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.

IN THE ICE CAVE

Almost all the top students are present except Ceres and Agatha, and Samara is currently on the ice bed, the steam coming from the ice seeping into her pale skin.

"Why was she brought here? She should be treated instead. I'm getting y'all arrested if my friend really dies" Ruthie said, and Echo held her shoulders.

"Don't worry Ruthie. Bringing her here is the best. Blood will stop circulating in her body so far she's on the ice bed, and that's why her bleeding stopped already" she said.

"Really? Will it really bring her back?" Ruthie asked.

"Not really, but master can transfer some of his inner powers to her, she'd wake once master comes" Krishna replied behind, and she nodded.

As if he could hear, Master Duran came in immediately, and the students made way for him as he walked to the bed, taking Samara's wrist.

He placed two fingers on it to feel her pulse, and he nodded.

"She's healing"

"Healing?" Merlin asked.

"Isn't she an healer?" He replied, and Ruthie gasped.

"Gosh! I totally forgot! She is! But wait! Her body is fast in that aspect so she should have finished healing by now" she said quickly.

"She got stabbed by Orion's sword, so it might take a while" Aragon spoke.

"That tasteless, wicked, callous, cruel, devilish scum of the earth is Orion? Sounds like Onion, what an ugly name" Ruthie said with a scoff, and everyone began laughing except the master and Aragon though.

"He's the second Superior" Peony said.

"I don't care!" Ruthie shouted.

"Calm your voice down, Samara will wake up in an hour at least" Master Duran said and left.

"Y'all should leave. Staying here might slow down her healing" Aragon said.

"Me too?" Ruthie pointed to herself.

Aragon left without replying, and Peony held her.

"Don't worry, she'd be fine" she said, pulling her out with the others.

They left for the cafeteria for breakfast, and Ruthie's eyes widened when she saw the delicious foods looking ostentatious.

There's no server in sight, so it's obviously self service.

"I wish I could eat all these with Sam" she muttered.

"You won't eat?" Raven asked.

"I'm not eating anything without Sam" she replied.

"I envy the friendship" Krishna said, and Ruthie smiled at him.

He returned it before leaving to join the line with Raven, and she blushed.

"Did he just smile at me?"

She sat alone and just watched everyone else take food.

Merlin and Echo were the first to serve themselves, and they returned to the table with full trays.

"Don't tell me you both are finishing all" Ruthie said in astonishment.

"They're tiny, but they eat like elephants" Peony replied, sitting beside her with her own tray of food.

"I love your purple hair, witch" Ruthie said.

"And I love your redhead, witch" Peony replied, and they laughed.

"I'm Peony by the way" she said.

"Nice" Ruthie nodded.

"That's Raven, and that's Krishna, his friend" Peony pointed at them.

"Thanks, and those two foodies are Merlin and Echo right?" Ruthie replied.

"You know their names already?" Peony smiled.

"Yes. They were the ones who came to get i and Sam" Ruthie said.

Agatha entered the crowdy cafeteria, flaunting her hair proudly, walking like she owns the world like her usual self till she got to the line.

Instead of staying in the last place, she went to the front, not minding the others in line.

She spent over ten minutes to take her food before leaving the line, settling down alone on a table.

"Wait ... Did that just happen? Did that disgusting, arrogant, proud girl ... Did she just get ahead of everyone in line?" Ruthie blinked.

"That's Agatha, she's the princess of a distant kingdom called Sullivan. Her father is a king, so she gets special treatment" Peony replied.

"I don't care! So far she's in here, isn't she a disciple too?" Ruthie said.

"Well... Ceres is the only one who can say that to her face" Peony replied.

"Ceres?" Ruthie said.

"That's her" Peony said, pointing at Ceres who's just coming in.

"I like people like her, I should get to know her" Ruthie made to stand, but Peony pulled her back.

"Don't go to her, she only talks to Raven who's her brother or Krishna who's her crush, any other person is a no, she's naturally bitter" Peony said.

