Full Moon

After that day, you started practicing to control your Shadow Summoning. Every day, after class, you go to the woods with Professor Silas and he teaches you the basics of the dark arts.

Your hesitation still remains, because as an abandoned art of magic and a taboo, you feel somewhat wrong that here you are, out in the woods and secretly trying to learn how to use Shadow Summoning. You've also decided to keep it secret from your friends in the meantime, in order for you to concentrate.

"Come forth," you said, motioning for the shadows to arise. You were hesitant and you felt their unwillingness to follow your commands. But slowly, you felt it, the small pull and suddenly a shadow started materializing, but then faded and dissipated.

"Remember, the more you are afraid, the more it will try to subdue you and it will refuse to follow you, again!" he scolded you. And once again, you took deep breaths, focusing on commanding it instead of persuading the shadows.

"Come forth!" you said, this time commanding them, imagining the strings that are attached to the shadows, pulling and manipulating them. Your eyes glowed green from the magic that activated itself within you.

Slowly, darkness surrounded you in a cloud of black fog, and creatures made of shadows appeared one by one, five in total. One of their glowing green eyes met with yours, and the sensation you felt was unnerving. It was like staring into a hollow abyss, their faces unrecognizable, their elongated arms stretched out to talons, their bodies tall and bony.

"That's good! Now, try to make them do something," Silas suggested.

"Alright, uh, put your arms out," it took a while but once you've concentrated enough, they slowly did as they're told. "Right, now put them down," and they did. This made you feel confident and finally in control, but then you released your hold and they slowly disappeared into a cloud of smoke, retreating into your shadows.

As soon as they were gone, you felt tired and fatigued, like your energy was sucked from your body. Silas noticed this and said, "You'll need to build up your strength and stamina because they're compensating your mental weakness with your physical stamina." you slumped forward, feeling lightheaded.

"But I suppose we'll have to end here for now, but remember your mental training as well, you need a strong and confident mental state if you are to command them, soon it will be as easy as breathing," he reminded, helping you up from your exhausted state.

You sighed as he escorted you back, "Sir Silas, are you also a Shadow Summoner?" you asked, making him taken aback, "It's just that, you're so invested in it, and it's like you know what it feels like, what with the way you instruct me, it's like you know how..." you trailed off.

His face grew shadowed, "There are some things that are hard to explain, just consider the answer as something as such," he evaded your question, making you more curious and unsettled.

The sun has already gone down and the students were either having their dinner or had excused themselves for an early respite, so the halls were empty, shy of a few students in the midst of a late-night rendezvous.

Without caring to change your clothes, you went to the mess hall to grab a bite, because Silas informed you that eating will replenish your depleted energy, and rightly so because you are famished.

You immediately sat down at your usual table, and without ceremony, put food on your plate and started eating, not caring about the questioning stares you got from your friends.

"Well hello, nice for you to join us this evening," Damara was the first to comment, sarcastically, might I add.

Sitara gaped at you as you devoured your food, in an unladylike fashion, "Someone's hungry," she commented, "I mean I know you eat enough for two people but this is uhh--" and you served her point well when you took your third serving, whilst still chewing, your mouth full and unable to reply.

You paused and swallowed your food, "I'm sorry, practicing my you-know-what has been draining me dry, and eating is apparently one of the ways to replenish and revitalize," you answered then proceeded to once again stuff your face.

"So that's what you've been doing lately!" Damara exclaimed, and she was immediately shushed in case people might be eavesdropping.

"And?" Sitara urged you to continue. You put your finger up, then swallowed the remaining food in your mouth before drinking water. You sighed and slumped forward, the feeling of fatigue lifting from your body, and you felt full.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, I just didn't want to get your hopes up in case I couldn't command my powers..." you said the last part lowly, so that no one else would overhear. "But," you perked up, "I've actually made progress!" you exclaimed excitedly.

They beamed at this, "That's brilliant!" I know you could do it!" "Well done," they cheered in unison.

