Chapter Three
I lay awake in bed. Why must my body fight sleep?
Nala is out like a light, probably from all the food she ate.
I don’t know how someone so thin can eat so much.
The first banquet for the new students is always amazing.
The Influencers had enchanted the plates, so they flew in straight from the kitchen and onto the tables.
I’m not a fussy eater, but it wouldn’t matter if I were.
There was so much of everything. Pastries, roasted meats, smoked fish, pastas, grilled vegetables, you name it.
And don’t even get me started on the desserts.
All I can say is that I hope tomorrow’s meal is just as good.
I turn over in my bed and feel for my suitcase beneath me.
Extending my arm, I manage to find its handle and slide it out, then lift it slowly and place it on my bed.
I unzip the suitcase gingerly, making sure not to wake Nala.
I feel around inside as it is too dark to see.
Finally, I reach a familiar object. I hear the contents shaking, and I know this is what I am looking for.
The sleeping pills that Doctor Rayner prescribed me.
I don’t take them every night, but I want to make sure I get a good sleep because classes start tomorrow.
I pop open the lid and place one of the circular pills in my mouth.
The familiar taste tingles on my tongue as I take a swig of water to help it go down easier and place my suitcase back under my bed.
And now I wait. Sometimes it can take hours to kick in.
Thirty minutes have passed and I still don’t feel tired; my mind is too awake.
The silence in Sun Sovereign is deafening.
Everyone must be long asleep by now. I toss and turn in an attempt to find a comfier position, maybe then I’ll sleep.
A distant chatter startles me. It’s clear where it is coming from. The Moonkind are awake.
My heart starts racing, thumping heavily in my chest. I know I am safe here, but I can’t help but feel vulnerable. I peek through the curtains. I know I shouldn’t, but I just can’t help myself.
It is hard to see at this distance, but my curiosity gets the best of me.
I look over to my left again, reassuring myself that Nala is still sound asleep.
I pick up my telescope from the ledge, fighting the little voice in my head telling me not to, and place it to my eye.
The lens is unfocused. I shimmy the dial around the outside of the lens.
There they are. I watch as they gather around the combat platform.
Each of them dressed in black. I assume that they are fighting with weapons because of the way parts glisten in the light of the moon.
Two students step onto the sandpit and face one another.
They are both tall, at least six feet, but it’s hard to make out from here.
The one on the left has darker features.
His black hair, so dark it looks blue under certain lights.
It has a slight curl to it. A mind of its own.
It is short at the sides, but the top hangs quite nicely over his forehead.
The longest strands stop at his cheekbones and caress his face.
It sways with his movements. His jaw looks as though it was forged by the Gods themselves.
I watch as he takes off his shirt and prepares for battle.
He may be a Moon, but he is very attractive.
I let out a quiet gasp. I shouldn’t be thinking like this.
My attention is drawn to his chest. His muscles flex as droplets of sweat twinkle off him.
On his right arm, like some kind of tattoo, ink-black veins race from his right wrist to his shoulder.
He reaches down into his pocket and pulls out a kind of black cloth.
Bowing his head, he wraps the cloth over his eyes and ties it at the back of his head.
His hair is just long enough to fall over the edges of the cloth.
“What is he doing?” I whisper to myself.
His opponent, with lighter features but just as attractive, makes the first move.
He throws a quick jab. This does not seem fair.
But wait. The blindfolded one grabs his fist with lightning speed.
How is that possible? With the opponent’s hand in his fist, he pulls him in menacingly and flips him over, slamming him onto the sand below.
The opponent falls with a thump, but is not done yet.
He brushes himself off, then shifts his body weight to his feet and springs up in one swift jump.
He charges. Throwing punch after punch. The blindfolded one must sense this somehow as he manages to dodge every single one.
I think I read about this. He must have the Gift of Shadoro, the God of Darkness and Shadows.
The art of foreshadowing, predicting an opponent’s next move in battle.
Foreshadowers are unbeatable on the battlefield unless faced with Deceivers.
The tricksters of the Moonkind make it difficult for foreshadowers to predict their next move.
I can’t take my eyes off the blindfolded one.
He faces two other opponents, but none can touch him.
Unbeatable, just like the legend says. My eyes are beginning to feel heavy now.
Two a.m. my clock reads. I pull the curtain back and slump into my pillow.
The sleeping pills have definitely kicked in. I feel heavy as slumber takes over me.
My eyes open, but I am no longer in bed. I look around, confused. Where am I?
The familiar scent of cherries meets my nostrils once again.
Am I at the castle entrance?
I look up to confirm, but don’t see the Sun Gods above me. The wind bites at my ankles. I look down. If I am outside, where are my shoes?
I scrunch my toes at the gravel beneath me as it crunches loudly. It is dark, but I see a small light in the distance. I don’t know what this light is, but I feel drawn to it.
