Matters to Discuss

Merlin watches over the Elite Luxerian Spell Academy in disappointment from his room. All hope barrier spells are up and merging with every staff’s conjuration. Looking at his own wand, he raises it and expels his internal hope to the roof of his room. The spire on top of his ceiling begins to emit blue light as well.

Arches of blue energy erupt from the top of the spire, with the essence of hope joining all of the staff’s hope barriers. Now, the entirety of the school is protected with a dome of pure hope.

“I surely hope this is not what I think it’s from.” Merlin says while staring at the book Lila gave to him earlier.

He sits down and thinks in his inner thoughts of what is going on.

“Let’s see, the book Lila found conjured up someone not even of this world. We don't even allow books like this on the premises so it must be from an outside source.”

Just at that moment, a doorway appears in front of him. Coming through is Azrael and Mr. Oto with the doorway disappearing behind them.

“Good news sir, all the barriers are up.” Mr. Oto responds in a joyous tone.

“All of the hallways and corridors are under pure hope sir.” Azrael says in a neutral manner.

Merlin nods.

“Good, are all students in their rooms now?”

“Yes, even those that went to private restrooms in the hallways have been notified.”

“Excellent. Mr. Oto, please kindly leave as I have some matters to discuss with Azrael.”

Mr. Oto looks confused.

“Sir? If it’s about the students, I wouldn’t mind staying. I want them to be as safe as possible in this school.” Mr. Oto rebuffs with a bow and pleading voice

Merlin shakes his head in refusal.

“No Mr. Oto. This is something that is only meant for Azrael. I’ll notify you and the rest later.” Merlin says as he points his wand to the wall to conjure up another doorway.

Seeing there are no other options, Mr. Oto bows again right before he leaves Merlin’s office. With the doorway gone now, Merlin stands up and looks at the book once again.

“Tell me Azrael, what do you think is happening?”

Azrael looks to the floor before looking at Merlin, with his mind baffled by the recent events in the school.

“Honestly sir, I don’t know. Anything I think of doesn’t make sense”

“I understand Azrael. Look, be ready to notify the parents of all students again and the Overseers of Magic will come again on the premises.”

“That’s another thing sir, the recent student who used despair has been put under immediate watch and her wand permanently confiscated.”

Merlin nods in approval.

“Good, has she said anything at all? Especially, did she tell you how she was able to conjure up despair here?”

Azrael shakes his head in disappointment.

“No. All we were able to get out of her is what was her main source of despair. She was home sick.”

“I see. Hopefully The Overseers of Magic will be lenient with this one.” Merlin rubs his eyes.

“Azrael, there’s a big reason I called you here.”

Merlin holds up the hope enhancer book. Giving it to Azrael, he is perplexed by its contents and unknown author.

“This…This is an illegal item sir.”

“Yes, it is. A student found it in the library of our school behind some reference books. I believe you know her from her recent fame in protecting another student.”

Azrael’s face turns into one of complete shock.

“Lila. Wait, her wand has eyes. She has an illegal hope enhancer, and she used it on our premises?!” Azrael says in pure anger and annoyance.

“Relax Azrael, I handled it earlier.”

“Will she be expelled?”

“No, she is allowed to stay with the nice gentleman in her wand.”

Azrael’s eyes open wide in utter disbelief.

“Sir, don’t you think this could be dangerous? What about the being in her wand, is he truly who he says he is?”

Merlin raises his hand, ordering Azrael to stop speaking.

“He’s alright. I looked into mind and he’s a very hopeful young man from his world. But I wanted to mainly talk about the book there.”

Azrael sees its blank cover and skims through a few pages written in Luxeria’s spell language.

“This is just nothing but instructions on how to summon a hope enhancer.”

“Exactly but take a look at this word.” Merlin points his wand at the book, and it flips towards a third of the way in.

Azrael sees the page and finds the top phrase underlined. These words say Tantum ex Terra.

“Only from Earth? What’s Earth? There’s no land in our world named that.”

“From the looks of it, it’s the name of where Lila’s hope enhancer is from. Think Azrael, every book about hope enhancers from around our world usually mention fairies and golems that are willing to become one.”

Azrael continues to read the texts on various pages.

“This book describes plucking beings from his world with no warning. Hold on…Merlin, this book is meant to conjure up beings full of despair!”

Merlin nods.

“Exactly, whoever created this book somehow got it through and hid it in the library. As to why there, I don’t know.”

Azrael closes the book and leaves it on Merlin's desk.

“Wait, how did Lila conjure up a being full of hope instead?”

“All I can think of is she must have changed something in her spell casting or our gods must have intervened somehow.”

As the two men talk, balls of blue hope energy hurl themselves out of the sky. Dashing through to the point the sun’s light can’t catch it and lands on top of the large pool of water in front of the school.

The balls form into beings all consisting of men and women in tight uniforms with matching white double helix swirls traveling along their arms on their light blue shirt and pants and the words Praefecti Magiae on their connected robes.

Merlin and Azrael see these authoritative looking people walk towards the main hallway of the school.

“I see the Overseers of Magic is here.” Azrael says.

Merlin nods.

“Time to explain what has happened now. Especially with this book.”

“What about the girl and her hope enhancer?” Azrael asks.

“Leave them out of this. Besides, I feel that the young man in her wand might play a bigger role in helping us.”

Azrael looks towards Merlin confusion.

“Sir?”

“Believe me Azrael, I have one thing in my mind and you won’t like what I’ll say.”

“You can tell me; this will be kept between us.” Azrael responds.

Merlin wipes his head and clears his throat.

“We train our students here to learn magic and even protect themselves against despair. But what if the true being of despair is at play here?”

Azrael’s expression begins to turn into fear.

“What if Zethros is the one behind it all?” Merlin says in pure defeat.

Azrael becomes speechless, having a stare that is void of any feeling. Merlin grips Azrael’s shoulder to snap him out of it.

“Let’s just hope this isn’t the case. It’s the only farfetched one I can think of that I pray isn’t true. Come, let’s talk with the Overseers and discuss our recent findings.”

Azrael nods

Merlin puts away the book in his robe, with Azrael following behind him. With the top officials of the Elite Luxerian Spell Academy now disturbed, a sense of dread clouds over the school and all of its personnel.