GUARDIANS OF MAGIC: THE INVISIBLE CODED BOOK
CHAPTER NINE

HALLUCINATIONS AND SAD INSTRUMENTALS

Fina stirred restlessly on the bed. Her eyes have been opened for hours and she found her thoughts wandering in so many directions.

“You never experience normality again once you have gotten a taste of madness.

Indeed. This was madness in so many ways.

She stirred again and looked at Zo who have a painful expression on even in her sleep.

Zo might be adapting well to people but underneath she’s like a broken shell.

Her expression was pinched and Fina knew she was having one of those bad dreams again.

She moved closer to her and began to sing softly in her ear that she can defeat her demons.

Zo’s expression softened a little bit and Fina moved to her side where she laid awake for a while.

As she felt the little breeze of sleep, she brought out her wand from thin air and did the sentimincus spell Tyrell taught her.

And drifted asleep….

Until she opened her eyes in the morning.

No nightmares.

Fina and Zo rushed to get ready for Telepathy class. They ran out of the elevator until they got to the lobby.

Fina’s hair was askew and her ponytail was begging to be straightened.

They halted when they saw Bryce Parker and his friends walking in.

They all looked like they went for a fly.

All except Xavier who wasn’t even present.

Tyrell smiled at Fina.

“Hey” Ozias said in greetings.

Fina’s nose twitched at the smell drifting from his red scarf always wrapped around his neck.

“Hey…” Fina said to them all and dragged Zo to the door. They were almost out of the door when Tyrell grabbed her hand.

“Can I see you in the library. Our spot” Tyrell whispered

Our spot…

Fina nodded furiously and hurried out of the door with Zo.

“Over sleeping is sooo my enemy…” Zo sang

They were breathing deeply when they got to Telepathy class.

Including other students.

“Merista(Good morning)! Wellas(Well), this is surprising. Why are you all breathis like you have run a marathonis(Marathon)? Impossiblis(Impossible)”

Mrs Young was garbed in a weird purple pink gown with no exact pattern.

Her green hair and eyes stood out like a witch eyes.

Mrs Young shook her head at them and brought out her book wand.

“Wellas, today, we will be doing teleportas with our mind. So, I’ll warn you, this is zertainly dangerous territory. You’ve been warned. Don’t think bad thoughts. Don’t form bad places in your head. Don’t think about going to the palacis. The Guardians will kick you outas. Sit”

Invisible mats appeared and became visible on the floor.

They all took a seat.

“I want you all to breathe in deep and out and think about the place you want to go. Sometimes, when you are too slow, your mind settles on any place. And be careful not to swap places when you made the spell. You might be stuck in two places at once. Now, the spellis is dufferentas. MINDUSFELISTUSTELEPASIA”

Fina’s mind went into a great frenzy at where she wanted her mind to settle on.

Her thoughts stopped at the tree of fog then she whispered the spell with a flick of her wand.

She wasn’t at the tree of fog.

She was…. in the library and no one was there.

Fina took a deep breath and wondered where this might lead.

Again.

She was about to go back into teleportation class when the sun suddenly went down and evening followed.

Darkness descended and everywhere was shrouded in it.

Fina’s eyes widened in shock and she ran to the window to see the full moon blessing the earth with its glorious light.

Everywhere outside was dark except for the moonlight.

She turned back to the library and everything was already changed.

It looked old.

Like years ago….

The shelf was still the same though.…

Fina walked slowly around, trying to make some senses out of this madness.

Because that’s exactly what she described everything that was happening right now to be.

Madness…

Insanity….

It was like she was in a dream…

She hid when she heard footsteps.

Someone ran through the shelves.

Fina crept slowly to a corner where she could get a good view of the person.

Long shining red hair glistened in the dim light.

The person was in haste, hiding something in a shelf.

Hiding something in a shelf?

Then, it clicked.

The old settings. The day change.

She was in the past.

This wasn’t few years ago.

This was a century ago.

And a century ago means….

Carly Brooklyn.

Fina gasped out loud in shock.

Carly’s head snapped to her direction.

“Who’s there?” Carly’s panicked voice asked

Fina eyes widened in complete horror.

