Vale grumbled, as she walked past the room of descension very clearly meant for those with a Fear of death for the fourth time.

  "Isn’t that a shame Lord Quietus, I just can’t seem to find my room. All that talk of the academy providing, such poppycock, don’t you reckon?"

  "What negligence, like I’ve never seen before!"

  "Oh my dear wishbone, you haven’t seen anything!"

  Vale paced right past the doorway again, this time, casting a tentative eye within with forced nonchalance.

  It didn’t look that bad. A quaint little crypt, lit by small, homely candles. Whoever arranged them had a clear sense for aesthetics she could appreciate. You had to think these things through, you know?

  Taking in death to create a Fearcore couldn’t be that bad.

  Visions of her mother devoid of life, hanging before them having surrendered her life revisited her.

  No you’re right, it can get pretty bad.

  "Vale."

  "I know, I know! I get it, I need to embrace my Fear."

  She manifested the bone white sceptre in her hands. She gripped, it, her nails biting into her palms and her knuckles turning a colour to match it.

  "How else am I going to get back at dear old father, right?"

  She let out a sigh. She inclined her neck to gaze at the little wishbone that hopped along at her side.

  "You have to wonder how Shiver does it. How she carries herself so confidently. We’re up against tyrants who can turn their nightmares into reality. Who am I to go against death itself?"

  The memory of her father made her pale further. She let out a breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding in.

  "Indeed, I have no doubt about the terror your father has induced. But my young Fearshaper."

  "Hmm?"

  "I admit, that I do not remember much of myself, none of us guides do. But there was something that I realised when I accompanied you in your nightmare."

  "And what is that? Don’t keep me in suspense!"

  The wishbone turned and inclined itself in her direction, carrying with it a degree of confidence it had no business having.

  "The terrors of death eclipse the depths your father reached. And so do its triumphs. You should not be terrified of the depths of death your father reached, and… enlightened you to. You should be terrified at the depths that he hasn’t."

  Vale stared at Quietus Vingrave. The unassuming little wishbone, her guide the size of her thumb. She stared at him, and wondered, the depths he had reached.

  "I guess there isn’t much to it, is there?"

  Vale gripped the handle to the room of descension before her.

  "I have to become a tyrant myself."

  As she walked in, the floating golden orbs that illuminated the academy’s corridors…

  Flickered.

  "What was that?"

  Her voice faded as she realised that the room of descension before her had changed.

  One second, it bore the semblance of a homely crypt – if crypts could ever be described as such.

  The next, it was a plain white room.

  "Um… You don’t supposed I embraced my Fear from out here…do you?"

  Then, she walked over to the room beside it. What had previously been filled with crabs, crawling about with rigour, had also reverted to a blank white room.

  "Ok… Something went wrong."

  Then Vale stopped in her tracks, looking ahead.

  Someone looked back at her.

  Tilting their head, from around the corner.

  The figure’s neck protruded outwards, at an unnatural angle. The very sight of it, visceral in its aberrance, provoked goosebumps to erupt along her arms.

  Then, the academy lights dimmed, and the ground beneath her shook. She heard a shattering noise and whipped her head around.

  The forcefield enveloping the golden gates preventing them from reaching the higher floors of the academy shattered into a million bright shards.

  "Ok. I didn’t do that."

  Vale’s eyes widened as she processed what she saw, and turned her gaze back to the corner.

  The figure she had glimpsed had advanced to stand right before her.

  Dawn looked back at her with hollow eyes.

  ---

  Caledon kept his breathing steady as he jogged through the academy’s endless corridors.

  Once again, if I fall behind for even a second, I’ll be abandoned. Shiver had been distracted by the mysteries, but I have no doubt she’ll leave me behind if I don’t descend.

  None of the rooms called to him. It felt like had chanced upon Fears of every kind.

  There were physical Fears aplenty – rooms themed around water, fire, air and earth. Rooms in which endless lightning flashed and thunder echoed. Rooms that were filled with creatures of different kinds.

  He was envious of their Fearshapers, where the object of their Fear was not ever present, avoidable.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  And then they started just getting weird.

  Rooms of swords, daggers, axes he could understand. They were weapons of war, bringers of tragedy.

  But there were rooms with beautiful fields of flowers. Bunnies. Even one room filled with the most enormous and comfortable bed he had ever glimpsed – accommodating someone with a Fear of… a good night’s sleep?

  Then there were Fears of the unknowable. One room, he couldn’t help but pause to step into. He was surrounded by darkness, and pinpricks of light shone in the difference, ethereally hanging in the air. They moved through the space, drawing closer to the lights, which, as they passed, revealed themselves to be vast orbs of flame carrying unspeakable power and of unbelievable scale.

  Another, where he thought he glimpsed a white sheet hanging in the air suspended, with two holes cut out where an elves’ eyes would be.

  What the hell was that about? People Fear even… nice things. Then there are just enigmas. There must have been Fearshapers of all sorts that descended into their Fears in this academy. If that was the case… what happened to them? Why do only the great houses command Fearshapers?

  Caledon mumbled to himself, as his curiosity got away from himself and he continued to peruse each room, opening the doors like they were presents.

  "What wonders would result from a world in which there were Fearshapers of all kinds."

  "Terror. Monstrosities."

  Caledon’s head whipped around.

  "Um excuse me, I don’t suppose you would mind giving me a hand with finding my room?"

  He was met with silence once again. He sighed. Just his luck that he was stuck with the uncooperative guide.

