the weakest in here, I'm ashamed" he said.

"You enjoy talking rubbish. I'm weak like this cos of Agatha's arrows from yesterday. I still have the wound on my chest" Raven replied.

"Are you ok?" Ceres asked beside him, and he faced her.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really my sister" Raven shook his head.

"Me too" Krishna replied from the ground.

"Krishna, do you wanna spar with me?" Ceres asked, and he stood.

"No. I'd pass" he said and walked away.

"Wait!" Raven went after him, and Ceres smiled, watching Krishna's backside till Peony joined her.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday Ceres. I heard Agatha hurt you cos of the bra I mistakenly took" she said, and Ceres sent mind wind to her.

Peony flew off, landing on the ground far from Ceres.

"Hurt me? Watch how you talk about me! Agatha cannot hurt me!" Ceres glared.

"I was just trying to apologise" Peony replied.

"Peony!" Merlin arrived with Echo, and they helped her up, they faced Ceres.

"You won't stop being bitter, right? Your energy matches Agatha's" Merlin said.

"No, I don't think so. Agatha is just proud and troublesome, but this one is incurably bitter" Echo replied, and Peony laughed.

Ceres was made to attack, but that was when the master arrived on the ground with the chiefs, so she retreated as all the disciples faced one direction.

"Greetings! Master, Greetings! Chiefs!" They chorused as they took their seats on the upper part of the assembly.

"Where's Aragon?" Chief Feathers asked.

"Agatha left to get him!" Raven replied.

Aragon is the second superior.

IN THE DELOS WOODS

Presently, Aragon is sitting on top of a mighty rock, and his blue sword is floating in the air in front of him, his eyes closed.

Just like Orion is obsessed with darkness, he's obsessed with rocks, and anytime he's not busy in the Institute, he's always here, practicing spells alone.

The blue light coming from his sword became brighter, and his shiny blue eyes opened at once.

He leapt into the air and directed the sword into the rock.

Immediately it penetrated, the mighty rock shone blue before shattering into smithereens.

The sword flew back to him, and immediately he grabbed it, all the pieces of the broken rock came back together, standing as one again.

He landed back on the rock gently.

"Bravo! I want to be able to do that too someday!" Agatha shouted from the base. She has been watching.

Aragon flew down from the rock, landing in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"It's time for the morning assembly, and also we're meeting the two newbies" she replied, and without another word, he started leaving.

"Wait for me Superior!" She shouted, running after him, but she fell immediately.

He still didn't stop or look back.

"At this rate, there's barely any difference between him and Superior Orion" she muttered and stood, rushing after him.

AT MYSTIC INSTITUTE, DURING THE MORNING ASSEMBLY

Aragon stood in front of the disciples when he arrived, so he was directly facing the master and the chiefs.

"And why are the new arrivals not here yet?" Chief Water said.

Meanwhile, Ruthie and Samara are still in the bathroom, trying to teleport out of the Institute for the fifth time.

Ruthie is the one reading the spell this time, and at the third line, their feet started leaving the ground.

They held themselves tighter, and Ruthie read faster till their feet left the ground completely.

They vanished from the bathroom, and immediately they felt cold air on their wet skins, they knew their environments changed.

They opened their eyes at once, and it widened when they saw where they were.

They're at the morning assembly, standing between the disciples, master, and chiefs.

"Shit, we landed in shit" Samara muttered.

"I want the ground to open up and swallow me" Ruthie replied.

From their wet clothes to their sticky wet hair, and then their bare foot. Nothing could be more embarrassing in front of the crowd.

Merlin was the first to start laughing, then Echo joined.

Soon, all the disciples began laughing at them, but immediately Master Duran stood, and they stopped.

"Welcome to the Institute" he said.

"This isn't funny young man! It's called kidnapping!" Samara shouted.

"She's feisty" Chief Water smiled.

"Abduction!" Ruthie shouted too.

"Your mothers sent you here" Master Duran continued, and when Samara made to talk again, she saw Aragon, and her eyes widened.

"Wait.... handsome guys still exist? Whoa! He's my future husband! Finally!" She gushed, tripping over him.

"Sam" Ruthie called.

"This is our home. Tie me up I'm not ready to leave anymore, arrest me!" Samara replied, pointing her arms forward.

Ruthie made to smack her, but then she saw Krishna in the middle of the disciples, and she smiled.

"Sam you're right, I should get handcuffed too" she said, pointing her arms forward too.

"Introduce yourselves" Master Duran said.

"Samara Hercules here! A die-hard fan of Cardi and Megan" Samara waved.

"Ruthie Reed, I love boys" Ruthie said, and everyone laughed again.

"They're so funny" Raven said.

Aragon was the first to walk up to them, and Samara's eyes were on his own throughout, though he was not looking at her at all.

"Aragon d'Aximos, a superior" he said.

"Nice to meet you, handsome Superior!" Samara chirped, and everyone laughed again.

"Entertaining" Chief Water smiled.

"Well I dislike girls like her" Chief Feathers replied.

Aragon didn't wait for Ruthie to talk before going back to his spot.

