Royal Academy

Chapter 18

**Lani's POV**

"Hey, sorry. Have to get my coat." Aestia closed the door behind her.

Will lays in bed, ready to take a nap with me, and wraps his arms around me. "So.. Will.. You've met Aestia before. Why did you ask if it was her?" I ask.

"Well.. I'm not so sure. I guess I spend more time with you, Danielle, and Megan." He chuckles.

"Alright. Wake me up soon~" I say, my eyes getting heavier and heavier. Soon enough, I pass out. I suddenly forget all reality exists. I'm in school, and a smokey black figure appears in front of me. The lights go out, and everyone gasps. We're all locked inside the classrooms. A voice is heard from the PA system. "You will obey everything I say, or be eaten alive. Half of you are my slaves, the other half are to be for my entertainment."

Someone stands up, "Never! You expect us to get up and as soon as we see you, obey! Who are you anywa-" and the girl is cut off by a small knife tossed through her throat. Someone throws up, and another one faints. I feel silent tears down my face. Will isn't here, but at the same time, I'm glad. He's most likely safe. Aestia and Iris were huddling together, and Danielle and Megan were hopefully still alive. We're all taken to cells of some sort. 15 girls are stuffed into one cell with the maximum capacity of 10. 5 bowls of brain soup are given to us. I pass on food, and cry in the corner. 5 days pass, and I've been starved. Aestia's dead, and was killed in front of me with a butcher knife to cut off both her arms and she bled out. Someone finds a way out, and we all leave. Eventually, I remember something. "But my bags! My phone and everything is in there! SHISA!" I say, bringing myself to tears. I run back inside and everyone else runs away. I grab my clothes, my fish, and Shisa, but I hear footsteps. I see students walking back in, in shame, with light green limbs forcefully holding them until their skin is red. These awfully deformed creatures take me, and throw me in the prison again.

My eyes open, and Will is trying to wake me up. I feel tears rolling down my face uncontrollably. "Noelani! Noelani you're ice cold!"

I look up at him, and feel around his chest and shoulders. "You're real. This is all real." I sigh in relief, and hug him tight.

"Nightmare?" He asks, wiping away my tears with his thumb, and wraps a blanket around us.

"Yeah.. It was so real.. And terrifying.. I just want to be in your arms right now." I say, cuddling him after laying us both down. I nuzzle him.

"Don't be scared of dreams, love, because here, you're safe with me." He says, and holds me tighter. I smile.

"Thank you, my love." I rest in his arms.

"You're welcome, Noelani Nacho." He smiles, and rocks me side to side a bit, even though we're laying down. "Oh I do love you Strawberry." He says, snuggling me. I smile.

"I love you too, Dorito Man."

"All I want is to be right here, next to you." He says, and kisses my cheek.

I mindlessly play with his fingers, and curl up with him. Suddenly, an alarm that I recognize as the fire alarm goes off. Will and I run outside after collecting our important items into bags. We all wait outside, in the crisp, cold air. Aestia runs up to us, to make sure we're okay. The middle of the school caves in, and I'm clinging to Will. Luckily, it seems everyone made it out alive, and the dorms weren't harmed very much. Wait- THE CREATURES! "The fish! I have to go and save them!"

"But- Noelani, the building is collapsing and I don't want you hurt!" Will says.

"I have to save at least some of them!" I say, and run into the building falling at my feet. Iris follows. I see the tank break and collapse. I hear and see water splashing to the floor, and waves rush at us both. I manage to run through one, and Iris swims through it. I block falling pieces of ceiling, and grab one as large as a surf board. I lay on it, and surf the next wave of water. I catch a falling sea turtle, and grab a floating plastic bag. I find a few swimming baby sea turtles, and grab them, and scoop up a couple fish. Iris saves a few sea turtles, and rare fish. Another girl named Saoirse is with us, and saves a few sea creatures from the tank. Unfortunately, we couldn't save them all. We run back outside, more concrete hitting ourselves and falling to the floor. Smoke was everywhere at this point, but the water was saving the dorm rooms to the left. Everything else was slowly burning. We all make it to safety, but Iris loses a sea turtle. She tries to go back for it, but she's too late. The turtle gets swooped away, and concrete falls on her.

"NO!" She screams, but cannot hesitate to turn around and run from the danger. We make it outside, and set the saved creatures down. The marine biology teacher takes the saved creatures to the aquarium room. The lady from the first day of classes shows up with a megaphone.

"Girls, girls, please do calm down.. I know this is stressful, and we are not sure what has caused this catastrophe... We will have to investigate and get the building rebuilt. For now, we will have all remaining furniture sent to storage, and all items small enough to be carried will be sent out to the owners of said items. For now, the following girls will be sent to the Golden Tiara dorms.

Emilia Sepia
Amber brown
Ali Brown
Danielle Ridgewell
Maxine Celo
Emma Green
Bonnibell Bubblegum

Please proceed to the dorms to be paired up with another girl or girls in their dorms as a guest.

The following girls will be- why is there a boy in the group?"

"That doesn't matter!" Another boy screams at the lady after he came out of his school to check what had happened with another group of princes.

"A-alright." The lady continues, "these girls shall go to the silver spoon dorms;

Elise Wyrembelski
Opalesent Echo
Brianna Emmonds
Saoirse Reyes
Iris Snivy
Aestia Clearwater
Please proceed to the dorms."

Aestia leaves with Iris and Opal.

" Jessica Rose
Robin Esa
Melanie Mora
And 19 more girls of their choice may go to the camp grounds. 10 girls get to share the 3 cabins, and the other girls camp out. The camping girls get extra credit in gym and survival classes. The rest of you may go to Angelo's School to be paired with a prince kind enough to share a dorm room. School is cancelled, as the school building had also been burned down. It is unknown for how long." Everyone leaves, and I take Will's hand, squeezing it.

"I managed to save my blanket, Shisa, some jewelry, notebooks, and the music box locket. As well as my fish. And the picture of Jakob." I say. "I'm not sure my dorm room made it through the fire, but I'm terrified to find out." I say.

He pulls me closer to him, his arm around my shoulder now. "It all happened so fast, and I know you did what you could, love. I'm sure we'll be okay. What matters to me is that you and Shisa are okay. And you are. So that means everything to me. Now let's go to my room and get our minds off this, shall we?" He asks, politely.

"A-alright.." I say, as he escorts me back to his dorm room to stay in for however long.

~~~The next day~~~

Will and I walk to the now crumbled sight. Aestia and I's room made it through the fire, thank God! Our stuff will be sent to us both. Swim practice is definitely cancelled for a while unless the prince school is willing to lend their's to us until we get everything back to normal. I suddenly see dead sea animals scatter across the main floor. I'm left speechless. "I-"

"Shh.. You did your best. I know it hurts, but it's okay.." He says, holding me close. I sigh, and walk away from the disaster sight.

We cuddle in his bed for a bit after drinking some tea to relax us a bit. Shisa and little Lani play a little bit. I smile and cuddle Will tightly. "Please never leave me." I say.

"I promise." He says.