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Chapter Text

Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there was a priest so devoted to his goddess that he begged her to make herself human for him, so that he could worship her and touch her, lost in love. The goddess granted his wish and from their union was born a lineage so powerful that it was passed down for centuries, never dying out: it began to grow and among the descendants, the power of the goddess was regenerated in the souls of some young women, growing in intensity over time, nurtured with care. When the king of the gods discovered what was born from the union of the human with the divine, he was angry, but the goddess begged him to spare her descendants, to show mercy and clemency. So it was and, as a sign of benevolence, Osiris was asked to invest his high priest with a special power, so that his descendants could protect that of the goddess in a continuous reincarnation, for all their lives.

From these dynasties came powers unimaginable to mankind. Those who inherit them cannot know what lurks in their veins and in their souls; they do not know that the bloodline of a goddess strengthens as her lineage grows; they do not know that the endowment of a god increases with all the power needed by the young man who has inherited it.

A selfish act, born for the sheer pleasure of the gods who mock the world as created, so much so that they upset its balance without their knowledge. So much power, confined in a body and destined to cyclical reincarnation, eventually finds a mind capable of understanding its true potential, eventually encounters the ambition of the damned who aspire to their own liberation.

When the gods make these mistakes, they usually appoint someone else to solve them, sending anyone to an unfortunate destiny. If heroes with divine powers turn against their creators, is there any hope that the golden temples will be able to withstand the showdown?

Chapter Text

Let's take a step back, shall we?

In Cleveland, autumn almost seems to pass by. There are not many trees to witness the arrival of the first cold weather with the usual fall of yellowed leaves. However, in the small garden of the city's middle school, something is visible and makes the atmosphere more peaceful in contrast to the grey school days. On her way home, young Nina Martin is lost in thought as she organises her afternoon's study, happy to be able to talk to her parents about the new project her favorite teacher has assigned her. She clutches the volume on the Gods of Ancient Egypt in her hands and can hardly wait until everyone comes home to show it to them. So she comes in, greets her grandmother warmly, goes up to her room and begins to read without stopping, so much so that she does not notice that evening is falling. Darkness now twists around everything, filling the small corner of the world, in which the girl lives, with darkness. Time passes and hunger sets in, so she descends the stairs intent on reaching her grandmother, who by now is already preparing dinner. As she is about to cross the threshold of the room, a dull sound comes from the door and makes her deviate her path. There are strange lights outside, but she pays no attention to them at least until she pulls down the handle and opens it to the policeman who is now looking at her with distraught eyes, his dark hat turning over in his hands and a colleague waiting for him near the squad car.

«Good evening miss. Are you Nina Martin?» Her heart begins to pound in her chest and a sense of anguish grips her until it takes her breath away.

«Is there a problem, officer?» Grandmother's hand reaches for her shoulder, clutching it tightly, while even her tone in response to the middle-aged man sounds worried and anxious.

«Unfortunately, there has been a car crash. The two residents at this address, Daniel and Amelia Martin, were victims. My deepest condolences.» The grandmother thanks the officer in a trembling voice, who gives her a look of pity before putting his hat back on and driving off in his colleague's car, while Nina feels her throat tighten and her head explode. Her mum, her dad. They are gone. Swept away by another car in the middle of their lives. Unbearable pain rips through her chest as she runs to hide in her room, tears streaking her face and sobs breaking her breath.

She clutches her legs to her chest and tosses in the covers for days, unable to stop any of the feelings that have gripped her, at least until she bumps into something that falls off the bed. She picks it up, wiping her cheeks, and looks at it, trying not to cry again: the book about the gods. How she wishes she could have the extraordinary abilities the gods possessed, go back in time and stop that driver from tearing her family away from her so soon.

«My child. What has been is immutable, but what will be is still in your hands.» An unknown voice emerges from the darkness of the bedroom, startling her.

«Who’s there? » Nina looks around confused and cannot believe that those words were just a figment of her imagination.

«You know my name, it is written in your soul.» A shining silhouette takes on feminine shapes and features, until the beautiful woman appears before her with a benevolent smile.

«Amneris.» The word comes out of her mouth without her being able to control it, but the ghost widens its smile and nods.

«The pain will pass.» And as she appeared she leaves, leaving the room in darkness as deep as that in the Chosen One's heart.

Coping with the death of one parent is too much to ask of a pre-teen, but coping with the death of both is too difficult an achievement to succeed. Everything one thinks one knows about life is swept away by the loneliness and sense of emptiness that arises from the first moments, which are themselves chilling and a prelude to an eternity of shortcomings. Not that the grandmother did not go out of her way not to make young Nina feel the weight of this loss, but sometimes there are things too great for human beings and one person alone is powerless before the abyss of death. The winter was harsh, cold and merciless, as if life had suddenly died down all over the city, as if emotions had slumbered so much that they seemed frozen and imprinted in time, which could only be the past. The same emotions that many pre-adolescents are often unaware of, that they ignore or do not know how to handle, spilling their inability onto their peers. Death is a jolt of electricity that shakes the living, and Nina had been electrocuted by it in full, losing the usual vitality of her years, making her a victim of the most disparate harassment of the only social ties she still had left.

Irony and humor reigned over the harassment to which the young girl was subjected, but she endured it in stoic silence, growing more and more numb as symptoms of the most dangerous feelings that could be manifested began to proliferate in her heart; powerful, uncontrolled and unchallenged. As did her growing magical powers. Amneris' words echoed in her mind whenever the first, the hundredth or the last 'foundling' of the day reached her ears, burning in the fire of her blazing rage, until one day it was too much even for her. Her farewell gift from middle school was a heavy curse. Involuntary. Perhaps.

«Martin, isn't mommy picking you up from school today? Oh! Sorry...» The accompanying laughter roared out thunderously, unaware that Nina would turn, with a dark twinkle in her eyes, to utter nefarious words.

«I hope you, Colin, will one day feel the same grip that strangles my heart and realize that the pain you laugh at is the worst pain of your life.» She tells him, grabbing his arm and fixing her gaze heavily in the boy's. He stands awkwardly, suddenly shaken by the chills the wind has caused him, and tries to defuse the situation by muttering something between laughs to hide his true feeling, but Nina is now far away and those are the last words she speaks to him.

A few weeks later, Colin's entire family was wiped out by a natural disaster and he was never heard from again.

Chapter Text

The last year of secondary school at Amun College proceeded smoothly, without too many changes in routine or events out of the ordinary. The groups were more or less consolidated, due to the close friendships formed by the various students living together in the school houses. Usually the change of guests took place at the end of each school term, but everyone knew that the House of Anubis had its own rules. The scholars assigned to that house were the longest-serving in the entire school complex, but that had ceased to be surprising and no one asked questions any more. Jerome Clarke had first accepted to call home those four sometimes terrifying walls that had provided him with companionship and warmth, the same that his biological family could never or would never give him. Alfie Lewis had followed him a few years later, as a housemate and then a roommate, soon becoming his best friend and companion in shenanigans; after all, loneliness gave rise to many ideas and in a boarding school lost in the middle of nowhere, boredom was always likely to be around the corner. Then it had been the turn of Amber Millington and Mick Campbell, for the same reasons that had brought their predecessor there: children of moneyed impresarios lacking the attention span for any heir under the legal age to take part in the family businesses or activities. Immediately afterwards Patricia Williamson and Joy Mercer had arrived, the former dumped by relatives who had to follow her twin sister to the conservatory out of town, the latter because her father had decided the rest of the course of her life for her. Fabian Rutter and Mara Jaffray had been the last ones, arriving in the first year of middle school, finally removing every old resident to form the group that had not reconfigured until the last second of the last year, before the summer holidays that separated them from the final school cycle at that college.

«So, will you visit me this summer in Spain? We'll have lots of things to do, shops to see and bags to buy! Aren't you excited?» Amber had asked during dinner to Mick, who in response had smiled at her with a mouth full of pasta. Mara had rolled her eyes, while many had turned up their noses.

«Why do you have to go shopping in Spain? Was London too close?» The only sarcastic comment had belonged to Patricia, as usual. The years in that house had made her increasingly sour and grumpy, coincidentally this happened after every phone call with the family and seemed to get worse as she went along.

«And miss the chance to show off all my designer beach suits and sandals and sunbathe under the beautiful cloudless European sky, are you kidding?» At this point Patricia had also imitated Mara's earlier gesture, while Jerome and Mick exchanged high fives.

«Real classy, Jerome.» Joy had apostrophized him, before turning her attention elsewhere «Fabian, what are you doing this summer?» The boy, caught by surprise had slipped his fork, then stuttered something nervously.

«Well, I... I'm going to stay with my godfather and help him with the summer exhibition of the museum he works for, at least until my parents return from their travels. I guess.» The last muttered word had hinted at how even his situation was not too dissimilar to that of his friends and companions. That house had soon become a gathering of sad stories, almost as if it were the magnet par excellence. Not to mention the gloomy caretaker, who did nothing but stare at them with disdain, throw pins on the floor and hole up in the cellar for hours or whole nights. The only cheerful specimen in the place was the housekeeper Trudy: a glimmer of sunshine between the dark and dreary walls, straight out of the 1900s; any suggestion by Amber to at least change the upholstery was, by the way, brutally rejected by the gruff caretaker - who honestly would have gladly done without having to tend to these eight insolent kids every single hour of the day. None of them appreciated art, beauty and tradition, but after all, how could they: they were just silly, hormonal teenagers, obsessed with magazines, football and short-lived relationships of little social significance. He promised himself that one day the fool who had chosen to open a school in those sacred lands would pay dearly, but just as often he reminded himself that the fool had been him.

«Well, today was your last day of school. I hope you have your bags packed, because tomorrow after ten o'clock I want to see you all out of here.» He had announced during the meal, after entering with his usual slow, cadenced pace into the dining room.

«Then you'll just want to hear the sound of a pin drop? Or is that reserved for the school torture package?» Sometimes Alfie let slip more comments than might be appropriate to make and that's why Victor had aimed one of the keys from his pack at the boy, repeatedly pointing at him with a grim look.

«Very funny Lewis, I am heartened that I have already found someone to help me clean the toilets when you return."

«Hey, but that is not fair, you can't punish me three months in advance!» The caretaker had left amidst the boy's protests and the laughter of the others, reaching his office upstairs and then sitting down at his desk.

«The appointed day is approaching, Corbierre.» He had pronounced, stroking the feathers of the sole possessor of all his secrets «Soon this will be just a memory and I will be able to leave this cursed house once and for all. Everything will fall into place.» He picked up the phone and dialled a number on the antique rotary keypad.

A ring interrupted Principal Sweet's soothing reading, distracting him from what were clearly not his administrative and managerial duties. He had always hated being in charge, running an entire school board and suffering the whining of every student, parent or teacher who had ever passed through his office, but apparently he was destined for such a task and Victor had taken care to remind him of it quite often. Little did he care, his chance for a better life had run away along with the mother of his child - who could no longer stand the morbid attachment between her ex-husband and the mundane caretaker of a house - and so he sadly devoted himself to the mission proposed to him by the aforementioned, perhaps now his only friend.

«Ah, Victor! To what do I owe the phone call?»

«I want to make sure everything is in order for next year, the stakes are too high.»

«Of course, certainly. I've reconfirmed all the scholarships for the students you reported to me.»

«Great. Take care of finding a replacement for Miss Mercer, as soon as she's here we can start training.»

«I have some excellent candidates, I'm sure we'll find the right girl for-»

«I don't care whose you choose, just get the first one! She just has to cover the absence of a student in the house and she has to be here according to our schedule, otherwise it's all useless!»

«Yes, yes, I understand. Well, I'll take care of it then, I'll let you know when the transfer documents arrive.» Of course, sometimes his friend was not among the most affable people to deal with, but he was the only one he had left. The only one who had been there for him after the pain of separating from his now shattered family. If he had not loved teaching the magic of science to his pupils - albeit always too uninterested - he would have given it all up long ago. Perhaps he would have followed his wife all the way to the remote American city she chose to get away from him. This Society thing was probably the only way he could forget what he had lost and think about how much he would gain in time to spend with his son, should he feel like reconnecting with his old man.

«Excellent.» At the end of the conversation, the headmaster returned to staring at the computer and the picture of the little blond boy framed in the gallery on the screen. There was no limit a father could cross when it came to his family, even if the latter wanted nothing more to do with him or his school. Eric was convinced that one day everything would be all right again.

The next morning the house had turned into a bustle of people, suitcases and taxis. Between the farewells of the kids leaving for their holidays, the warm summer sun beginning to peep in and the general confusion, things suddenly seemed to burst into life. Not everyone was exactly bursting with joy, for many the return home represented a worse ending than the idea of spending all their holidays alone in the boarding school dormitory, but unfortunately they didn't have much choice.

«When it gets unbearable, you know you can come to me.» Joy had told her best friend, after holding her tightly against her.

«Expect a call from me tomorrow night then.» Patricia had replied, provoking laughter from the other girl, before she got into her car to leave the school perimeter.

«The same goes for you, man.» Jerome's forced smile had hinted at the strong sadness that had gripped him, especially as he was aware that this time too he would not see his family again, but had been sent to a summer camp not far from the boarding school - so that he could return to it in total autonomy once classes started again. Little did it matter, he was not many years away from achieving his independence and he knew he would use every opportunity he could to accumulate money and start his life away from everything and everyone.

«See you in Spain, Boo.»

«You can count on it, Amber.» The two had hugged quickly and the girl had run to sit in the taxi, which had been properly loaded with all her heavy suitcases.

It seemed like another summer goodbye that was being repeated yet again, but they were all oblivious to what surprises high school had in store. Four years that no one could ever forget, because the presence of a foreign figure was about to disrupt the unstable harmony that surrounded them.

Nina's summer was passing peacefully, albeit lonely, as it had every year since her parents passed away. The great American city had lost all attractiveness, its inhabitants were now devoid of interesting features, so the girl spent her time consuming the pages of her book on ancient Egypt. She wondered if the hallucination she had had some time before had anything to do with one of them, but the answer she always gave herself was that mourning had made her imagine everything: after all, she had slept little and nothing in those days, her mind had only played a trick on her. Even if that were true, what did Amneris want from her? A total nobody, living in a completely anonymous place and who could have nothing less in common with the Egyptian gods. On the other hand, however, she felt as if she herself had summoned the priestess to comfort her, but how had she done it? There are rituals for invoking gods and the like, but Nina was pretty sure that crying while hugging a book could not be categorised as such. Maybe it was something hidden deep within her desires, maybe it was the seed of something that was waiting to blossom - at the worst time of all, by the way. Perhaps her desire never to feel weak again had reached the ears of the beautiful woman, transporting it to her. Tonight I will have what I seek. She had promised herself, on her way home from one of her meditative walks. Her grandmother had waited for her with a big smile on her lips and invited her to sit in the armchair next to hers.

«I've been thinking about it a lot, sweetheart. As much as it pains me to part with you, it is time for you to leave this place full of pain. I have found a beautiful boarding school in England and the dorms are named after those Egyptians you like so much! Your application has already been accepted, but I have also applied for the scholarship and as soon as we get confirmation that you got it, you can leave.»

«Why do you want to send me away?» Nina's expression had suddenly gone blank, at just hearing that the last piece of her family was trying to separate from her. What was so wrong with her? Why was she able to draw so much sadness and loneliness to herself?

«Nina dear, you know I love you more than anything, I would never send you away. I think you need to move on and here you have not been able to. A fresh start will do you good, you'll see. But if you don't want to, we can call it off.» Nina was about to put her final veto on that absurd idea, but the sound of the wind had stopped her, along with a strange feeling.

You must go. Accept.

«No...no, you're right! I'll go and start over.» After shaking her head she had communicated her change of heart, followed by a hug from her grandmother.

«You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. We'll wait for the letter together then.»

Her again, the voice of the priestess. Why did she want to send her to a remote place in the Liverpool countryside? From the brochure it looked like a solemn, important school full of daddy's boys, as if she hadn't already met enough of them in Cleveland. When her gaze had landed on Anubis House, chills had repeatedly run down her spine; now perhaps something was starting to become clearer, she felt drawn to the place and didn't understand why, but for that there was a way to remedy.

That night she had sat on her bed cross-legged, clutching her book in her hands. She had closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips onto the hardcover, reciting a made-up invocation in the hope that Amneris would still show up.

«What do you wish, my daughter?» At last, the woman's silhouette had made itself known and smiled benevolently and peacefully at her, as it had the first time.

«You know what I desire.»

«The past is immutable, Nina.» Despite the negative answer, her face had not ceased to be relaxed and serene. A sign that the woman possessed patience beyond measure, perhaps.

«Then I want to be in control of the present.»

«That is possible, Chosen One.» Nina was confused by the appellation Amneris had used, but chose to ignore it momentarily, to try to get as much information as possible.

«Tell me how.»

«When you reach the house of Anubis, everything will be clear to you.» Forget about it. The woman had disappeared again and her fate rested in the hands of a headmaster who would have to make a well-considered choice, so that she could achieve her every goal and dark desire.

Chapter Text

Now, we can get back to us.

The summer is now over and there are only a few days left until the start of the new year's classes. The interview with the headmaster seemed to have gone very well and her endgame had come one step closer. The art of knowing how to present oneself with all the right characteristics had been her primary interest throughout the months of holidays: after reading dozens of classics, alongside other tomes on Egyptian mythology, studying new terms and, above all, new behavioural strategies, she had felt she had the scholarship in her grasp. However, time passed and no new news came from the school. Her open suitcases looked at her with disappointment, almost mocking her foolish ambition to go to England to achieve her goals. Amneris has also disappeared after that strange late-night conversation and she no longer knows what to think. By the first week she is resigned to the idea of having to look for a high school in Cleveland and live in sadness for her next four years.

Victor, on the other side of the ocean, picked up the phone and furiously dialled a number.

«Eric, where the hell is the girl? She should have been here six days ago!»

«Victor! The school board sent the assignment letter quite some time ago, let me check.»

«Make it quick, we are running out of time.»

«Oh, dear Gods! There was a system problem, I'll immediately notify the winner of the scholarship.»

«She better be here within a few days, it's your responsibility!» Eric realises that the pressure and the stakes are high, so he immediately prints the letter, bags it and personally runs to the post office to have it delivered to faraway America. He hopes that the technical days between its arrival and the girl's departure will be an acceptable amount for the caretaker to wait.

At the beginning of the second week, the letter arrives and Nina almost jumps out of her chair reading it. She quickly sends the affirmative answer to the assignation and books the first available plane flight, to leave on Friday. She does not yet know what specifically she might need there, but she knows that the book that makes her summon Amneris cannot be absent in her luggage, whatever the cost. She cannot yet understand the woman's enigmatic words from her visions, nor why she cares so much about keeping her on her toes given the secrecy of her motivation for reaching this mysterious Anubis house, but if she can even get close to her goals an attempt costs nothing.

She senses there's more to it than that, that the priestess wants her there for a specific reason, something much bigger than herself and yet she doesn't care in the slightest: she's tired of fighting the shadows that have been chasing her for years and has now decided it's time to embrace them, so she's set her mind on not caring who she meets on her way unless they can be useful to her for the mysterious mission she's undertaking. The days before departure therefore oscillate between anxiety, trepidation, sadness and anguish. Just the thought of leaving her grandmother alone, in a city that has not been at all kind to her family, makes her lose sleep and her smile, but then the old woman pulls her into a hug before her departure and whispers to her that everything will be fine, that this is her chance to get even and take what she deserves.

«You're right, Gran. This boarding school won't know what hit it.» She replies before saying goodbye to her only relative and embarking on the mysterious journey, away from her old life, old grudges and cruel, unbearable teenagers.

The exhausting and long plane journey turns into an exhausting and long train ride that takes her first to the city centre station, then to places further and further away from civilisation, reaching the countryside surrounded by greenery. And into nowhere. There is not a soul when she leaves the wagon with her hand luggage, not even someone getting off at her own stop. She looks around disoriented and confused, but grabs her suitcase and goes out to observe her surroundings again: nothing, plants, road, nothing. Well, that's a great start. According to the headmaster, who has gone to great lengths to give her all the instructions for her arrival in the letter, a taxi has been alerted to her arrival time and should accompany her within the school grounds. After waiting a few minutes, she spots the only car that bothers to pass by and the confirmation that she is the recipient of said vehicle comes when the man calls her by name. She exchanges a few polite words with the driver, at least until he manages to find the exact topic that has long been off-limits to Nina: her parents. She smiles, however, at her grandmother's message wishing her an official good start to the school year and responds to the gentleman with the tragic story of her life, hoping that this will shut him up for the rest of the journey, especially after he suggests that there is still time to turn back, at which point 'no' is uttered in unison by the girl and the priestess.

