Chapter Two

Lyra's POV

“Scutum arcana, surge”

I quickly casted a shield spell but the explosion immediately tore through the room, lights swallowing everything. 

.... 

The world slowly came back in fragments, the sun bright and large, cracked concrete was certainly scattered around, with twisted metal here and then from the debris of the fire, smoke and dust curling like ghosts through the ruins of the lab, as the air was potent and strong. 

I laid quietly in the debris, my body exposed to the open air. My clothes were certainly gone, having been burned away by fire that had never touched my skin, no doubt the spell had worked. Heat should have blistered me and glass should have sliced me open.

Nothing... 

Not a mark... 

Beneath me, the girl I had shielded laid unconscious, her chest rising and falling steadily she was alive... And unharmed. I exhaled steadily feeling a slight hint of relief but also worry. The sound came next. A high pitched, piercing white noise filled my ears, drowning out everything else.

Shouts resounded together as boots crunched over the rubble and debris of the once science building lab. Shapes moved like figures in a dream, as I was unable to make out anything as of yet. 

Firefighters broke through the wreckage, hands reaching for us, someone swore softly.

A heavy blanket was suddenly thrown over my shoulders, so rough and grounding, it pressed me back into my body, forced me to remember reality. My fingers clutched the fabric instinctively, my chest heaving as panic clawed at my throat. I had taken a risk unlike any other, and I knew the next steps had to be careful.

Stretchers, sirens and smoke stained students both conscious and unconscious were being carried past me, some coughing, some crying, some terrifyingly still.

They lifted me onto a stretcher beside the other girl as easily as anything.

No.

No, no, no.

As they wheeled my stretcher toward the ambulance, fear clawed up my throat as I gulped, one thing flashing through my mind. Cameras... Questions.... And Proof.... 

I focused through the ringing in my ears, and the shouts of background noises, summoning what little strength I had left,.i closed my eyes...

“Oculus... mortuus, veritatem... perde”

My eyes glowed as I blinked, the memories of the CCTV flashing through my mind before it flat out burnt, Every CCTV feed in the school went dark but the relief was brief because I knew I still wasn't out of it yet. 

The spell tore through my body like fire through paper and darkness began to surge in from the edges of my vision, and the last thing I felt was the stretcher jolting as they loaded us into the ambulance.

Then... Nothing....

~

White lights and antiseptic assaulted my nostrils as I jolted awake, my chest heaving. The hospital. 

Machines beeped around me, monitors blinking rhythmically. My body felt alien, wires taped to my skin, a thin gown barely covering me.

Panic descended on me immediately, I sat up too fast, yanking the oxygen wires from my chest away, my hands frantically touching myself for any sign of piercing as I looked down at myself while sitting up, the thin hospital gown, bare arms and exposed skin.

*Never stay in a hospital*

My mother’s voice echoed, sharp and absolute in my head. 

*Never let them draw your blood… Never*

I immediately got down from the bed quickly planting my feets to the floor as I stood and felt dizzy, but I steadied myself immediately driven by pure instincts.

The corridor outside buzzed with activities, Nurses, doctors and voices of both medical personnel and patients. I could recognize a few of my school mates around as I walked down the corridor quickly. 

I turned the next corner and immediately stepped back quickly. 

Police.

The corridor outside buzzed with life. Nurses bustled by, voices overlapping with patients and equipment. I recognized a few classmates, wide-eyed, coughing, scared. My pulse sped.

“Oh... sorry” I blurted automatically, barely looking up as I stumbled back afyer crashing into someone. 

“It’s okay” a male voice said, low and unfamiliar but I didn’t stop, I couldn’t, I kept my head down desperate to stay invisible.

My eyes moved around desperately, trying to spot an exit, my mind racing quickly, stairs, back doors, anything I could find, or I could create a distraction, maybe something small, controlled, just enough to—

“Lyra!?”

A nurse’s voice cut through my train of turbulent thoughts and I froze up instantly. 

She was staring straight at me, eyes widened. “You shouldn’t be out of bed!”

Couple of heads turned around, the police officer at the desk looked up and my school principal stepped forward his face pale and strained.

“There you are... The police, they actually have some questions to ask you about the school” he said, my fingers curled into fist by my side, there was no escape now, at least not if I wanted to make things worse and make myself look guilty for something I didn't do. 

Slowly I lowered my gaze, forcing my breath to be steady to not give anything out, if I ran now I'd just draw too much attention to myself, if I used magic again.... 

No... 

Lay low, survive the question then go back to find my bag and disappear. 

“I'm sorry...“ I mumbled, my shoulder relaxing in innocence, “... I was just... A bit confused”

Years of training would be able to get me never figured out. The nurse guided me back to the ward, her hand firm on my arm. 

As I walked back, I started to go through the event scenarios in my head, finding out every answers to whatever questions they would ask that would never reveal a loophole just incase of anything. I knew they'd be questioning most of the student that were awake and trapped in the lab earlier, this was just a normal police questioning so I just had to play innocent and pretend like a normal kid. 

I sat down on the bed again as the nurse started checking my health again to make sure I was fine and hadn't triggered anything. 

I knew the police was just outside the door waiting for the nurse to finish before they could step in, I could only pray this would end faster than I expected and let me be free of this place and go back to the school to get my grimiore.