Legend | Celeste Academy Series BK #2

Chapter 26 ♕ The Act

Just so everyone knows, this is where the divergence happens with the new revised version of Legend.

Everything that happens from this point on is no longer canon and may have inconsistencies with future books.

Valeriana did not know what she was supposed to do as she and Aden made their escape. It all happened so fast that her brain was muddled from the recent experience. It did not make sense how her comrades would fall asleep in the middle of something!

When they got to a safe distance, Valeriana sank on the base of a tree. The aura was no longer around her, offering a sense of comfort. Even so, her worry for the group was currently unmatched—not to mention that her heart was beating erratically at the close encounter. She breathed out heavily, wondering what in the world just happened. She couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving all of them behind.

"What happened back there?"

"The flare of demonic energy." Aden answered, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "I saw it happen before when there were a few who attempted an uprising. He did the same—put them all to sleep."

"We shouldn't have been too complacent." Valeriana rose. "I have to go back. I have to save them."

"You can't go back there." Aden said, stepping in front of her. "At least, not yet. It's best if we head directly to the family manor and get your friends out—after planning something out, of course."

"Gosh." She sighed. "You could've saved Tamara, Keelan, Courtney or Brindon. Why me? I doubt I would be able to stand up to that demon."

"You were the nearest one. It's either you or no one else." He shrugged. "Besides, you did not look affected."

She noticed. It did not affect her one bit—except the agonizing experience.

"Even so, I need to go back to the others. Who knows what might've happened to them?"

Just as she made up her resolve that Aden wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop her, Tamara's familiar, Iolani, appeared and screeched across the sky with her deafening hawk calls, flying towards the direction where Corvan and the others previously were. Feeling worried, Valeriana decided to grab the familiar's attention.

"Iolani!" She exclaimed.

"Shh." Aden shushed her. "Not too loud."

With her sharp eyes, Iolani was able to spot Valeriana without any fail. She strayed from her original course and turned so that she was facing Valeriana's direction. She flew down straight for the girl and landed on her shoulder. She could only wince as she felt the bird's sharp claws poke her skin right through her clothes.

"Iolani." She said. "What happened?"

'I should be the one asking thee that.' She answered. 'What has happened, Valeriana?'

"A demon. The mastermind, maybe." Valeriana replied, problematic. "He just showed up out of nowhere and did a small 'welcoming'. Corvan fought him and seemed to be doing alright when there was this sudden . . . burst of aura or something."

'Burst of aura? A wild burst of demonic energy, perhaps? Am I not right?'

"You hit the mark." She said. "Gosh. Why didn't we expect that?"

'Perhaps thou hast been too comfortable.'

"Yeah. You're right." She continued. "Maybe no one expected anything big from happening from this encounter much. I swear those people got too arrogant they forgot it's still the enemy."

'This is a lesson, then. Although thou kids are the Celestial Twelve, trained warriors and such, I doubt why thou hadst underestimated the enemy.'