However, everything loses relevance the moment her eyes rest on the imposing walls of the collegiate complex and she cannot contain her astonishment. Distraction is her enemy, for the moment she loses herself in gazing at the building, the man appears to sprint down a driveway with his suitcase in hand; Nina then runs after him, colliding with a girl with a sullen, contrite expression. She excuses herself as quickly as she runs to chase the taxi driver and finally catches up with him, only to sigh and pay him his fare, finally finding herself in front of the gloomy house that is to host her stay. Anubis, I’m here. Definition could not be more apt, given the way the doors squeak open, without her touching them. What am I getting myself into?

She asks herself, as she makes her way into the foyer of the gracious house, courtesy of the nineteenth-century. Any moment now she is confronted by the even more sullen face of a middle-aged man, who squares her up and sarcastically apostrophises her; she tries to dispel the obvious tension and introduces herself, but the man doesn't move a muscle, at least not until he grabs his pocket watch.

«You're late, two weeks late.» At which point Nina can do nothing but bring up the scholarship thing, after all, what else was she supposed to tell him? If their paperwork is as antiquated as the house, one could not be surprised at the delay they themselves caused. Fortunately, the housekeeper, who comes down the stairs and introduces herself as such, comes to her rescue and takes her on a tour of the house. Something immediately catches her attention, and the gloomy caretaker is not long in coming with the gloomy explanation: the portrait she is looking at is that of the old owners of the house, who tragically died in an accident. Imagine that. Good thing I had to get away from the past. Amneris, are you kidding me? Victor guides her to her new room, not after making sure to tell her in the creepiest possible way that the office, cellar and attic are forbidden to residents. He rips the picture of two girls off the wall and silences any comments from the housekeeper about a certain Joy who left in a hurry.

After sufficiently embarrassing Fabian and Joy, Patricia leads her well-established trio of friends inside the school, not before giving the girl who decided to assault her, in pursuit of who knows what, a glance.

«Newbies, I hate them. Let's go, guys.» Joy helps her quickly forget the incident as she pulls out a box set of DVDs that seems to be waiting for them. The weekend is approaching, and being roommates does have its advantages, since this means circumventing any kind of curfew imposed by the gruff caretaker. The friendship formed between the two of them is the strongest Patricia has ever managed to build, and with Joy by her side, no problem is an insurmountable mountain. In a house of outcasts, everyone has managed to find their half and so the tedious school days away from the world have become less oppressive. In the corridor they pass Alfie and Jerome, scheming some scam as usual, and reach Professor Andrews's class, immersed in total chaos as usual: the chattering in the background challenges Amber to see who can raise their voice the loudest and the winner almost always ends up being the blonde, who complains to her father or her boyfriend about something terribly ephemeral or superficial. Speak of the devil, the gymnastic gorilla looks as if he has just emerged from a sweat bath and, despite this, has no problem making a dunk in the basket with the wrong sport's ball, finally distracting Amber with a beaming smile, which would soon fade at the sight of the class test handed out by the one who - until proven otherwise - should be in control of the classroom.

«Could he be any hotter?» Squeaks the blonde to her desk-mate, who in response can't help but stare dreamily at what she shouldn't want and can't have; obviously in front of the oblivious partner of her impossible love. The test isn't even started yet when Alfie decides to slip away with one of his cheap tricks, which is almost foiled by the headmaster himself: he comes out of his hiding place to pick up a confused Joy from class. The exam hour passes interminably, but there is no trace of the brunette, and Patricia begins to feel unusually agitated by this strange event. She accepts, though surprised by the boy's cooperation, Jerome's suggestion to look for her in the dorms and had she never done so: a perfect stranger sits on her best friend's bed, has filled Joy's space with junk and even crumpled their photo together! Who does she think she is? She is blinded by anger and starts throwing her things into the hallway after ignoring the girl’s attempts to introduce herself or explain what happened.

Nina cannot believe what is happening to her. Yet she thought she got rid of the bullies once and for all. Perhaps too naive of her to convince herself that British teenagers would be better than the ones she left behind, but at least none of her old classmates ever threw her pillows and blankets in the air for no good reason.

«I don't care who you are, my roommate is Joy, got it? So now you tell me where she is.» How the fuck am I supposed to know who that is? I didn't even know you before thirty seconds ago and my life would have happily gone on without you! Nina would have liked to answer, but composure and politeness is something that always befits a young woman - or so her grandmother preached - so she opts for an alternative answer, even though after the reiteration of the question she would have gladly greeted her with the traditional shake. On the throat.

«Let's start over. - So maybe your limited and confused little brain can get there - I'm Nina, I'm American and unless she's hiding somewhere I have no idea where your friend Joy is.»

«And I don't believe you.» Oh for heaven's sake. As soon as she tries again, in vain, to convince the girl of her extraneousness to the facts, the caretaker emerges from the attic door and interrupts the squabble between the two, only to engage in one with the girl who now has a name. Patricia Williamson allows herself to be reprimanded by the caretaker after deciding to phone her friend's house, too wary of the man's explanations about her roommate's disappearance.

«Maybe it would have been best to alert her of my arrival.» Nina turns to the man who looks at her grimly, probably aware that bureaucratic gaps are not the only ones surrounding the boarding school and that particular dormitory. Finally alone and free to sort out her things, she makes her bed and hides her most cherished possessions: the book, now with its worn cover and slightly yellowed pages, lies at the bottom of a bedside shelf, far from prying eyes. She still can't explain what her mission could possibly be, surrounded by stressed teenage girls and creepy caretakers, but she convinces herself that answers will come soon. At least she hopes so.

When Nina comes down to the living room she hears the chatter of the other residents of the house and takes a deep breath before entering to make their acquaintance. Silence falls and leaves room for her to make an awkward introduction, mimicked first by Patricia and then by a dark-haired boy who seems to address her as if she were an alien. The only one who is partially polite, or at least civilised, is the other boy who has his back to her and looks at her somewhat embarrassed, perhaps of his friends or the situation. They are finally called back to dinner, and shortly after taking their place at the table, a bright ray of sunshine flanks her and dazzles her with all her beauty, at least until she informs her that she has taken her seat. Nina apologises, but is interrupted by the girl.

«Where’s Mick?» But who do they take me for, the missing persons switchboard?

«I don’t even know who you are, so…» And really she can't stress that enough: she doesn’t. Know. Where. People. Go. The blonde disappears and she goes back to her seat, immediately taken back by Patricia who is keen to remind her that she has occupied the wrong seat.

«Sit wherever you like.» Finally the boy sitting across the table rescues her from the clutches of the unwarranted beast and the meal can begin. This house is a madhouse. She repeats to herself when the childish one, Alfie, starts a food fight that inevitably makes her a victim of flying ragout; as icing on the cake, Patricia accidentally spills water on her. When it seems that it couldn't get any worse, Victor calls her to the phone. Great, now what do I tell Grandma? She holds back just long enough and shamelessly lies to the old lady, concealing the icy and inquisitive welcoming committee, but when the call is closed, the stress causes her to burst into tears - which have little to nothing liberating about them. Her outburst is almost immediately interrupted by the kind boy, who tries to ascertain her state, but she makes some scarcely credible excuse - at this point she is no longer interested in hiding her discomfort - before running off to her room.

New day, new inquisitions. While everyone spends their time reading, joking or doing constructive things, Patricia storms back into the living room still complaining that the caretaker wouldn't give her Joy's home number. Another girl, the third wheel of the 'blonde as the sun' couple, tries to reassure her that if Victor is going to send Joy's forgotten items to the girl, they will soon be able to communicate again. Gladdening everyone's ears with some much-needed silence.

«I know you’ve got something to do with this, newbie. And I’m gonna find out what it is!»

«So you’ve mentioned. Ten times.»

«What did you say?»

«Nothing.» Maybe this time is the one where you leave me alone. I should get back to my book instead of pretending to care about this ridiculous magazine. The high priestess of my boots owes me long and detailed explanations after getting me into this trap.

During the various bickering between Nina and Patricia, Amber prefers to focus on something completely different and far more important: Mick. The boy's presence at every social event in her life has become indispensable, as the second half of the boarding school's status symbol couple and key figure in the support system she has created for herself since residing in the house. It is no secret to either of them that any family that has dumped them there is quite difficult to deal with or endure: sometimes the kids feel the disdain, or lack of affection and time, other times the parent-child relationship becomes a mere exchange of currency for affection. So Amber needs Mick to be around her, as if he were the sun shining on her dull, grey surface; she needs him to be there to remind her who she is, every second of her life. However, the classic collegiate routine has now been broken by the disruptive presence of another blonde in the house, a girl who exudes an aura of mystery and...charm? Of course, all girls are full of it, there are just those who know how to enhance it and those who don't. Nina, on the other hand, doesn't seem to know that she has it, and yet the sweet eyes she exchanges with Fabian suggest just the opposite in her opinion: that face so genuine, those beautiful clear eyes and that hair that melts so sinuously into waves on her shoulders. Whatever, if her sights are set on the nerd then Amber doesn't have to worry about Mick slipping through her fingers; Mara is keen to advise her not to be insecure, but sometimes this seems more like her trying to suggest otherwise - given the tone in which she tells her. She does worry about her, especially when the boy comes up to the room looking for her before going to sleep. Biology. Assignment. Date. That's all she hears, but it's enough to make her ears perk up and forget the pseudo-compliment about her panda look.

«What? Do you want him to fail biology?» The know-it-all's rhetorical question makes her nose twitch, even more so when she glares at her reply of having wanted Mick to ask her for help with homework. Perhaps she, too, is synonymous with status and nothing else for the athlete, perhaps their union was lasting because it was one of convenience. So why the need for him to be there to protect her? Protect her from what, then, social misfortunes? No, he simply must be by her side, because he is the only thing that makes sense in all the chaos of the Anubis household. And she has to keep him there, because otherwise that bug in her head will be able to tell her that it was right about the aura that now has caught her attention.

Chapter Text

Nina is now convinced that misfortune has been haunting her for several years, because it should not be a crime to go into the bathroom, clean a mirror from steam, and get ready for bed. According to Patricia she is responsible for a conspiracy against Joy and is again accusing her of having done something to her. They could record her and play her inferences on a loop, it would have the same effect - unnerving and unpleasant. Not that Nina cares to accentuate the belligerent state the redhead has been in since she met her, but in her honest opinion there is nothing healthy about the attachment -and fury- she has chosen to have toward this situation. Your friend has left! So what? Why does it have to be my problem? Perhaps the best situation is to remove herself from her line of sight, as a first measure of containment, and she proposes this to the caretaker as well, but he does not seem to want to accept an easy resolution to what is about to be the huge problem of the month. The next morning she decides that she has not yet regained the mental strength to face hostilities again and the first entry into a school she has never seen, except for the brochure now deemed misleading advertising. She looks around and takes the opposite direction to the last shred of civilization the school represents, heading for the woods with the ancient book under her arm.

«I don't care if it takes a full moon, an eclipse, or bloody Saturn in Capricorn, you and I need to talk.» The girl affirms, laying her jacket on the ground of a clearing enclosed by a circle of trees, with an angry tone and twitchy movements as she rests the book on the garnet-red cloth. She finds the page about the priestess, rests a hand on it and closes her eyes. «Divine and mighty Amneris, priestess of Isis and wife of the great Pharaoh, holder of mysteries and weaver of traps – diverging from the invocation she invented herself to dispel rancour couldn't hurt, could it? –, beacon of Anubis and guide of the sacred descendants, show yourself and reveal your wisdom.» Usually, upon opening her eyes, the beautiful woman should be standing there in front, with all her golden aura and ethereal beauty, accompanied by the echoing, angelic voice. Not this time. The awkward emptiness resonates with the wind blowing through the leaves, leaving her facing the realization that she has been left to her own devices.

«Seriously? You drag me here for no reason and don't even deign to show up to explain yourself? What am I supposed to do in this vipers’ nest, be arrested for kidnapping? - To the inquisitive questions the answer is still absent - Amneris!» Cries the girl at last, getting up to disperse her frustration and walk idly over the creaking foliage. What a shitty idea, who convinced me to follow a ghost's orders? I am doomed and Patricia will kill me in my sleep. When she surrenders to the fact that no one will be able to help her, she retrieves her belongings and retraces her steps, determined to put on a good face since it is the last resort she has left.

«Joy definitely would have called me by now, I'm telling you, something’s happened to her.» Patricia laments, handing one of the breakfast dishes to her roommate, who is immediately reprimanded by Mara for telling her what everyone generally thinks: she is creating general hysteria without a shred of evidence in addition to her growing anxiety over the mere lack of communication between the two of them.

«Did you get any response to that email you sent her last night?» Amber asks her in an attempt to be empathetic to her friend's plight, but finds herself immediately beating a retreat when she sees her arguing with Fabian about whether the new girl had anything to do with it, accusing her of deleting the message on the mirror that screamed a plea for help from Joy.

«Of course we believe you, it's just that Mick said he saw Alfie hanging out in our corridor last night.» That is precisely what Mick is for, protection from the dangers that others may cause, in this case trivial retaliation against a poor innocent, but often it is much more than that.

«Maybe Nina wrote it to drive me crazy!» You are succeeding very well on your own. Amber thinks of Patricia's yet another invective against the ray of sunshine that has recently entered the house; she wonders, at this point, why Patricia cares so much about ruining the only interesting thing that has happened in that house after years of monotony. «Where is she anyway?»

«Got into school earlier, I think.»

«Aww, so she’s a geek as well as everything else, is she?» The assertions grow more and more absurd, and the blonde cannot help but grip tightly at the fork she is holding, not understanding too much of the reason for her growing indignation at Patricia's behaviour. It should be normal, however, to stand up for those who are not there to do it themselves. There is something blocking her from confronting her friend head-on, though, a strange feeling of fear – perhaps of the shower that would await her – mixed with something still indecipherable, buried in her soul and encased in a bubble that threatens to burst.

«I thinks it’s probably more about getting away from us! We’ve hardly been very welcoming.» See? Good thing Fabian is there to do what her conscience suggests she should shout out loud. He, too, realizes that the novelty's beauty must be protected, and no one can resist its allure: an insecure man of his calibre, who has always been driven by uncertainty and fear of confrontation, had never taken such a firm stand to defend someone from Patricia's insistence. Further evidence of the magnetism surrounding Nina and her, undoubtedly mysterious, arrival.

Amber eventually meets Mick, elusive as usual, in his room to propose to him to renew their contract of mutual care and protection again – or, in other words, to invite him to walk the boarding school's pathways and the hallways, where they will be observed and validated by all as a supreme, shining, inseparable couple: necessary characteristics for the social functioning of Amber's character. To prove one has nothing to hide, one must always construct a plausibly genuine transparency, and of this she is the inventor, teacher and holder of the world's highest record.

«I forgot to give you this last night.» Half-chewed banana aside, the bracelet he hands her confirms, once again, his adherence to the contract and thus the certainty of the future fulfilment of all his duties as a boyfriend. Since when do I have all this anxiety about being considered Mick's girlfriend? She asks herself as she hugs and thanks him, regaining the light-heartedness that their relationship should possess. Exhibit A: Mara's entrance in the middle of their effusions, a threat to the stability of the contract.

«I was just wondering what time you wanted to work for that biology assignment.»

«I can help you with the assignment if you want, Mick!» The genuine happiness with which she tells him this is immediately extinguished at the answering laugh, opening a void in her stomach and chest. How long has she become accustomed to feeling degraded over intellectual gifts that others think she does not possess? She replies to his joke with a smile, but her soul is funereal and not at all happy at the idea of the smartass annexing them during the ritual walk through the corridors, undermining the couple's status even more. Not to mention Patricia's insistence with the story that a tragedy has befallen Joy, to which Mara takes the bait and which she uses as a shortcut to get away from her roommate's interfering presence. She looks around for the rest of the school day, noticing something strange. Exhibit B: Nina, now omnipresent in her life and thoughts, is not there.

Defeated and with her plans disrupted, the American passes the perimeter of the Anubis house praying not to meet any of her housemates along the way. Deep in thought, however, she runs into an elderly lady in a dressing gown with a confused look and a genuine smile. Confusion prevails, though, as she points to the dormitory as her home. Nina tries to correct her, but the old woman insists and so she humours her before trying to figure out where the woman really comes from. All the negative thoughts vanish and the attention focuses on her, so she lends her jacket to cover her far too light robe and when their hands touch a strange feeling grips her.

«It's you, isn't it? I knew you would come. – Nina tries to tell her that they have never seen each other before, but she is not fully convinced. – Sarah, my name is Sarah!» The strange feeling, the same one she felt the first time Amneris appeared in her small room, now gives her a chill as the woman flinches at the idea of entering house because “he is waiting”. What the hell is that supposed to mean? And why do I have the feeling I know her even though I have never seen her in my life?

«Why don’t you just stay here and I'll go bring someone back.» And in no time, with Trudy's help, she finds a nursing home where the mystery that found her might belong, so she resolves to accompany the sweet old woman to safety.

«It's not like you to go wandering, Emily!» As a house manager calls her something other than how she introduced herself, Sarah motions for her not to say anything and so the feeling amplifies, along with the mystery that now surrounds her. Nina does not believe a word about the story of her being confused, but instead it seems plausible that almost nothing is known about the woman's past - since, apparently, they do not even know her real name. When they accompany her to her room, the nurse-manager seats her in an old rocking chair and places a blanket over her legs, not without yet another sarcastic retort that makes Nina smile. This is the first time she feels welcomed after a weekend spent struggling for survival, so she does not refuse a cup of tea when it is offered, remarking with the reply that no one will probably miss her.

«I've been waiting so long keeping the secret, now it's your turn. – Sarah jumps out of the chair, as soon as the woman leaves, and puts an object in her hand with the same urgency that marks matters of life or death – Quick, take this and keep it well hidden or they’ll take it away from you. They take everything away from you in the end.»

«I couldn’t possibly take this...»

«But you must! It will keep you safe! There is treasure hidden in that house and only you have the power to find and protect it, but you must be careful. There is danger in that house, evil. A bad house, a dark house.» Nina doubts her, more to protect herself than because of the mistrust with which she might treat these claims, but yet another blow of the axe is given by the mystery that opens the door to a new darkness.

«But I know you and you know me, Nina!»

«How do you know my name?» This is what I am here for. It is no coincidence that the lady babbles these words, which are not so meaningless either. Is this what Amneris promised me?

«But you must beware the black bird, do you hear me? Beware the black bird!» A treasure hunt filled with enemies, further mysteries and questions that there was not even a shadow of before?

Of course, Amneris' prank has not even begun yet, given the terrible dream into which her encounter during the day throws her. It doesn't get any better when Patricia wakes her up with a shower of synthetic feathers and a shrill, mocking voice repeating the words of the nightmare. Maybe I'll be the one to kill her in her sleep instead. Fucking immature. She thinks, after giving her a scathing look following other phrases uttered for the sole purpose of teasing her and ridiculing her paranormal torments. She turns off the light and looks at the locket the old woman gave her, discovering a small portrait inside. Now things start to get interesting, maybe there is still hope for this godforsaken place.

The next morning her mood is still black, especially when her roommate continues to mock last night's events, along with the other two court jesters. Giving all three of them a few glaring looks is not enough, she knows, but she has the impression that wishing the worst for them could be counterproductive, given what happened to Colin Richards. But this could easily be a coincidence, so there's not too much to worry about.

«Ignore them.» Sweet, kind and caring Fabian, it's almost too much for this cruel and unforgiving world, Nina can't explain how he has managed to remain so pure and genuine despite being clearly dumped there by the family, like everyone else. A few days are enough to stretch their ears and realise that there is a thread that unites them all: loneliness, sadness, anger, lack. These are still no justifications for acting like idiots.

«I already am.» She replies, softening her gaze and tone of voice that was already ready to insult the three on the other side of the table. As soon as the boy asks her about the dream she seizes the ball and makes it her perfect opportunity to win allies in her quest - or even just to keep her wits about her during the coming school years, she doesn't want to repeat the experience she had in America.

«It was awful. I know they’re making jokes, but it felt so real.» If nothing else, she now has someone to talk to about the strange things around her.

«Has anyone seen Mara? She has my hair straightener.» And here she is: the bright sunshine of the house still gracing her with its presence.

«Yes, she's with Mick, in our room.» The shocked exclamation the girl has after this answer leaves Nina pensive, for she thinks she has detected a strange inflection, different from usual, in her voice. At Jerome's provocation, she slides past her and sits down in the chair to her left.

«I'm not jealous, why should I be jealous?» No way. The intense look Amber maintained with Nina, uttering these words, turns on a light bulb that now spreads a much more interesting light around the blonde. It doesn't stop there, because the girl continues to stare at her throughout the rest of her interactions with the others, and when she notices that Nina is smiling at her - maliciously smug that she has realised something decidedly intriguing -, she backtracks and finds any pretext to put distance between them.

«I see you haven’t sneaked out at crack of dawn today.» A very weak pretext, Amber. I've got you.

«Wow, everyone really does keep tabs on everyone else around here, don’t they?.» I'll play along. Nina says to herself, widening her smile towards the girl, as she pretends that the line of gossip she's just undertaken is surprising her.

