The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)

Thar went ahead, checking each corner for the black ooze. Eugene was behind me, keeping the sage burning and checking the protection spells I drew on the walls and floors. We also lined everything with salt. The basement was safe enough for now, and we’ve made it up the stairs to the main floor of the building with ease.

Up there, however, the magic became much stronger.

I kept my senses open, even though it drained more energy than I anticipated. I also kept checking for something other than the ooze, hoping I’d catch some student’s or teacher’s energy.

Thar was right. I should have come to practice more often.

Eugene was in much better shape than me, which made me painfully aware of my own weakness.

With a sigh, I pressed the chalk into the wall, and scribbled the symbol.

All my life, I’ve thought someone’s power exclusively depended on how fast and how hard you could hit. But there was something in Thar’s patience that ultimately made him stronger than most mages I’ve met.

“How do you do it?” I asked, making Thar halt, then move again.

“How do I do what?” He touched the walls, his fingers tracing the intricate panelling.

“Keep your senses open.” I finished the drawing on the wall and squatted. “My head hurts so bad.”

“You’re focusing on all magic around you.” Thar closed his eyes, fingers pressed on the wall. “This place is full of it. You’re wasting your energy on it. Instead, focus on the change. Find the current vibration in the air and let your senses get accustomed to it. Like your eyes get accustomed to darkness. Then, detect only the changes.”

With the chalk still in my hand, I tried to do as he said. Magic bombarded me immediately, making my head spin to the point of having to sit down. I took in a shaky breath and tried to swim through the sensations.

“Breathe through it.” Thar said. “Let it calm down.”

It was harder than it sounded, and it made me strain through it all, but it became easier after a few seconds. Not easy. Easier.

“It takes practice.” Thar continued down the hallway.

“Come on, Jade.” Eugene offered a hand. “We have to move.”

I let him drag me back up, and we followed Thar.

There were no windows in the hallways, and it made me even more claustrophobic. There was also a possibility that any room with a window was swarming with black ooze. The idea of seeing our exits covered with demonic entities made the fear return.

We did not have a plan. Not really.

We were planning one step at a time, and the final question – how we were going to get out of here – was still unanswered. Could we reclaim the school before the black ooze conquered us?

Where was my father?

I doubted he just disappeared.

The vibration in the air stuttered, making me stop.

“Thar.” I whispered, and he stopped too.

It was weird.

The black ooze was constant; it’s strength pulsing, moving in straight direction, like wind. This felt like it was moving sideways. I wished I didn’t remember what it reminded me of.

“Guys?” A familiar voice reached us from around the corner, from the hallway leading to the library.

My heart dropped, “Morta?”

“Jade?”

She stepped into the flickering light, her face paler than her usual foundation. Her hands were shaking, her school uniform was crumpled, and her bangs sweaty.

“Where did you come from?” Thar immediately looked behind her, his flashlight illuminating the hallway.

“Hi, Morta. Glad you’re alive.” Eugene murmured, busy pouring salt all around.

She let out a laugh, her eyes watery and cloudy, “Fuck. Fuck. You’re here? Where is- where is Amma?”

“In the basement.” I glanced behind. “Thar’s training room is secure.”

“Fuck.” Morta chuckled and leaned against the wall-

“Don’t!” Thar shouted, and she jumped off. “Jade, draw.”

I gripped the chalk and drew the circle on the wall. At this point, drawing the symbol was automatic. Part of me feared it was sloppy.

“Where did you come from?” Thar repeated.

“The right corner from the cafeteria is clear. Until the library.” Morta spoke, a shadow falling over her eyes. “There are students there. And Lorenia. They can’t pass.”

“Who’s there?” I asked, heart beginning to pound in my chest.

She glanced at me, “Bella and Dean. And- and ten more people. Or fifteen. Not many. It’s- it’s a fucking mess there.”

“Leon’s not there.” I said, both my jaw and my chest squeezing.