She can hear her. And if she can hear her, she can be harmed. And if she can be harmed, she can die.

Real death.

This isn’t just watching from a memory.

This. Is. Real.

She. Is. Real.

Everything. Is. Real.

She’s existing in the now not the future.

Fina’s struggled to control her wildly accelerating heart which was threatening to rip out of her chest right that moment.

She tried to calm herself down and reached for her wand in the air.

Nothing appeared.

She tried this thrice and froze when it all settled in.

She’s stuck.

Again.

She wanted to scream. Cry. Anything.

But she knew one slight sound could send her head rolling off the floor.

That thought made her sick and if not that she hadn’t eaten anything this morning, she would have been swimming in vomit.

Fina breathe in through her nose and breathe out through her mouth.

Then, she turned to see Carly walking slowly towards the hidden room.

It was then she realized that Carly was hurt and she was limping. Badly.

Fina remembered her broken bones and wished…wished so much that she doesn’t see that.

She followed Carly silently and when Carly dragged the shelf and walked into the secret room, she crept in slowly before the door could lock.

Carly looked behind her again and Fina merged with the darkness. Carly fingered the painting her name was written upon.

Then, she burst into tears.

Fina could see the fountain but it was sprinkling pure water from it. The fireplace wasn’t lit either.

Carly took the painting and turned it, removing something behind it.

She raised the thing and Fina could see it was a ring.

A dark ring.

“This body won’t stop. This soul won’t rest. The whole world will be crushed. Darkness will descend. Death will become your other half. Pain will embrace you. Every one will fall. For this is what they want. THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT! THIS IS WHAT THEY LIVED FOR! THIS IS THEIR ANTHEM! Inevitable destruction. Endless heart break. THIS IS THEIR FINAL GOAL. THIS IS THEIR HEAVEN. THEIR PARADISE.”

Carly chanted into the ring.

“But this soul will never rest. And if this soul dies…. OH SOUL! OH SOUL! OH SOUL! THOU MIGHT BREAK! THOU MIGHT BE CRUSHED! THOU MIGHT BE DESTROYED! BUT THOU WILL NEVER LET LET THEM SUCEED! THEY WILL STRUGGLE! THEY WILL TASTE MADNESS! THEY WILL ALWAYS BE CLOSE YET SO SO SO FAR. THEY WILL BE DEFEATED REPEATEDLY! THIS IS MY CURSE O DARK RING! AND MY CURSE YE SHALL ALWAYS CARRY!”

The ring disappeared in a red flash and Carly went down on the floor.

“I’ve failed you, Peter. You died in error. And I’m also failing miserably but my curse shall be their daily meal for they will never stop. The book has gone back to its Invisibility status and only one who can see clearly at night can replace it. And… death is inevitable for that ONE too”

Fina swallowed repeatedly.

Carly neck snapped up when the door opened and seven humans garbed in total black walked in. They were covered from head to toe.

They formed a circle around Carly at once while she looked so broken in the midst.

They chanted spells after spells and Carly cried out in terrorizing pain. Blood spilled from her mouth and her eyes bulged so bad.

Green veins became visible on her body as if struggling to live.

Fina turned green at the sight but couldn’t look away.

“We live to protect the world. We are the future of Amenix. And we come from Elfina.” She sputtered with blood.

The seven dark ones chanted wildly, making Fina shivered in fear.

They oozes total darkness. It was evident.

These were not just humans.

They were demons.

“I’m coming Peter, Jane, Jacqueline, Christopher. Death calls me and O Death I am here. You’ve succeeded. But not for long. Someone will beat you in the future. Someone will make you weep that you failed. Someone will prove your weakness. O Death! The enemy of man. The remover of loved ones, here I am. Take me.”

Carly began to melt and she screamed in total agony.

“Choose wisely. It’s the simplest choice and yet… the hardest”

The demons got on their knees and did what Fina was expecting and yet not anticipating.

They pulled on Carly’s limbs one by one while she screamed and screamed in terrifying agony. Her scream pierced the air.

A demon removed her eyes like he was picking stones. Another removed her head so easily as if the human bone was the weakest thing on earth. They snapped her bones together until she was just a heap of broken bones.