«Fabian said you’d gone to school early, but then you didn't turn up in class.» It seems as if Amber wanted her there, as if her absence had taken away something very important, fundamental. The smugness only grows, despite Amber embarking on a path of replies that has earned her a reputation as a not-so-bright girl throughout the house, at least until her curiosity touches painful chords for Nina.

«They died in a car accident.» Although her face has dulled, she answers the direct question, softening her expression even in the face of Amber's sorrow. She can see in her eyes that there is no malice or meanness in her words, that what she thinks quickly turns into voice, sometimes without the right filters. Perhaps this is why Nina feels pulled in her direction, because the girl's gentleness shows her a side of humanity that she has not been able to see since she lost her parents. Such a bright light hasn't shone in her life for a long time and, for the first time, she is glad that she happened to be under the same roof as her.

«Oh, that's awful.»

«It was a long time ago. My gran and I are very close.» For the first time, she has no difficulty telling her story, she doesn't use sarcasm to deflect her emotions, and above all, she doesn't use her story to push others away, but welcomes the pain that Amber also feels and connects with her, enclosing her in a bubble that she will never let anyone touch.

«And how come she packed you off to a big, bad boarding school, miles away from home then? Sounds to me that she wanted to get rid of you.» Patricia's shrill voice interrupts the profound moment between the two and makes Nina remember the animosity she feels towards kids in her own age group.

«Patricia! Don't be such a witch. I know you're still upset about Joy, but there's no need to be taking all of this out on Nina!» Ah, the knight in shining armour ready to protect her from insults and infamy. When this is over, you will be in my sights Patricia.

«Yeah, well, everyone seems to have forgotten all about Joy, except me!» What kind of history is there between these two to generate all this pseudo-love despair?

The spiral that Amber feels she has got herself into does not want to let go, nor does it want to hit her with less violence. Why are her eyes so confusing? Mick's never did that to her, the only thing she thought the first time they saw each other was that he was perfect. Perfect for what at this point? It's his job not to shake her certainties and he's not succeeding at all in the last couple of days.

Why did I have to say that nonsense about old people? Every time she meets the new girl, all the words that come out of her mouth have no sense or intelligence, yet there is a strange twinkle in her eyes every time they meet, as if Nina can see a part of her that is hidden from everyone, even herself.

And, damn it, why did I have to say that thing about her parents? She can't understand why every time Patricia expresses herself in a nasty way, Nina shoots her with looks that could kill, while instead, at her clear - though accidental - lack of tact, her face relaxed and she responded with vulnerable sincerity.

Maybe she likes me. Maybe I'm the only one who's treating her well and therefore she doesn't hate me. No, that's always been Fabian. So what's going on? The vortex squeezes her even tighter in its coils and Amber realises that the time has come to take back the reins of her body and mind, which are screaming for vengeance at this decision - necessary, but painful. She goes up to her room and finally finds Mara, who greets her joyfully. Not today, dead cat.

«I'm fed up with you hanging out with Mick.» Precise, direct, lethal. No more room for error, the situation could escalate quickly and she can't afford it. Not with her father's breath on her neck, not with the family she has.

«Then talk to him about it, he's the one that keeps asking me for help.» You're not getting off that easy.

«With his homework, I know, but you were helping him all last night and now I find out you’ve been buddy-studying with him again this morning. - The girl tries to reply, but Amber delivers the decisive blow, ready to start what she does best - I know you fancy him, Mara.»

«I do not!» The pure terror that crosses Mara's face confirms the exact opposite of what she says with her reply; the evil smile begins to peep on her face, but she holds it back and prepares to dance.

«Why, what's wrong with him?» The tone of her voice is seemingly genuine, but her eyes narrow into slits as she sees the full spectrum of human emotions take over her roommate.

«Nothing’s wrong with him, I just-» Oh, she could watch this clear concealment of someone's real feelings whenever she felt like entertaining herself.

«Everyone fancies Mick, what makes you so different?»

«Because he's going out with you so I'm not interested!» She almost exults at the answer that gives her a chance to twist the knife again.

«But you might if we weren't going out.» Total, heady panic.

«That's not what I said.» You've suffered enough and I hope you got the message.

«You have no idea what it's like to be one half of an alpha couple, Mara.»

«You're right, I don't.» After letting go of her classmate's emotions, the two of them follow the others to school and proceed with their academic lives in peace. Amber feels a little guilty at having taken advantage of a favourable situation to re-establish her status, in a perhaps somewhat petty way. This feeling, however, disappears as soon as Principal Sweet calls the handing in of biology homework, when he sees Mara crossing her fingers hopefully as Mick hands in his. I have to bring out the big guns. It's really worth it, she is convinced. She can't let her protection slip away so easily, at the hands of a manipulative geek.

When Nina sees Patricia confabulating with Alfie and Jerome at the end of class, she knows full well that nothing good is coming, but by now she has decided to exploit everything the redhead throws at her to recruit allies and friends: she's not going to spend four years of shit because of a lunatic, blinded by a personal battle.

«Hey Nina, I wanted to say…you know, sorry for breakfast.» And her first choice is to put on a show, great. Nina's surprised expression comes from the fact that she didn't imagine Patricia would think she believed the antics.

«It's fine.» She tries to get rid of the siege as soon as possible, but her roommate insists.

«Oh, and I think it's about time we welcome you to the school properly, the traditional way.» Oh, is that so? If the first one was so warm, I dread to think what lies ahead.

«What are you going on about?»

«Alfie why don’t you tell Nina about the initiation ceremony.»

«The what?» And the clowning continues. Nina immediately realises that the three jokers are grasping at straws, disproved by Fabian's confusion, who hasn't the faintest idea what's going on. So naive, perhaps even too naive for her liking.

«Yeah, every new person who comes to the school has to undergo, like...an initiation ceremony.» It's almost embarrassing to watch the theatrics, to the American it seems like they're not even trying to make the trap realistic.

«Since when?»

«Since forever, Fabian.» At Patricia's clear lie, Nina smiles and stops any protest from the boy in the bud. Maybe if she plays along, she'll be able to get off the classmate's unwarranted list of suspects.

«It’s ok. Sounds like fun, what do I have to do?»

Later, just before dinner, Patricia explains the terms of her initiation, which couldn't be anything sillier: a trip to the attic, how hard can it be. Amidst various squabbles and attempts to scare her with the excuse that the room is haunted, Nina agrees and says she is ready to perform the ritual. The enthusiasm filled with 'let's get it over with' is nipped in the bud as the boys inform her that before she can go upstairs to the room she must steal the key that opens the door. So they head to the top of the staircase, to explain to the rookie how Victor's key ring works, where the copies are and why he never leaves his office. As chance would have it, their open confabulation in front of said office - not a very smart move, but what does she care - attracts the attention of the caretaker, who comes out and catches them in the act. Which one it is, she has yet to find out. Nina gets away with mild flattery, while Alfie chooses the worst way.

«Yes! Just as I thought. This floor, it could use a polish.» Never touch Victor and cleaning, Nina marks it on her mental list of rules as the man drags the unfortunate man down the stairs. She takes advantage of the brief moment and runs into the room, opens the cabinet and snatches the key to the attic and then exits. She grunts, once safe, when she realises she still has the original bundle in her hand, so she runs inside as she can clearly hear the two of them quickly ascending the stairs. In her haste she stumbles and is found on the ground with the raven in her hand, in an unfortunate turn of events. She gets away remarkably well by making up an excuse that looks like one, before being chased away by the caretaker - however victorious, showing the stolen object.

«We'll see how lucky she is tomorrow night, when she goes up into that attic.» It now seems obvious that Patricia fumes with envy at her enemy who has failed to be caught red-handed, and for Nina the sizzle of her anger is heavenly music.

The next day begins and proceeds without too much hiccups. They make the acquaintance of the new history and drama teacher, Winkler, who causes adoring sighs from all the girls and a roll of the eyes from Nina. The most adorable thing she witnesses is again Amber's malfunctioning thought-word filters, which cause the class to burst out laughing, but she simply looks at her with a smile well hidden from everyone present, as she thinks there is nothing more beautiful than a girl like her.

During the physics lesson, however, her thoughts turn to something else: she must stay focused on her plans, she cannot be distracted by blue eyes and initiations of any kind; the locket is a key to success and to the mysteries Amneris has thrown her into, so it is her job to find out why it came into her hands, what it is for and how to use it. She finds herself staring at it in class, which catches Fabian's attention.

«That’s nice. Does it have a photo inside?»

«No!» Nina replies hastily, taken by surprise, quickly hiding the object under her shirt. The boy tries to apologise, for provoking an irritated reaction, but is scolded by Professor Sweet, who urges him to be quiet. The same should be done to Patricia, as she interrupts the lesson to ask the headmaster about some photo from which Joy has apparently been deleted. The professor firmly and forthrightly puts her back in her place just before the bell rings; to prevent everyone from rushing off, the man announces the restitution of the biology homework, congratulating Mick, who squeals with happiness at what is - probably - his first and only A. He lifts his tutor into the air and is then joined by Amber.

«It's only an A-, Mick, get a grip.» Nina wonders why the jealous outbursts, as it seems clear to her that neither of them really like each other, but shrugs and returns her focus to Fabian once the girl has left her field of vision.

«Fabian wait! Sorry if I acted weird before, you've been so nice to me and it was kind of-»

«Rude?»

«I was gonna to say snippy, but yeah okay, rude works too.»

«It's ok. Look, you're not seriously gonna go through with this initiation nonsense, are you? - Nina hetitates and he urges, like a good caring protector - You don't have to, you know.»

«Yeah I do, I'll never live it down if they think I'm scared.»

«You are tougher than you look.» Fabian smiles, unaware that he has said the most important thing about Nina's character, whereupon she shrugs and sighs.

«Only if you mean willing to do absolutely anything to survive the dangerous world of English boarding schools.» The two of them continue their walk to the theatre room and take a seat with their other classmates, ready to begin class. Nina voluntarily seats herself next to Amber, intent on reading a magazine, and can't help but think how ethereal she looks as she concentrates on reading the pages, her hair cascading down her shoulder like a golden waterfall. Her stillness is interrupted by Alfie's stupid little play, whom she hits with the magazine, scolding him.

«Let's move on to something a little more serious. Romeo and Juliet.» The professor begins, handing out books with Shakespeare's tragedy; as he walks around the room, Amber leans towards her and whispers.

«See? I knew I was right. There's an article on here that says if your boyfriend doesn't pay enough attention to you, you have to flirt with someone else to make him jealous.» Now things are starting to get interesting. I thought it would take her longer to figure it out. She is about to make herself available for whatever she wants, but the man interrupts her and has her hand over the magazine, then invites her on stage to recite a passage from the play. Her pronunciation is so suave and melodic compared to the cacophony that comes out of Alfie's mouth when he doesn't even try to take the exercise seriously.

«’Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art...- Amber looks around, casts a glance across the room and then back at Alfie – Thou art truly the yummiest boy I have ever seen, Romeo!» As everyone's confused looks begin to circulate, Nina rolls her eyes and realises the words the girl spoke just now.

«Stick to the script, Amber.» The professor reprimands her, but she drops the booklet to the floor and launches herself towards Alfie and then leaves a kiss on his lips. That's not exactly the definition of “flirting”, sunshine. She thinks, as she revels in the chaos that Amber is undoubtedly about to unleash, but joins in the surprise of the group and adopts a shocked expression along with Mara. Mick, on the other side of the room, is fuming with rage and Nina can't help but hope that this will be the time for Amber to get rid of the ballast.

«Are you Nina Martin?» At exactly midnight, electric torches point at her as Patricia carries on the charade.

«Yes?»

«Is there anyone here who can confirm this?»

«Me?» What kind of question should that be? Alfie feels the same way and voices Nina's mind, before being shushed by Patricia, while Jerome tries hard to keep a straight face - failing, understandably.

«Nina Martin. You are here to prove you are brave enough to live at Anubis. - Patricia continues, as she tries to maintain her composure and seriousness in front of the circus her companion has put on - Swear on the grave of all your ancestors that you will never, ever, tell a living soul about tonight.»

«I swear.» And at her reply, the three of them lead her out of the room, towards the attic door, while Fabian, Amber and Mara wait for them with more torches pointed under their faces. The redhead shushes the first two and mimics the position of the light, trying to keep the event as frightening as possible.

«Oh, spirits of Anubis house, guide the new girl on her initiation quest and keep her from harm in the haunted attic.»

«Come on, this is ridiculous.» Neither Fabian, who protests, nor Amber seem completely convinced by this, but the group leader still silences him and continues.

«Unlock the door.» Nina approaches and clicks the key in the lock. Why not get more into character?

«I just have to get up there and bring something back, then I'm done. You guys didn't booby trap the place or anything, did you?» I should have gone to drama academy, I sound really scared.

«Of course not! Go.» The girl opens the door and takes a deep breath, trying not to burst out laughing, then heads for the stairs and...there it is: Patricia's predictable trap. You poor fool, you'll regret this. With this performance they should give me the Oscar.

«What's going on? Let me out!»

«You heard her, let her out.» You can sense Fabian's agitation through the door, but Nina doubts she'll be able to wriggle out so easily.

«Not until you tell us what you know about Joy's disappearance.» Again with this? What the hell should I know about it?

«I don't know anything!» No acting this time, she is genuinely annoyed by the pointless continuation of this meaningless crusade.

«Then you'll have to stay in there until morning.»

«Alright Patricia, you’ve had your fun, just unlock the door.»

«Patricia this is getting silly!» Mara also cuts in, provoking the girl's indignant response.

«Whose side are you on?» As a general scuffle ensues on the other side of the door, Nina takes the opportunity to pad out her performance with desperate pleas and frightened cries, until Victor shows up in the hallway, dismantling the little thriller party.

«What's going on? Why are you all out of bed? Are you trying to break this door down?»

«No, we thought we heard…mice. That’s all.» Very smooth Patricia, really. Can't tell you're lying.

«Get to bed now, before I put you all in detention.» The sound of quick footsteps echoes in the corridor, a sign that they've all bolted and left her there, in the clutches of the caretaker - who will skin her alive, after discovering her rummaging through forbidden areas. Better to bail. Nina quickly climbs the stairs and looks around, now in anxiety and panic, telling herself that she should never have listened to the three idiots who will get her kicked out of the boarding school. It's a bloody dead-end room, where the fuck do I go now? She hears the footsteps of the caretaker coming up the stairs and loudly calls out “who’s there”, turns in on herself and instinctively pulls out Sarah's locket, hoping it will give her emotional support during the expulsion that awaits her. As she walks away from the second door, she trips over a basket of junk and as she rests her hands on the wall to avoid falling, it opens and traps her inside. The secret room is just the right irony for her and she can finally thank all the gods she escaped danger as she waits for Victor to finish his inspection. As soon as she is sure that the caretaker has left, she searches every inch of the wall for a way out, and as she moves away from the false panel she notices a strange inlay glowing red. The shape seems familiar to her, so she grabs the locket and notices that it too has taken to glowing the same colour; as she makes contact with the carving, a series of wheels and counterweights begin to move, triggering the mechanism that reopens the wall and frees her for good.

«Holy crap. - She exclaims startled and taken by surprise - Amneris!»

«Welcome to Anubis House, my child.» The woman's peaceful smile is really starting to irritate her, every time she finds herself in front of it.

«Welcome? You and I need to have a long fucking talk! You can't lure me into this world-forsaken place without explanation and just show up like it's nothing!» She walks up to her with a pointing finger and an accusing tone, but she remains smiling and bends her head slightly to the side, swinging her antique jewellery.

«I thought you were interested in gaining control over the present. To have the power to prevent what has been again.»

«Well...yes.» Nina suddenly calms her ire and stretches her ears towards, perhaps, the priestess's first useful revelation.

«This house is a hub of many energies, it is a powerful magnet that can attract the challenges you need to continue on your path.» Never mind, the woman is cryptic as usual.

«Magnet? Challenges? What are you talking about? »

«To succeed in your purpose, you will need to summon trials to this house and face them to prove your worthiness. Once you agree to submit to the trials, all of them will affect this house and those who inhabit it, and all of them must be overcome with dexterity.»

«All this solemnity sounds strange to me. Why have you been chasing me for years?»

«You are the Chosen One, Nina. Great things await you if you are willing to fulfil them. Great powers if you will grasp them. Your nature is unique and cyclical, for you have been reincarnating for thousands of years since I came into this world.» Oh, shit!

«Why didn't I know this before?»

«It is not customary for me to reveal myself to my descendants and it is important that no one knows about you.» Nina can't get her head around the turn the conversation has just taken, and she certainly didn't expect to be some secret Egyptian creature. Anything but superheroes, please. America can't chase me this far.

«Why me, why now?»

«You called me. There is a desire in your heart and it is so strong that you summon me whenever you really need me. I'm afraid I must tell you again that there is nothing you can do to change the past, despite the fact that you have infinite potential because of your essence, which is my bloodline.» She figured this, although it is therapeutic to forget it every time, in the hope that the woman's memo will change, but by now one must come to terms with the truth and accept what comes from here to the future.

«Can I prevent it from happening again? Can I protect my grandmother?» The woman nods, finally pleased to see that purity of heart that has always distinguished every Chosen One before her.

«If you overcome your trials, you will be capable of this and more.» Nina sighs, thankful that she is managing to take all these steps forward.

«Explain to me, then.»

«Seven challenges. Sacrifice yourself, assemble the Ankh, retrieve the mask, awaken a damned, defeat a god, destroy a paragon, sacrifice a bond. Ascend.» From the very first “challenge” the girl turns up her nose.

«One moment. Sacrifice yourself? Haven't I already lost enough in my life? My parents, my city, my bloody sanity since I've been in here!» The woman listens to her in silence and lowers her head, seeming to think about something. Or, in the most absurd scenario, she seems to be listening to someone else's answer.

«Very well, move on to the next challenge if you see fit. I warn you, the gods will judge your results, I am only a messenger.» After which she fades into the air, leaving her with more questions than answers, as always.

What the fuck is an Ankh now?

Chapter Text

When she is alone she goes back to look at the fake wall and tries again to open it with the locket, now sure that this is the purpose for which it was created. The panel slides to the side and gives her a view of the terrifying bright red-eyed portrait, so Nina decides to get the hell out of there and find a way out of the skin-chilling place. I've had enough problems for tonight. As soon as she stands in front of the closed door again, she hopes with all her heart that it is as obsolete as the American ones, so she pulls a bobby pin out of her hair and embarks on the most embarrassing lock-picking attempt in history. After a few minutes she seems to hear her name being called and then finally the lock clicks, catapulting her in front of Fabian and Amber, who jump in fright.

«Hey. What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost.»

«How...how did you-» Amber stutters, unable to continue the sentence, but Nina runs to her rescue and shows her the miraculous object, causing her companions to laugh.

«Are you ok?»

«Yeah.» Euphemism of the century, given the encounter she just had with the mystery priestess, which left her rather shaken.

«So, what was it like up there? Did you see any ghosts?» You wouldn't believe it if I told you, sunshine.

«No, just mice and spiders.» Amber inadvertently snuggles up to her and smiles, allowing her to exchange an intense gaze filled with phrases she can't manage to say.

«You are so brave. - She exclaims instead, hiding behind those words at least three different meanings and every one more important than the other - Goodnight, see you in the morning.» She then whispers, before fleeing into the room, followed by the glances of the two who linger a few seconds longer. Nina feigns a bogus confession to Fabian, in order to definitively sell the idea that Patricia has just traumatised her for life, after which she says goodbye to him and sighs; she turns the locket over in her hands, thinking about how much more there is to discover and how much is hidden in that sinister and gloomy attic. She goes back to her room and curbs any instinct to shave her roommate's head, only because fatigue has built up too much in her minute body and now she just needs some healthy rest, maybe this time without disturbing nightmares. She stares at the ceiling and closes her eyes, while clutching the pendant to herself. I accept the challenges, I will find the Ankh and do whatever is necessary for my path to ascension. A strange hissing sound spreads throughout the house, so Nina falls asleep at the same time as the locket twinkles for brief seconds.

The next morning, she comes down to breakfast full of jubilation and is greeted by the applause of her housemates, who congratulate her on the brilliant success of her initiation ceremony.

«Was it really scary up there?» Mara annexes the main speech of the day and contributes to swell, respectively, Nina's joy and Patricia's anger – defeated once again and dark in the face.

«I thought it would be worse, it was actually kinda cool. I think might move up there.» Oh, the heady sense of victory can never leave her for the rest of the day, especially since Amber has been watching her with adoring eyes from the moment she set foot in the dining room.

«Don't you think she was brave?» The blonde asks the group, again provoking a smile on Nina's lips, happy that she is finally breaking through.

«Even you have to admit it, Patricia. Nina passed her initiation test with flying colours.» From the slits into which the questioned girl's eyes have turned, thunderbolts now come out. She is not as able as the American to withstand provocation and everyone in there knows that.

«No, she didn't bring anything back, did she?» False.

