Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

Penelope groaned, “Where is he?”

Mako, Penelope and Aiden waited for Professor Wiggin in the courtyard whilst everyone else was heading to their dormitories after their last class ended. Penelope was propped on top of the boulder with Aiden brooding on the side, Mako kept looking back and forth but not a soul could be seen this far from the school.

Mako wondered why Professor Wiggin would bring them this close to the border when they all knew that the grim reapers weren’t that far from here. But they weren’t quick to judge since the Professor should know better, right?

“Maybe he jilted us,” remarked Aiden after quite some time.

Penelope shook her head. “No, he’s not that careless to forget about us.”

Aiden nudged Mako. “When did he tell you that we have to meet here?”

“He didn’t,” answered Mako surprising them. “I found a note stuck to my bag this morning.”

“Great, can you even trust him Mako?” Aiden grumbled. “He’s not even responsible enough to tell you in person.”

“Who’s not responsible?”

All three of them jumped at the threatening voice behind them, they turned to find Professor Wiggin with a deep scowl and an arched brow daring them to say more.

“Professor, you came,” Mako quickly diverted the attention.

He laced his muscled arms. “Yeah, but why are these two here?” His misty grey eyes pointed at Aiden and Penelope questioningly.

“We came to watch,” said Penelope.

Professor Wiggin rolled his eyes and began to leave the courtyard walls with them following closely. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“No,” answered Aiden with a smug smile. “We finished our assignments early, and we did the extra worksheets to stay ahead.”

“My brother would love you,” mumbled Professor Wiggin.

“Where are we going, Professor?” Mako was practically running to match his long strides. “This doesn’t seem like the place where all the other kids go to train.”

“Because it’s not,” he said. “I’m taking you somewhere else.”

They all followed the teacher closely through colossal trees and heavy bushes, they stayed closely huddled together when eerie screeches or sinister howls came singing through the forest. Finally, they pushed through the last couple of vines and discovered a massive field surrounded by pine trees and completely shut off from the world; it was a magnificent view.

Professor Wiggin propped himself on top of a flat boulder. “Okay kid, hit me.”

Mako was baffled. “You want me to hit you?”

He nodded, “With as much black smoke you can conjure,” he clarified.

“But I can’t conjure any.”

He nodded. “What about when you fought off the Ambient.”

Her eyes widened wondering how he had known about the Ambient. “I don’t know how I did that.”

Professor Wiggin let out a heavy breath. “Okay never mind, let’s start with a lesson first.” He ushered for them to take a seat, which they quickly complied. He lifted his hand and summoned the element Black smoke skillfully, the thick ebony mist floated in the palm of his hand under his control but just barely. “Black smoke is the essence of all alchemy,” he began. “Lady Belmont was the creator and forever the queen to master it completely.”

“I thought Black smoke was created by a mistake,” believed Penelope.

“That’s what many say today to explain this phenomenon,” answered Professor Wiggin. “People, alchemists couldn’t get a clear answer as to how Black smoke can just appear out of thin air, or how the alchemist themselves could conjure up the element without nature’s help. Many called our element a wonder, a question never to be answered-” Professor Wiggin’s eyes landed on Mako- “a defect, but it’s not. Our element is purely birthed from our bodies, Mako.”

“That’s why Black smoke was considered so pure that it could even heal injuries,” informed Aiden.

“I never knew about that,” Mako and Penelope mumbled together.

“I read it in one of our school’s alchemy collections.”

Professor Wiggin nodded. “But our power isn’t considered entirely good either,” he forewarned. “The four elements can be controlled by other nature elements and alchemists, however black smoke is only controlled by the one who wields it, that’s why it is considered more dangerous.”

“So, it’s true Professor-” interrupted Penelope. “You were able to control the headmaster’s fire element?”

Professor Wiggin nodded, “Black smoke can penetrate other elements more easily, but I didn’t control his fire, I just threw it back at him.”

“Professor, did you ever-” Mako slightly hesitated before asking, “Did you ever hurt the headmaster?” His eyes flickered with a foreboding grief she recognized, the others hushed after hearing such a grim question but they were slightly curious too.