  He would have taken the overenthusiastic ice cube or classy wishbone any day.

  Nothing to it, just have to keep trudging along-

  The lights in the academy flickered. Caledon stopped in his tracks.

  Strange, that’s never happened before.

  He paused, scanning the environment. There were no changes.

  It’s a wonder that these lights are working at all, this academy must be ancient.

  He continued along, opening the next door.

  And he was met with an empty white room.

  What? A Fear of… nothingness?

  He supposed it was possible. But just in case, he opened the door beyond it. He was met with the same.

  What happened?

  All of the doors that he checked, even the ones previously filled, were empty. The Fears that they contained just gone.

  "That does not bode well."

  "Caledon!"

  He whipped his head around, to see Vale running towards him, Shiver tagging along behind her.

  "What’s happening?"

  "We have no idea. The rooms are just…turning ordinary. Something must have happened."

  "Let’s hurry, we should get out of here."

  Caledon tried to keep pace with the pair as they ran down the hallway.

  "Wait hold on. Did you manage to find your rooms?"

  "Of course, Shiver got to hers first."

  Shiver shot him a smirk. The trio continued down the corridor. Caledon chased the pair as they made towards another intersection in the seemingly endless hallway.

  "Um, where are we running exactly?"

  "Something funny is going on in the academy, we should head outside to see what’s going on. Maybe my brother is up to something."

  They made towards the lift, which was when Caledon heard a scream.

  "Wait, what was that?"

  Shiver tugged at his arm, trying to drag him into the lift.

  "Never mind that! We don’t have time to dally, let’s get out of here!"

  The lift doors shut, locking him in. It began its slow trawl up to the higher levels.

  He watched as the golden orbs that hung suspended along the academy’s corridors continued to flicker, as if tenuously grasping at the remains of whatever powered them.

  What’s causing this?

  Which was right when he glimpsed a figure in the flickering golden light.

  Who is th- Vale? No. It must be a trick of-

  The realisation hit him. He whipped around to stare at the figures in the lift.

  Shiver and Vale bore uncanny smiles as they gently grasped his forearms. The self-same smile that his mother bore on her face the day she had changed.

  "No. No, no, no."

  "Fool."

  Another flicker of light, and they were gone.

  He shouted.

  ---

  Vale lay slumped against the corridor wall, her eyes bloodshot from her tears.

  "What was I thinking. Lord Quietus."

  "Something’s happening. Now is not the time Va-"

  "I actually got it in my head that I would be able to rival my father. I got my hopes up, finding this academy. Taking the first steps down our Fearshaping path. Finally confronting the nature of my Fear. A single glance at my sister taking the wind out of my sails."

  Her guide, Quietus Vingrave, hopped off her shoulder and faced her on the ground before her. He spoke to her gently, but with all of his regal authority.

  "You may lie to me, but you can’t lie to yourself, young Fearshaper. That cruel visage of your sister was a product of your Fear. A reminder of what you have to lose."

  Vale buried her head in her hands, sweaty blonde hair clumping up.

  Quietus spoke gently, but with all of his regal authority and certainty.

  "I know your determination. You did not back down in the face of that shade."

  He hopped closer.

  "But now is not the time to question your resolve. Something is happening in this academy. There appeared to be some… force that warded all of you from the greater symptoms of your Fear. Think Vale."

  Quietus’ words snapped her out of her reverie.

  "You’re right. We need to find the others. But Quietus…"

  "Yes?"

  "I’ve never seen a shade that… real."

  The little wishbone turned to her solemnly.

  "Power does not come without its costs. That especially goes for Fearshapers. They call it a descent into your Fear for a reason."

  Vale gritted her teeth as her guide gently echoed the familiar refrain.

  Fearshapers descended into the depths of their Fears, accepting the terrors that it brought, in exchange for power. The distant goal of Serenity. Release from their nightmares.

  She rose. She heard a metallic clang from echo from further down the corridor. Forcing herself into a jog, she saw one of the academy’s lifts rising to a higher floor.

  The academy’s lights flickered once more.

  "Is that… Caledon? Why is he speaking to himself?"

  "Somehow, the academy’s warding has failed. It must be his own Fear."

  Caledon quickly disappeared out of sight as the lift continued its journey upwards. Vale ran to the lift column and pressed a button to call another.

  "No matter, I’ll just get another lift. Let’s catch up to him then find Shiver and Pev-"

  The golden orbs that lined the corridors winked out. The distinct sound of a lift grinding forcibly to a halt reached her ears from floors above.

  "Me and my big mouth. Guess I have to take the stairs."

  ---

  Caledon wrenched open the lift doors, stepping out into the academy’s courtyard.

  A sinking sense of dread gradually filled him.

  The courtyard that had once been filled with soft, golden light now looked lifeless. It was replaced by the harsh silver of the greater orb that hung over the academy at a distance. Harsh shadows were cast by the trees in the courtyard. It no longer looked a like a warm inviting place to lounge with fellow Fearshapers.

  But it wasn’t the mere change in tone that evoked such a reaction.

  The academy’s guardian lay unmoving in the courtyard’s centre.

  The beautiful courtyard, filled with glowing leaves that swayed gently in the wind, had been reduced to ash.

  Its eyes were closed. The Terror that served as the academy’s guardian.

  Her wings of frost hung limp, drooping to the ground.

  She hung impaled, in the courtyard, as embers circled her.

  On a grey spear of ash.

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