Deadlocks

I am a deadlock.

Suppressed. Controlled. Feared by many. Isolated.

I wish I could have yelled from the rooftops that I was a healer, but I cannot. But what would that label me as? I was unable to conjure spells or formulate potions. The cultivation of greens eluded me. I wasn't any witch or faerie. Even I wasn't some hybrid.

I didn't fit into any box. I sensed that I was more than just a healer. In my nightmares, I had witnessed. The number of instances is relatively high.

When I bleed, it's a mixture of black and white and glitters like the stars in the sky. Both the light and the dark were after me at various times. Who am I? And I certainly had no idea.

Perhaps the impasse served a purpose. Well, at least I had Myra and that weird guy Oswin. I assure you that Avi will be OK. The best case scenario was that she would be fine. Even though she looked like a young child, she bested me.

We were now in the camp block waiting area. A few raised garden beds were already flourishing with a variety of veggies, and the whole place seemed quaint and cozy. It was located half a kilometer from any of the more posh camps of seers, faeries, witches, werewolves, vampires, or hybrids in the middle of the woods.

I wish I could have yelled from the rooftops that I was a healer, but I cannot. But what would that label me as? I was unable to conjure spells or formulate potions. The cultivation of greens eluded me. I wasn't any witch or faerie. Even I wasn't some hybrid.

I didn't fit into any box. I sensed that I was more than just a healer. In my nightmares, I had witnessed. The number of instances is relatively high.

When I bleed, it's a mixture of black and white and glitters like the stars in the sky. Both the light and the dark were after me at various times. Who am I? And I certainly had no idea.

Perhaps the impasse served a purpose. Well, at least I had Myra and that weird guy Oswin. I assure you that Avi will be fine. The best case scenario was that she would be fine. Even though she looked like a young child, she bested me.

We were now in the camp block waiting area. A few raised garden beds were already flourishing with a variety of veggies, and the whole place seemed quaint and cozy. It was located half a kilometer from any of the more posh camps of seers, faeries, witches, werewolves, vampires, or hybrids in the middle of the woods.

"Wait," Myra replied as she flipped through her notebook, "if I heard correctly, sir Oswin, the beautiful mouth-watering guy, you are Oswin Haviet Leviste. So that means..."

Oswin arched an eyebrow and scowled. He was good-looking, but he moved his face for comedic effect. He answered, " Yes, I consider myself to be a Leviste. A race of hybrid humans and animals who are fierce warriors. But look at me, I don't mind being here!"

A scowl formed on Myra's face. Intensely focusing on the man, she said, "Do you relish the current impasse? Why? You're so dashing that it makes me think you're bouncing!"

There was a hearty chuckle from the man. The place was suddenly less desolate and dreary thanks to his humor. "In a word, yeah! To the depths of hell and back, honey, I will never, ever, ever regret this. Being stuck in a rut allows me to have a normal, uncomplicated existence." He triumphantly lifted both fists in the air.

Oswin's reply seemed to please the three lads in the rear, who all cheered in his honor. For some reason, the student's enthusiasm and pride in belonging to a small club felt unprecedented.

The young child asked the guy with genuine curiosity, "So, Oswin, we're not losers?"

"Of course not, little boy! Come here!" He reached out for the boy's hand and made him sit next to him, in the middle of us. Then he continued, "Those red, blue, yellow, green, gray, and purple eyes envy us! We're normal. It's like all the innocence and the chance at peace is in us. Offered upfront! We are the happiest group since there is no burden on our back, no pressure, nothing just us. Just our kindness."

"Oh, my! I'm falling in love!" Myra joked while staring at the friendly Oswin.

"Crazy, before you fall in love, comb your hair!" the young man laughed hysterically.

A girl named Angela Faey joined the conversation, "Oswin was right. We were the happiest camp before. You remind us of Sandro Aragon; he's positive, happy, kind, and normal. The camp deadlock used to be very happy. Even though we were logging, gardening, and helping with schoolwork every day, we don't feel like we are the lowest class because he constantly reminds us that we are special with our kind and giving heart."

"Yeah, Sandro is the best deadlock ever," Myra seconded.

"Then that tragedy occurred,” Faey mumbled through her tears, “and he and The Drift were on a mission. The Drift took advantage of the fact that he was an Aragon to gain access to sensitive material. They had a stalemate, and Sandro was their mission partner. Sandro went missing after they had an encounter with abysmal demons, the lords of evil magic."

This was the first time I've heard Sandro's story. It made my spine tingle. A goose bump formed on my back. His disappearance was beginning to reveal more and more of its angles gradually. I listened intently as those at a stalemate shared their experiences.

"Why did this happen to him? And then he just vanished?" Oswin sounded genuinely interested, as I caught it in his speech. The events of The Drift and Sandro also pique his curiosity." The volunteer eighteen-year-old guy, Lux, was rumored to have transformed into a monster and been taken over by hellish forces. Others reported that he popped off the radar."

What I heard was terrifying. My parents' frightening tales about abysmal monsters from when I was a kid turned out to be true. As I listened, it seemed as though my skull was expanding. "Devils from the depths? Are there any reports of people who have seen truly terrifying demons?"

"At the academy, we don't discuss things like the abysmal demons!" A deep baritone cut off our chat. His appearance seemed to stun everyone.

The room is dead silent.

The sight of his face was instantly recognizable. I caught his eye off him during the opening parade with the other academy heads. I suspected him of being at the center of the impasse in the camp.

He was the youngest leader at the academy and had a soft face, a pointed nose, chocolate eyes, and long hair. Myra's mouth dropped open as she stared at him because he was so handsome. Gods seemed to be in every corner of Tribus, and they were all nearly flawless.

"Good morning, Mr. Fern, the principal." The assembled pupils greeted him individually.

He set down his hunting knives and a basket of freshly picked fruits and vegetables and gave Oswin and me a glance. With a sigh, he mumbled, "Newcomers, please accept our warmest welcome. At Deadlock Camp, I am the headmaster, and my name is Fernando Aragon; yes, I am related to Blue Dane Aragon, one of the Trinity. In case you were about to ask, yes, Sandro is my brother."

"Greetings, Sir! It's great to see you return from a wild harvest and hunt!" Myra raised her voice, and the young headmaster immediately became endearing again. The headmaster said, "You're still handsome!"

At what Myra and the other deadlocks said, the dashing headmaster laughed.

"One of the rules is that you don't do that, Stella. When the principal is amused, everyone is. It would make him look like an idiot if he were the only one laughing." Myra chuckled softly before she said.

Fernando Aragon avoided eye contact while I laughed at him. I don't understand why it would also contain secrets. My instincts and gut feelings have never led me astray. I have a feeling the academy's top brass can shed light on what happened to Sandro Aragon and that doing so is necessary for me to move forward with my life.

It seemed like I wanted to help find the answer to the puzzle.

How, though? Not by myself, of course!

What if we also organize into a team? Myra, Isabel, and I, plus possibly, possibly, Oswin and Angela, or possibly Lux; if I had to choose, should I also include Avi?

Deadlock squad. I don't see why not. This strategy has a chance of succeeding. Perhaps our luck will be in.