Fina threw up on the floor and covered her mouth but it was already too late.

The demons were in front of her.

As she looked into their face, they became a haunting memory.

They began to chant again and Fina could feel an undeniable pain in her gut.

Every part of her was suddenly on fire and she began to scream.

The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt.

It was extreme and intensified every second.

Tears dripped down her face wildly.

Then coolness settled deep into her bones. Coolness from the gardenia beneath her collar bone.

It extended through her body until the pain left her body.

The demons caught fire at once as if she had transferred her pain to them.

They screamed in a hoarse voice and turned to wax before her eyes.

Fina choked on a sob as she tried to gather her wits.

This is not real. This is real.

She chanted repeatedly, the horror of it all making her weak.

Fina stood up shakily.

Carly’s body was gone as so were the demons.

Except… for the ring, which had strangely appeared again.

Fina walked to the middle of the room and knelt in front of the ring.

The ring was dark with a ruby winged emblem on it.

Fina reached for the ring, her fingers only grazing it. The ruby lit up and knocked her out to the wall with so much force it’s almost impossible.

Fina landed on the floor with a thump which almost knocked the life out of her.

She lay on the floor, feeling almost as if she was dying.

Her eyes opened and closed until she gave in to darkness but not before seeing an extremely familiar figure staring down at her. A figure she couldn’t remember anymore.

*******

Fina stirred at the sound of a melancholy instrument being played.

The sound was so depressing she felt her heart squeezed.

She opened her eyes to a very dark room.

Elfina with dark rooms…

She struggled to get to her feet and doubled over at the pain coursing through her body.

She took a deep breath and observed her surroundings.

She wasn’t at Telepathy class.

Telepathy class.

More like horror class.

The instrumental was more louder now. The sound pulsating through her skull.

Fina grabbed her head and the memory of a dying girl lying on a forest floor in the rain flashed through her eyes. The rain beating her eyes.

The instrumental got more stronger and bolder. Its sad message spreading through the room.

Fina straightened and looked around.

A big piano appeared and in the wink of an eye, disappeared in a flash.

Fina’s eyes widened in horror.

The room looked empty.

She exhaled and tried to solve the mystery of it all.

Then she fell to her knees in total frustration.

She was seeing things.

She was hallucinating.

She let out a gasp.

She looked up suddenly when she heard movement.

The walls broke into fragments and each wall displayed a closed eye.

Fina’s mind clicked right back to the diary.

The eye in the diary.

The red eye.

The lashes fluttered suddenly and Fina’s heart accelerated wildly.

She held her chest in a panic attack. Her lungs refusing to let oxygen in. Her visions doubled and became blurry but she could see the eye still trying to open.

You are worthy.

You are worthy.

You are worthy.

Death might just be the answer for you

Fina let out a gasp when an eye opened.

An extremely big red eye that took up an entire wall.

She shivered in fear and heard someone screaming.

The sound coming from afar.

It took her a while to realize she was the one screaming.

She shut her eye but not before she saw the other eyes opening.

Heat radiated through the room and it felt like she was in hell.

It felt like she was burning.

Fina folded her wrists in a ball and with strong determination, summon her wand.

It didn’t appear.

The piano appeared again and with eyes closed, ran through it.

Her feet slipped and she realized the floor had started to melt.

The piano started to fade again and Fina ran in haste to it.

She began to play the keys.

Choosing random keys to play with her eyes shut closed.

The room suddenly became dark again but not before she saw a figure walking inside the wall.

Ink began to appear on the wall.

‘I’ll get you and when I do, you won’t live to tell the tale.’

And another ‘You are worthy’ appeared soon after.

Fina summoned her wand again and almost fell down in relief when it appeared.

She did the telepathy class spell in her heart and in the wink of an eye appeared in telepathy class.

“You all did well. I’m proud of you.” Mrs Young was saying.

When she looked beside her, Zo was staring at her with total horror in her eyes as if she could see all the horror she had just went through.

“Dismizzed” Mrs Young said

Fina couldn’t be told twice, she got up slowly and began to run when she got to the door.

She heard someone running behind her, the clapping of feet on ground, loud and when she turned to confront the person, she saw no one. Except the students moving casually in their way.