«Well, actually...» The ecstasy that pervades her body as she pulls out an ancient and ruined tome is unparalleled, especially when the redhead storms off, pursued by Mara. I told you you'd regret it. Go play witch hunt with someone else.

Later, while strolling towards the school, Fabian catches up with her and stutters something before asking her if she “fancies” to walk together. As she launches into a speech about how much she has to get used to English terms, Fabian instead launches himself into the flowerbed and starts rummaging through the bushes.

«But this is weird, even for England.»

«No, no, wait, I'm just looking for something.»

«That much I got. What are you looking for?»

«Hang on, hang on…yes! I got it.» As Alfie and Jerome scampered freely across the lawn, racing past them, Fabian emerged from the grass waving the key to the attic. What a great stroke of luck. Now her plans can really get going. Besides, continually picking the door can't be the ultimate solution for her trips to the forbidden zones.

«I think this needs to find its way back to Victor's key box.» Oh, Fabian.

«No...actually I’m gonna need this, when I go back into the attic.»

«Wait...you’re going back up into the attic?» The boy tries to dissuade her or at least understand why she wants to risk it again by going upstairs to a dusty old room. Nina tells him the half-story of how it was the only thing that could distract her from missing her grandmother or trying to get Patricia to like her; she is still unsure about letting Fabian in on the mystery, perhaps the gods want her to complete her trials alone.

«I really need to know if I saw someone up there.»

«You saw someone?» I have to find a plausible conspiracy worth investigating. Nina laughs internally. Why didn't I think of that before?

«Ok, I know it sounds crazy, but what if there really is something weird about Joy's disappearance? What if Joy's still here? – When she sees him hesitate she hastens to backtrack – Yeah, you’re probably right, crazy.» However, she is almost certain that he will not be able to resist the temptation of a good mystery to solve; in fact, a few minutes later he begs her to tell him everything that happened while she was in the attic. Nina convinces herself that if the challenges “will affect the house and everyone in it”, there is no harm in involving anyone who wants to in the search. As long as they don't really know what's at stake, I guess. It's a movie classic, it would make sense. So she explains everything to him in detail - minus the conversation with Amneris - and they discuss it until they get to the classroom, where Amber has returned the oblivious girlfriend, convinced that Mick is “pretending to be jealous, only to win her back with a grand gesture”. Good for you, sunshine.

«So, this panel just popped open when you fell against it?»

«Sort of.»

«Sort of? What kind of answer is that?» The boy laughs as he settles into his seat, observing the clear difficulty his deskmate has in revealing to him the events of last night.

«Well, there are some other...things.»

«You are a real girl of mystery, aren’t you. – You have no idea – Look, if you’re going up there again, then I'll go with you. You can trust me, Nina.» The girl decides to give him the benefit of the doubt and therefore promises to tell him everything, for real this time.

When Patricia flees the dining room, by now with a clenched stomach and the frustration of not being able to get a spider out of the hole, she tries to ignore the support Mara wants to lend her, for the simple fact that she now believes that none of them really care. Everyone has told her, time and again, that she is carrying on a mad plaint and that hers is a simple obsession. Simple. Your classmate disappears into thin air and there is nothing strange for you. Joy is always on her mobile phone, yet she left it in her room; Joy has always told her everything about her life, yet she never mentioned that her family would withdraw her from boarding school. Joy is her best friend, she would have never left her alone. That is why Patricia is convinced that Nina's arrival cannot be a coincidence: not even an hour after her friend's disappearance, she was already settled in her room and all her previous housemate's belongings gone - or thrown in the bin, that must have been a message. Everyone did their best to welcome the American, support her in the stupid initiation ceremony and roll out red carpets for her to walk on, erasing from their memories the one who had been part of everyone's lives for years. What the hell happened to Amber, by the way? She seems to have fallen at Nina's feet a lot more than others. Given the way she looked at her at breakfast, her eyes dreamy and her face beaming with pride. Doesn't matter, she's determined to find out what's really going on, because there's no way in the world she would leave Joy to her own devices. She would do the same. When she arrives at school, with her friend in tow, she's still thoughtful and annoyed by the surreal situation she's found herself in.

«I don't understand why you’re so upset that Nina passed your test.»

«It's not about that, it's that no one seems to be taking this Joy thing seriously, except me. She should have called me by now, Mara, you know she would.»

«It's strange, I'll give you that.»

«Strange? It's more than strange, instead everyone's more interested in buddying up with the new girl as if Joy never even existed. – She retorts, stymied, before resting her eyes on the metal door beside her – I wonder...» She grabs the ruler from her backpack and slips it into the slot, unhinging the small door with all her might amidst Mara's protests. As soon as the latch gives way under her lever, the girl is surprised by the headmaster.

«Vandalism, will not be tolerated in this school, Patricia. You will pay for that to be repaired and you are also grounded.» The girl has to restrain herself from disrespecting the man, but deflects the reprimand anyway.

«What have you done with Joy, tell me where she is!»

«Pull yourself together, young lady.» The teacher quickly replies to her, before slipping away down the corridors. She protests again, clamouring to at least be given her home number, but by now the headmaster has disappeared and she finds herself once again defeated and disconsolate. Although Mara tries to comfort her, she knows that she is basically alone against the world, the teachers and the strange conspiracy that has surrounded Joy. She’s tired of fighting even with her friends who think she’s crazy; she asks for nothing but real support. She just wants to be sure that the girl is alright, that she has not forgotten about her and that they will see each other again soon to have that rom-com marathon, which she has not even wanted to touch since her friend disappeared. Despite her despondency, she can't give up: the clear obstruction that the professors and Victor are making towards her is a sign that suggests much more than they think; so she follows the professor to the office, slips into the bathroom and pulls off the tile, behind which a small peephole is hidden in the headmaster's room. There you are. You can't hide everything from me.

«It's just her frustration coming up, she’ll calm down eventually. Don’t worry.» Patricia can now ascertain that Professor Andrews is also involved in who knows what and speaks openly about Joy's situation, as if everything is normal and under control. The disgust she feels at witnessing the conversation only increases.

«This could all have been avoided, there was no need for such a haste. The betrayer is long dead.» This, on the other hand, is good information: perhaps there is someone who realised the abomination they were carrying out and, in order to stop it, was banished – or worse, eliminated. Maybe she is not really alone in this secret battle, maybe there is someone out there who would be on her side if only she could find him.

«Victor felt caution was our best option, for once I’m inclined to agree with him.»

«Did I tell you Patricia would not let this go, she is determined to find out what’s happened to Joy.»

«And we must be equally determined to making sure she never does, Eric. There’s too much at stake!» Patricia is forced away from the peephole, she has heard enough. The conversation has become more and more unsettling, but not without crumbs that may be useful in uncovering the core of the matter: Joy is somewhere in the custody of the teachers, but they are constantly at war with each other and are ready to go for each other's throats if anything other than their expectations occurs; Victor is the usual despot and commands everything, so there is a need to completely circumvent any direct connection with them. When she runs out of the bathroom, she is determined to take her best friend's fate into her own hands.

«Mara you have to believe me, something bad has happened to Joy and the teachers are involved in it! I need your help. – the friend doesn't seem very convinced, but she insists – I need Joy's home telephone number, I have to talk to her parents! I mean, what if they don't know anything about this?»

«What do I have to do?» She seems to yield slightly to the redhead's cry for help, but her face is anything but serene.

«Act as a lookout while I go into Mr. Sweet's office and steal her file.» And it is to this statement that Mara reacts, completely shocked to see how far Patricia can go.

«Nina, quick, I have something to tell you.» Sunshine bursts into the living room and grabs her by the wrist, dragging her up the stairs. It is amazing how such a confidential bond can be formed in just a few days, despite the clear character differences and deep friendships already present in the house. After all, Nina is more than aware that she would let Amber do anything, given the mutual pulling power their energies have; the American can't stop smiling if she's in the room and, whether she realises it or not, even Amber can't have eyes for anyone else - no matter how hard she tries and struggles to hide it, from herself and the world. Four years is a long time. Nina says to herself, knowing that waiting for the epiphany of the ray of sunshine won't cost her anything, so she lets herself be dragged up the stairs and into the room she shares with Mara.

«You see? My plan totally worked, Mick wants to meet me in the laundry room tonight!» When she looks at the letter-shaped candies on the corner of the bed, she can't help but think that this isn't exactly Mick's style, simply because he doesn't have one: the guy is constantly in the clouds, forgets the presence of someone who requires at least the minimum of his attention, minimises her insecurities or jealousies and - despite not being the sharpest tool in the box - finds time to belittle his girlfriend's intellectual gifts, even though he doesn't know them. Because yes, Nina doubts that someone who doesn't spend the slightest amount of time with his other half can really claim to be the one who knows her best; she doesn't question the fact that they have years of cohabitation behind them, but neither does she believe that the blondie is the perfect prince charming, quite the contrary. Which is why she is convinced that this is not the work of the knight in shining armour, but rather of someone else, someone who may have recently been given attention by the girl, but without any real underlying interest.

«I’ve obviously made him wild with jealousy, and now he wants to apologise his bad behaviour with Mara and kiss and make up.»

«I'm sure that’s true, if he's the one who sent the message.»

«Of course he is! Nina, sometimes I think you miss so much because you're an American.» How can one not see the purity of such a soul? She wonders, smiling as the girl pulls out every possible outfit from the wardrobe. She understands that she may be on a rush from the idea of patching things up with her boyfriend, but the worm in her head keeps telling her that there is something wrong with this situation.

«Are you sure about this date? I mean, you're risking a lot if Victor catches you. Isn't there anything better you'd like to do?»

Amber petrifies on the spot with three crutches in one hand and the conviction that someone has just fired a cannonball at her defensive walls in the other. Her heart takes a dive and then begins to beat as if maddened by the question asked by those criminal, tempting eyes. She shakes her head and tries to chase away any intrusive thoughts.

«Like I said, you miss so much. How do you think dating ever worked inside this house?» At the counter-question Nina seems to remain thoughtful and genuinely committed to imagining an answer to the question.

«Huh. I never thought about that, actually.»

«I mean, back in the day, the attic was a popular spot, but more because we were little kids and we enjoyed snooping around. After Victor caught and punished us several times, then changed the old faulty lock, nobody went up there again.» The nonchalance with which she tries to deflect the topic even further is the hardest thing for Amber to achieve, given the cold sweat that threatens to unmask her at any moment.

«Interesting.» Nina lets go of the thoughtful expression and especially the inquisitive one, so Amber thinks she is finally safe. Wait, but safe from what? Why is she afraid of some silly question with no ulterior motive whatsoever? After all, Nina is the newcomer, it's normal that she has all these curiosities and she and Fabian have been the only ones who have been friendly, so they are the only ones she focuses her attention on. That's all. There is no reason to fret, because her relationship with Mick cannot be questioned: the two of them are perfect and are about to return to their usual aura of perfection, that aura generated by the light with which he illuminates her. At the idea that they might seal their union with a kiss, she feels a chill run through her.

«Yeah.» She comments, before starting to stare at all her clothes spread out on the bed, finally relaxing.

«I think you should wear this one, it brings out your beautiful eyes. – Nina lifts a dress and reaches over to hand it to her, whispering the last part of the sentence – Have fun.» As she leaves the room, Amber didn't realise she held her breath and grabbed the hanger with trembling hands.

When Nina returns to the room she tries not to think about all the negative effects Amber's eventual disappointment might have, so she hopes that Mick is indeed the author of the message. She chases away the conversation that has just taken place and puts on her nightwear, waiting for the appointed time with Fabian to return to check the attic. A few hours after the caretaker's chilling catchphrase, she jumps out of bed and leaves the room, making sure not to wake Patricia. Immediately outside her door she finds her desk-mate and seconds later Amber, fully dressed, approaches them with a smile, but cadaverously white. Almost as if ashamed of having worn the dress Nina suggested.

«Oh, are you two on a date as well?» Nice try, sunshine. The two strongly deny it, even though Nina knows that Amber will convince herself anyway, to keep intact the wall of certainty and defences she has erected around herself. On one hand it is for the best, because she is not ready for her to enter the mystery of the house – she’s already taking a big risk with Fabian –, on the other hand she feels a slight irritation burning under her skin, because she does not understand what the girl stands to gain by building such a reality. The three then say their goodbyes and Nina briefly watches the girl tiptoe down the stairs, before walking towards the attic and opening the door.

«Are you ready?»

«As ready as I’ll ever be.» She smiles shortly before placing the locket on the antique lock, aware of what her friend is about to witness. When indeed the panel opens, the boy's choked scream makes her giggle under her breath. Welcome to my new world.

«It's just a portrait.» She tells him, grabbing the painting to bring it into the torchlight.

«That’s seriously scary. The eyes were glowing and looking at me.» A cry of disgust follows, accompanied soon after by Nina's laughter.

«Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that the portrait of a little girl made you so scared you screamed.»

«I didn't scream.»

«Sure. – She whispers provocatively, before returning to look at the painting – I know her.» She affirms by taking the locket: the portrait is almost identical to the photo inside. «It’s the same girl. I wonder who she is.» As Fabian turns the large frame in his hands, she notices something unusual and points it out to him.

«It looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics.» He replies, and then takes a picture of the three symbols.

«The old lady said there was a treasure hidden in this house.» When this comes back to her, Nina thinks of every possible and imaginable curse. Not a treasure hunt, please. Is this the seriousness of the Egyptian gods?

«What kind of treasure?» If nothing else, Fabian seems intrigued: needless to say, he has just appointed himself the official director of bibliographical and cultural research. She is aware that she has to put all her efforts to succeed in the test, but she does not see how she can combine the search for divine power with the search for clues to a puzzle.

«Well, she hardly knows her own name, so she wasn’t that specific, but maybe we should go talk to her.»

«Great idea, in the meantime I’ll take a look at these symbols.» Once the object is put back in its place, Nina closes the secret room and they both go down again in the corridors, then say goodbye and lie down for the night. The next morning, while many are still in their rooms, she goes out to occupy the bathroom and finds herself in front of the blonde with a distorted look.

«Amber, what happened to you?»

«I fell asleep in the laundry room.» Mick didn’t show up or it wasn’t his message. Heads will roll.

«I am so sorry.» She approaches the girl to embrace her and unexpectedly she melts in her arms, welcoming the sweet hold of her friend.

«Could you give me the bathroom? I’m horrible and I have to fix this mess.»

«Not true, you shine like the sun, but go ahead. Don’t worry.» Amber doesn’t answer, she barely pulls away from Nina’s body and walks to the door of the room. Before Nina can leave, however, something stops her as the girl suddenly calls her name.

«Perhaps I would have preferred to spend the evening with you. Friends don’t stand each other up.» She then locks herself inside the cubicle that Victor likes to call a bathroom and does not come out for a good half hour. At that point Nina thanks her American habit of showering in the evening, she wears the uniform and goes down to have breakfast; she returns upstairs to wash her teeth and retrieve her backpack, but there is no trace of the blonde.

After overtaking Alfie and Jerome, shady as usual, Patricia instructs Mara on their next movements and then quickly sneaks into the principal’s office.

«I am not so good at that talking to people thing!» Protest the other, too late now. A few seconds later, the redhead hears her talking excessively loud to the principal and realises that she has very little time for her research, especially given the topics of the conversation. Where would someone as basic as Sweet keep the key to the drawer? She wonders, convinced that this cannot be the most difficult operation of her life. She finally finds it, not even too hidden in the desk, and steals the file before sneaking away discreetly.

«Nah, you’re right, it’s pretty boring.» That’s the last sentence she hears her friend say before greeting her like she didn’t know where she’s been for the last five minutes.

«Better hurry, we’ll be late for history.» The two escape from the teacher and later take refuge in the theatre room.

«Why didn’t you just write down the number?» Mara asked her, anxious as she saw her pull out the folded file from her purse.

«I didn’t have time, did I, with your brilliant hedgehog distraction? – The other tries to protest, but Patricia stops her and asks her to be on the lookout again – Yes, it’s got her home number!» Finally happy that one thing went in her favour, she drags the other home so she can finally call Joy and ask her what the hell is going on. She doesn’t want to be too aggressive, in the event that she’s really a victim of conspiracy – the evidence in favour of this thesis is increasing more and more – but the anxiety builds up with every day that passes and she’s excited to put a stop to this story. The plans, however, diverge again from her hopes, because as soon as they enter the house they find Victor seizing the backpacks of Jerome and Alfie. Holy crap!

«Something to hide, Patricia?» Threatens the caretaker at her refusal to hand over the bag.

«What has gone missing?»

«Something very valuable indeed and whoever has taken it is in deep, deep, trouble. Now, give.» Victor answers Mara's question and stands in front of Patricia, holding out his hand intimidatingly; she reluctantly hands it to him and then goes back to her room, filled with frustration once again. Joy escapes her more and more each day, and she feels short of air at the mere thought of not being able to see or hear from her again.

«I can't believe he confiscated my bag! – she groans, abandoning herself dejectedly on the bed – They know, somehow they know!»

«It's just a coincidence, you’ve been unlucky, that's all.» Mara doesn't seem any more convinced at this point either.

«No way is that a coincidence!.»

«You’re going to be in big trouble when he finds that file in there though.» Let him try. Patricia stands up and all the anger begins to charge her with an energy she has never felt before. Nothing has ever stirred her conscience as much as the unreal situation she has found herself in and she will not let go of the bone just yet.

«If he confronts me, I’ll confront him back, don’t you worry. What have you done to Joy, what’s the big secret, why can’t I have her home number?»

«Or you can deny it?»

«No, Mara. There is some sort of conspiracy going on and we have to find out what it is.» The two change, wearing civilian clothes and join the others in the living room; approaching the room they hear altered voices, then Mick leaving the house all riled up and finally they are confronted with the sad image of Amber with folded arms and a pout on her face. Now she seems to be back to her old self. Maybe America-mania is finally over. As the topic turns again to the confiscated bags, Victor himself comes into the room and returns all their belongings, saying that he has found nothing unusual.

«Weird he didn't say anything, maybe he didn't find it.»

«Is it there? Have you got it?» By now Mara is engrossed in the matter and cannot hold back her curiosity, but Patricia clenches her jaw in disappointment. Shit.

«No.»

«So he did find it, then.»

«Obviously.»

«But didn't say anything.»

«Think about it. They don't wanna gent into any kind of discussion, so it was easier to steal the file back and pretend it never happened. Now do you believe that’s conspiracy?» Before she can continue the conversation, Amber interrupts them with another one of her dramatic idiocies that she couldn't care less about now and the topic falls on deaf ears for the rest of the evening. Even during the night Patricia can't stop thinking about how everything is going in the worst direction and no one seems to find it as strange as she does. Such a situation could really drive her to madness, but she tells herself that it is necessary to keep a clear head and cling to any really reliable facts, without letting herself be sidetracked by Sweet and Victor's egregious attempts to cover it up. The next morning her mood is still grim and she cannot imagine digesting the scene of the close-knit couple, let alone breakfast.

«Whisper, whisper, whisper, very cozy. – Venom escapes her lips without her realising it, she can't help it – Since when did you become her friend instead of mine?» The pain hidden between the lines hurt her like blades piercing her chest, not only because Fabian had practically abandoned her, but because she was convinced that in such an issue he would be the first to put himself on the line for Joy. It was no mystery to anyone that all the stammering and awkward phrases he only uttered in front of the girl, because he had been interested in her since the last year of middle school and she would even have gladly reciprocated if she had not mysteriously disappeared. What she cannot get over is the fact that now her friend is completely lost in Nina's web and seems to be interested in nothing but the novelty of the moment.

«Since when you became such a witch, Patricia.» We were a trio, she was also your best friend.

«He can be both of our friend.» What a nice gesture, to leave her the leftovers. Patricia is convinced that when she’s done with him, she will abandon him at the side of a road wondering why he trusted a stranger so much, whom he voluntarily substituted for Joy - of that there is no longer a shadow of a doubt. And when he does, he better not come crying back to me.

«Not likely.» She replies sourly, before she finally leaves the room.

«Hey, Trudy. – Patricia stops any argument of a culinary nature in the bud, by now her stomach is sealed – I’ve been meaning to ask...was it Joy's parents who came and cleared our room last week?» The housekeeper is the one who knows the most in the house, she is quiet and attentive: ergo, an excellent source of information.

«It was a man. I'm not sure if it was the father, I never saw her parents.» Not such accurate information, agreed, but one should not lose heart.

«And when were you told she was leaving?»

«The same morning she left.» Perfect, time to dig a little deeper.

«Didn’t you think that was weird?»

«Well, Joy always was a walking soap opera. I thought it was exaggerated, but not weird.» That Joy was overdramatic everyone knew, plus this talk seems to bring nothing useful to the case; it's time to take different paths.

«And what about Nina coming to replace her the same day? That was weird, right?»

«Not really. Nina was always meant to start at the beginning of term, she’s on a scholarship and there was some bureaucratic mix-up, her money was delayed. That’s all.» Fuck, I messed up.

