Story

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Round 1

Saved from the brink of disbandment, the revival of the ancient history club brings together an unlikely group of students.Hosting a diverse roster of members, the popular and the forgotten gather together all the same. For one reason or another, each of them have found the ancient history club as means to get closer to their goals. Perhaps the lull of ancient power draws them in, or maybe they seek to find themselves within forgotten scripts.No matter their reasons, they all meet together as equals. Poring over fading texts, their hushed meetings within the shelves of the moonlit library go unnoticed by classmates and faculty.

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Round 2

With one last message from the fates, the members of the ancient history club wake up three years in the past.There's little time for anyone to grasp their surroundings before Himari is gathering them all, casting nervous glances around as she marches them down the route to the library. Slipping in alongside other students, the group catches a glimpse of a familiar librarian at his desk. His appearance and mannerisms show a reflection of home, yet they dare not interact. He's not their librarian, he doesn't know who they are—at least, not yet. Not at this time.They settle into what they knew as their meeting spot—a far corner of the library, hidden behind dusty shelves that held the secrets of the world. The space is roughly the same as in their time, allowing them a small sense of relief as they grapple with the fact that they are living in a time that is not theirs. Heavy silence hangs in the air, broken as Himari speaks in a hushed voice, her brow furrowed and frown deeply set."We need to go back to our time. We're not supposed to be here. You heard what the fates said—we can't mess with the past, or it'll erase our existance as we know it. We have to do everything we can to figure out to return to our time. And we start with..."She reaches into her pocket, pulling out the only thing connecting them to home—The Serpent's Wand. The dark wood emits a dark, wispy smoke, drifting languidly and absorbing all light that touches it. She settles it on the table before her, gesturing to it as she continues speaking."... this. This is all we have of our time. It has to have the key to going back. We have to analyze it and find whatever we can. I need everyone to try and channel their magic into it and see what they can learn. I'll go first."Himari lifts the wand back into her grasp, shutting her eyes as she focuses on the wand. The rest of the club watches with undivded attention, unsure of what to expect.Scenes flash before Himari's eyes. Visions of cheating, manipulation, unjust control—all gained through the cheap power that the darkness provides. Wicked laughter echoes in her head. She drops the wand, eyes snapping open as she stares down in disgust. This... must be what would happen if they didn't make it back in time. That had to be what it meant.There's a pause before she fully gathers herself, glancing to the rest of she group. Her reaction intrigues the others. What could she have seen to elicit such distress? Would they all see the same? She takes a step back, offering the wand to everyone else. She doesn't say anything else, waiting to see what everyone else experiences.Stepping up first, Noel channels her magic into the wand. She's granted visions of herself in another world—one where she's left behind all that she hates. A life where she's given up everything to the darkness for a new start. Is this the way to reach the life she dreams of? Perhaps changing the past can bring her the future she wants.Brenn is promised the world that he wants. A world shrouded in darkness is a world that he controls, a world that he morphs to his whim. But the past is too unstable, too uncertain. He must return back to his time, wielding the darkness to bring about the change he wants in the world he knows how to lead.A surge of power pulses through Kevin's veins, a glimpse of the ability to toy with others like he never has before. With a touch of darkness, he can toy with his playthings than ever imagined. If only a drop of the darknesses' power is this intoxicating, imagine how much potential wielding it can be. Messing up the past may be more fun than he had initially thought.Hyacinth sees her reflection in the mirror, staring back with a blank expression. A crack, and the glass shatters into pieces. As she looks over each shard, she sees a different version of her held in their reflection—realities that lie within the darkness. Is this the key to finding who she is? Is her truth held within its grasp?Nothing is felt by Estelle. No visions, no positive or negative feelings, no surges of power—just emptiness. There's nothing within the darkness for her, just as there's nothing for her everywhere else. But is that really is? Shouldn't there by something, anything?With their visions on the forefront of their minds, cracks begin to form in the group's unity. Himari demands any useful information revealed from what everyone saw, yet very little is actually shared. The excuse that they only saw random scenarios and visions is shared between the members. After mulling through the small bits of information she's heard, Himari sends everyone off to research time travel and the Fates.

Beneath the cloak of nightfall, a solitary figure sneaks to the furthest corner of the academy library. Taking wary looks around to make sure she's unseen, Estelle pulls the Serpent's Wand from her cloak.She stares at the artifact, ruminating as the smoke twirls between her fingers. The dark wisps ebb and flow, neither inviting nor rejecting her touch. If this were the only object to be sent to the past with them, it must hold answers. So why hadn't it shown her anything? Why was she the only one without a vision?Maybe the circumstances weren't right. Maybe she has to try harder, maybe she needs to be alone. It can't just be nothing. She needs to try again.She takes a deep breath, steeling herself as she tightens her grip on the wand. She stands still, shutting her eyes and focusing her magic into the wand.Darkness washes over her, the same as it had before. Yet amidst the emptiness she senses something, something lurking that hadn't been there earlier. She tries to analyze whatever is there, but it stays just out of reach. There's nothing else for her to do but push further.The moment she reaches it, she's overcome with fear.A nightmare. Blood—far more blood than she'd ever seen before. It paints everything in sight a sickening hue, amplifying the dizzying chorus of screams that engulf the space. The darkness surrounds it all, watching as Estelle finally spots the source of the horror—her dying companions, painfully being consumed by the darkness.Their reactions are of pure madness—desperation and a futile attempt to survive. They cry out, screaming and wailing as their disfigured bodies and minds are eaten away. They struggle, fighting against the darkness to try and regain control. But it's no use, as they had chosen to give themselves up in exchange for the darknesses' power. This is the price they pay for a pact with the darkness.Estelle's forced to watch the gruesome scene, unable to tear her eyes away from the gore. With every second that passes she feels herself growing sicker and sicker, until the darkness finally turns to her.She knows it's coming for her, but she's trapped. She's far too stunned to move, her feet rooted as she helplessly watches her fate disappear before her.Yet before the darkness reaches her she's shoved out of the way, stumbling backwards and out of the reach of the darkness. Her eyes lock on to Noel, collapsed where she had been standing seconds before. Her elder sister looks back at her with an expression mixed with pain and determination. It's the last thing Estelle sees before she's pushed out of the vision.The wand clatters to the ground.Without realizing, Estelle's knees have given out and she's crumpled to the floor. Her heart pounds in her chest, mimicking her mind that races faster than she's ever felt before. Panic swells in her throat as she tries uselessly to stabilize her hurried breath, feeling tears prick the corner of her blurry vision.She doesn't know what to make of the visions she was shown. Was it a nightmare? A warning? A prophecy?She curls into herself, gripping at her skirt. The vision keeps playing back in her head, no matter how hard she tries to ignore it. She quietly sobs into the night, not knowing what to do.

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Characters

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Himari

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Noel

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Brenn

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Kevin

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Hyacinth

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Estelle

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Kamille

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Members

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