Mystic Academy: The Inferno Prophecy

TALA

I've never understood why the ancient Filipino people decided that creating a creature the feeds of pregnant women and babies just to scare children to sleep was a rad thing to do. That is until I realized, it wasn't just in their imagination.

"A human?!"

I heard murmurs of protest among the crowd of monsters.

You heard me right. Monsters. Those creatures and children of the night who terrorize humans in their sleeps.

Be it werewolves, vampires, witches and the likes. Human-eating monsters are hoarding in front of me. More like below me but still.

I stood before them in a uniform like majority of what the crowd is wearing. I am wearing a white long sleeve polo underneath a big black sweater because for some reasons, I'm cold. Hana,my "mother", tucked it under my knee length black bell shaped skirt.

Above the podium, beside me are two people who could be not-human as well. I never had the courage to look at the both of them. I am scared that the monsters in front of me would be enough to convince me that my nightmare is real. I know it is but I want to hold unto a slither of hope that it's not.

A few months ago I was a normal human until a certain incident made me into... what I am now. I still look like a human though, that's why every student inside this auditorium gasped. Wondering why I am introduced as one of them.

I'm not one of them. I'm no monster like them.

A few weeks ago, I had accepted what I am, knowing that I could find a way to control my cannibalistic urges. I was still in my home country. I was still in the Philippines, I can be happy with that at least. I was wrong.

The person who cursed me, dragged me to the states and enrolled me to a school called 'Mystic Academy'. I didn't know she had done this and it was too late to do anything about it.

She dragged me here with her voodoo magic, manipulating me to follow her into her car like a kidnapper would. She also wouldn't shut up about the history of my new school so I wouldn't humiliate myself.

I'd rather that in a normal high school and not in this monster school where I am treated as one of them.

"You have to start walking for yourself, darling. I'm getting tired of controlling you," says the talkative witch.

Her dyed blonde hair with green high-lights swung through the breeze as she checks up on me. I don't even know if she wanted her hair to be pleasing or she rolled a color dice and those two colors popped out. She should rethink her choices in life. Me included.

She was babbling things as we entered the forest deeper and deeper. We have long abandoned her small black jimny car. I could remember her long black nails strumming against the dashboard now and again. Her hetero-chromatic eyes scanned the woods for anything. I have no idea what she would find in the forest nor why is a road hanging beside a stiff cliff.

After abandoning the car near an abysmal void, she forced me to walk with her dolls. She was ever so chirp about it. Smiling like an excited lunatic about to meet her imaginary friend.

When we entered the void, all heat that I longed for where gone and the chilly coldness of the dark replaced it. There wasn't any noise inside too. Oh, how I have missed the creepy noise of ravens screeching. Even the voice of that talkative witch began to get disoriented. Her voice sent chills run down my spines.

I was more than glad that we could leave the void after what feels like an eternity of walking.

"Whoo!" The voice of the witch went back and it was comforting after leaving the cold darkness. "I wish we traveled through the portal with the car, you know? But, it ain't gonna work inside that shit unless I powered it with dark magic. But, that would be very dangerous. Yes, very. Don't want those hunters finding us. They are the pooper in the party, you know?" Is she trying to sound hip? Because if she is. She's being cringe-y.

To keep herself entertained, she kept on berating me with that annoying voice of hers. She's like a tour guide on one of those museum tours. I'd think of it as one if I didn't know that a hoard of monsters will surround us as we walk closer to our destination.

"Right here is the rose maze." She spoke as we stood in the entrance of ginormous shrubs of red roses.

Which is weird since the climate of the place is foggy and I'm pretty sure 'sunshine' is a myth in this place.

"It's impossible to get lost inside since it only ever goes in one direction. It's only used to distract wayward travelers from the eerie vibe that the academy cast. To the human senses, it would seem like passing by someone's garden wall." The witch explained.

"Miss Luwalhati," a shrill voice of an old woman greeted us.

There stood a creepy old lady without eyes at the end of the rose maze. She stood with dignity, peering into our soul with those empty eye socket. If she does have those but I'm pretty sure it's rotten inside her hollow eye-hole.

"I'm assuming this insolent, disrespectful child is your heir?" She asked the talkative witch with disdain.

Her head turned towards the talkative witch. The talkative witch tensed.

"Hey, Principal Nioz!" She greeted, waiving her hands to greet her. Her long black nails was adding to the creepiness of the place. "Uhm, long time no see?"

Have she ever seen her though? I mean, the woman called Principal Nioz has no eyes or is she born with eyes but then lost it?

"I can pretty much see your thoughts and everything else without those things, young lady. You should reign some controls on your commentaries." The woman spoke surprising me.

She can hear my thoughts--- See them?