“I haven’t seen him.” Morta’s eyes softened. “I- I saw him before, when we were in the main hall. He was in the bad part of the hall. The one that got- the one that got devoured first.”

I took a step back, my hand wrapping around my throat. No, he was a cunning bastard. He would have gotten himself away. He would have scrambled his way out.

“Alright.” Thar nodded. “I have to go help Lorenia and the students. You stay here.”

“No, no, no.” I protested. “I’m coming with you.”

“Where are they?” Thar ignored me and focused on Morta.

I focused on them, too, trying to create a layout of the building in my head. Would it make sense to go upstairs? There were no rooms in this building, only classrooms. And to my knowledge, those weren’t secured.

“The ooze has devoured the entire library. I- we think it might have come from the inside.” Morta’s gaze flew over our faces, as if waiting for an explanation. “It’s blocking the way from the right hallway to the cafeteria. I managed to squeeze through to go find help.”

“The way here is clear?”

“Yes.”

Thar looked at me, “The three of you will continue to line the walls with protection spells and salt, keep the way to the basement secure and clear. I’ll go ahead and help them pass through.”

“No.” I stated. “I’m coming with you. I can do another hallway. I can clear the way all the way to the main-”

“No, you can’t.” Thar’s gaze cut through me. “You can’t sense the ooze and fight it at the same time. It’s too much. But you can keep this way secured. You’ll help out a great deal.”

I ground my teeth, the desperation beginning to bite my skin.

“I have to find him.” My voice cracked, and Thar’s expression softened. “You know I have to.”

Thar nodded, “I’ll find him, Jade. I’ll do it.”

In theory, I believed him. In practice, I knew he was far more capable than me and if anyone could find Leon, it was Thar. But irrationally, I was one hundred percent certain only I would find him. He wouldn’t look well enough. He’d get distracted trying to save others-

“Jade.” Thar spoke. “Stay here, please. I’m fucking begging you. If that’s what it takes to keep you here, I’ll do everything I can to find him.”

“We need you here, Jade.” Morta said.

“Okay.” I nodded. “Go.”

Thar didn’t waste a second. He ran down the hallway, disappearing in the darkness. I faced Morta and Eugene, their faced awash with worry.

“Let’s move down the hallway.” Eugene continued, sprinkling salt everywhere.

“Give me a chalk.” Morta said, her spread out hand trembling.

I opened the backpack and gave her the chalk as well as the bottle of water.

“Amma?” Morta offered a small smile and unscrewed the lid.

“She brought everything. Even clothes.” I glanced at the jeans I had on. “And meat cleavers.”

“Man, fuck teachers.” Eugene murmured. “We would all be dead without Amma.”

“I think Darth’s going to give her a passing grade after this.” I smiled.

Both of them chuckled, but it died out quickly. I moved to the wall and pressed the chalk against it, hoping it would take the focus off the lump in my throat. But thoughts overwhelmed me.

“How bad is it?” I asked, drawing the circle. “What happened?”

Morta kept quiet for a few seconds, “It came out of nowhere. Burst through the door. Took at least ten students in the first few seconds-”

“Fuck.” Eugene wiped the sweat off his face.

“Lorenia was the only one there. Waiting with us to enter the buses.” Morta continued. “She didn’t even try fighting it. She just led us out of the main hall.”

My hand dropped from the wall, “Did you tell students they can fight it?”

“Fuck.” Morta cursed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I- I forgot. It was chaos. Everyone’s dead, Jade. Everyone. I don’t- I don’t even know how we made it out alive.”

“It’s okay.” I swallowed. “Thar will tell them. It’s going to be fine.”

But I doubted it with every inch of my soul. I focused on my senses and the feel of magic rumbling through the school. That rogue sensation, the one I mistook for Morta, was still present. Quiet, but strong. It did not flow with the ooze.

“If I had information that would double the current fear you feel,” I spoke. “Would you want me to share it with you?”