"But I still have a long ways to go, and clearly," you motioned to the empty plate in front of you that was filled to the brim earlier, "I need to increase my stamina, or else I'll be passed out even before I could order them to walk," you sighed.

"Ordered who to walk?" a voice suddenly said behind you making you jump in surprise. "Sorry to startle you," it was Rowan.

You held your chest, feeling your heartbeat's quickened pace, "You almost gave me a heart attack Rowan," you grumbled, "What brings you here?" you asked as he sat down beside you.

"Well about the Nogbee project, when do you suppose we can execute the action of actually capturing one?" he suggested. You almost forgot the projects that started your past ventures in the first place.

You slapped your forehead, "Right! Of course, and my arm has already been long since healed, but I'll ask Kieran and Caelum if they could lend a hand, we'll do it by this week," you assured him.

And then it hit you, "By the way, where are Kieran and Caelum?" you asked, not having seen them all day. This was peculiar because ever since the trip to town, they've gotten close with the girls and have been eating at their table since. But she hasn't seen them since morning.

They shrugged, "We haven't seen them also," Damara answered, shaking her head.

After dinner, you all went back to your dorms. You took a bath and changed into your pajamas, and as you went to your bed, you took a look outside the window, only to see the bright full moon."Oh curses," you cursed under your breath.

You immediately grabbed your coat and boots, running outside as your friends slept, "Oh no, Caelum." you thought as you sped across the empty and eerily quiet halls and corridors of Senka Luna Academy, down the stairs, at the end of the west wings hall, down the spiraling steps that lead to the school basement.

As soon as you passed the magic barrier, there he was, trapped behind the bars of the makeshift dungeon that the headmistress had built, solely for its single prisoner, "Caelum," his name, a whisper that passed from your lips.

"Emilia!" you turned to see Kieran, standing there and watching as they waited for another full moon to pass. You walked slowly towards him, but your attention was still on Caelum's darkened Abandoned form. "Where have you been?" he asked.

You felt guilty about the question because you felt as though you've forgotten something incredibly important and relevant, especially since you'd promised to be there, "I was nowhere," you replied guiltily.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is you're here now," he assured you, looking relieved. He leaned on you, looking exhausted.

"Are you alright?" you asked, concerned.

Caelum growled from inside the cage, shaking it, making you stand on alert in case it breaks, "Caelum, what's wrong?" you asked worriedly. Kieran though just snorted and crossed his arms.

"Relax mate," was the only thing he said. Caelum though grunted, but he seemed to calm down, making you sigh in relief.

The night was still long so you thought of something to pass the time, but nothing came to mind, "Oh, by the way," you said, "Do you want to see something?" you asked, hesitating.

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" Kieran asked, intrigued, not knowing he'll have the surprise of a lifetime.

You took a deep breath, making a stance in the middle of the room. You followed the instructions given by Silas, taking a deep breath, clearing your mind, and focusing on control, "Come forth!" you commanded, and you were slowly enveloped by a cloud of black fog that was beginning to be familiar to you.

"What's happening?" Kieran stood back, his eyes wide in shock as he watched the Shadows slowly materialize themselves from the fog. "What are those?!" he shouted, panicking.

"Relax," you told him, tightening your hold on the invisible strings you pictured in your mind that are attached to the Shadows like a leash, connecting them to you, "Look, hold out your hands--or talons," you ordered, and a few seconds they were doing just as you ordered. "These are my Shadow soldiers, at least that's what I decided to call them," you added.

Kieran's eyes widened further, but he relaxed slowly, "And how are you able to--" he was cut off by Caelum, growling, pacing, and banging on the metal bars. Towards the Shadow soldiers.

The more he was antagonized, the more you felt as if the strings were getting harder to tug, your eyes widened as the control you felt you had slowly slipped away from you, "Caelum, stop!" you ordered him, but he continued to growl and even attempt to reach for the Shadows.

You felt the strings start to slip from your grasp, and your energy seeped away from your body, and before you knew it, along with your control of the Shadows, you lost consciousness.