Hana looked back at me in surprise as well before looking apologetic to the principal. "I am so sorry, Principal. Tala is a bit,.. well, new to our world... sort of."

"You should have picked a better heir, Hana. You were one of the best student in this academy when you were here." The principal stated, eyeing me one more time before turning her back and walking.

The heels on her shoes clacked against the stony pathway with the silence making it sound louder.

"We'll make a detour on the Hay road. The council will not be please with this young lady being that she is your heir." The woman said, Hana following right behind her, controlling me to follow them.

The principal stopped, dumbfounded. She stared at Hana then at the doll on her hand. It was a very creepy yet detailed doll that looked exactly like me. Black hair with a middle parting, very straight until it reaches the end where the hair curls up. Eyes that are coffee brown behind non-existent eyelashes. I do have eyelashes but they're not as thick as my already thin eyebrows. I have a button nose above my pale pink lips with a plump bottom. I cannot believe the effort she had sewing up a doll replica of myself. She could've made her life easier, take a plain white voodoo doll, tape a picture of my face on it and she's done. Less hassle for her but hey, I wasn't the one who wasted my time for sewing. I'm the one criticizing the idiot who did.

The idiot being my adoptive mother.

"Oh, Hana. Let her go," she ordered. "She might as well try to run away but where would she go now that she's inside the academy? I'm doubtful that the students here won't return your heir for some credits in their studies."

Hana looked at me, hesitating to lift the controls. When she did, I felt a surge of the heat of my own blood rushing through my veins. I felt,.. relieved. Like the feeling of peeing in the morning right after you wake up.

"You did," the principal spoke.

I gasped looking down at my soggy jeans the glared at Hana who was on the verge of laughing. I searched the ground for any stones then picked up the ones near where I am standing and threw it at her. Denying the uncomfortable feeling of wearing soaked jeans.

"What was that for?!" She asked, dodging.

She's asking me that?! Of all people, she gets to ask that question?!

"For everything you psycho nut-job!" I screamed. "For everything!"

"I helped you, okay! You owe me!"

"I owe you nothing! I didn't even ask for," I pointed at the insides of my throat, "whatever it is that is living inside of me!"

She reasoned, "it's the size of a bird, heck it is a bird! Grow up."

"I'm seventeen you wacko!" I retorted. "I'm already grown up!"

"Not grown enough--- This!" She gestured the whole of me, "this is the reason why I don't want to let go of my controls! You always start a fight every time I do!"

I crossed my arms, "that's because your stupidity warrants you to get screamed at."

"Is that how you should be talking to your mother?"

"You're not my mother."

We were on each other's throat again. Much like how the past few days were, starting on the day that I learned that she was entering me in a school for monsters.

"Quiet down, the both of you. I cannot believe you, Hana. You, out of all the students I have encountered, should be the greatest parent here. You should know that you shouldn't control your child." The principal scolded Hana.

I rolled my eyes at her remark about me being that witch's daughter. She's not wrong but she's not right as well.

"And you, child," she faced me with a stern look, "stop terrorizing your mother. You should be proud being the heir of one of the top monster in the academy."

I didn't answer. I was biting the insides of my cheeks to stop a scoff. I'm still put off by the lack of eyes on her face but I couldn't give a shit about that. My hatred for Hana is greater than my horrific conversation with a psycopath.

Principal Nioz corrected, "telepath."

Sure.

We started walking in silence. Me right behind the Principal and Hana behind me. I am disinterested with the place and wasn't planning on escaping for now.

The Principal got her thoughts on me.

I ask, bored of the silence. "What kind of monster are you?"

"The monster in charged of this school and your fate." Principal Nioz replied.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"All the better," she answered. "Ravens are everywhere and eavesdropping every time. It's best not to talk about it here."

As she said that, my eyes spotted three ravens near a scare-crow by the edge of the hay stacks. Some are flying over head, some perched near the path we were taking.

"Students, get back to your dorms and speak none of what you saw." Hana spoke from behind me and all the ravens flew away.

Their monsters? What kind?

"You'll know soon." Hana said. I must've looked very curious for her to know what I was thinking.

When we emerged from the hay field, an old tunnel that look like a hundred year old greeted us. The tunnel look like one of the passages from those old cemeteries.

Once we were through the tunnel, Principal Nioz stopped in front of a circular stone door.

"Well, then. Hana, you show your heir to her room. Have her clothes change then go to my office in exactly 30 minutes while we process her papers. Have her class start today immediately. We'll also introduce her so make sure to be early." With that, Principal Nioz turned her heels. Walking towards the circular door leaving me and Hana by the ending of the tunnel.

I glared at the woman but said nothing. She didn't say anything as well. She gestured me to follow her and so I did.

We were walking side by side in the empty corridor of an intricate hallway. Everything was in either vintage looking or in gold.