“Fina!” Talon shouted.

Talon ran to her, breathing deeply. He rested his hands on his hips and tried to contol his breath.

“I’ve been trying to stop you but damn can you run so fast”

The nearest glass wall changed and Talon rolled his eyes with a hiss.

“What’s wrong? You look like like you’ve seen a ghost”

Fina shook her head.

“I feel like I’m going insane” She replied, still remembering the red eye.

Talon frowned in concern.

“Explain”

“I… don’t know how…”

Fina’s gaze met something else.

A burning demon.

Her knees buckled but Talon caught her.

“Is she alright?” Shelly asked

Shelly shifted her to her side and supported her.

“Did you take something?”

Fina shook her head.

“How do you feel?” Shelly asked

“Out of my mind” Fina replied, looking into her eyes. “I feel mad. Like I’m going crazy. I’m seeing things”

Shelly grabbed her jaw hard and forced her gaze firmly on her.

“You are not mad and you’ll never be. The Fina I know is strong. The Fina I know is the strongest of us three. The Fina I know is the one holding us together and- ‘Shelly grabbed her jaw harder’ “If you fall, we all fall. So, don’t you dare fall. Got that?”

They were creating a scene and she could see the boys watching at the corner of her eyes.

“I. Understood.” Fina said firmly, glaring at Shelly. “But it doesn’t make the feeling go away. I’m still feeling it”

Shelly tightened her grip.

“Then, try harder”

She slowly let down her hand and glanced at Zo.

“I know what you saw. I can see it in your eyes” Zo said in fear, staring at Fina.

Fina looked at her, shook her head and turned away.

She didn’t stop when she heard someone call her name. For all she knew, it might be an hallucination again. And it was already bad that half of the school witnessed her fight with Shelly.

Fina ran into the elevator and as she pressed the button, she thought she saw the same familiar figure but chose to ignore it.

As she stepped into Capricorn territory, someone grabbed her hand and they disappeared.

Fina opened her eyes to see Tyrell staring at her.

Shaken and confused, she looked around and came to the realization that they were in the Hall of Bones.

“Why did you being me here?” Fina asked

Tyrell reached over and tuck stray hairs beneath her ear.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? You can tell me what’s bothering you. I care about you, Fin. You just have to let me in. Please. Let me in.” Tyrell said with pleading eyes.

Every part of her screamed No. Not to let him in.

That word has so many meanings.

Fina shook her head.

Tyrell gaze dropped.

“I get it. You don’t trust me”

I don’t trust myself anymore

“I do. I.. I’m seeing things. I’m hallucinating. That’s all”

Tyrell looked at her with concern.

“What things?”

“Demons”

Tyrell eyes widened.

“That is something big. Hallucination is the brink between reality and Insanity. It must never be taken lightly. Let me help you”

Fina nodded.

“Come with me”

As they stepped out of the hall, they saw Xavier.

He had a very strange expression on his face which range between fear and anger.

“What are you doing here?” Tyrell asked

“I could ask the same about you” Xavier said sternly “What are you doing with her?”

“It’s not your concern, Xav.”

Fina glanced at the two.

“Aren’t you two, like… in the same room?” She asked

Xavier gaze landed on her.

“Leave, Clark. I have something to say to my roommate” Xavier said coldly.

“She’s not going anywhere.” Tyrell said

The boys glared at each other.

“What’s the matter with you both?” Fina asked in confusion.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Xavier asked, glaring at Tyrell.

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Tyrell replied.

Xavier gave a mocking laugh.

“What’s with you and Black’s girlfriend, huh?” Xavier asked

“I don’t have any relationship with her” Tyrell replied calmly.

Fina glanced at the two and walked away.

She heard Tyrell called her name but she didn’t bother to look back. She just ignored him.

As she walked past the dark walls, the instrumental started to play in her head and her knees buckled.

She grabbed her head, willing the sad instrumentals to leave.

As she turned a corner, she fell right into the arms of someone.

Fina looked up to see the same demon in the secret room.

She struggled out of its arms and before she could blink, it was already gone.

Her vision wavered and before she could try to figure out what was happening, her body completely gave out and she fell with a thump on the floor.