INSIGNIAS: THE LUX SIGNIFER ACADEMY

It was a ridiculous thought but Tessa was curious about his truth. Being judged by people based on what they hear and what they perceive to be true was all too familiar to her. Everyone in the group had their past and stories that they keep as secrets but she thought that he was the one who covers his wounds through anger and revenge. He wanted to keep it to himself, not letting people help him. Whatever his stories were, she realized, without him saying it, that he wanted to protect others from himself. This was her thought as she silently stared at her friends who were discussing around the campfire. The moon was covered by the thick clouds in the starry sky.

She closed her eyes for a moment when she began trembling again. She gave most of her energy to Steve so it would take a while to gather her strength. Skhy and Aubree decided to let everyone rest for the night.

“Tessa?” She opened her eyes when Lei called her. Everyone was staring at her with a concerned look. She noticed that Skhy, Storm, Savvier, Hunter, and Steve were missing. Probably interrogating her father. The ache in her head increased.

“Today was a lot,” she said softly. Some of her friends nodded in agreement. She turned to Aubree. “Uh how about the materials you were looking for?” Aubree sighed then shook her head.

“There’s also a labyrinth,” she started. “Good thing we found the way out.” The disappointment was evident on her face. Aurora and Ellie, on the other hand, looked pissed.

“Aria…” Tessa glanced at her.

“Yes, she told us. We’ll try again,” Aurora interrupted. What? You wanted to go back there again? Her face must have shown what’s on her mind because Ellie answered.

“Yes, tomorrow. We still have two days,” she said.

“Don’t worry. I told them how to get pass through them,” Aria assured her. Tessa smiled at her.

“Is there a possibility that it’s of different design?” Hanne asked. It also entered Tessa’s mind. The Mortemians won’t make it easy for anyone.

“It might. All the rules and paths will be reversed there,” Aria explained. Right…

“It’ll be harder to follow, but we’ll do what we can,” Ellie said. Silence followed. No one brought a sleeping bag because they decided to pack lighter as possible in case of an attack or fight. They’re going to sleep on the ground tonight. It had been months since she had stayed in the forest for the night. It wasn’t as comfortable as sleeping in a bed but she felt safe. Maybe because I’m surrounded by my friends…

“What was the thing you’re looking for there?” Clyne suddenly asked while munching on a cookie. Snacks occupied most of his backpack. Aria looked at him with a disgusted look. Tessa chuckled. She turned to Aubree to wait for her answers. She noticed that Aubree, Aurora, and Ellie simultaneously glanced at the direction of the tree where she supposed Skhy, Storm, Savvier, Hunter, and Steve were behind it.

“Stolen archives. Tionem Sphere. Soul gems,” Aurora said.

“How sure are you that they are here?” Clyne asked with his mouth full. Tessa cringed a bit.

“Don’t speak when your mouth is full,” Aria scolded him. He beamed at her and she rolled her eyes.

“As Skhy said, informants,” Ellie explained. “We’re been working with Skhy for years.” It took a moment before Tessa get it. Aubree, Aurora, and Ellie must have felt that there’s a part of them that still doesn’t trust them. But it was acceptable. Skhy told them not to trust anyone in the Academy. Except maybe the one he trusts.

“Those are not the only ones which were stolen,” Aubree said. Confused, Tessa waited for an explanation.

“The Golden necklace, Last crown, and…Winged sword,” Aubree listed. She looked lost in thought as she stared at the dancing fire. “They won’t keep those powerful tools here.”

“But we can at least get hold of the ones inside,” Ellie added. Tessa hadn’t heard of those objects before.

“What are they used for?” Tessa asked. Then she felt the heaviness of her eyes. Not now! I want to know.

“Let’s rest tonight,” Aubree said with a smile. “We’ll tell you tomorrow.” Tessa nodded. She couldn’t fight the heaviness of her head and body. The others stood up and looked for a comfortable place to rest. Some of them laid on the ground while some sat with their backs on the tree trunks. Clyne and Nate left the girls to be with Skhy and the others. Tessa’s area had grass between two huge tree roots. It’s perfect. She wondered if it was Hunter who placed her there earlier. Before she lay down, she looked at the direction where Skhy and the others were. She couldn’t see their forms because the tree trunk was wide but she couldn’t make out the shadows because of their campfire.

Her last thoughts before she was swallowed by darkness as she had to face her father tomorrow to know the truth.

She was awakened a rustling sound near her right ear. Her fight and flight reaction was activated. She immediately opened and she turned toward the sound. She sighed of relief when she saw a furry animal running on the tree root. It climbed the tree toward a small opening on the trunk. It was still dark. Moonlight seeped through the spaces between the leaves and branches. She tried to sleep again but she couldn’t. She sat up slowly to stretch her back. The campfire was almost out of woods so she decided to put some in. She stood up slowly. Her body wasn’t hurting the same as hours ago. She was still weak but it wasn’t hard to move. After she fed the fire, she walked toward where the boys were resting. Who’s keeping watch?

She found them all asleep. It was a tiring day. Her father, on the other hand, was wide awake, staring at the fire. She felt a pinching pain in her chest when she saw him in a dishevelled state. His wrists and ankles were tied up. There was a small blue flame above his head. What’s it for? She kneeled in front of him. He blinked several times then looked up at her. He smiled. Not the smile he showed her for the last 24 hours but the smile he shows when he gets home on Sundays. But his eyes were different.