Huge marble pillars where wrapped by golden laurel leaves towered over the both of us. It looked heavenly. The whole place was screaming elegance and wealth but Hana mention none of it. Her usual talkative self, that I have grown accustomed with, vanished.

"Hurry inside. The students wakes up at this hour, let's not make you the center of attention yet." She spoke. Her childishness was gone and the way she spoke to me is like that of a grown woman.

Couldn't she be like that 24 hours ago?

I entered the room she gestured me into. The room is big with a huge bed at the middle of the room. I'm speechless at how I would be staying in this room like a prisoner but I forced myself to not let it show. Wouldn't want Hana to think I'm awed by the rooms grand show of beauty.

There's a study table at the right corner of the room and a small lounging area by the opposite corner. An enormous glass door leading towards a balcony was beside it. Every thing looked so fancy. Though there might be somethings, a few things, out of the ordinary. Like, a raven sitting on top of a skull on my study table.

Watching me.

Staring at me.

"You're lack of enthusiasm is very unnerving." Hana commented.

I gave her a sarcastic grin, "oh, wow! The room is blinding my eyes with its golden shine! I have never seen such show of wealth!"

She rolled her eyes. "You should've leaped to the bed first. Make sure to act like a child and jump on it like an excited puppy, then give me that sass you're so proud of."

"In my peed jeans? I still have some shame on me, you know." I replied. Huffing some air like a spoiled brat.

Damn that talkative witch for being a terrible role model. Now, I'm acting like a kid like her.

Hana looked at my jeans before snorting. I threw her whatever my hand could reach. Which is a nonthreatening piece of cloth that didn't even hit her because I didn't crumpled it into a ball. It swayed against the air before falling down the carpeted floor. I felt like sinking while standing on it, it's that soft.

"Shut up, this is your fault," I said.

"Would it kill you to respect me?"

I squinted my eyes, "yes."

"You, child, should know that I could harm you if you don't fix your attitude."

"You've done worse."

She was about to retort something but I groaned.

"It's getting uncomfortable in this soggy jeans! Plus, it smells like fish!" I complained.

She sighed and shook her head. Whining about how teenagers are a pain in the ass and all that shit about karma being real. Plus something about regretting being in detention once a week on her good day.

Such a troublesome child, I shook my head in disappointment. If I said it out loud we'd be fighting until dawn and it's already dawn. I prefer to do it on clean underwear though.

"The bathroom is on your left." Hana instructed walking to the opposite direction. "Make sure not to get lost inside. Wouldn't want you to die like the others."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" I yelled as I entered the bathroom.

My breath hitched once I saw how beautiful it was. Okay, so my room is beautiful. It's very elegant much like the hallway we passed through but the bathroom?! It's like heaven inside hell. It looked so celestial.

It feels like your flying... am I describing being high right now?---I have never been high before. I swear.

I started taking off my dirty clothes off and dumping them in the laundry bin near the entrance of the bathroom.

I headed straight to the showers which is intimidating to look at. It's not what you will definitely expect in a monster academy. One, because everything looked like the inside of a Disney castle. Two, because it looked like angels have lived in this hell-hole.

"Hurry up in there and wear this uniform." I heard Hana spoke from the other side of the bathroom door.

I hurried my shower and did what I am told. For a moment, the whole place had enchanted me forgetting why I was in here in the first place. That is until I set foot on the podium.

"A human?!" One screamed. Then everyone reacted.

Everyone became blood thirsty when they look at me so I tried to shrink my persona. I wish to fade into the background but no matter where I look? I'm the outcast in this castle-like academy and right now, the spotlight is on me.

"Silence!" Principal Nioz spoke in a quiet yet powerful voice. "Tala Luwalhati is the heiress of the headmistress of the Magic department. A witch in training, not a human."

Am I? Am I a witch? I'm not one. It's a cover-up story, one that the Principal knows. There's... something inside me that Hana put the first night she brought into her place. I'm not a witch like her. I'm... something else.

Something that I have no idea about.

"Today will be her first day in this school . As the heir of one of the greatest alumnus of this academy, I expect you to give her a hard time." I gulped as a grin made it's way to the students' faces. Principal Nioz remained emotionless.

"On another news. Tadhana Luwalhati," she gestured to Hana, "will start her lesson on the advance witches. I expect all to fail so prove me wrong."

I heard a huge voice of whines that I'm guessing came from all the witches. I can see Hana's eyes sparkle in joy. Is everybody here a sadist?

"That is all." The Principal announced. "Get back to your classes."

When she faced me, the principal narrowed her voided eyes. "Here's your schedule. Now go."

I took it with reluctance. Grieving in my mind but not saying nor thinking anything since Principal Nioz is a telepath. Any student can hate a school so much but not to the level of my hatred.

And it's only beginning.