Unforgettable Night
Dear Diary,
Descending down the stairs near Barrel’s hut, I couldn’t shake the heavy weight of the day’s events lingering in the air. Barrel was there, chopping wood for Headmistress Morgana’s fireplace, but his demeanor spoke volumes. He didn’t look fine, and his icy silence spoke volumes. I could feel the waves of anger rolling off him, directed towards us, and suddenly, everything clicked into place.
The sacrifice of the dwarf person at the magus meet was the catalyst for Barrel’s simmering rage. It dawned on me that this ritual, whatever its purpose, had likely been occurring for years, perhaps even decades. The injustice of it all weighed heavily on my heart, and I struggled to find the right words to express my remorse.
As Aric and Lilith departed to their respective chambers, leaving me alone with Barrel, I approached him tentatively. His silence was deafening, his eyes clouded with pain and resentment. I attempted to break through his wall of anger, offering words of apology and understanding.
“I’m sorry,” I said, the words feeling inadequate in the face of his palpable anguish. “I don’t support any of this nonsense. My grandmother taught me that we’re all equal, and I truly respect you as I would any other person.”
But my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Barrel remained stoic, his expression unreadable. I could sense the hurt radiating from him, a deep-seated pain that words alone couldn’t soothe. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t alleviate his suffering or erase the injustice he had witnessed. In that moment, I felt a profound sense of helplessness. No matter how much I wished to ease his burden, I knew that some wounds ran too deep to heal with mere words.
After my encounter with Barrel, I felt a heavy weight settle upon my shoulders, a weight that seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment. Determined to check on Albert, I made my way directly to the medicodome, where Nurse Eliza Winterborne greeted me with a concerned expression etched upon her face.
She informed me that Albert had left the medicodome around an hour ago, leaving me feeling a pang of worry. When I asked Nurse Eliza why she looked so concerned, her response caught me off guard. Instead of addressing my question directly, she inquired about the outcome of the meeting with the kings. Her relief was palpable when I informed her that they hadn’t achieved their desired outcome.
Nurse Eliza Winterborne is no ordinary nurse; she’s a ghost whose spirit has been bound to the medicodome for centuries. The circumstances of her death remain shrouded in mystery, but her presence brings a sense of comfort and familiarity to the otherwise sterile halls of the medicodome. Despite her spectral form, Nurse Eliza exudes kindness and compassion, traits that have endeared her to generations of students.
With Albert nowhere to be found in the medicodome, I decided to check his chamber in the Aetherion Spire. However, my attempt was thwarted by Mr. Servius, who intercepted me before I could reach Albert’s quarters. He instructed me to return to my own chamber, and though I harbored questions and concerns, I complied with his directive.
Now, as I sit alone in my room at Terravale Hall, my mind is consumed by a whirlwind of unanswered questions. Who — or what — speaks from beneath the well, and what do they seek to gain? The events of the magus meet have left me unsettled, and I find myself grasping for answers in a sea of uncertainty.
Yours in contemplation,
Zoe