“Tell me everything,” she whispered. “If you’re really my dad. Not someone with the same face. Not someone who’s manipulated.” She wanted to cry but her tears will only make the enemies happy.

“I’m not manipulated, Tessa,” he whispered. “I was only doing my mission.”

“Bringing me up…was also your mission?” she asked. But she already knew the dreaded answer.

“Yes,” he answered simply. His voice was full of sadness. But she didn’t know what to believe anymore. She didn’t know if his expressions are even real.

“W- why? M-mom?” she stuttered. So all the happy and loving memories in her journal were one-sided? How about your love for me? She couldn’t put the questions into words. The only thing that made sense to her is that her dad wasn’t the person she thought she knew.

“It would hurt you more if you know,” he said softly. She looked at him disgustingly.

“Tell me,” she said forcefully. His expression turned cold.

“It’s a mission. Use Margarette and Steve. Turn you over to our side. But the plan didn’t come through,” he said without pausing. She felt the heat in her eyes.

“You brought me up to be used by the Mortemians,” she said softly. She couldn’t believe what she heard.

“Margarette was a nice lady-” She didn’t let him finish. She quickly stood up so he couldn’t see the tears forming.

“You might be the person who’s been with been with me for the past 17 years,” she said. “But you aren’t a dad.” She walked away. She went deeper into the forest and stopped where the campfire light stopped. She let her tears flow without a noise.

“Why are you following me?” she asked. She heard the person walking behind her.

“It isn’t safe to wander around,” Hunter said.

“Let me be,” she whispered. But of course, he didn’t. “Go before-” She immediately stopped herself.

“Before what?” he asked in a very low voice. It sounded like he was challenging her. She turned around then walked toward him. She clashed into him and put her head on his chest. After a few seconds, he wrapped his arms around her.

“If you don’t want to rely on others, at least let others depend on you,” she whispered. Why am I the one giving him advice? I’m the one who needs it. She pulled away then went back. She didn’t sleep anymore and waited for others to wake up. Hunter didn’t bother her. At eight in the morning, Aubree, Aurora, Ellie, and Savvier left to go back to the castle. Skhy and Steve went with them to guard her father while he opens the force field. When the three get back, Steve and Tessa talked. She silently listened to his stories of what happened after she left their house. Steve worded them as less painful as possible but the damage was done already.

She slept through noon to regain her strength. It was four in the afternoon when she awoke. Her nightmare was vivid. She saw how her mom died again and her dad laughing as she died.

“Horrible,” she mumbled after she sat up then buried her head between her arms.

“They’re here!” Clyne shouted. She looked up and found Aubree, Aurora, Ellie, and Savvier walking toward them. Clyne was doing a celebratory dance. Hanne was cheering. The rest of her friends were grinning. She was about to stand up to talk to them when someone roughly pulled her right arm.

“AH!” she shouted when a large arm painfully circled her neck. She tried to pry his arm away but he was too strong. He was choking her.

“Tessa!” The man dragged her backward. She saw her friends’ mortified faces. Some of them had their weapons out.

“It’s a give and take,” she heard the man say. She suddenly felt a pointy object on her right side. She gasped, horrified. He was emanating a powerful and dangerous aura. She was trembling due to the coldness of his body against her.

“What do you want?” Skhy shouted.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want the tools, just give up the old guy,” he replied. Old guy? My dad? Steve grabbed her dad then walked toward them. She choked when the man tightened his arm around her neck. She couldn’t see what’s happening in front of her because of the tears. The next thing she knew, her body was falling. Someone caught her before she hit the ground. She began gasping for air while blinking the tears away. That hurts…

“That wasn’t fun,” she heard the Mortemian say. She stood up slowly with the help of Skhy. She realized that her dad was already standing beside her attacker who stood seven feet tall. She massaged her neck.

“We can take him,” Clyne said. “There’s only two of them.”

“No, he’s different,” Aubree said. What does that mean? She tried to read his energy level. It was the same as her dad’s.

“Should we play for a little bit?” the man asked.

“If it’s your wish,” her dad replied politely. The man grinned at the young warriors.

“Didn’t think you would remember the maze, Lasiandra,” he said. Lasiandra? Remember the maze? Tessa quickly looked at Aria who was glaring him. How did he know? And why is he calling her Lasiandra?

“Stop this. You have what you want.” She turned to Storm who said this. He looked calm.

“Yeah. We have what we want.” The man emphasized the word ‘we.’ Silence followed. No one moved.

Then Storm walked slowly toward them.

“What are you doing, Storm?” Hanne shouted. Storm didn’t look back nor stopped walking. Is he going to fight him head-on? To her surprised, he didn’t stand in front of the seven feet guy but beside him.

“Wha- what’s going on?” Hanne asked, confused. The man chuckled. It can’t be.

“Let’s go my dear cousin,” the man said while looking at Storm. He’s the spy.

Storm didn’t look affected by what’s happening. Tessa quickly looked at Hanne who had her hands on her mouth. Then dark smoke surrounded Storm, the man, and Tessa’s dad. She noticed that Storm’s clothes. His hair was covered with a black hoody.

“So that’s why he was interested about me in the beginning,” Aria spat. Tessa was confused.

“Ciar Lockhunts,” she heard Hunter say. “The youngest son of the Mortemian Leader.”