“I’ve hurt him,” he answered truthfully. “Multiple times-” the Professor suddenly chuckled surprising Mako- “but trust me, he’s had his fair share of paybacks.” Professor Wiggin sensed Mako’s desolation. “Mako, all the elements can cause pain. The best we can do is properly train and harness our power for good.”

Mako looked down at the palm of her hands that began to sting lightly as she listened to her Professor’s words sink into her mind. Even though her parents always told her not to fear her alchemy, she never truly could, she only learned to hide her distaste. Black smoke surged through her body like a virus waiting to be released, but she never really grasped why her power was so uncontrollable. “But Professor, how are you supposed to teach a student who doesn’t even know how to use her power?” She asked.

“Are you willing to learn, Mako?”

“Yes,” she answered eagerly.

He grinned. “Then you’ll do good, kid.”

The sun set really low before Professor Wiggin took them back, but he quickly abandoned them as soon as they reached the school walls, the three of them shared concerned glances as they teetered back to their dormitories making sure not to be seen by anyone.

“These Wiggin brothers are so strange,” Aiden said suddenly.

Penelope skipped next to them. “Really,” she puzzled. “I think they are pretty cool.”

“Me too,” added Mako.

Aiden let out a deep breath. “They talk about our history like they’ve seen it all…been through it all,” Aiden drifted off into his thoughts.

“You think too much,” remarked Penelope.

Aiden grumbled. “You should try it sometimes, it’ll help you-”

“What are you kids doing out of bed?” All three of them froze when they recognized who stood in front of them, that navy blue robe and piercing icy indigo eyes couldn’t fool anyone; it was Professor Grimaldi out of all people. “I won’t ask again.”

All three of them tripped over each other to come up with the best explanation.

“They’re were with me, Professor,” swiftly Professor Wiggin appeared when they all thought he had left them.

Professor Grimaldi’s strict eyes moved onto Professor Wiggin and although he’s the headmaster’s brother, she didn’t waver in the slightest. “And can I ask why they’re with you?”

Professor Wiggin didn’t fall under her scary demeanour, “Sorry, it’s a secret,” he shut her off. “Well goodnight, Professor,” he shoved the three kids forward forcing them out of their petrified state.

“Wouldn’t it have be better if we told Professor Grimaldi why we’re all together,” said Mako.

“I agree,” said Aiden. “Next time our Professor won’t ask if she sees us this late.”

“Nah,” Professor Wiggin chuckled. “She should be fuming with curiosity by now, and any moment she’ll go running to my brother to ask why I’m with you kids.”

The three kids shared concerned looks because they knew this wouldn’t be end of Professor Grimaldi’s chilling interrogations. They separated from Aiden as he bragged that he could return to his dormitory on his own, and Professor Wiggin saw to it that girls had reached theirs safely.

-John’s POV-

John rolled the kink in his shoulder as he strolled to his brother’s study, he tried to ignore the drumming in his head as he wondered about Mako, but it just wouldn’t stop. She was a curious kid with spectacular power, but something had been done to her body to make it weaker and slower. Once he spotted the seal across her heart, he knew right away why her powers were so erratic, she wasn’t even using a fragment of the immense power she had bottled up inside her small body. No wonder the Ambient was completely obliterated with one blow, John thought as he said the ancient spell to open the door. “Brother,” John called as he sauntered inside without permission.

“Over here, Johnny,” a voice spoke from the top floor.

“What are you doing?” John asked his brother who was frantically flipping through a folder.

“Hmm, it seems a book from our hidden collection has gone missing,” he answered.

John frowned and leaned the table. “Which one?”

“I was trying to figure that out right now, but you’re distracting me,” Caden shut the folder and focused on his little brother. “How was training today?”

“Did you know the child had a binding seal?”

Caden sat in his seat, “I had a feeling,” he said and John knew that his brother was always a little sensitive with his premonitions. “Mako’s mother was very tenacious.”

“She is stronger than we know-”

“But a good heart,” Caden interrupted with a smile. “Train her well for what’s to come, Johnny.”

John shrugged and left the room contemplating what to do next with his tricky little student.