The Phantom's Gambit-Chapter 61: The dark one walk amongst us 2

ripped out of Octavius’ throat at his friend’s antics. It died down after a while, and Octavius’ expression returned to its usual moody state.

No matter how he tried to act like he was okay, he really wasn’t. But he was grateful for the few friends who had stuck around, that being Thorne and his friends.

Just then, his sister Lynn and her friend walked in. Her friend rested her body on a nearby wall, scrunching her nose in disgust. While Thorne and Octavius’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment.

They’d been at it for a while, so the stench that emanated from them was to be expected. Unless Lynn’s friend was exaggerating.

Which Octavius found weird, because usually, his sister was the one with attitude. But there she was, smiling sweetly at him as she stood next to him.

Octavius finished wiping himself clean and tossed the towel at Lynn, expecting a witty retort. But she simply said "Oh" and removed the towel from her face, draping it over her arm like a delicate lace handkerchief.

Thorne and Octavius exchanged a look. "We should probably run," Thorne whispered in Octavius’ ear, and they began to move back.

"Not so fast!" Lyn’s friend yelled, making Octavius and Thorne halt in their tracks immediately.

She cleared her throat and tried to adopt a more feminine tone. "I dared your sister to hug you. Now, be a good brother and let her do it, or she’ll have to...ahem...take a faceful of dung."

"Do it." Octvaius quickly let out.

While Thorne said. "I’m quite surprised she didn’t offer to do that herself when you dared her."

Octavius turned to his sister. "You have finally succeeded in turning your friend into you, Bravo!"

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But his sister just stood there, looking at him with longing eyes.

"Okay, okayy" Lynn’s friend said, making her way to Lyn to grab her by her arm. "Let’s go."

Octavius and Thorne watched them as they disappeared into the distance wearily.

"Is it weird that I felt the creeps from your sister’s friend instead of your sister, like I normally do? It’s almost like they swapped bodies."

Octavius rolled his eyes as he grabbed his clothes.

"That would mean they did blood magic, and my sister abhors blood magic," he said, pulling on his shirt. He turned to Thorne. "Now, you don’t see a preacher’s child practicing the opposite of what their father preaches, do you?"

"Actually," Thorne began, but instead of finishing his sentence, he discreetly nodded towards a boy their age, who was busy flirting with a group of girls.

Octavius rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. Especially with the death of my father, and the rumors that are going around. She hates it more than I do, trust me."

"I know."

Octavius sat on the provided bench in the arena.

"I just wish I could talk to my Father personally. Even if I couldn’t prove to the others that he’s not guilty of what they’re accusing him of, hearing it from him would be worthwhile."

Thorne dropped the napkin he was using to wipe his sweat and turned to Octavius. "You know, I think there’s a way for you to do that."

"Man, the only way is with blood magic -’d you know that attracts demons to your soul. I am desperate but not that desperate. Are you forgetting we can’t wield magic, especially since we haven’t attended the essence ceremony yet? We don’t even know what essence we’ll harness."

"That’s the thing – we don’t have to use magic to talk to him. I found a way— thanks to my mother."

Octavius stared at him blankly, waiting for Thorne to reveal that he was just joking. But Thorne’s expression remained solemn, and Octavius’ curiosity got the better of him at the mention of Thorne’s Mother.

"What way? What did she say? Can we leave now? How do we–"

Thorne pressed a finger to his lips and glanced around the room. "Not here," he mouthed. "And don’t worry the process will be quick. Just Wait for me at the old oak tree. I’ll show you then."

"But the ceremony starts in a few hours," Octavius began to object.

"It starts at sundown. My Father told me, so don’t worry. We’ll be back on time to celebrate your birthday too." Thorne responded, dismissing his worries.

As a member of the Wysteria Council, Thorne’s father was not only a skilled mage but also a respected authority. The council oversaw the activities of Wysteria Academy, as well as the entire magical community of Wysteria. Thorne’s father and Octavius’ father had been close friends since their teenage years, which had led to Thorne and Octavius growing up as inseparable best friends.

Octavius knew it was unlikely that the ceremony’s timing would be postponed, but he suspected that the change might be due to his father’s passing. As the former Headmaster, Octavius’ father had traditionally led the Awakening Ceremony. Now, alternative arrangements had to be made.

The last day of the year had finally arrived, and with it, the Awakening Ceremony – a sacred rite of passage that marked the transition from adolescence to adulthood. For Octavius, this day held extra significance, as it coincided with his birthday.

"Okay," Octajius finally agreed. "But let’s check on Lynn first. With everything going on, I don’t want her getting bullied."

"Man, have you met your sister?" Thorne chuckled. "She’s the one doing the bullying. Plus, remember, we’ve got people keeping an eye on her? She’s in good hands."

Octavius still felt a pang of concern for his sister, who was two years his junior. The death of their father had hit her hard as much as it did him, and although she did very well to mask her pain, he knew it was taking a toll on her.

However, with the ceremony looming and the potential to finally speak with his father again, he knew he had to prioritize.

This would do us both good