Morta stopped drawing and Eugene stopped sprinkling salt around. They both faced me, but I was busy glancing up at the walls, expecting something jumping out of each crack in the wood and panelling.

“How bad is it?” Morta asked.

“I feel something else present.” I whispered, eyes searching the shadows behind statues and picture frames. “The ooze is moving predictably, but this... I don’t know. It’s lingering. Watching.”

The tension doubled in the air. My friends’ magic suddenly stronger, more alert.

“Hey, Jade.” Morta called my name, a nervous, humourless laugh leaving her lips, “I just remembered when we summoned your grandmother. Remember how something else was present in the room? Something that spoke to us?”

“The same thing came to the trap we’ve built to sample the ooze.” I nodded. “It’s stronger now. It’s everywhere.”

“It’s a demon.” Eugene said.

Cold sweat washed over me and made my skin itch. The hallway became too quiet and too dark all of a sudden, the only sound our deep slow breaths. In such silence, I could feel the slow pulses thudding through the building.

It was alive.

The black ooze took over, devoured the place from the inside out, and it now breathed and sighed and heaved in its stead. The beating of its heart made the entire place rumble.

And we were in the belly of the beast.

Then, a muffled sound came from the depths of the dark hallway.

The three of us turned to it.

Morta opened her mouth, “What-”

“Shh.” Eugene put his finger on his lips.

We put our ear to the ground and waited.

“Help!”

I moved without thinking, but Eugene grabbed me, his nails digging into my forearm.

“Wait.” He held my hand as he took a step towards the sound.

“Help!” The muffled words came from the darkness.

“Eugene.” I grunted and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

“What if it’s a trap?” Morta faced me.

“Oh, come on.” My eyes widened. “What if it is a trap? You want everyone to just go through their lives ignoring cries for help?”

“That’s a fair point.” Morta murmured.

“Okay, let’s check it out.” Eugene let my arm go. “Carefully.”

We moved through the hallway, staying close to each other.

“Someone! Please! We can’t get out!”

The door handle on our left rattled, and the three of us jumped away.

Eugene, Morta and I exchanged glances.

“Step away from the door!” I shouted.

Eugene pulled out a meat cleaver and cut through the wood. Once. Twice. The wood gave out. Fear rushed through me. This was a horrible idea. This was attracting the ooze.

The cry from behind the door reached us, “Hurry, please!”

Eugene hit the wood again, cutting around the handle. Impatient, I gripped the cut edge of the door and pulled. The magic around us grew stronger, more focused. The ooze’s energy, seconds ago moving in the same direction, now switched, zeroing in on us.

I pulled the wood, splinters ending under my skin.

Someone from the other side leaned against the door and pushed. A girl.

“You can use your magic!” I remembered. “Just use your magic!”

“But it doesn’t work-”

“It does! Just try!”

Eugene listened instead, and the door burst into flames a second later, licking my skin. I cried out and jumped away, stumbling over my own feet and hitting the wall behind me.

“What are you doing?!”

“Burning the wood.” Eugene held his palms spread open, his facial muscles straining.

The fire ate the lacquered wood, making the hole bigger, wider. He stopped then, the fire dying out, and the girl spread her hand through the hole.

“Help!”

I grabbed her hand and helped her out of the room. Her blonde hair was bloody, like she’d hit her head, and her brown eyes were wide and terrified. As soon as she stepped out, she turned to the door.

“Jamie! Come on!”

“I can’t!” The male voice came from inside. “It’s everywhere!”

“Use your magic!”

Hands gripped the edges of the hole and a blonde male head peeked through.

I only had a second to look into his eyes, pain and terror sparking inside, before the spark died out and black slime crawled all over his face. Every vein under his skin suddenly turned visible and black. The skin became pale, dead. He let out a final roar before his mouth stopped moving, stuck in the permanent scream.

A second later, the ooze crawled through the hole and over the dead boy’s body into our hallway.