"Wait... didn't you say Raven and Krishna are friends? She's crushing on her brother's friend?" Ruthie said.

"Sure, love is not forbidden in here" Peony replied, eating another forklift from her scrambled eggs.

"We're back!" Krishna and Raven joined the table, then Merlin and Echo came over to the same table too. They're currently on the third tray of food.

Ceres joined them too after getting her food, and Ruthie waved at her, but she shunned her and just ate.

"Told you, she hates people" Peony said.

"Now I know" Ruthie rolled eyes at Ceres.

Aragon came in, and the attention of 50 percent of the girls turned to him. He might be a superior, but he's same age with most of the disciples just like Orion, and he's got an handsome but cold face.

The only difference between the superiors and disciples is that the superiors reached the last stage of their power cultivation already, but the disciples are just starting their cultivation.

"Whoa, girls crush huh? My Sam even joined the girls already" Ruthie said.

"He might be cold, but Superior Aragon is actually caring" Echo said over a mouthful of food.

Aragon got his food and went to his own special table at a different spot in the cafeteria where he settled.

Agatha took her food tray and left her table, going to him immediately.

"I feel like eating here today" she said, sitting in front of him.

Aragon said nothing, just eating silently.

"Wait...when did you guys resume?" Ruthie asked.

"We all resumed this week, just different days, and we haven't done much" Raven replied.

"Heard we're going on our first test this evening" Krishna said.

"Test?" Ruthie blinked.

"Yes. Test of our powers, and I can't wait" Merlin said, drinking some water.

"She's awake!" Echo pointed at the door, and everyone turned there to see Samara standing there with an angry look.

The veins on her neck are out.

"Sam!" Ruthie rushed to her with the rest.

"Where's that bastard who wounded me?" She asked.

"Sam...

"Where's him!!" Samara interrupted, and Ruthie jumped.

"Calm down Sam. Superior Orion is not here now"

"Onion? So he's the second superior? Is that why he decided to stab me at first sight? What if I died!!!" Samara screamed crazily, and Aragon entered the circle, making her scream stop abruptly.

Her mouth remained open as he felt her temperature by touching her forehead, and she stood still.

Agatha lost her appetite immediately she saw the scene.

Aragon actually touched that girl?

She poured away her remaining food in anger.

"You're not burning, seems you're totally fine" Aragon said and made to remove his hand from her forehead, but Samara held it back.

"No. Keep touching" she said, but he removed it nevertheless, and he walked out of the cafeteria

"I can now die in peace, he touched me" Samara rested her palms on her chest, and a loud bell sounded from the assembly immediately.

They all left the cafeteria for the assembly where they met just Master Duran on seat, no chiefs in sight.

They lined accordingly, waiting for what he has to say.

"This evening will be the first test of power, y'all will be going on a journey to the woods where you'd face several challenges. It might turn dangerous, and that's why we'd have y'all distributed under the two Superiors who'd accompany you in the journey" Master Duran talked.

"I hope I'll be under Superior Aragon" Ruthie said

"Me too" Merlin and Echo said at a time.

"Anywhere I am, I'm fine" Krishna said, and Ruthie looked at him.

"He's so cool" she muttered, then her eyes met with Ceres who's also staring at him.

Ceres rolled eyes before looking away, and Ruthie scoffed.

"She's not even that pretty"

"I want to be under Superior Aragon too" Raven said.

"Me too please" Peony said.

Agatha only smiled.

"And know that the Superior you'd be under will also be the one to oversee your practicing classes" Master Duran said again, and everyone held their breaths as a broad sheet appeared on his palm.

He started calling the names, starting with the ones under Aragon.

"Peony"

"Raven"

"Krishna"

"Ruthie"

"Echo"

"Merlin"

"Ceres"

"Agatha"

"There's just one disciple under Orion" Master Duran continued, and they all went silent.

Samara held held her breath this time, hoping it's not what she's thinking.

"Samara" Master Duran finally said, and Samara fainted.