When Nina thinks that it has been a day since Patricia has bothered her with some acid comment, the latter immediately contradicts her. Perhaps this was a good thing, because it prevented Fabian from confessing that his adventurous instincts are entirely devoted to her. No one in this house has the slightest idea what it means to flirt in a subtle way. She comments to herself, before the boy puts her friend – who rejects Nina's outstretched, without much conviction, hand – back in her place. If nothing else, he is gaining some self-confidence, which doesn't hurt.

Later, in class, after witnessing yet another display of anger, jealousy and violence from Mick - a jock full of toxic masculinity, how reminiscent of the good old days -, the professor says he is very intrigued by their idea of doing history research on Egyptian mythology; in fact, he launches into a semi-monologue on the fascination of Egyptian studies on immortality and the like, before being interrupted by Amber. At her very sweet assertion, the blond at the back of the class snorts disrespectfully, which makes the girl in question turn around rightfully confused by the behaviour.

«What's wrong with you?»

«What do you think it’s wrong with me?»

«I have absolutely no idea.» The two think they are whispering, but the whole class can hear them clearly, in fact the professor reprimands and shushes them. Nina can't help but wonder why Mick is behaving so emotionally, which by the way is completely unjustified: he stood up his girlfriend and even dares to be obnoxious? He should really be expecting quite a surprise, as soon as she comes up with one worthy of her wits. The bell rings and Nina is surprised to find that her morning entertainment is not yet over.

«Hey, Amber. Can I...can I carry your books?» The blonde gives him a confused look and lifts the one notebook she carries.

«Thanks Alfie, I think I can manage.» Nina has to restrain herself from bursting out laughing as Jerome also mocks him for his vain attempt at an approach. This is not the way to win Amber's heart, poor Lewis. Before leaving the classroom, she overhears Patricia surprisingly complaining about something, then grabs her things and runs away, while Mara protests by alluding to hedgehogs. What a strange bunch of weirdos. She shrugs off the scene she has just witnessed and proceeds to lead Fabian to the old people's home. Finally happy to see someone she really cares about again, Sarah smiles as soon as she sees her enter.

«Oh, it's you! Have you found it yet?»

«Found what?»

«The treasure!»

«No, I came to ask you where it is.» She tells her, hoping to glean some more information, albeit disconnected and confused.

«You won't let him find it, will you? Promise me you won't let him find it!» This is not the case, as she changes the subject again and returns more cryptic than Amneris.

«I promise, I promise – as soon as the woman is quiet, she pulls out the locket – Sarah, who’s this?» She asks, pointing to the picture inside it.

«Is it you?» The answer surprises her somewhat, as she has never had twentieth-century portraits taken, let alone looked like the girl in that photo.

«No, it’s not me. She's way too cute.»

«It looks like you. - She tells her instead with a happy smile, just before backing away frightened – Who’s that?»

«It's Fabian. Sarah, meet Fabian.» She has to restrain herself from clenching her jaw or cursing the boy who can't stand aside for a few seconds and, instead, approaches the lady causing her to react totally uncomfortable, to the point of making her hide the locket in order to calm her down.

«It's gone! See? It’s gone. It’s alright, Sarah.»

«The black bird is watching the house, you must be careful!» More cryptic and confusing information. I must re-evaluate the priestess and her methods at this point. The two leave the old people's home shortly afterwards, to return to school and resume regular classes with new questions swirling in their minds, adding to the previous, still unresolved tangle. In the common room a few hours later, they return to focus on the tangible things at hand.

«This book rocks, it has a whole section on ancient hieroglyphics-» While she enthuses about finding ancient tomes actually useful, Fabian, looking pensively at the medallion, interrupts her.

«She’s right, this definitely looks like you.»

«No, it doesn't, ok?» Nina's blood immediately freezes in her veins, because even if that were the case then there would be something connecting her to the mystery and Amneris specifically told her that no one must know about her. What does "Chosen One" mean, anyway. I have to stop falling for everything she tells me, given the situation I'm in. She snatches the locket from his hands and puts it on, trying to gently deflect him from the conversation.

«Yes, it does. Look, it’s got the same pretty eyes.» Her movements freeze at the boy's affirmation and dozens of thoughts cross her mind at the same time, until she decides to make the decision that will probably cost her her real target.

«You think my eyes are pretty?» That's called flirting, my boys. She thinks, as she intensifies her gaze to such an extent that he remains interjected and silent. Bingo. «Well, there’s possibly a passing resemblance, but the fact is that we still don’t know anything about the girl in the picture, or the treasure, or Sarah’s connection to the house, or if she’s even called Sarah!» She then resumes the main topic and brings home the first of many future victories.

«Yeah, but one thing is for certain. This locket definitely belongs to her and it opens a secret door in the house.»

«That’s right, which means that Sarah or Emily or whatever her she’s called, must’ve either lived in or visited Anubis House at some point in the past. – Nina ponders this for a few seconds carefully – What if the girl in the picture is Sarah?» The thing is the least absurd one can think of, after all, Occam's Razor teaches exactly that: the simplest solution is the correct one.

«What if the black bird is Corbierre?» This, on the contrary, seems to her the most absurd idiocy of the century. Why should Sarah warn them about a stuffed animal? If anything, its owner should be of interest to them.

«It is a bit weird though, all this black bird stuff.» She states, after jokingly commenting at Fabian's suggestion.

«This whole thing is weird.» He answers her, finding her finally agreeing. It's even worse than a puzzle and I love puzzles.

The rest of the evening goes smoothly, and Nina is surprised by this, given the absence of any kind of hostility on Patricia's part – who, in fact, is even quieter and more pensive than usual; one can't help but think the absence of anger on her face suits her. Objectively, she is a beautiful girl and has that something rebellious about her that would be interesting, if it were not spoiled by her bad temper and her general attitude towards others. Good for me and my sanity. Nina repeats to herself as she walks up the stairs, only to bump into Amber, armed with pillows and comics.

«Have you given up fashion for superheroes?» She tries to leave her disgust out as she asks the question, but the girl seems to back up her thought as she shakes her head.

«Of course not! - She seems almost wounded in her pride - They're for Alfie, poor guy. Mick totally obliterated him on the football pitch yesterday. I actually don't understand his behaviour.» And after Amber explains everything to her, in full, she turns her nose up at it. I have an idea or two. About the whole thing.

«Understood. Well, it's nice of you to take care of him, I can tell he's really into it.»

«I already know what you mean and no, not in a million years! I simply feel responsible for the nonsense my boyfriend gets up to, even if he doesn't seem to want to act like one at the moment. – Nina can't help but notice the incredible maturity the girl is capable of showing and can't help the smile that spontaneously forms on her lips – What, did I say something stupid?» The smile immediately fades away as the emotional alarm begins to sound uncontrollably at the question, asked in such a genuine yet frightened manner.

«Absolutely not, on the contrary! Why would you think that?»

«I don't know, every time I talk they always look at me with this condescending smile before telling me “don't be silly, Amber, that's not how television works” and so I thought I was doing something wrong.» Nina's heart breaks at that confession, which she may not even recognise as such, so she places her hands on the girl’s shoulders and smiles at her again.

«Never be afraid to talk to me, sunshine. Your mind is wonderful.» The clear blush on the blonde's cheeks lets her know she has hit the nail on the head, so she decides to give her some space and quickly says goodbye, before locking herself in her room.

The following day one can still see the effects of the conversation on Amber who, despite continuing to serve and reverence the invalid, has a contrite and distant expression. Nina almost clashes with Mick, who storms out with a whole basket of fruit in his hand. Another mother scene, he seems to have made a habit of it.

«Can I see your phone, with the symbols from the painting?» She asks Fabian, taking a seat next to him, having chased away all thoughts concerning the current prima donna of the house. After handing her the phone, he provocatively apostrophises Alfie, who doesn’t seem that much injured, and in response the other blatantly lies and then goes back to lying down feigning pain. Nina deliberately ignores everything and concentrates on finishing her first translation of the ancient Egyptian language; she has to admit it is quite funny, she should study more of these symbols.

«I thought so, look. This symbol here means “terraced hill” or “stairs”. And then this one means “buried” or “underneath” and this one is the number eight. So what if the treasure is buried under the eighth stair?»

«You think so?» Couldn’t be more easy.

«I don't know, but it's worth a try.» The boy nods, caught up in admiration for his new friend. How can you blame him. While Nina is intent on mocking the gods for the too-simple test, Amber passes behind her with Alfie's breakfast and she has to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.

«Thank you, Amber, you are so sweet.» Now she has to hold back her nausea, what kind of behaviour is this? Making fun of a girl only to make her your personal servant. Yet she wants to and must continue to support her friend, even if she often does not understand her choices.

«Amber told me about what Mick did, I think it’s pretty terrible.» This, however, she really means it and if it were up to her, the boy would already be on a one-way flight to Timbuktu.

«After what Alfie and Amber did, I’m surprised Mick didn’t do more damage.» And what kind of response is that supposed to be? Is there any proven behaviour that is even worse than what the athlete had?

«Why, what did they do?»

«They went on a date!» We are hitting rock bottom. A very, very low bottom.

«What? How's that possible, are we talking about the same Alfie?»

«It was that night we went up to the attic, remember we bumped into her in the corridor and she was all dressed up?» Oh, now she understands what the hell happened. She wants with all her might to finally blow the useless relationship on the brink, but she has to play by the rules.

«Uh, yeah, for her date with Mick, not Alfie.»

«What?»

«Yeah. She got a message from Mick, or at least she thought it was from him, arranging to meet in the laundry but he never showed.» Now that the situation is finally clear to everyone, things will go back to the way they were. Regrettably.

Jerome Clarke. A high-sounding name, worthy of his reputation in the school. His mother always repeated that he was a smart kid, that he would go far, and who knows, maybe that was the reason why she decided to leave him to his own devices. Everything he has, he’s had to earn through sweat, a pinch of craftiness and a lot of abuse of the weakest. Anyone with half a brain knows better than to step on his toes or the consequences could be disastrous. He has learned not to care about people who do not serve his purposes and never has life been so light for him; sure, there are the exceptions like Alfie and the general tolerance towards his housemates, but it would take little to turn everyone against everyone in there, so he wouldn't put his hand up for any of them. Just look at the frost with which Nina has been greeted, who has never done anything wrong except end up in Patricia's crosshairs. None of them is however immune to the occasional innocent prank, which he chooses to perpetrate just to brighten up his day a little: manipulating and lying gives him a certain sense of control over reality, so much so that he knows precisely which buttons to push to get certain reactions or, why not, favours. Sometimes the idea of having learnt all this makes him reflect on the quality of his life and character, but he is well aware that most of his skills derive from the survival instinct that has taken over from the first moment he spent there. That is why he is not so concerned about driving Mick crazy, especially since Alfie has paid for his services. During the conclusion of the transaction with a silly freshman, he is confronted by Fabian, who now seems more animated than he has ever seen him.

«Jerome, why are you spreading rumours about Alfie and Amber going on a date?»

«I’m not spreading rumours.» Reaping the fruits of one's deceits and denying any responsibility, that's his life slogan.

«Yes, you are. Alfie and Amber are not an item and you know that.»

«Aren’t they? Have I got it wrong then? – None of his housemates fall for it anymore, but by now it's hard to separate the mask from his real self: it has fused irreparably to the character, turning him into an icy, intolerant fraud – Ah, well, sometimes you have to give fate a helping hand.»

«You have to tell Mick the truth.» The fire of justice that fuels Fabian's eyes is almost funny.

«I don't have to do anything.» He replies, then, smiling before walking away and letting him stew in his own juices.

«How's your recycled homework business going on, Jerome?» The boy immediately stops, smiles nervously and looks back at his classmate.

«I don't know what you're talking about.»

«I’m sure Mr. Sweet would love to hear about your thriving trade with the lower years. How much do you earn in a month selling your homework assignments? Fifty...a hundred?» Asshole. By now he's cornered and is forced to follow the boy into the common room, where Mick is pretending to read something that might bring a slight shred of culture to his primate brain.

«Hey, Mick, just the guy we were looking for. Jerome here has something he wants to tell you.» With this exordium he feels even more pressed and begins to totally rethink why he is doing this. Good deed? Never. He just needs to be able to hide his dealings for as long as possible. He needs that money so he can finally one day be “independent” and no longer “abandoned”. But he can't really debunk himself like that.

«Nah, I don’t really. – he tries to sneak off, but Fabian grabs him and brings him back to where he was before – Ok! It isn't true about Amber and Alfie.»

«What?» Connect the synapses now and then, you big ape.

«What I said about Amber and Alfie, it was just a joke.» He continues then, with his assisted maieutic, in the hope that he'll get there before he completely spills the beans.

«What about the date in the laundry room?» Obviously there is no chance of that happening in human time, this Jerome recognises and despairs of, but fortunately Fabian rushes to his aid and gives the last electric shock to the acrobat's neurons.

«Amber actually thought she was supposed to be meeting you.»

«But I didn't know anything about it.» The silence of the two finally makes his brain connect to reality, whereupon he gets up cursing and runs away.

«Try to restrain yourself from picking on him once in a while. You know how that turned out last time.» Comments the classmate, before leaving him alone to recall unpleasant and traumatising events. He is no longer the little seventh-grade boy and, above all, he has chosen not to resort to physical violence to intimidate others: psychological violence pays much more and is much more interesting. Poor fool. If he thinks that this act of altruism will win him Nina's undivided attention, he's got it all completely wrong.

Nina is even more surprised when she notices that even at the end of the day there were no titanic clashes with Patricia, but because of this she is also more relieved and can concentrate on important matters.

«So are we still on for tonight? I brought my bike tools in.»

«For what?» Hello?

«Prying up floor boards, what else!» Sometimes the house brain gets lost in a glass of water, but it's something she finds quite amusing.

«Yes, I have an email from Joy!» At Patricia's exclamation, Nina hears bells ringing throughout the universe. That's why she's so quiet, the war is over. All the guys in the house rush over and huddle around the chair the redhead sits in to listen to their friend's words. The explanation is more than logical, but despite this she finds a way to doubt the message. The reason? There are no smiley faces or strange abbreviations.

«Joy has learnt to spell at last, hooray!» Jerome exclaims, lifting a pillow in victory. Nina giggles at his joke and can't help but breathe a sigh of relief when everyone else muffles her complaints, perhaps finally convincing her to drop the subject.

«You're right, sorry, I bet I've been driving you crazy. – the others try to reassure her by denying it, but it's obvious she's right – Especially you, Nina.»

«Nothing a few years of counselling won't fix.» She jokes then, relieved to be able to put an unnecessary worry out of her mind.

«I guess I might’ve taken things a little too far.»

«It’s really ok Patricia, you were just worried about your friend. I'm just glad she's safe.» This time she's honest, though. She's never had anyone she was so close to, that she'd move mountains if the same thing happened to her, as Patricia; so, at the end of the day she doesn't actually know what it might feel like.

«Wow, I think that might have been Patricia’s attempt at an apology.» Fabian tells her, smiling, pleasantly surprised by her friend's behaviour and relieved that the story ended for the better.

«I think you may be right.» Now her spirits can return: there are hopes of embarking on a civilised relationship with her roommate, she has the first clues to her search and...

«Hey guys, guess what! Mick and I have made up!» And her day is totally ruined.

«That's great guys!» Congratulates Fabian, architect of the conflict resolution. A true champion of justice, no doubt about it.

«And we're having a party tomorrow night to celebrate, you're all invited!»

«Great.» Grumbles Alfie, annoyed probably by his plan gone awry. I'm with you on this one.

Finally everything is back in its place: everything resumes its natural order sooner or later. Amber was certain that her partnership with Mick could not be broken over such a triviality. Now there is no more room for doubt, temptation or malicious innuendo, which is why she has been pestering Mara for an hour with the meticulous account of the conversation between her and her boyfriend.

«It was all just a terrible misunderstanding. I mean as if I would ever fancy Alfie or Mick fancy you. It's just crazy! – maybe it's in bad taste to twist the knife like that, but no-one can really understand how much she needs a guy by her side – And he's been so sweet all evening. And did I show you what he got me?» She finally exclaims, showing her the box with the wonderful shell recovered from the ocean floor.

«Eleven times, Amber.» The roommate replies unimpressed.

«Did I mention he almost died getting this for me?»

«Fourteen times.» After which she turns off the bedside light and settles under the covers. Amber smiles victoriously, hoping that this time the message really got through.

«Oh, are you tired Mara?» An innocent tone accompanies the question, but at this point she is sure she can sleep soundly for several weeks.

«Dead tired.»

«Me too, it's been a very emotional day.» Mara rolls her eyes, but she ignores them and dives into the blankets, happy to be able to release all the tension she has built up over the last few days. Just before she falls asleep she hears footsteps in the hallway and wonders if they are not from Nina again, who is joining Fabian for their second date. They are so cute and awkward, they make a wonderful couple.

At this point in the evening, Nina can't wait to take down the damn floor board and burrow under the covers until it is absolutely necessary to get out. She didn't create the conflict situation, but she certainly hoped to get something out of it. It's not even about that really! She just wishes Amber had opened her eyes for good: Mick doesn't deserve her, not at all, and she should love herself much more than that. She is so frustrated that, when she starts to pull off the step, she doesn't realise that Fabian has just caught up with her and is startled, instinctively whispering to him to be quiet. When the two manage to get the board out of its housing, they search carefully but don't seem to find anything of interest. Peeling back the strange covering of the hiding place, they then find a small key and rejoice in victory.

«I wonder what it’s for.»

«I don't know. - Victor's noises, sleeping in his office, alert them - Better get back, go, go, go.» The boy affirms before hastily putting the step board back in place, but he can't help making noise. He has already fled to his room, while Nina mentally curses and tries to hide flush with the staircase as she hears the caretaker's footsteps getting closer and closer. Stop, dammit, I don't want to be discovered so soon! As if by magic, when the man places his foot on the precarious plank, it slips and carries him along, causing him to sprain his ankle and scream in pain. He beats a retreat, after setting up the wooden board, to go to his office to medicate himself; Nina then climbs the stairs and waits for Trudy to join him to provide aid.

«I need to strap my ankle, I can't get into this bastard thing.»

«Well that’s because I’ve locked it. You've infected me with the habit of sealing everything. I'll go get the key.»

«Don’t bother. There’s a spare one somewhere.» The man struggles to get up and she pauses to watch his reaction as he opens the key cabinet.

«Do you have the spare attic key as well?»

«Of course not.»

«Well somebody has. Those brats are up to no good, Trudy. Somebody is going to pay for this, you mark my words.» Well, then, it's time to bail, so Nina sneaks into the hallway and runs for refuge in her room. Eventually the opportunity will come to ask questions about the tiny key found in the staircase, but now it's time to call it a day and forget about everything for a few hours.

Chapter Text

Despite the first victory in the quest, getting up the next morning is incredibly difficult for her. Nina has to admit to herself that she misses the time when she only had to worry about the assholes who teased her at school, even though she is acutely aware that the mysteries are just beginning. The skein is bound to tangle to the point of improbability, with little chance of beginning to figure it out right away. What a sad fate has befallen me. She comments as she occupies the bathroom and lets herself go under the boiling water; tries to tell herself that it is all for the sake of reaching a higher status, but stress is a devious and unaccommodating enemy. The feeling does not leave her even later, when during breakfast the caretaker arrives uttering threats against the unknown plotters who gave him the sprained ankle.

«Someone is up to something, and I intend to find out what it is and who.» Victor ignores Trudy's plausible justification that the plank had been unsafe for some time and addresses all the residents in a serious and solemn tone. Fabian seeks Nina's gaze, with eyes so guilty that she almost has to restrain herself from kicking him under the table. While you're at it, just tell him straight out that we did it, right? These dandies think themselves so dangerous and then run away at the first trouble. She curses in her mind, remembering the previous night when he abandoned her to her own devices to save his own skin. Sure, she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but gallantry never hurt anyone.

«Victor's onto us, I don’t think we should go up to the attic again for a while.» The boy tells her later, as they walk through the halls. This was to be expected from the cautious and fearful bookworm, but she cannot afford any mistakes or delays on the schedule - should there be one, because obviously Amneris has not warned her of any eventuality.

«We have to. That key opens something, Fabian. I don't know what it is, but I know I wanna know.»

«For someone so sweet and polite, you’re quite the risk-taker.» If nothing else, Nina is heartened that the act is holding up especially with the naive boy.

«Only when it's worth the risk yes. Victor knows the key is missing, I heard him talking to Trudy last night, so we won’t have much time to do so.» And certainly the half-truths help keep the show running. The two of them leave behind Jerome and Alfie, who by the way seems to have recovered from the disappointment of the failure of his plans, heading to the classroom to hear the ramblings of the next professor waiting for them. Knowledge has always been vital to the American, but it has not had the same appeal for years: everything she is interested in is strictly for her own purposes, and few things now attract her interest. Sometimes she is saddened by it, just as she is sorry that she has succumbed to the burden of the past, turning into something so far removed from her original sunny personality, but now it's no use dwelling on it, because her future is the most important thing and nothing will be able to distract her.