I follow the only source of light in the surrounding darkness and walk blindly into its depths. Is that a figure in front of me?
I can’t make it out; my vision is blurred. I hear a noise to my right, which startles me. Was it a voice?
I pick up my pace, but the light somehow feels further away.
Now I am running. The light seems closer now, but so does the tall figure.
The darkness is suffocating as its walls feel like they are closing in on me.
I start to sweat now, running as fast as my legs can take me.
I can’t stop. I have a horrible feeling that someone is behind me.
My heart thumps relentlessly as I am paralysed with the feeling that I am about to run off a cliff.
The light is blinding now. I rub my eyes to adjust to the light. And pause.
I look up. The figure is in front of me now. I can see him clearly.
The black hair that’s so dark it’s almost blue.
The inky coloured veins, like lightning strikes etched into his arm.
He still wears the blindfold. He is so close I can almost touch him.
My hand feels compelled to stroke his face.
I reach out, but he grabs my arm and lifts his blindfold. Our eyes meet.
“Who are you?” his deep voice bellows.
I open my mouth to respond, but suddenly I am pulled from him and into the darkness again.
I sit up abruptly and let go of the breath that I didn’t know I was holding.
A large exhale escapes my mouth. I look around.
It’s still dark, but I’m in my dorm room again.
The clock reads four fifteen am. Don’t tell me that it was just a dream.
It felt so real. Why was he in my dream?
Those sleeping pills must have really gone to my head.
I quickly roll over as something urges me to take a peek out the window.
I freeze. Is that him? I grab my telescope.
There he is. Staring right back at me. His eyes boring through me.
The blindfolded one. Like he knew I was there.
I quickly shut the curtain and pull the covers over my head. Maybe this is still a dream.
‘Ding Ding’
First bell chimes. It is time to get up.
The clock reads six a.m. Tallying on my fingers, I work out, “one, two, three, four hours sleep.” Not one of my best nights, I think to myself.
I gaze over at Nala as I rub the sleep out of my eyes.
She’s still sound asleep. Now I know why she wanted an early riser for a roommate.
First meal is in one hour. I had best wake her up.
I approach her timidly and gently give her a shake. “Nala, it’s time to get up,” I whisper.
“Hmmm,” she hums quietly. “What time is it?” Her eyes are still shut as she rolls over to face me.
“It’s six a.m., first bell just rang. I don’t know how you didn’t hear it.” I giggle as she rubs her eyes and looks over at me. Her face is confused and still half asleep.
“I told you I was bad,” she mumbles, throwing a pillow in my direction. “Time to get up, I guess.”
“Hey!” I remark, catching the pillow and tossing it back to her. “That would be a good idea. Remember, today is the start of trial week; we might get to see taming.” The last sentence came out as more of a song.
“Shit!” she exclaims. “Why didn’t you start with that!” She practically jumps out of bed as excitement rushes over her. “I’m up, I’m up!” I knew that would do the trick.
“You get in the shower. I’m going to sort my clothes out,” I say whilst looking through my side of the wardrobe. My black shirt. Where was it? I could have sworn I’d hung it up.
“You sure?” she asks, her clothes already in her hands and waiting by the shower door.
“Yes, get in before I change my mind,” I joke, and she scurries in. My attention reverts to locating my missing shirt.
“You’re the best!”
“I know,” I laugh, crouching down by my bed to see if the shirt had been forgotten at the bottom of my suitcase.
As I unzip the red bag, memories of last night flood over me.
That dream. I keep seeing his face looking back at me.
The blindfolded one. My hands tremble, and my face flushes hot.
His eyes were empty, like daggers into my soul, so why do I want to see them again?
I need to find out more. The way he looked at me like he’d seen me before.
Could he see me?
“You alright there?” Nala questions as she walks out of the bathroom, drying her hair with her towel and breaking me from my thoughts.
“Yeah, I am fine, just thinking about what lessons I am going to take,” I lie and grab the shirt from the bottom of my suitcase and head to the shower.
The hot steam soothes my face as the water trickles down my breasts and pools at the bottom of my feet.
Every time I shut my eyes, I see him. I throw my head back, and the water weighs down my hair.
I run my fingers through it. It falls nicely when it is wet.
All the way down to my waist. My natural curls take inches off when it’s dry though, so it rests just below my breasts.
I shouldn’t still be thinking of him. I have bigger things to think about, like which lessons I am going to choose.
I grab my sponge and squeeze my strawberry hibiscus shower gel onto it.
I rub the sponge in circular motions, trying to wash off the thought of him.
I stare down at the puddle at my feet. The water is dark and murky.
Why?
I lift my foot, and the sole is black with dirt, as if I had been walking barefoot all night.