𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖 (ACOTAR FANFIC)

Eight

BTW! This chapter is mainly establishing plot points and building the story! It's pretty important! But there won't be much interaction between characters.

Listen to the video while reading this chapter!

TW!!

The night was cold. The freezing rain had crept through my window during the night, inviting the cool breeze with it. Distantly lightning struck in the distance, booming thunder following in its footsteps. But I couldn't focus on the cold that had seeped into my bones. Not when I had been summoned by Stijn in the darkest hours of the night. Meaning one of two things, there was a training exercise I needed to be alert and ready for at any time, or I was being terminated. I hoped it was the former.

I walked along the silent corridors careful of my footsteps not to wake anyone with enhanced hearing. I had been at the academy for a little over 2 weeks now, and learned firsthand why you shouldn't disturb any of the elders as they slept, I had the lingering scars scattering my forearms to prove it.

            I was going to be nine in about three months. I had until I was eleven to complete my training or the worst would happen. I was already ahead of my piers.

I approached the end of the dark hallway, arriving at a large oak door, laden with carvings in an artistic rendering of the old language. I approached the wooden door with a deep breath before knocking twice.

There was a distant "Enter," that sounded from inside. I turned the knob and took a step into the room feigning confidence I didn't have. I had only ever been in this room once before in the two weeks I'd been a trainee at St. Everen's, the other was when I had gotten in trouble for slapping another girl after she said my hair looked like Mr. Fender's aging mustache. Stijn threatened to expel me, or worse if it happened again, I've been the perfect novice since.

"You summoned me?" I questioned. Stijn's eyes raised to mine from the papers he had been previously inspecting.

"Ah, Danika," He spoke calmly as he stood from his seat, "You are right on time." Stijin stalked to the dresser on the other side of the room, he picked up a blue faelight lantern that was sat there, "I must say I'm pleased you managed not to wake any of the others on your way."

I smiled softly, "You need only know your way around the shadows,"

Stijn hummed as he sauntered towards the door where I still stood, "Spoken like a true assassin." He stopped in front of me, "Unfortunately on our way to our destination, you must keep finding your way around the shadows." I nodded firmly as Stijn extinguished the remaining light in the room with a flick of his wrist, leaving only the small blue light emitted by the lantern. He slowly opened the door, I wouldn't have even noticed the door opening if I couldn't slightly see the now revealed hallway.

Stijn nodded for me to go first and closed the door on his way out. When we had been fully engulfed in the dim hall he began to walk, a silent command for me to follow.

We walked familiar pathways up until a sharp turn I would have missed if I weren't following Stijn. I recognized the direction we were going and wasn't thrilled to realize we were heading to the East Wing of the ground, it was prohibited for novice's to go down there without a guide. If you were caught down there unsupervised they would do things to you worse than death. I shiver curled its way up my spine. I had never dared to ask what was down there, though I suppose I was about to find out.