Chapter 20

Echoes of Doubdt

After the boys left, Elara and Lila began to talk freely about what had been happening at school lately, about how they were doing, because with Elara’s everyday busyness, they hadn’t really had time to meet up recently.
The fire crackled softly in the common room hearth, casting golden reflections on the stone walls. The warmth wrapped around them like a familiar blanket, and the soft armchairs embraced their relaxed bodies. A rare moment of peace.

It felt good to finally slow down. To just breathe and talk. No schedules, no responsibilities chasing them.

As time passed, the conversation turned to Raphael, and Elara asked what Lila thought of him.

– He’s quite an interesting person – Lila said, drawing her knees up and hugging them lightly. – He seems like a good person, normal. He’s neither stiff nor arrogant, even though he’s surely heard the rumours going around about him.

There was something in her voice — not just casual curiosity, but maybe a flicker of intrigue. Raphael had that effect on people. He lingered in thoughts longer than expected.

Then Lila asked:

– And what’s your opinion of him, since you’re kind of his guardian?

Elara confirmed her friend’s observations, then added:

– To be honest, I think there’s something more to him, something I can’t quite figure out. I’d say it’s some kind of mystery—one that perhaps even he himself doesn’t know. And that worries me a little, because despite my good intuition, I can’t quite tell if that thing inside Raphael is good or bad. I hope everything turns out well and that it’ll be confirmed he really is a good person.

Her voice had grown quieter, her gaze drifting toward the flames. There was a weight to her words, a hesitation she couldn’t shake. That nagging feeling she tried to ignore — the one that whispered of something hidden beneath Raphael’s surface — always returned when she let her guard down.

Then she suggested going for a walk in Whispering Woods, which had always been her favorite place to spend time.
The idea was like fresh air after a storm. Despite the late hour, she had never been afraid of being in the forest — especially since, as beings of the elements, they had more allies there than enemies.

The forest had always felt like home. Wild, yes — but never threatening. It welcomed them. Listened.

They figured it would be quicker to move using their respective elements — earth and air. So they agreed to meet by the Twin Oak. It was a very distinctive old tree with two fused trunks, and it even looked as if both trunks were reaching for each other with their branches to embrace.

Elara always found that tree beautiful — not just for its form, but for the quiet sense of longing it embodied. Two lives, growing together, holding each other in their own silent way.

Unfortunately, when she arrived, Elara realized she was in a slightly different place — and the same turned out to be true for Lila.

That wasn’t supposed to happen. Not here. Not to them.

Of course, both of them knew the topography of the forest very well, so they quickly found their way to the Twin Oak and met there.

– What really happened? – Lila asked, her brow furrowed as she scanned the shadows between the trees.

– Honestly? I don’t know – Elara replied. – But lately I’ve noticed some strange anomalies appearing in Whispering Woods. The last time I was here, I couldn’t find my favorite clearing. It was like it was completely hidden from me. And for the first time, I had the feeling the forest was keeping secrets from me.

Even now, the memory made her skin prickle. That eerie sensation of being watched. Of not being welcome, just for a moment.

– You’re right – Lila said after a moment. – The air feels different. And I’ve never had it happen before that I didn’t end up where I intended to go.

– The same goes for me – Elara confirmed. – It really worries me. I hope nothing bad is happening to our forest. That would mean a disruption in balance.

And balance was everything. The thought of the forest suffering sent a pulse of dread through her chest. The woods weren’t just background. They were alive. Sacred. Important.

Then they started walking along familiar paths, talking about various everyday matters. Their steps were unhurried, voices low, blending with the rustling leaves and the rhythm of night.

The night wrapped gently around them as they began walking deeper into Whispering Woods. The moon filtered softly through the branches above, painting silver patterns on the ground. Leaves rustled beneath their feet, damp with evening dew, and every now and then a breeze stirred, carrying the scent of moss and wildflowers.

