Hell Upside Down

Chapter 7

Point of view Alena 

After finishing my duties in the confinement area, I rushed to get myself ready. I took the fastest shower I ever took. Classes started at 8:00 am. It was currently 7:00. I had no time to get breakfast, no time to put on makeup and look somewhat human for my first day of classes. I rushed out of my door, running towards Main Hellia. The castle was huge as I walked into the courtyard. I was lost and had no idea where I could look to found Lilith's office. 

Looking around, I found a familiar face in the crowd of students rushing towards their classes. Nero was standing in a corner, playing on his phone. I decided to go up to him to ask for help. 

- "Hi Nero, I'm Alena. Sierra's roomate." I tried to remind him in case he had forgotten about me. 

Nero puts his phone down and smiles back at me. "I remember who you are." He reassures me. 

- "Do you know where Lilith's office is?" I asked. 

Nero's expression change as if he was surprised. "Follow me, I am going that way too." He says. Nero was about my height. His dark skin glowed in the sunlight. I haven't seen Nero since I had caught him in an embarrassing situation earlier this weekend. He walked into a side door before walking up a huge staircase. Main Hellia was a memorizing building. The staircase was protected with red carpet and gold was decorating the round ceiling. I admired the paint covered the walls and showed the story of our kind. 

- "What's Nallia like?" I asked Nero with interest. Cassiopeia was one of the most well known section. It was always in the news, talking about the future and other prophecies. The Shadow Cast had its own reputation that people feared but Nallia was never talked about. 

- "It's a lot more welcoming than Shadow." He giggled. "Actually, we are a lot more down to earth." He continues joking while I roll my eyes at his punt. As he realize my more serious expression he continues: "Nallia is my home. We aren't as know because we work in more remote areas. We work to preserve nature after what the humans had done with it." He says while pointing at a segment of the wall which was a representation of destruction. It represented when the humans dropped atomic bombs on the world, destroying nature. 

As we walked up the stairs, finishing on the last floor, he added: "We also help a lot of the Shadow Cast. We work well together. When Beast needs a naturally place to run around and hunt, they usually come to us." He adds. 

I had never thought about it that way. Nero felt like someone I knew all my life. 

"This is her office. Good luck!" He said while giving me a comforting hug and turning towards his first class. 

I stare at the door for a few moments while trying to build up the courage to enter. I am not used to getting in trouble.  I knock a few times before I hear the word: "Enter." I am faced with a secretary which directs me to take a seat. "She will be back with you in a few minutes." She says while she goes back to her computer and taps frantickly on her computer. I noticed a name tag on her desk written: "Holly Butterfield." 

Holly is probably in her young twenties and is seen as someone that is really busy. I fidget in my seat as I grow more and more nervous as the time past. My mind is interrupted by the loud voices which comes out of the director's office. 

- "Have you found her yet?" 

I recognize the familiar voice of Lilith. Her voice seems stressed and somewhat enraged. 

- "No, I was locked up this weekend. I don't feel her presence." 

The masculine voice makes me want to hide. I feel embarrassed to be here. Ash will probably make fun of me again as soon as he walks out. 

- "Maybe if you got your shit together, you would be able to found her. I can feel the sickness coming." 

The familiar words that she used doesn't go unnoticed. Sickness? I wondered what they were talking about. The situation seemed critical. A few seconds later, Ash stormed out of the room. He walks past me without a look. 

Holly doesn't seem shocked and smiles back at me. "You're turn!" She exclaims. I roll my eyes before dragging my feet into her office. Lilith turns around and tries to dissimulate any concern she has on her face. I notice one of her blue snakes in a corner who went to hide while still staring me down. The mutual dislike is apparent. 

Lilith directs me towards the seat in front of her imposant desk. The room is messy, with piles of books and paper in all direction. Lilith sights. She doesn't seem mad at me which comforts me. 

- "Alena... I understand that you were mostly raised with humans." She starts by referring to Uncle Jay. 

I cross my hands around my arm as Uncle Jay means the world to me. I would not tolerate anything bad said about him. 

- "So, I understand that our rules may not be known to you." She continues while petting her snake. "To put it simply, Shadow Cast aren't allowed to be together as in a relationship."   

I look at her as if she was crazy. Noah actually reporting the kiss was none of his business and feels like a stab in the back. I didn't understand how this institution could tell me who or not to be with. I was frustrated as I didn't even time to comprehend what that exchange with Thomas meant to me. 

Lilith took a few seconds before asking me a question: "Why do you think there are only three people in your class? Why do you think Shadow Cast is only a tenth of the Nallia Cast?" 

She plays with her hair while waiting for my response which was an obvious one: "Instinction. We almost went instinct when the three casts were at war." It felt like I was reciting an old history lecture. 

She pushed further: "Why were they at war?" 

I frowned my eyebrows not sure what she was getting at. "They were haunted by humans and didn't get along... I don't know." I reply with hesitation. 

Lilith sits down and slides me a picture of a beautiful creature. Unlike us, the creature didn't really have a human appearance. It was prettier, more powerful, with a few animal characteristics. "The other Cast were afraid of your kind, but most importantly, they were afraid of the immortals. If two Shadow Casts create children together there is a rare possibility that an immortal could rise again."    

I didn't see what was wrong with creating such a beautiful creature. "So?" I ask. 

- "So, the Supreme Council has found the Union of two Shadow Cast creatures to be outlawed. They do not like what they cannot control." She remarks with seriousness. 

This revelation surprises me. I had always thought of the Supreme Council to be a perfect institution to make decisions for our kind. 

"Is Thomas your soulmate? She asked with a worried tone. 

- "No.. why?"  

She takes a deep breath as if she was relieved of a thousand pounds off her shoulders. She throws her hand in the air and dismisses my question. 

- "Good. Very good. Don't do that again." She says waving her hand once again in the air. 
"Whatever that was."  She continues with a smile. "Now get to class, Ms. Rose hates late students."