Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

“How was training with Professor Gregor?” Mako asked Penelope as she dropped her body on the springy bed.

“He’s actually super nice.”

“Really,” Mako was taken aback, to hear that the teacher that has a wolf head was not as vicious as he looked and sounded.

Penelope rolled over the bed facing Mako with her golden locks befuddled. “Where’d you go after we left?” She asked.

Mako tossed the ice on the table. “I was sitting outside, when this happened,” she gestured to her sore back.

“Did you fall or something?”

“There I was sitting on a boulder when a weird teacher thinks it’s a good idea to scare me,” said Mako.

Penelope kicked her shoes off before asking, “weird teacher?”

“He even claimed to be the headmaster,” said Mako.

Penelope’s head titled. “What did he look like?”

“Uh, he was tall, black hair, grey eyes,” she explained. “Oh, and he carried a sword and wore a hat.”

Penelope puzzled whilst staring at the oak ceiling. “I think he was the headmaster, Mako.”

“Er- no, the headmaster is Professor Wiggin,” said Mako.

“I know, but he has a brother,” said Penelope. “My dad showed me a photo of him once, he looked really scary” -Penelope shrunk in her blanket- “you know my mom used to use him as a folklore, she would scare us and say if we didn’t go to sleep he would come from under our beds.”

“I didn’t know the headmaster had a brother,” Mako mumbled.

Penelope shuddered and brushed off her creepy memory. “Not a lot of people know, that brother likes to stay on his own most of the time.”

“I was really rude to him, Penelope,” said Mako wanting to scream against her pillow.

Penelope drummed her fingers on her knee. “I even heard he’s the one to hold a grudge.”

Mako’s eyes widened as her friend chuckled.

“Oh, calm down,” reassured Penelope. “He probably doesn’t even remember you.”

Mako let out a shaky sigh. “You’re probably right.”

“Besides, I doubt he knows that you’re a black smoke user like him,” said Penelope casually.

“Wait! What’d you say?” Mako stumbled.

Penelope big green eyes stayed innocent. “The headmaster’s younger brother is a black smoke user,” she said. “Like you.”

Mako fainted back on her bed. “I’ve never met another black smoke user apart from my mom.”

“I’m excited for you,” Penelope announced.

Mako’s head lifted with a giggle. “Why are you excited?”

Penelope smiled brightly and shrugged. “You get a teacher and a thumping good one.”

Mako dozed off after she heard the light snoring of Penelope who had collapsed into a deep slumber with her uniform left on.

Where am I? Mako questioned as she scurried along a long passageway, she could only see the stone floor from where she was standing. The ceilings looked so far away as she slithered across the unfamiliar floor, she quivered as the cool breeze from the massive arched windows escaped through, the windows were lined beside each other on her left side letting slivers of blue moonlight create slices on the smooth floor. There were goblets of orangey red flames illuminating the halls just slightly for anyone to get to one spot to the other, but she also noticed the colossal arched gateway leading to the border of Ajorian at the end of the hall.

She heard soft scratching noises like something was scraping against a rock, Mako jumped when she spotted a grey mouse zip past her eyes in a flash, when suddenly, light footsteps came rushing from behind her, she could only catch a glimpse of the pair of dark loafers that had a bright glint attached to them, she also spotted black trousers and the white lining that was the end of a long coat, she guessed.

The person was speedily walking towards the open gateway, she followed closely but the person disappeared behind the border. Mako didn’t understand why that person was going beyond the border, Bard had told her no one was allowed even remotely near that area.

Mako’s snored slightly awake, her eyes barely open scanned the quiet room, everything was where it was and everyone was still asleep. She flopped back on her pillow and drifted off, completely forgetting what she had just witnessed and let it go unseen.

At the same time, we see that John spoke the ancient terms in front of the massive doors, silently preparing himself before he meets his brother.

John strode into the office that hadn’t changed one bit in the last couple of years. There were still the floating celestial stars adoring the ceiling making it look endless, even though it was just an enchantment. The circular room was surrounded by millions of books, and expensive paintings, and in the dead center was a large bronze chalice with a sapphire flame burning with all its might force.

John spotted Caden descending the stairs. “Hello, brother,” he said.

Caden’s sharp grey eyes looked up. “Johnny,” he smiled before opening his arms.

John reluctantly stepped into his older brother’s strong embrace.

Caden poured himself another glass of dragon fire. “I’ve been meaning to ask,” he said. “What made you come back?”

John swallowed the last sip of dragon fire, the heat burned through his throat, he never understood how his brother could drink this stuff, it literally felt like one was swallowing a fire ball. “I had a vision,” said John.

“A vision?” Caden’s ears perked.

John lifted his cigar and pointed the dead end toward Caden, his brother understood that silent gesture and rolled his eyes before igniting his forefinger with a bright flame.

“Now, tell me what the vision was,” Caden persisted.

“My power led me here,” said John. “It kept telling me to come back, but I didn’t listen, until one night my power exploded in the Inn I was staying at, after that my power didn’t let me rest.”

“Why do you think your power was leading you here?” Caden’s eyes grew alert.

John shrugged. “I don’t know, but something’s probably not right here for me to be called back.”

Caden’s head tilted. “Is it because of Mako Hawthorne?”

“Could be,” said John.

“Did you meet her already?”

John nodded. “She’s strong,” he said. “Like her parents.”

“Many teachers came to me today about her, not knowing what to do,” said Caden. “Will you be training her, Johnny?”

John blew out the smoke from his nose. “Do you want me to?”

“There is no one else that can train her,” said Caden.

John nodded before getting out of his seat and grabbing his hat and sword.

“Johnny,” Caden called out from behind him.

John turned around to find his brother grinning.

“It’s good to see you,” he said.

John smirked. “It’s nice to be back.”

John strode through the large pathways remembering every moment he had spent here, just when he was about to enter his room a looming presence caught him off guard.

“Professor Grimaldi,” he spoke into the shadows. “It’s been a while.”

Her long strict posture appeared with a scowl, she hadn’t changed one bit.

“Professor,” she greeted. “Welcome back.”

John couldn’t help but smile at her straight-forward discomfort towards him, not a lot of people liked him, and he couldn’t blame them, he was a pain to be around.

“Will you be teaching this year?” she asked.

He blew out a puff of smoke. “Maybe,” he answered elusively.

“I see you’re still the same,” Professor Grimaldi remarked coldly.

“Wouldn’t change for the world, Lilith.” He threw her a cocky grin before striding into his old room.