– It’s been a while since we did this – Lila said quietly, glancing up at the canopy.

– Too long – Elara agreed. – I almost forgot how peaceful it is here at night.

They walked side by side, not rushing, letting the forest guide their steps. Fireflies floated lazily in the shadows, tiny dots of golden light weaving between ferns and low branches.

Somewhere to their left, a pair of luminous eyes blinked from within a hollow tree trunk, watching them with idle curiosity. A gentle creature — neither fearful nor threatening. It made no sound, only observed, then slowly withdrew into the dark.

– Did you see that? – Lila asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

– Mhm. I think it was one of the tree spirits. They never bother us.

– They’re shy. But kind.

There was a sort of quiet magic in these woods, Elara thought. Not the kind that demanded attention — the kind that waited to be noticed.

They passed under a low-hanging arch of intertwined branches, naturally formed, yet shaped so precisely it looked almost deliberate. Tiny silver-winged moths clung to the leaves, pulsing gently with light.

– Remember the time we got caught in that storm and ended up here, soaking wet? – Lila said with a laugh.

– You were furious. I think your boots were ruined.

– And your cloak – Lila grinned. – You kept insisting it would dry “with dignity,” whatever that meant.

Elara snorted softly. – It did. Fortunately I’m air elemental, otherwise it would have taken ages – she chuckled.

The path curved, and a soft trill echoed nearby. A cluster of glowing mushrooms lined the roots of an ancient oak, their faint blue light shimmering against the bark. Small shapes darted between the trees — some with paws, others with hooves, some not quite either.

They passed a clearing where the grass shimmered faintly with residual starlight. A group of tiny, fox-like creatures slept curled together near a log, ears flicking as they dreamed. One lifted its head briefly as they walked by, then nestled back down without alarm.

– I always feel like the forest breathes differently at night – Lila murmured. – Slower. Like it’s dreaming.

Elara nodded. – Or remembering.

A soft silence stretched between them — comfortable, not heavy. The woods were alive, but not loud. Every sound was part of something greater, a rhythm older than either of them.

They didn’t speak much after that. The forest didn’t need their words.

As they walked on, the trees gradually began to thin, and the undergrowth grew sparser beneath their feet. A faint, otherworldly glow started to shimmer between the trunks ahead — not the silvery light of the moon, but something softer, more unnatural.
It pulsed gently, like a quiet breath.

– We’re getting close – Elara said, her voice lowering instinctively.

The magical barrier was near now. The soft glow became clearer with each step — a veil of slow-moving light that spilled through the forest in dancing strands.

Between the trees, they could already make out the edges of its form. It was like a wall  but at the same time something far more fluid — a mist in constant motion, spinning lazily in place, its light cold colours shifting with no clear rhythm. Silvery one moment, faintly violet the next. Always moving. Always changing.

It looked beautiful. And deeply ancient.

They slowed their pace without thinking, drawn in by the quiet hum in the air, the low resonance that always surrounded the boundary. The presence of the barrier was subtle yet undeniable — not threatening, but commanding a certain reverence.

Before they knew it, they had reached the outer edge of the forest, where it nearly touched the barrier surrounding all of Amaltea.

When they got out of the woods, both of them froze, staring in shock at one of the trees standing at the edge of the forest, right by the barrier. It was withered — or rather, not just withered, but completely dead. Its trunk and branches were black, and it was clear there wasn’t a spark of life left in that tree.

It looked wrong. Off. Like a stain on the forest’s skin. An omen, silent and absolute.

– That’s impossible – they said almost simultaneously.

– I’ve never heard of such a case – said Elara, her voice tight.

– Neither have I – added Lila. – What do you think it could mean?

– I don’t know, but I really don’t like it – Elara said, worried. – Whispering Woods is protected by ancient magic, and nothing like this should happen. And since this is one of the trees closest to the barrier, it could suggest that the barrier is weakening, which really should be impossible. Or maybe something bad is simply happening to the forest.