"Where's Orion though?" Chief Water said, and Orion appeared in front of the two girls immediately.

"Shit!" Samara held her chest, and his eyes widened when he saw her....her hair...her white hair...her long, flowing white hair.

Killer of Astrid....Killer of Astrid.... Killer of Astrid... Was all that started ringing in his head immediately, and he couldn't help but explode with rage and drown in fury.

His eyes became bloodshot.

Black blood came out of the eyes as he summoned his sword, and immediately it appeared on his palm, he sank it 'DEEP' into Samara's belly, and it came out on her back.

All eyes and mouths fell open immediately, and Master Duran spranged up at the same time with the chiefs.

"Sam!!" Ruthie screamed in horror as Orion removed his sword from her belly, and she fell on the ground lifelessly, blood gushing out of her.

Master Duran leapt into the air, flying over to the scene, but Orion vanished before he could land.

The chiefs ran down too, their eyes just as wide.

He knelt beside her, touching her forehead with two fingers as Ruthie held her.

"Sam, please don't die" she was already crying as her blood continued gushing.

"Take her to the ice cave!" Master Duran ordered, and it was Aragon who came up and carried her in his arms, rushing out of the assembly with her.

Ruthie ran after him and several other disciples.

"She was obviously flirting with Aragon, serves her right" Agatha muttered, smiling as she remained standing.

"Why would Orion do such? She might die!" Chief Water said.

"She won't, she's a healer herself. Her mother verified it" Master Duran replied.

"Being a healer doesn't count, Duran. Orion's sword is poisonous" Chief Feathers said.

"It does. She's a special breed, and she might not heal as fast as she usually does, but she'd surely heal" Master Duran replied, climbing down the stairs.

He left the two chiefs, and Chief Feathers began stroking the beak of the bird on her shoulder.

"Why would he stab her?" Chief Water said again, and Feathers faced him.

"Her hair" she smirked.

"Hair?"

"You don't remember? Astrid was murdered by a whitehead witch" she replied.

"Doesn't mean every whitehead is the killer. He didn't even see the killer's face" Chief Water said, and Feathers smiled, facing the now empty assembly.

"You know how Orion is"

Orion landed back in his dark room, and the three stars on the back of his hand began shining in the dark, illuminating the room slightly with redness.

He dropped his bloody sword on the table, and Samara's blood got magically wiped from it immediately.

His brows pulled when he remembered how he stabbed her without waiting earlier, and he rested his palms on the table, remembering that black evening when Astrid died.

FLASHBACK, YEARS AGO

"Orion! I need to go fetch herbs in the woods" Astrid rushed into Orion's room, and Orion looked up from the book he was reading.

He's a great lover of books.

"Again? Well fine, just don't tell me to follow you" he said.

"You know there's no way I'm going without you. Orion please...

"Sometimes I wonder why I was born powerful while you were born as a human, it's frustrating I can't even do anything without considering you first" Orion replied.

"Just ten minutes, we won't take long I promise" Astrid begged again.

"Go call Aragon" Orion replied.

Aragon is Astrid's friend.

"He's currently not in the city, please Orion I....

"Then wait till I finish this book" Orion cut him off, and he sighed.

"Fine! I'd go alone!"

He left the house, and Orion inhaled in relief.

"Finally some peace" he smiled and returned to reading his book.

He was on it for hours, and he got so lost in it that hhe didn't notice Astrid was taking too long.

"Astrid!" Aragon shouted from outside, and that brought Orion back from the reading land.

He dropped the book and looked up. Aragon came in.

Though he's friends with Astrid, they're not close, they barely talk to each other unless he wants to ask about Astrid.

"Where's Astrid?" He asked as expected.

"He's....

Orion stopped talking, and his eyes widened when he realized he had actually been gone for two good hours!

The book dropped from him, and he ran crazily out of the house.

"What's happening? Why aren't you saying anything!" Aragon ran after him, but he never stopped or looked back.

He kept up the race as he went deeper and deeper into the woods with Aragon running behind him.

He suddenly came to a stop when he saw drops of blood on the green leaves, and his eyes widened.

The flapping of wings could suddenly be heard, and he looked up immediately, he saw a white-headed girl flying away in the sky with two giant wings.

She was already gone before Aragon caught up with him, and they both saw Astrid's body lying in blood at once.

He's lifeless under a tree.

"Astrid!!!!"

FLASHBACK ENDS

Orion clutched his hand on the sword edge as he remembered, and his door opened violently.

Master Duran walked in, and when he tried to vanish again, Duran held him back with a strong magnetic force, gumming his foot to the ground till he got to him and slapped him on the chest.

Orion flew away from his spot, crashing into the bedstand. The bedstand shattered immediately his body touched it, and he landed in the middle of the wooden pieces.

"You think it's fun? Hurting people is a game? What are you turning into!" Master Duran demanded furiously.

"She's not a human, she's a witch, a whitehead!" Orion replied as he stood in the middle of the pieces with bloody dentures.

"Orion!!!"

"Keep her away from me, it's advice" he replied and vanished.

Master Duran inhaled frustratingly, closing his eyes.