Amber walks briskly and heads for the bathrooms in solitude. She has no idea where everyone else has gone, but to touch up perfection, no one is needed. Yet she can't help but think, sitting on the toilet lid while looking at herself in the portable mirror, that there is something she is missing. She looks at herself and can't shut up the little voice that screams at her fake, there's nothing real about you, you're a worse con artist than Clarke. She shakes her head to try and send those thoughts away, but as soon as her eyes return to the mirror, they are no longer blue, but emerald green. A dangerous emerald green. Fake! This is not the life you want, liar! No, now is not the time to give in, she cannot give up just now that she has found her rock, her light, and the force of gravity that keeps her alive. She has probably been occupying the bathroom for too long, but she is paralyzed by the hallucination that won't let her go. The moment she hears rumblings and realizes that maybe she needs to get out of the way, two familiar voices come to her ears and she is able to pick up the conversation they are having.

«Amber was driving me crazy last night. It was Mick this, Mick that.» Mara? That's to be expected from a flirt like her.

«It’s sweet that they’re back together again, though. - For once Patricia manages to be the voice of reason and makes her friend understand the correct direction of the conversation. However, the other does not seem to get the message, given the unconvinced groan of assent with which she replies -What does that mean? You like him, don’t you!»

«No! Eww!» Now who's the phony here? Always you, Amber.

«I can tell, you're blushing.» Even the redhead manages to call the bluff and foil the bad mask of the boyfriend-stealer.

«Well…he is attractive.» Now she finally decides to confess, maybe the inquisitor can give her what she deserves and put her in her place once again.

«I knew it!»

«And it was starting to go really well when we were doing homework together!»

«So you were happy when you heard they split up.» Obviously this does not happen, and Patricia leaves her room for profuse declarations of love.

«Well I was sorry for Amber, obviously, but if I'm being honest, yes I was. I mean, I’m just not sure Amber’s right for him, they’ve got absolutely nothing in common!» Along with totally unsolicited opinions. Amber can't get over the viper she lives with, so she is determined to take the first loophole she can to get away from the two best buddies who enjoy laughing at her and her perfect relationship. They will see what it means to be the alpha couple, and the party could not have come at a better time. When she takes one last look in the mirror her expression is dull, enlivened only by the illusion of those green eyes that now give her the only comfort she can receive. If a mirage makes her soul vibrate like that, she can't really imagine being in the close range of the real ones. Mick's, of course.

The party proceeds amiably, the music is pleasant, everyone is dancing, eating and enjoying themselves. Nina already can't take it anymore. She can't keep her eyes off the only person she really cares about in all that rabble of people, and all she does is dance with her recently found boyfriend. Cloying. She comments to herself before casting one last glance at the two and then heading upstairs. Two animated voices, probably of the only ones still absent, come from her room and fall silent the moment she tries to open the door without success. She rolls her eyes and wonders why such childishness occurred, tries again to open it, and magically permission is granted by Mara and Patricia, who look at her as if she had just caught them red-handed during a bank robbery. The first one, at least; Patricia stares at her with the usual grim look she has always given her since her arrival, and Nina wonders what the heck is wrong with her now.

«The party has started, Alfie’s down there trying to teach Trudy how to pop and lock it.» She says then, to defuse the unnecessary tension that has built up.

«Yes, we were just going down. Weren’t we, Patricia?» Mara replies, staring at her friend who still has not stopped looking at her as if she had just decapitated her favorite stuffed animal.

«Okay.» The girl then comments, confused, before the two flee the room. Nina turns her gaze to her bed and rolls her eyes: the nosy one has gone through the box. For her sake, there had better not be anything missing. When she opens it she notices that things are not in the same order as she left them, however, nothing is missing from the box. Here explained the mystery of the death stare: Patricia read her diary. I am sorry for you, honey. If you're not ready for the truth, don't go looking for it. With a snort she retrieves the two keys and goes down to the living room herself, joining Fabian.

«Look what I’ve got.» She tells him, finally excited about something.

«You're not seriously thinking about going up to there now, are you? - Poor, tender, insecure Fabian; no one must have taught him the adrenaline rush of risk and transgression - I thought we said we needed to choose our moment carefully?»

«And this is it! - she must restrain herself from using an aggressive tone - Victor won’t be prowling; he can't stand parties, so let’s go! Unless the sight of Alfie has scared you enough already.» Everything can be solved with a trivial provocation to manhood and two soft eyes; in fact, the boy smiles and acquiesces, letting himself be carried away. Bringing this big baby down at my feet will be child's play. So Nina can finally put the ridiculous antics behind her and think of other ways to win her shining star. The two sneak upstairs, elude Victor's office and sneak up into the attic, away from the ruckus and teenage drama. Instead it's mystery, action, that she craves, and a healthy rummage through the attic junk was just what she needed. After a bit of searching in vain, Nina finds in the secret room what is most likely the box that can be opened by the small key found under the ladder. When she brings it to Fabian, excited, he follows her and sits on a trunk waiting for the response. The moment the lock clicks, it is as if the bells of the Universe are ringing in a harmony of melodies. Normally this would be a hellish din, but now it is a very well-liked din. With the lid open, then, the two discover strange cylindrical objects and an even stranger golden, hexagonal device filled with hieroglyphics. On to the treasure hunt, henceforth.

«It’s really old.» She comments, taking it in her hand to observe it. Fabian, even more excited than her by the discovery, seems to have an epiphany.

«Hey, you know, my uncle is an antique’s dealer. I bet If we took this stuff to him, he’d be able to figure out what it was.» Are you kidding? So the sacred challenge of the Chosen One becomes, the mundane challenge of Nina and all the rest of the world who enjoy participating!

«I don't think that’s such a good idea, do you? Sarah was so secretive.» The mysterious forgetful old woman serves as an excellent excuse to prevent such a terrible idea from coming up, and, fortunately, as he is agreeing with the assertion, a noise completely distracts them from the conversation and gives her a chance to slip away to reflect in her room.

The moment Amber sees Nina leave with Fabian, all light seems to have disappeared from the room. But what are they going to do upstairs with a wonderful party here in the living room? At the formulation of the question, she immediately closes her eyes and shakes her head. No, I don't want to know, this information does not exist in my brain. Before they even had time to socialize a little with the guests, Mick has already disappeared; perhaps in search of food or something else. The girl sighs and grabs the tray of chocolate cake, heading to the kitchen to find, surprise of surprises, the dead cat feeding her boyfriend nachos. A spectacle with pathetic levels as high as the full-wall shoe rack in her home's walk-in closet.

«Hi Mick. We should cut the cake, don’t we, boo?» A good excuse with the excellent timing by which his good fortune is marked. He already seems unconvinced, almost disgruntled that his romantic moment is over.

«Okay, I'll go.» The two smile at each other, and while the boy is busy holding the tray Amber casts a fleeting glance at Mara, waiting for the moment when the kitchen clears so she can give the young lady a piece of her mind.

«I want you to keep you paws off my boyfriend.» Stay away from the sun that shines on me, warms me, and protects me from all the meteor storms I would have to face if he were not there. Stay away from my life boat, stay away from my shield.

«What are you talking about?» Now that fake-innocent look is really getting on her nerves, she is completely fed up with it.

«Don't play innocent. I know you like him, Mara. I heard you telling Patricia, and you were just flirting with him now!» The look of terror – and the ridiculous attempt at denial – that emerges from being clearly exposed almost satisfies her enough to let go. Almost. At Patricia's entrance, she makes her final move, the one she should have made long ago.

«Patricia do you want to swap rooms with me? I know you don't like sharing with Nina, and I certainly don’t want to share with Mara anymore.» After which she exits the kitchen in style, before realizing what she has just done. I have just slipped into the worst mistake of my life. Everything she wants – what she really wants – will be just a few steps away from her, and she won't have a chance to even touch it with her eyes; perhaps she will make do with the illusion hovering around her. Wait a minute, why does she hope so much that the unthinkable will happen? No! She and Mick will have everything she dreams of and more: he is her rock, her prince charming, and fairy tales make it clear that princes are the ones who protect damsels in distress. No one has ever heard of a princess savior, but then why is she so hopeful that this time the Universe will make an exception just for her? Because fairy tales are only good stories and do not come true, Amber, that's enough now. Strangely enough, that thought is formulated in her mind with her father's voice and suddenly all the strength slips from her body, placing her in stark contrast before her boyfriend who dances wiggling like a monkey-she looks like a broken doll in comparison. She watches very casually as Victor enters and leaves, silencing the room for a few seconds, then at last the torture ends, the cake is distributed to everyone, and she can finally go in search of her next problem, to try to figure out how big it will turn out to be. As soon as she goes up to Nina's room, she finds her sitting on the bed hugging a colorful box.

«I wondered where you were! You missed the cake.» She exclaims, discovering herself cheerful and enlivened again at the mere sight of the girl.

«Oh, yeah, sorry. Was it good?» Pointless to answer a silly question after a lousy retort. The worst liar in her life, she is unable to hide that she was up to something with Fabian.

«Is that your jewelry box?» She asks, then, intrigued, hoping to glean some more information about what the two of them may have in common. Why do I need to know that? And what the hell do I need to have anything in common with Nina for? I have to share a room, not a life.

«Um, sort of.» Oh well, whatever, she likes jewelry.

«I love jewelry, can I see?» Without even thinking, she sprints to the bed and sits next to her; shivers run down her arms as soon as she brushes against the girl's, but Nina hurries to put the container under the bed, separating herself from her slightly.

«Oh, no, you wouldn’t like it. It's nothing expensive or sparkly.» Don't you know that vintage is coming back into fashion, Nina? What secrets are you hiding? Stop, Amber, you must not care about such things, dammit.

«I hope you'll become a little bit friendly when we become roomies.» And why did I say that! I could have used three thousand other sentences!

«What?» Nina looks confused, perhaps disappointed by the news. I knew it, I shouldn't have made an impulsive decision, I'm such an idiot!

«I've swapped rooms with Patricia, we'll be sharing a room from now on!» Despite her agitation, she cannot contain her excitement when she tells her new roommate about it and finally sees her abandon her expression of puzzlement and flash a splendid smile.

«Really? Oh, that's great! - the girl curbs her excitement - Wait, was this Patricia's idea?»

«No, mine. I had a fight with Mara.» Half-truths always work, although Amber can no longer hide the reality from herself. She could have ignored Mara for the rest of her life and, indeed, kept an eye on her by staying in the room with her, but the facts are otherwise: Amber yearns with all her being to be able to share the room with her. The terror of such a realization passes very easily as sadness at the confession just made, so Nina tightens around her arm, creating the most powerful black hole in history in her stomach.

«So, about the chocolate cake, any leftovers?» When she sees her smiling, ready to cheer her up, the black hole releases every single butterfly in the galaxy and gives her the most beaming smile ever. Don't panic, Amber, don't panic.

«Trudy's cake is to die for!» So the two descend into the living room, embracing, passing a limping and grim Victor as usual.

Nina cannot believe what just happened. The evening went from good to better, and not just because of the puzzle or the news, but because of something much more interesting. Amber's eyes ooze with desire, and it doesn't stop there, for two reasons: the desire has always been there, although the girl's unawareness was also evident, but now this thing just disappeared, because her gaze was aware and terrified. She finally got there. The one thing she's sure of, though, is that she doesn't want to force her hand: if it's taken her this long, there must be a reason, and she definitely doesn't want to be the one to make her come running back into the closet. Plus, it can't be a bad idea to provoke her a little, now that she has finally been caught in the net. Another net, of a different and completely opposite nature, is the one that caught Fabian instead, who, back at the party, asks her to dance in a particularly awkward way. Tender, but not for me. However, her cover must continue, so she accepts and reveals to him the - necessary - idiocy that she can't dance at all; of course she can, one needs the right person to connect with, though. As soon as she gets up, she notices with pleasure that Amber's newfound happiness has also convinced her to dance with Mick and torture poor Mara. Restrain yourself, Nina, this is no time to get caught up in the wrong emotion. Despite her reprimand to herself, she cannot help but observe the blonde, trying not to bite her lip, lost in her.

However, there's not even a chance to move a step with the boy, that Alfie bursts into the living room with one of Victor's taxidermy masterpieces lowered on his head, uttering the sleaziest possible joke about party animals and sowing general panic – as well as irritation. Nina, however, watches in amusement as he annoys everyone and puts the poor unaccustomed to the follies of the Anubis household to flight; this, before they are interrupted by a furious Victor who orders the music to be turned off and anyone who is not a resident to leave. This is not good. A modicum of general hilarity ensues when the janitor orders Alfie to remove the moose head and the latter replies that it is stuck; hilarity, however, immediately interrupted by the man's grave tone.

«I have had enough of you vermin. Who has got the spare key to the attic? I know somebody’s been up there, tonight as a matter of fact. Oh, yes, you think you’re all so clever, but you are not as clever as me. –  After circling around the room, the man taps the stick, with which he supports himself, on the floor, threatening – Who has it!» The threats, however, are interrupted by the wailing of the boy trapped under the suffocating moose, so the man takes him away without sparing a few jokes for torturous purposes.

«What do we do now?» Fabian's concern grows out of all proportion and is almost palpable, which Nina resents given her having to think about solving a mess she very naively got herself into. She should not have felt so powerful after the priestess's investiture, and now it is clear that she must take more precautions against Victor. This, however, should not prevent her from remedying the situation, which would otherwise risk worsening, so she musters up her courage and proceeds alone to the stairs, sneaking up, avoiding Trudy and the suspicious glances of the janitor. She crawls up to the entrance of the office where the man is trying to detach both Alfie's and the moose's heads, lays the key on the floor, and silently escapes back down to the living room.

«Well, what did you do with the damn key?» Patricia asks her once she reaches the others again; when she tells them what she did, Jerome looks at her in dismay, disbelief, and even a little disappointment.

«You left it on the floor?» The tone is almost one of outrage, but what can she do about it? This is the best she could hope for.

«I know it's not the best idea in the world, but if he has it, he can’t search us for it, trust me guys.» And that is all that matters as far as she is concerned: there is no way Victor is going to get his hands on her puzzle, it is too important.

«And why should we take the fall for you?» The question is an excellent one, and she would have no answer if it were not for Fabian incredibly taking the reins of the conversation.

«Why? Because you guys are the ones who made Nina steal the key in the first place.» Anger hisses through his words, scratching the tone of his voice and arching the boy's shoulders, something Nina finds tenuously attractive, though she doesn't want to. Who knows.

«Ah, yes. Very clever. Very clever, indeed. – Victor announces, limping over to the group as he holds the infamous key – Who put this on the floor outside my office? Who? Was it you?» Whereupon he starts pointing at everyone with the stick asking the same question over and over again, to which everyone answers no. It's really a shitty situation, look at me having to sacrifice myself for these four losers. Besides what she thinks, the “pure heart” so extolled by the priestess knows that she is guilty, and the pressure the man is subjecting them to slowly takes effect, so much so that as soon as the object comes on her it makes her confess.

«No! She's covering for me, I did it.» Are you crazy? Nina would like to do more than whisper to him, but circumstances do not allow her to do so.

«You?»

«Yes, I’m guilty as charged.» What is this idiot doing? What doesn't he understand about my willingness to take the blame? Anything he can throw at me will be nothing compared to what I have already been through.

«No, he’s lying! It was me.»

«Make up your minds up, who was it!» Perhaps she also wants to take the blame so as not to antagonize the rest of the house, however, she sees Mick smiling at her and senses strange ideas wandering through the air.

«Me. I did it. I stole the key.» And so the boy “confesses” in her place, followed by Mara and Amber, who tenderly grasps at what is happening and makes up the most beautiful lie she has ever heard to confess in turn; what surprises her most, however, is Patricia's support. Perhaps the war is finally over. She says to herself, when she sees the girl smile at her shyly.

«Stop playing me for a fool. - Then he turns menacingly to the last one who has not yet spoken - Jerome, I know I can rely on you. Who did it.» Nina looks at him and begs him, at the very least, to join in the pantomime, so he stares at her and painfully utters the words that annex him to the lie. She honestly wouldn't have expected it, but she's glad that at least they can share the blame for something Patricia could have easily taken the fall for: was it or was it not her idea to invent the fictitious initiation out of thin air? There you have it, now nobody can tell her she’s the selfish one.

«That is it. You're all grounded, for the entire weekend!» As soon as he leaves, everyone erupts in liberating laughter, before hearing the additional repercussions of Alfie's stunt, coming from the corridor. Finally they can all take their leave in their rooms, and Nina can't believe that this is the last night she shares with Patricia; she could spend the whole time awake, waiting for the next day's move, but she prefers to rest in anticipation of the big day. What harm could a weekend locked inside the house, all in close quarters, do?

The next day, in fact, she jumps out of bed full of good humor and vital energy, ready to take all the sugar she needs to help her pack Amber's things, which would have flown to her room. She would have gladly helped Patricia as well, but that might have seemed distasteful - although, deep down, even the redhead had to admit she was looking forward to getting rid of her.

«Thanks for the help, you didn't have to.» Amber murmurs, shoulder to shoulder with Nina, as they close the suitcase containing the dozens of clothes that must move to the small wardrobe in the adjoining room; the strategy of carrying them one by one to the other side had seemed a waste of time and excessively laborious.

«Nonsense, I can't wait for you to be in there with me.» She replies, finally sliding the zip to the end of its path, not without effort.

«Am I wrong or is there something missing in this sentence?» Bold. Where did she get all this courage from? Nina asks herself, as she looks at her, smiling. Ah, she didn't get it. She is white as a rag.

«I can't wait for you to be with me. – The two are suddenly close and look into each other's eyes with an ardor the Chosen One had never seen before – Sunshine.» She whispers persuasively, before lifting her knee from the suitcase. She grazes Amber's hand to take the handle and almost touches her face with her own as she rises to her feet; at that point, the blonde is totally immobilized, her lips parted and her eyes wide, but Nina feigns ignorance and urges her to get on with the move. The provocations, however, did not end there and she almost regrets it, seeing the level of suffering to which she has brought Amber. In front of others she assumes a jovial and sunny attitude, as if nothing is happening, especially during meals. Whenever the girl asks that something be handed to her, it is almost always Nina who does her best, just to be able to look her in the eye - not always, otherwise it would have looked strange to anyone, but often enough to keep the girl on her toes. Now that the wall is caving in, there's no harm in helping it fall.

«Want to play a game?» Jerome asks, pulling out a board game, shortly after dinner and before the caretaker could shoo them all into the rooms.

«Not me guys, I have a headache. See you tomorrow.» Nina replies, taking leave of everyone, casting a long look at her new roommate. She does not know what the outcome of such a day can be now that the two are confined together in the same environment, but there is only one way to find out. She takes her time to take a quick shower, put on her pajamas and brush her teeth, then returns to her room ready to get into bed. The moment she touches the nightstand light to turn it off, quick footsteps echo in the hallway and a tornado opens the door, as fast as it closes it again, sweeping her away. She doesn't know how, but Nina finds herself thrown against it and pinned by Amber's arm tightening her shirt over her collar.

«What game are you playing?» She asks in a whisper, her tone aggressive and agitated, pushing her toward the now closed threshold.

«How long have you been timing my time in the bathroom?» After dispelling her initial surprise, Nina smiles at her and deflects the question with another, to see how far her friend would go.

«I clock everyone, otherwise I don't know when I can occupy it for longer. - She retorts distractedly, before tightening her grip on the fabric - Answer the question.»

«Why do you think I'm playing, sunshine?» The tempting hiss makes her counterpart relent for a moment, she can sense it from the loosening grip.

«You flirt with Fabian, you provoke me at every possible opportunity, you smile at Patricia, you joke with Jerome. What does that mean?»

«Are you jealous? »

«Stop answering with more questions! Why are you doing this to me, dammit!? I can't afford mistakes of any kind.» Nina has never seen her more lucid than this, wrapped up in feelings and passion for something; whenever she observes her, she has always seen a girl repressed, contained and restrained in every aspect of her except her words –  yet, even in those she knows there is a skimming filter upstream, to prevent her from saying things she might seriously regret – and now she seems free to let everything flow out of her, free to feel something beyond what she usually allows herself. She is no longer a broken doll, but a burning flame by which she would very willingly be burned.

«I'm not doing anything to you that you don't already feel, Amber.» The lost look in front of her makes her realize that there is much more beneath her denial of the obvious, something dark and troubling.

«I can't feel this. It's your fault, it has to be your fault.» There is despair in her tone now, and Nina almost cannot believe what she is thinking: if it is as she suspects, this is a point of no return for Amber; it will all depend on the choice she makes.