And if that was true… what else might follow?

At the same time, an evening session of the Amaltea Resolution Council (ARC) was taking place, during which Headmaster Alexander was reporting the results of Raphael’s tests. The room was dimly lit, filled with soft golden light emanating from enchanted lamps that floated just below the ceiling. Heavy stone walls muffled the distant night sounds of the academy, giving the chamber a sense of isolation and weight. Around a large, crescent-shaped table sat the members of the Council — some cloaked in silence, others watching intently, the air thick with expectation.

– I must admit these results are very strange and quite ambiguous. At times, the results of some tests contradicted those of others. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. So far, we haven’t been able to determine what species or race this boy belongs to. He’s one big walking mystery.

Alexander’s voice echoed softly in the high-ceilinged chamber. There was a subtle tension in his posture, as if the uncertainty in his words sat heavily on his shoulders.

How could the readings be so scattered? How could every method fail to trace even the basic origin?

– Do we already know how he got here? – asked one of the council representatives, leaning slightly forward, his tone careful, but laced with concern.

– Still nothing. We checked all the readings — everything is within normal range. It looks as if he didn’t arrive here at all. And yet we all see that he’s here – said another member.

A murmur ran through part of the Council. Eyebrows furrowed. Fingers tapped softly on the polished wood of the table. The suggestion was as impossible as it was undeniable.

Something doesn’t add up. And when things don’t add up around magic, that’s when danger begins, one of the silent members thought, lips pressed into a thin line.

One of the elder representatives turned to Headmaster Alexander, his voice calm, but firm:

– But based on these tests, can we at least determine whether the source of his power and unusual abilities is rooted in light or dark magic?

– As much as I wish I had a different answer, unfortunately I have to say we still don’t know. The readings are so strange, the results so unclear, that I can’t say with certainty what type of source it is – answered Headmaster Alexander with a troubled voice.

He paused for a brief moment, eyes lowered, as though trying once more to make sense of what remained senseless.

– So in truth, we don’t know whether this boy might be a threat? Because if the barriers didn’t detect him at all, it’s just as likely he never went through any verification regarding his intentions – stated his interlocutor.

His words landed with weight, causing a silence to stretch out between the speakers. The mere suggestion — that someone could pass through Amaltea’s ancient magical filters unnoticed — was deeply unsettling.

– Regretfully, I have to agree. And I say this very reluctantly, because this boy has something about him that immediately makes you feel sympathy. From the very first moment, he gives the impression of being a good person, with good and pure intentions. But I’m also aware that history has seen cases where evil wore the most beautiful masks and managed to deceive even those with highly developed intuition.

The statement lingered in the air, like smoke refusing to disperse. A few members exchanged wary glances, though none spoke. The weight of past failures — some still unspoken — loomed silently behind them.

– Is he still under our control, or at least under observation?

– Yes – replied the Headmaster. – Elara is still helping him adjust to school life, and at the same time, she’s closely observing his behaviour — what he does, what he says, who he spends time with. She’s assisted by Kael, our trusted member of the community. That vampire has an excellent sense of perception and a highly developed observational instinct.

At the mention of Kael, a few nodded in acknowledgment. His reputation preceded him — precise, discreet, incorruptible. If anyone could sense something off, it would be him.

– And have they noticed any anomalies? Any unusual things, strange behaviour?

– No. Raphael behaves like a typical young man. Well, maybe with one exception — he very easily makes connections with other boys, regardless of their race or species. And there are rumours that these connections are formed on a very intimate level.

The silence that followed was more curious than judgmental.

– Well, that’s not particularly extraordinary. Besides, we can’t base anything on rumours — we all know such things often surround new and attractive students. Still, let’s keep an eye on him.

No one objected. The decision — unspoken but shared — settled over the room like a fine mist. The mystery of Raphael would not be left unattended.

Not anymore.