Unseen Ripples of the Seen World

Dear Diary,

Today, I woke up feeling very restless. It was early in the morning, and I decided to take a walk by the Ebonflow River. This river is very special because it changes its appearance depending on which chamber it flows behind.

First, I walked behind Terravale Hall, where the river was green, full of trees and leaves. It felt like I was in a watery forest. Next, I reached Pyrocrest Sanctum, where the river turned fiery red, looking like flames were coming out of it. As I continued my walk, the river behind the Aerolyth Nexus was colorless, just like the air.

I remembered hearing stories about the part of the river that flows behind Aquanique Haven. They say it connects to the ocean and ethereal mermaids live there. I haven’t seen them myself, but it sounds magical. After that, the river flows behind Lumina Aegis, the Light Chamber, and then Umbralith Crypt and Aetherion Spire. Each part of the river is different and beautiful, and it’s one of the wonders of our realm. Students from the chambers often visit the river for holy blessings.

As I walked around, I saw Lilith sitting on one of the rocks near the fiery red river behind Pyrocrest Sanctum. Her eyes were closed, but her cheeks were wet with tears. It was clear that she had been crying. I asked her if she was okay, but she just smiled and said she was fine, that she had come for blessings.

I asked her if she had seen anything unusual last night. Lilith nodded but didn’t say anything more. She told me she had to go study and then went back to her chamber. I don’t know what happened to her, but I felt like she needed some space, so I didn’t press her for more details.

After my walk by the Ebonflow River, I returned to my room to get ready for class. I put on my uniform and headed to Professor Saga’s history class. Today, he was teaching us about the Fall of the Tīrganor, the Celestial Dynasty.

Professor Saga told us about Queen Lumewatch’s ancestors and how they protected the portals that connect our realms. These portals were once occupied by the Tīrganorians, but when they lost everything, they ran away and left the portals behind. They scattered around the realms and became slaves to the kingly families.

Professor Saga said the Tīrganorians were creepy and deserved to be slaves. He described how they were cunning and untrustworthy, which is why they lost their power and status. It made me think about how different life must have been back then, with all the conflicts and struggles for power.

Listening to Professor Saga’s stories, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, it was fascinating to learn about the history and how the realms were shaped. On the other hand, it was sad to hear about the downfall of an entire dynasty and how they ended up as slaves.

After class I met up with Albert. We walked through the corridor together, heading towards the corner of the floor where we planned to take the tunnel that leads to the school grounds. As we walked, Albert asked me if I had seen Lilith. I told him that I met her near the river where she had gone for blessings.

Albert didn’t believe in the blessings. He thought they were nonsense and smiled ignorantly. I then asked him if he remembered anything about the night when the wolves attacked him and how he ended up in the library. Albert shook his head and said the last thing he remembered from that night was lying on his bed in his chamber.

I stopped walking and took out the pendant from my bag. I asked Albert if he had seen this locket before. Albert held it in his hand and said yes, he had seen it in the mundane world. He remembered a lady wearing it but said that sometimes he dreams of a blurry woman with this locket. I asked him about his dream, but he couldn’t remember anything besides the woman and the pendant.

Albert asked where I found the locket. I told him I found it at Bumble Grumbletoe’s treehouse when we were there. He was completely shocked and couldn’t remember anything about it. I asked Albert to keep the locket with him, thinking it might help him remember something that could solve the puzzle in the future. He agreed and we both went to our respective chambers.

After dinner, we were headed to Murkmire Abyss for our meeting. I noticed that Peter wasn’t there. It was shocking because Peter, a student from Umbralith Crypt, had returned his letter and refused to volunteer at the Grand Jamboree. Aric said Peter was a loser, but I thought there might be more to the story.

All the students gathered around Professor Emberforge. She began to distribute duties when she noticed me and asked, “Are you Princess Hawthorne?” Everyone turned to look at me. I answered, “Yes!” She said, “You want to volunteer even though you are royalty?” I told her, “I want to contribute to the protection of our realm and fulfill my responsibilities as a student.” She seemed pleased with my answer.

Professor Emberforge distributed various responsibilities: Food and Beverage Service, Security and Safety, Guest Services, Entertainment Assistance, and more. However, I didn’t get any responsibility. Lilith, Albert, Jacob, and 35 other students were assigned to Security and Safety. They received maps of the areas they were to protect. Jennifer, Aric, Thistle, Calixto, and others were assigned to Guest Services, while Tansy and Mara were responsible for Entertainment Assistance.

It seemed like a casual jamboree, but what we read in the books suggested it would be much more than it appeared. After the session ended, Professor Emberforge dismissed all the students, telling them to start preparing from tomorrow. I was disappointed and about to leave when she asked me to come for a walk. Albert pinched my hand, encouraging me to go with her, and then everyone else left.

As Professor Emberforge and I walked towards the school, she told me that my responsibility would be given on the night of the jamboree and that it was a huge responsibility. She asked me to be ready.

When we reached the gates of Terravale Hall, we saw Professor Xorki walking there. Professor Emberforge asked him what he was doing out so late. He arrogantly replied that he was with the headmistress. Professor Emberforge then asked me to go to my chamber, so I went.

As I settled into my room, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety about the upcoming jamboree. The night held so many secrets and responsibilities. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something big was about to happen, something that could change everything. I needed to be ready for whatever lay ahead.

Yours in anticipation,
Zoe