«I'll stop doing anything – at the first part of the sentence the blonde sounds relieved – but you have to ask me now.» Here comes back the suffering, the conflict of her whole being struggling not to accept something that has always been dormant and forcibly hidden. Amber lets her go, but Nina does not move from her place; she is breathing hard, looking anywhere but at her, and her trembling fueled by anxiety and adrenaline is almost perceptible. Then everything stops and she drops her arms down her body, turning her gaze toward her friend who is watching her curiously and confusedly. Perhaps she pulled the rope too far and let it snap, along with Amber; she underestimated everything the girl was hiding and did not consider the "fear" factor related to the concept of the "consequences" that await her if she chooses to go down a road that she helped her slip into. At this point, she becomes convinced that her roommate is about to put a definitive end to the matter, blocking her every desire and leaving her to Fabian's false seduction. Instead, she advances the two steps by which she had been distancing herself, takes her face in her hands, and captures her lips in a kiss full of anticipation, longing, desperation, and courage. Nina opens her eyes wide and remains motionless for a few seconds before using her arms to hold the girl's body, losing herself in the moment that is exactly as she had imagined it. Then the blonde pulls apart, touching her face with a shocked expression.

«What have I done.» If possible, she is even paler now than she was in the morning, although it may not be as obvious with the light coming in through the window as the only source of illumination.

«Amber...» Nina tries to move closer to her, but the other immediately backs away and puts her hands forward to create physical distance between them; she recoils back toward the bed never ceasing to look at her with eyes wide with terror and terribly confused.

«No, stay away from me. This did not happen.» The chosen one remorsefully accepts the order Amber gives her and reaches the bed in turn, never taking her eyes off the girl. She doesn't know what to say, after all, she was the one who kissed me, but she finally indulges under the covers and falls asleep amid doubts, confusion and sadness.

Amber cannot believe herself, her actions, and her racing heart, as if it had gone mad. She hides in the blankets, holding her head in her hands and trying to slow the growth of the panic that hit her like an electric shock when she separated from Nina's lips. Just thinking about them sends shivers all over her body: so soft, enveloping and reassuring enough to make her forget any consequence of her actions. It's done now, I can't go back, the important thing is that nobody ever knows it. Obviously not for Mick, the one who was supposed to be her light and was instead bamboozled by Mara's; but they will both get what they deserve...oh yes if she would make them pay for it: it is crystal clear to her that the love she thought she felt for the boy is instead love for the protection he offers her, that nothing will replace the constant thought of her roommate, but it is just as important to keep the shield up for as long as possible. If Mara wants Mick, she will have to sweat it out, and she can rest assured that she will not go down without a fight. Coming out of the closet together with Nina is obviously out of the question because she has pushed her away badly and because the repercussions of her choice would chase her to the ends of the earth – bearing her father's first and last name.

Amber resigns herself to the fact that there is no solution for the trouble she has gotten herself into and is sorry that she has treated so badly the one person who seems to be able to see her for who she is, but things are complicated and she does not want to drag Nina into an uncomfortable situation, no matter how much her selfishness is begging her. The only certainty is that a difficult conversation lies before us. When her thoughts are finally in order, she can indulge in the gentle call of nightmares in preparation for the morning ahead.

The next day, as soon as she wakes up, she finds a tray resting on her bedside table, filled with all the things she usually takes for breakfast and a pink daisy set beside it. If her heart could get out of her chest, do twenty flips, and get back in place, it would have already done so repeatedly. She doesn't quite know where to start, but as first she picks up the flower and smells it, closing her eyes, remembering the evening just past. As she pours the briquette of milk into the cereal bowl, the door to the room opens and Nina, still in her pajamas, stares at her, not quite knowing what to do.

«Stay, please.» Amber then tells her, before she can escape back downstairs.

«I had the feeling that you didn't want to be around me.» Comments the other, sitting slowly at the edge of her friend's bed.

«I was panicking, Nina.» She replies, rubbing her face from the severe stress compressed into a few hours. Her friend then assumes a sympathetic, even mildly guilty expression-though she is perfectly capable of unmasking an actress and that does not look like guilt.

«Are you worried about Mick?»

«Why?» In front of Amber's questioning face, Nina looks a little displaced and even puzzled.

«He's your boyfriend...» I have definitely betrayed myself. Any other cards we want to uncover, Amber? At that point the nervousness transfers to her hands, which she now rubs and contorts compulsively, almost in an attempt to wash away those negative sensations she feels and cannot stop feeling at the thought of the source of her problems. Her face turns from contrite to pained as she produces the most difficult answer she could be asked.

«Ah, right. No, no. I just thought I would be able to suppress this part of me better – the still questioning look does not help her with the confession – My father, he is...against it.» Nina suddenly opens her eyes wide, realizing everything, and embraces her without hesitation for moments that seem pleasantly endless.

«Oh, Amber.» At that point she can do nothing but release tears, which she did not even know she had been holding back, and reciprocate the squeeze with even more strength. The crying presses on, charged with the release of feelings repressed for too long and for terribly wrong reasons; Amber can do nothing but let it flow, and Nina waits patiently for her to let it all out and spill everything that has been plaguing her for who knows how long.

«I want you, Nina. I've wanted you since the first moment you looked at me, but I can't let it be known around. I'm so sorry.» After crying more tears, Amber finally confesses and the other one's breath catches, so much so that she pulls away to look into her eyes.

This is the best day of my life. Finally, Nina tells herself, she feels she can have anything she wants and in - almost - any way she wants. She hardly believes the blonde's words for a moment, so much had seemed like a mirage to her. Therefore, at that point she doesn't care what they come up with in order to continue what happened the night before and whatever may come next.

«Are you sure about the choice you want to make? Because I'm willing to do anything to have you.» Amber cannot even imagine how true those words are to her; heck, she is willing to challenge the gods, what could a secret relationship possibly do to her?

«Really?» The surprise with which the girl utters that word does not please her at all, and it suggests that that wimp Mick has never made the slightest effort to make her feel happy. She understands that to the untrained eye she may seem superficial, but there is so much more to discover underneath the fashionable look and a nice hairdo, she resents that almost no one can see it.

«Really, sunshine.» Amber's face, at that point, lights up with happiness, prompting her to take Nina's face in her hands, and then leave her a sweet kiss – gentle, almost fearful – at the edge of her lips; it seems to rub off on her, too, because they both smile at each other and bask in that silence filled with understanding, which now doesn't weigh as heavily as it did the night before.

«Doesn't it bother you that you have to hide? That I have to keep hanging out with Mick?» The blonde asks her question worried, perhaps that she is limiting her too much, but she cannot realize how much she has grown accustomed to hiding things from everyone in that house; so she shrugs and answers truthfully.

«No one knows me at this school and no one needs to know who I want to date.»

«I will make it work as well as I can with Mick, you will have to keep making eyes at Fabian, absolutely nothing can leak out.» Don't worry, honey, I need the little naïve boy. Nina nods at every order or rule Amber wants to impose, unblinking and with a smile always on her face.

«Your every wish is an order, princess. Shall we go downstairs?» Amber blushes and jumps out of the covers, grabbing the hand Nina holds out to her.

«Of course. What did you tell the others to justify this?» She asks, taking the tray to continue breakfast in the living room.

«That you didn't sleep well and I wanted to make a nice gesture for you.»

«Well, it's not a lie.» The girl nods and shrugs, then proceeds past the door opened by her roommate and down the hallway so she can join the others, now completely unaware of two fundamental aspects of her life. All of this will be very interesting.

The rest of Sunday passes almost without her noticing, between ridiculous and awkward effusions with the brainiac, study and deep, secret chats with Amber. By Monday, Nina is glowing and ready to face the world, the puzzle, and all the gods of the afterlife. Fabian joins her just before entering the school building and walks alongside her, approaching a conversation.

«I've been working for you these days.» The statement slightly unsettles her, enough to leave her surprised, although she is not sure of what, since she has not assigned him any mission.

«Really?»

«Yes, well, I had nothing to do. I finish all my homework on Friday afternoons, and so since we were grounded, guess who used all the extra time to study those hieroglyphics?» That makes a lot more sense now.

«And?» Finally his head full of useless academic notions can be useful to the cause.

«Nothing. – never mind – Total dead end, it's like they don't exist. The internet’s just never heard of them.» Nina snorts, disappointed.

«I was hoping it was gonna be like before; when the symbols led us to the eighth step.» However, she should not lose heart: they are only at the beginning and she does not care about having gray hair by the end of the year; new solutions just have to be found.

«Have you thought any more about taking all this stuff to my uncle? – Except for this one. This is nonsense. – How else are we gonna find out what they are.» Still, perhaps it can be a necessary patch to apply to the tangled web; despite hesitating, Nina finds herself compelled to agree.

«Okay, lunch time.» Thus, the two anxiously wait for the break to arrive, then run transfixed into the village to join the much-hyped uncle. A man who terribly disappoints the IQ level Nina would have expected, as he cannot even recognize his nephew – justifying himself with the excuse that he needs to change his glasses, by the way.

«And who’s this fair maiden beside you? Could it be your girlfriend?» But for misplaced assumptions the IQ is always alive and functioning, it seems obvious.

«No, no, no. This is Nina, she's just a friend.» Well said, friend.

«Don’t they teach you anything useful at that school of yours? Five years he's been there and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he's been to visit his dusty old uncle. It’s not right, is it, young lady?»

«I try to stay out of family conflicts.» Dutiful change of subject, however, which leads them into an even more trivial one. Nina wonders if it is too late to turn the heels and run away, moreover after the proposal to eat something with the same names as her childhood hamsters.

«Bubble and squeak is a British delicacy, you’ll love it. Come through – the man answers, leading them to the back of the store – and tell me how I can be of assistance.» Shortly afterwards he serves the famous delicacy, straight from the pan, and they hand him the items found in the attic.

«How exciting, these are phonographic cylinders and in extremely good condition, too.» The uncle exclaims, his face lit up with surprise; on the contrary, Nina and Fabian are rather puzzled, probably because they are used to technologies of the new millennium.

«What are phonographic cylinders?»

«These are exactly the same kind of thing as mini cassettes, only from the beginning of the 20th century.» Precisely.

«You mean there's something recorded on those things?» Fabian asks him, now as excited as his relative about the discovery of the archaeological finds. A faint hope grows in Nina as well, for perhaps she will now know how to get to the bottom of the ever-entangling skein.

«There could very well be, yes.»

«And do you have the machine where you can play one of them, uncle Ade?» Instead, it turns out to be a washout.

«Unfortunately, no, but I think I have a picture around here, somewhere.» He gets up, flips through the pages of a book and hands it to them, finally allowing them to indulge in some joy and relief.

«Do you know where we’ve seen this before?» Nina asks her friend, who joins her with a victorious smile.

«In the attic!» The moment he answers, her uncle grabs the strange hexagonal object and the mere gesture makes all the blood flee from her face.

«That’s nothing, could I have it back?» She asks, almost stammering, pale in the face; the man, however, watches it with curiosity and a hint of attraction.

«Intriguing, very intriguing.»

«Do you know what it is?»

«I have absolutely no idea. Do you think I could keep it a couple of days-» This meeting was an emotional roller coaster. She thinks, before grabbing the thing again to put it back in the bag it came with.

«No, actually, it's my grandad's.» She almost curses herself for coming up with such bullshit, on which, inevitably, the man presses on.

«Perhaps he could tell you about its history.»

«No, he's...dead!» Well, that's not exactly bullshit.

«You and my nephew really are made for each other, aren’t you.» Keep hoping, Uncle.

«Anyway, we must be off, uncle Ade, we have to be back at school, thank you very much for your help.» The two refuse any further invitation to finish their meal and run away, knowing that they have come too close to making someone else realize the existence of the mystery of Anubis. Nina, if nothing else, is heartened that Fabian had the good judgment to realize the time had come to cut and run.

Patricia absentmindedly listens to the twin suns chatting, before Amber ignores them both and Mick distractedly greets Mara.

«Is Amber still not talking to you?» She asks her friend, as she slips a hand into her purse and watches the two walk away, arm in arm, down the hall.

«Unless you count when she told everyone to shut up at breakfast and I was in the room...» Replies the other sarcastic and testy, even slightly exhausted - of a situation she herself has gotten herself into.

«Don't worry, she'll come around. – she tells her, unconcernedly, then continues to rummage even more persistently through her bag – Oh, it’s not in here!»

«What’s not there?»

«The French text book, I’m gonna have to go back and get it. I won't be long.» With that said, the girl vanishes, heading for the house in a hurry: the lunch break is ending and who wants to listen to Andrews with her condescending lectures. As soon as she enters the residence, she finds it deserted and eerie-as usual-but suddenly she hears voices coming from the living room and is inexplicably drawn to them. The instinct to eavesdrop on Victor's conversations can never go out of style.

«So? Has the whole Joy issue gone away, then?» She knows this voice, but can't remember where she heard it.

«Yes, we haven’t heard a peep out of any of them for days. Your phone call did its trick.» This is Victor, for sure: he’s the slacker who stays all the time in the house casting grim glances into the void and stuffing unfortunate animals. As the girl approaches the living room, just behind the two men, she recognizes the police station sergeant: in a desperate attempt to find her friend, she had tried to file a missing person's report, but the man had called her reassuring her that he had contacted Joy's parents and that she was okay. No way. My best friend has vanished into thin air and they are quietly talking about it over a cup of brew?

«Are you seriously still worried the Betrayer will return?» Anger gives way to confusion, for this is a new and disturbing detail, adding to a story without head or tail.

«We can take no risks. Anyway, it’s over now, finished. Joy is buried, end of story. –  Victor puts down his tea cup and crosses his hands on his legs – So let us get on to the business at hand, brother, the organization of the next gathering.» The keeper's response chills the blood in her veins with every extra word he utters.

She feels short of air and also of strength, but finds enough to escape and hole up in her room to gather her thoughts. She begins to walk around, then grabs the phone and calls the one she does not want to, but who is the only one with decision-making power over her life.

«Mom, I want you to come and get me out of this pace. They killed Joy! - her terror is real, but the parent takes very little seriously what she has to say - No, mom, this is not another bit for attention, one of my friends could be dead!»

«Patricia, please don't waste my time with this nonsense anymore. Who do you think is dead, for heaven's sake? The police would have warned us. Now stop the charade and concentrate on your studies, you are nowhere near your sister's level.» The woman ended the call shortly after, leaving her daughter disappointed but not surprised. By now she knows that her life is an eternal comparison to the perfect Piper and has come to terms with it. If I'm going to be a disappointment, it's better to do it on my own terms. So she retrieves the book she’s missing and leaves unnoticed, defeated and alone more than before.

Chapter Text

The two return to school just in time to take the French test, which, however, seems to have another absentee: Patricia has disappeared into thin air again, probably carrying on her crusade of mysterious disappearances. Nina wonders what more explanations she needs to come up with before the girl resigns herself to the fact that Joy is officially out of boarding school, but she does not want to attract more negativity to herself than is already circulating, so she avoids further thoughts filled with cynicism and nastiness. After all, she has her own headaches to think about and adding to the ones she already has seems unnecessarily stressful to her; Amneris has definitely got her in a pretty big pickle, and she gets the idea that it’s one of those that doesn’t get resolved as quickly as one might think: for heaven’s sake, she’s dredging up phonographic cylinders from the twentieth century! How much weirder does the matter have to get? The Egyptian gods have a great sense of irony, you have to give them credit for that. Without giving it too much thought, and almost automatically, she fills in the answers to the test running in her headphones and consoles herself that at least she will be able to spend a quiet evening with Amber, in their bubble, away from any other mystical nonsense. She doesn’t approach once they’re outside of the classroom, because she sees her intent on consoling her “boyfriend” who has surprisingly failed yet another exam. It’s a shame that an athlete doesn’t realize that he should train his brain just as he does any other muscle in his gymnastic body, Nina tells herself, shaking her head as she decides to ignore Jerome’s reason for approaching the pair, running off to the next class.

Later, when she returns to the dorm, she is stopped by Fabian, who stands staring at the banisters and invites her to do the same.

«I always thought they were some kind of weird abstract designs but it’s not, it’s-»

«It’s the eye of Horus.» She then exclaims, following the realization. Fabian’s wit, however-as correct as it may be-is not complete with her certainties: when the priestess said the challenges would hit the house perhaps this is what she meant. What if Anubis is the beacon in which all Egyptian esotericism dwells?

«Yes! The same that’s on your locket! The same that we found in the attic. I did a little research about this place and it turns out the Frobisher-Smythes had a bit of a thing for Egypt.» ‘A bit’ is probably an understatement, if my assumptions are correct.

«Which would explain why they named the house Anubis.» It wouldn’t make a dent in the reasoning.

«And the hieroglyphs on the painting in the attic. I’m betting those are the people who hid the cylinders.» Oh, she can feel the boy’s curiosity growing out of all proportion, and at this point she is certain that he will follow her far and wide as long as they complete the mission, revealing the secret that is hiding inside the house.

«But why? If this was their house, why would they need to hide anything.»

«I don’t know, but there’s only one way we’re going to find out.» The smirk he gives fully confirms what she just thought, so she really can’t back down.

«We need to listen to those cylinders.» It seems that the evening with Amber will have to wait for a few hours.

Nina just doesn’t know how to tell her, because she knows that she needs to unwind after chasing Mick all afternoon, but at the same time she can’t reveal everything to her regarding the mystery. Or can she? In that case they could be together every hour of the day and Fabian would suspect absolutely nothing. It doesn’t matter at the moment, there is no time to wander around, the mystery is calling her; so she waits for the girl to fall asleep and sneaks out of the room, joining her accomplice who is already waiting for her.

«Wait, how are we going to get in?» Yeah, after the debacle of the key, they would have no tools left to open the attic door if she were not a woman of many skills: she pulls out a bobby pin hidden in her hair and, just as she escaped the night of the initiation, enters the narrow hallway with the steps without any problems. Upon reaching the room, Fabian picks up the ancient phonograph and lays it on the ground, inviting her to sit on the floor of the gloomy attic. She watches him fiddle with the book and the old object, moving the small pieces that make it up until he fits the cylinder into its slot, then looks at her and smiles.

«Now what?»

«We turn this.» The boy turns the small crank placed on the side of the object, and a few seconds later a shrill, terrifying sound starts, making both of their hearts rise in their throats.

«What was that?» Fabian asks, with panic in his eyes.

«I don’t know, but it was way creepier than I was hoping.» This time Nina has no problem telling the honest truth; to add to the fact that, for being the beacon of Egyptian deities, that house oozes death from every wall and antique it houses.

«It sounded like a voice.» Yes, that of my common sense, which has been screaming at me for days to get away from here.

«Yeah. A voice or a...moan. A death bed moan of someone who really doesn’t want to die.» Her description seems to make Fabian’s skin crawl, and he looks at her with even more fear in his eyes.

«It’s very descriptive.» We’re in this together, dude. «Anyway, I mean. This one looks like it’s blank.»

«Maybe that’s why it made that noise? - They could have largely spared themselves the specter of Halloween night - Here, try this one. Run it faster this time.» For heaven’s sake. Fabian plugs in the other cylinder and turns the crank, then starts the recording and kicks off the most lugubrious screech they’ve ever heard; the phonograph seems to want to scream their nocturnal infractions at everyone with no mercy for the ears of those listening or the secrecy of Nina’s mission. Everything is fucking against me today.

«Turn it off!» Nina exclaims, with her heart racing and the anxiety of being discovered at any moment. All that is missing is the addition of Victor to complete the equation of disaster, and she would much rather avoid it. Her partner in crime quickly flips through the booklet, looking for information on how to prevent the propagation of that terrifying sound, but by now he is in the middle of a total tailspin and agitation has made him her prisoner.

«How?! I don’t know, I’ve only ever used used mp3s!» The girl then, holding back a grunt, does the first thing she can think of: she grabs the object’s horn and unceremoniously rips it off the main block. The noise stops, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief, but not long enough by the time they hear the keys turn in the door patch at the bottom of the stairs. The two quickly grab their things and hide in the secret compartment, waiting for Victor, now inside the attic, to finish his slow inspection. Take your time, it’s not like I’m freezing to death up here. Curses Nina, as soon as she begins to feel the first chills. Her gaze is lost in the void of thoughts and doubts clouding her mind: why does it have to be so difficult? Actually, difficulty of the mission aside: why does it have to be so unsettling? Nothing that has to do with that house - and those who live in it - seems to possess even a shred of normalcy. Normalcy is overrated, of course, but there is a limit to everything, and Anubis has long since crossed it. Despondency takes possession of her minute body as she realizes that she’s only at the beginning of the intricate story. Fabian, after seeing her in distress, pulls off his sweatshirt and covers her to shield her from the cold. When they’re sure Victor is well away from the attic, they come out of hiding and dash down the stairs; the boy slowly sticks his head out and then nods.

«Coast is clear.»

«Let’s go.» Nina closes the lock again with the magical hairpin and runs to the door of her room, finally free to breathe deeply.

«My heart is still pounding - she laughs, dispelling her nervousness, along with him – I hope I can sleep. Who am I kidding? I may never sleep again.» Understatement of the century. That is, assuming she has ever had a real night without nightmares or anxieties constantly waking her up. Fabian chuckles, finally happy to be well away from the chamber of horrors.

«Same.»

«Can’t believe we got away with it. Night.» She misses no opportunity to bat her eyes at the boy, who returns the greeting and waits until she is inside the room to leave.

«Can’t believe you got away with what?» There, that’s a real heart attack. Nina’s heart flips back in her chest as soon as she is faced with her roommate, fully awake and fully conscious.

«What? Nothing. Nothing, nothing at all.» She babbles then, unable to generate a suitable excuse for the situation: how could she explain her nocturnal sneaking around together with Fabian without revealing anything about the mystery of the house? Amber’s brain, however, works in wonderful ways, and she comes to the conclusion that the two were on a secret date.

«No! Not exactly.» She knows how much the girl cares that they both have two solid alibis so that she can dispel any public doubts about their sexual orientation, but things with the naive geek haven’t really taken off yet and it would be really dangerous to start spreading the word at that moment. She slips into the blankets, ready to put an end to the day that was too heavy to be further prolonged, and the other sits beside her.

«This is so exciting! You, me, Mick and Fabian, double date. I can see it already, we need to tell everyone.»

«No! No one, you tell absolutely no one. Amber it’s too soon, we only risk making him run for the hills, you’ve seen how shy he is.» The girl’s despondent expression saddened her, so she gently laid a hand on hers with a soft smile. «Take it easy, trust me.» She lowers her gaze and nods, remaining thoughtful for a few moments before looking into her eyes again.

«But if it wasn’t a date, then what were you doing?» Dammit, her perceptiveness could pierce the inner tubes of an airship by how sharp it is, and now she has to avoid making any expression that might betray her for good.

«Well, I’m...working on it.» When Amber wrinkles her nose and frowns, Nina laughs. «Are you jealous?»

«No? Why should I be?» At the girl’s guilty response, Nina widens her smile even further.

«It’s okay, it’s good to air your feelings.» At that point the blonde gets out of bed, stymied, and makes her way to hers. «Good night, Sunshine.» She turns over to arrange the pillows for the night, and when she is convinced that her companion has now gone to bed, she finds her in front of her face instead.

«Good night, Martin.» She steals a quick kiss from her, then runs to the other side of the room and throws herself between the covers. The light goes out for good, and Nina smiles again in the darkness, happy to have managed to keep Amber safe and well away from Egyptian affairs.

The next morning the two take separate ways, as expressly requested by the queen who is to take her royal walk with the king; so Nina leaves the house first and strolls along enjoying her walk in the lukewarm winter sun. It’s so different from what she left behind in America and she has to admit to herself that she doesn’t really miss anything except her grandmother. The colors are so vivid, the clean air is enveloped in the scent of grass, freshly cut to meet the standards of order and rigor desired by the principal. Where before, as she wandered by, she found only gray buildings and paved streets, she is now surrounded by the vibrant colors of autumn, which is giving way to a different and yet more welcoming gray than cold Cleveland. Orange leaves lie on the ground, abandoned to their cyclical fate, and she catches her mind thinking of herself not as a flower torn from its soil, but as a seed ready to sprout on more fertile land. For a few moments she is able to forget her latent anger, her desire for vindication, and her yearning to find that treasure, so that she can then begin the challenges of Amneris. The peace, however, is interrupted by the sound of her mobile phone, which she quickly observes before laying it down in the locker.

“I’m so sorry, it slipped out. I didn’t mean to.”

The girl does not have time to wonder what the message Amber just sent her refers to, when she notices Fabian approaching out of the corner of her eye.

«Hey, Nina.» Oh no. What now? «Hey, ehm...the thing is, me and you, we have known each other for a couple of weeks now and it’s just, the thing is...Amber.» For the love of all that’s sacred and divine.

«I told her not to say anything. She caught me sneaking in and just assumed and…well, I mean I couldn’t exactly tell her that we were chasing an ancient mystery, so I let her go with her theory.» Well, that is the truth. Or at least, part of it. «I mean, you and me…ridiculous, right?» You’re gonna have to wait, buddy. These lips will belong only to Amber for a very long time. She has a hunch that the boy was actually – in his own goofy way – trying to tell her that he wouldn’t mind calling last night’s encounter a “date” and she really doesn’t want to start participating in the Shyness’ Olympics that soon.

«Yeah, yeah! No, totally.» Atta boy. Run along now. She’s relieved to see him go, but can’t help cursing Amber for putting her in such an uncomfortable position. 

Although academic obligations are now the least of her worries, Patricia reaches the school and runs in search of her one friendly face in all the chaos. Never would a teenager like her have imagined herself in a situation so impossible that it seems surreal and almost borderline ridiculous: she feels that her sanity is slipping away with every condescending glance, with every blatant concealment of the truth by the teachers, with every person who looks at her and just thinks she’s gone crazy. She cannot believe that this is really the case, she does not want to give in to the stupid belief that Joy may have suddenly disappeared and that this is normal English college administration, she cannot let herself be outsmarted by four decrepit old men who think she will forget her best friend. Over my dead body. If her friend is missing, she will find her; if her friend is in danger, she will somehow save her. No matter the cost. Even that of flunking French, dammit. Mara wastes no time in getting alarmed about this as soon as the two meet. Patricia downplays it with a quick wave of her hand and drags her inside the bathroom, locking herself in one of the cramped stalls.

«Do you seriously think she’s dead?» The friend asks, unsure about the direction that the conversation is taking.

«Joy is buried. What else could that mean?» The girl insists then, after recounting in full detail the conversation overheard inside the house. She’s certain that this is damning evidence that proves the professors’ guilt and the clear ambiguity surrounding their friend.

«Buried in her work?» The response she receives is not at all what she would have expected; she senses the skepticism that drives the tone in which the other speaks and that makes her snort.

«We’re talking Joy, Mara. – Mara rolls her eyes, but she persists – I spoke to mum and she said that Joy’s parents phoned her and told her that they’ve taken her to some international school or something and they didn’t want me to get in touch. Why would they do that?» Come on, Mara, now you too should realize the absurdity of it all.

«Well, have you called the police?» Finally a question pertinent to the troubling situation, too bad it leads straight to a dead end.

«They’re in on it! Everyone’s in on it. I don’t know what to do. You do believe me, don’t you?» She can read in her friend’s eyes that her words sound as if they came out of the worst conspiracy theorist she knows.

«Of course.» And the tone in which she responds gives her confirmation that their whole conversation has been in vain; she refracts a look of disdain at her, too, and storms out of the bathroom. She could swear she heard Jerome’s voice approaching Mara, but at that moment she no longer cares about her or why he was snooping in the girls’ restroom. She just needs to escape the day as quickly as possible and look for other ways to get answers that can really be called such.

Later, dinner goes on without much fuss or particular incidents, other than the usual nonsense carried on by Alfie and Jerome. She can’t get over how those two are as smart as they are immature. After all, she can’t get her head around how anyone decided to turn a blind eye to the “Joy affair” as soon as they received her – completely bogus – email so she shouldn’t be asking herself that many questions. Instead, these arise overbearingly at the sight of the interactions that take place at the table, starring Nina, Amber, and Fabian. She doesn’t know what, but something doesn’t quite add up. Starting with the tome that the American does not leave for a second: if she’s not eating, studying, or in the shower, that book follows her wherever she goes. Sometimes she can’t understand how people can have certain morbid attachments to things.

«Don’t you do anything other than work?» She asks her, pungently, when they are sitting at the sofas while Mara tidies up the kitchen and the two jesters wage war on the floor.

«Yeah…gotta come back on that. I mean what is this, school?» Sarcasm really isn’t your thing, sugar.

«Patricia, just get a life.» She would like to be indignant, more so than she really is, at the way Fabian chooses to address her; this is another of the things she most resents: the one who used to always cling to her and Joy is now caught in the new girl’s web that, as much as they’ve buried the hatchet, she still doesn’t like. She snorts when she sees them leave the living room and rolls her eyes when Jerome approaches.

«I heard about Joy.» He tells her, after sitting down on the couch at her side. She looks at him skeptically and even more confused, despite being intrigued by what he might have to say.

«What have you heard?»

«A friend of mine died, you know, and…but his ghost lives on.» Never mind, he’s the same idiot as always and just has to make fun of everyone.

«Oh, yeah, right I’ve seen that episode of Haunted House Ghost too.» Although she is convinced that she has exposed the prank, he remains serious and unfazed, convinced of what he is telling her.

«All I’m saying is…you need to get in contact with Joy, I can help you. Unless you’re too scared.» The downside of knowing each other for so many years is that he knows how poking, provoking, and challenging Patricia always leads to the desired result; indeed, she sighs and moves closer to him.

«I can’t believe I’m about to say this but…tell me more, Jerome.» She is still not quite convinced about it, but might as well give it a try.

«Come to my room, midnight, all will become clear.» At that point the boy walks away, leaving her alone to brood. At least she is glad that Amber has stopped counting the number of Mick’s push-ups in French. Sometimes they are intolerable, perhaps Mara is right when she says they have absolutely nothing in common. That’s their problem. She thinks, going up to her room to get ready for the night. She doesn’t really know what to expect from the brilliant idea Jerome wants to propose to her, and honestly she wouldn’t even want to trust it, but what other alternatives does she have? She’s running out of viable leads and slowly running out of hope as well. By the time the clock strikes midnight, she sighs and heads downstairs at a slow pace; when they open the door for her and she sees Alfie dressed in a black robe, standing in front of what is obviously a crystal ball-shaped lamp, her patience wanes with unseen rapidity. She makes to turn around, with every intention of going back to her room, but Jerome stops her.

«Wit, wait, wait. It won’t work if you don’t believe.» She looks at both of them, now very skeptical and perhaps a little grossed out by the little act they put on.

«Yeah, well, the goth look it’s a bit last year.»

«You think Joy’s dead, yeah? Well, there’s one way to find out.» The blond still urges her on, and she reluctantly persuades herself to sit down at the small table. «Alfred, we can begin.» He then says to his friend, who starts moving his hands around the sphere to prepare to “divine” what happened to Joy. What she is sure is an act of tomfoolery, begins with Alfie standing in the light of the orb telling anecdotes that should have sounded like secrets revealed.

«…then there was a time Jerome stole Ms. Andrews scarf because it smelt of her perfume.» Patricia is unimpressed by the howling voice her companion tries to reproduce and, in fact, looks at him with even more skepticism. «Snuggled up in bed with it, because he was missing his mommy.» I’ve just about had it. She rises from her chair, amid the laughter of her theatrical friend, determined to cut the cord.

«Oh, this is ridiculous! I’m leaving.» Jerome puts a hand on her shoulder, to block her once more.

«All right, relax. – then he shifts his gaze to his roommate, serious this time. –  Alfonso what about Joy? Joy, can you hear us?» The respondent hesitates for a few seconds, then assumes a posture that would imply he has just been possessed and stares into the void.

«Patricia? – now the voice is shrill and high-pitched, as if trying to badly imitate a girl’s voice – I told you not to call me, Patricia. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?» By now she is no longer skeptical, just disappointed in herself for still listening to the two idiots without a shred of humanity. Too bad that the moment the boy is done talking, an atrocious cry spreads throughout the house causing them to jump out of their chairs.

«What was that?» Whether it is Joy or not, the sound is creepy and makes her heart jump into her throat. Fortunately, it doesn’t last long, but the three of them are left staring at the ceiling for a few more seconds, confused and a little taken aback by the situation. At least until Jerome and Alfie start laughing heartily.

«Well. I think we pestered Joy enough for one night.» As if it was really Joy who screamed! She doesn’t know how, but she’s convinced that they set the whole thing up, and it makes the blood boil in her veins.

«Yeah, she would always get grouchy after ten.» Sooner or later I’ll need to break one of their noses, maybe they’ll stop these fucking pranks.

«Stop talking about her like she’s…» No, she can’t say that word, because it would actually mean believing it, and she doesn’t want to. «Good night, weasels.» She gives them both a grim look and leaves the room, still on tiptoe, determined to go back to bed and put the shitty day behind her. She catches a glimpse of Victor heading toward the girls’ hallway and runs off as soon as he is distracted from opening the attic door. Could the noise have actually come from there? Little does it matter, she now wants no part of it.

The next morning she struggles to drag herself out of bed. She wishes she could say that this is just exhaustion from staying up so late, but the truth is that the scream has haunted her all night long. If there were a thousand oddities surrounding Joy’s mystery before, now the supernatural ones surrounding the house must be added as well, and she is not so convinced that she wants to delve into this path either. Luckily, the first lesson of the day is Professor Winkler’s; she couldn’t have been able to stand Ms. Andrews’ lecture or Sweet’s soporific speeches. As soon as she sees Jerome and Alfie, however, doubts return to her mind.

«I couldn’t sleep! What if we’ve woken some sort of evil spirit?» She asks them, unsure and with a tremendous need to externalize her fear to those who have gone through the same experience. They may be court jesters, but they cannot be unaffected by such things.

«Yeah! And what if it comes and possesses you in the night!» Jerome, on one hand, disproves what she just thought and misses no opportunity to mock her.

«Ok, as far out as this may be, Trixie, I was making it up!» Alfie, on the other, interrupts his friend, determined to put a stop to that matter, but Patricia looks at him sideways.

«Uh, I know your acting stinks, but you didn’t make up that screeching noise, did you?» She knows perfectly well that that was their usual clowning around, but the voice that echoed throughout the house couldn’t have had anything to do with them. The professor, however, is the one to end the talk and call them to order.

«Patricia, Alfie and Jerome. Pairs, please.» Jerome heads toward Mara with a smirk, and she grabs Alfie as the teacher begins to explain the dubious exercise. As he praises the work, far from being acting, of her housemates, she finds herself looking out the window in a moment of distraction and notices a strange figure emerge from the vegetation: a man, perhaps middle-aged, dressed completely in black, stares at her with cold, insistent eyes without wanting to hint at looking away; then, just as he has appeared, he hides again. She ignores any attempt by Alfie to carry on the exercise and turns back to the classroom in search of confirmation.

«Did…did anyone see that?»

«What?» The professor asks her, serious and attentive to her concern.

«That man. He was staring at me!» At that point everyone approaches the windows, but it’s too late: there is nothing left to see and no one can, once again, lend her support in any way. It’s starting to get frustrating, and she feels herself falling down a spiral of paranoia that seems to want to grip her in its coils until it takes her breath and even sleep away. First the mysterious voices, now the phantom stalkers?

«I saw it, I did!» Why her, then? Isn’t she already out of it enough in the eyes of all her classmates?

«Everyone thinks I’m crazy. Even I think I’m crazy.» She confesses to the professor at the end of class: the man called her to an empty classroom, determined to have her explain the reason for her agitation during the hour that had just passed. «We tried to contact Joy last night and I think we’ve contacted something else.» The man doesn’t move a muscle; he listens to her with the same seriousness with which he had shown concern just before.

«Something else?»

«I think Joy’s dead. – the man remains silent, and then she insists again, hoping that this time someone will really listen to her – Before you started, she just disappeared. They’ve said she’s gone home, but she’s not answering any of my calls. They’ve even erased her from the school photo and taken the Anubis’ photo down!» He thins his gaze, increasingly captured by the talk and perhaps worried. For her? For Joy? She has to try everything.

«They?» She doesn’t understand whether he is really interested or is just trying to see how far she can go, but at this point Patricia really has nothing left to lose.

«The teachers, Victor, even the police! I swear, Mr. Winkler, I swear to you I’m telling the truth!» And here comes a one-way ticket to the asylum.

«I believe you.» Instead, never had words sounded sweeter than that.

In a quiet moment, Nina retreats inside the bathroom to try once again to decipher the strange object found in the attic. She does not want to listen to Fabian’s whining about the crusade Amber has embarked on, nor does she want to find out why the girl went from “it slipped out” to “look, I made a scrapbook of Fabina moments”. Whether others know it or not, she has a mission to carry on and must find out more about what the bloody treasure is, why her locket lights up, and why Amneris had to make things so difficult. Treasure hunts and riddles were really something she wanted to avoid like the plague, yet there she is: shaking a stupid object full of hieroglyphics in the hope that it might start talking as if it were under torture.

«What are you hiding?» She asks, as if it could hear her, flipping through yet another book on ancient Egypt that she has exhumed from the school library.

«What are you hiding?» Amber’s head pops up far above hers, and the click of a camera traps her forever red-handed. «Tell me or I’ll go to Mr. Sweet and tell him you are doing something weird and I don’t know what it is. Or something.» Jealousy makes you do strange things, Sunshine.

«Ok, but you tell no one.» Amber’s gaze darkens.

«I’ll take it to the grave. You know I’ll never tell a secret.» The seriousness with which she says it, however, makes her suddenly lose her temper.

«Then why did you push so hard? Shit, Amber, this could be dangerous!» Her heart races; she wasn’t supposed to be found out as a run-of-the-mill Girl Scout who took her phone on a camping trip. The girl climbs down from the wall on which she has been hovering and joins Nina, opening the door to the cubicle in which she has taken refuge.

«All that secrecy seemed strange to me! - she protests then, when they can look each other straight in the eye - We agreed on Fabian , why the guilty look if you were just following your part of the plan?»

«Shit, Sunshine, you’re too smart.» Nina stores all the compromising items inside the bag and rubs her face. This is not good. Fabian is collateral damage needed to navigate in that barrage of incomprehensible information; he is also expendable. Amber, on the other hand...she can’t afford for her to really get inside the business, not until she’s sure the girl’s not exposed to unnecessary danger..

«Really?» Not that dumbfounded face again, right now she can’t deal with her rage regarding the clear representation of the treatment the others reserve to her girlfriend. Her girlfriend! Heck, this complicates the situation even more. What is she supposed to do? Reveal everything to her, including Amneris’ story, or just the bare minimum? Should this twisted relationship of theirs continue and Amber find out all the real details too late, she is sure she would skin her alive; the angelic, innocent face can fool anyone but her: Amber would certainly be capable of it.

«Listen to me carefully. Once I tell you everything, there is no turning back.»

«Go ahead, shoot.»

«Are you crazy? Not here! Too many ears.» At that point she grabs the bag and the girl’s wrist, quickly heading to the most isolated spot in the park surrounding the college. As they walk, she sifts through every option and combination of the truth she can throw at her, but she comes to only one conclusion: at the cost of sacrificing the entire mission, she cannot risk losing Amber and cannot risk her finding out things - she should have told - on her own.

«You have to promise me something before we start. - the girl nods - I tell you everything, but you will still stay out of the way. I cannot risk your safety.» The two take their places on a severed log, well hidden by a clearing-the same one where she tried to summon the woman of her misfortunes.

«So you’re not helping my natural curiosity.»

«Amber!»

«All right, all right. Go ahead.» Nina sighs and takes courage. Her hands are shaking and for the first time since arriving at that school, she feels fear.

«When my parents died years ago, a woman appeared in my room. Her name is Amneris and she was a high priestess of the Egyptian gods. She sensed my pain, my despair, my fear that something would happen to my grandmother as well and my desire to have the power to prevent it.» Amber says nothing, but takes her hands and strokes them gently, to calm the agitation that has taken over Nina’s body. «She said I cannot change what has been, but I can get what I want through challenges. She sent me here to solve a mystery hidden in the Anubis house, and Fabian is helping me put the pieces together.»

«Magic exists?»

«I wouldn’t know what to answer, honestly. All I know is that there’s a secret door in the attic and it opens with a locket that lights up when I’m near it.» After getting the scariest part out of the way, Nina tells her everything that has happened since the day she arrived at the house: the all too sporadic appearances of the priestess, the strange old woman at the nursing home, the hieroglyphics, the key hidden in the step, and the strange object found in the secret room.

«So you are the one who made Victor fall down the stairs!»

«It’s surely be Fabian’s fault for putting it back in the wrong way, I doubt my desire not to be caught acted as a spell.» Amber then smiles, looks around, and then approaches Nina with her face.

«Say what you want, but here the only thing magical to me is you.» At that point they both smile and the American moves closer to the other, capturing her lips for moments she wishes would never end. Although terror may never leave her body again, she fervently hopes that that is the sacrifice Amneris intended; if not, she is ready to drop everything as she found it: she doesn’t care about the cryptic phrase the priestess recited. “All of them will affect the house and all of them must be overcome with dexterity.” Well, it’s gonna be the house’s problem at that point. Whatever that means.

When the “chat” is over, the two return to the house and part ways. Nina is well aware that she has to tell her partner in crime everything, but she wishes she could spare herself the conversation at least for a few hours. As soon as she joins him, she explains everything that has happened in the past few hours, omitting the fact that Amber now knows even more parts of the truth than he does; she hopes, more than anything else, that her girlfriend will abide by the instructions given to her during the walk home about what she can and cannot say in the boy’s presence.

«I can’t believe you told Amber. She has a mouth the size of a…black hole.» Nina has to restrain herself from the strong desire to strangle him, coupled with the urge to shout words like “that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about!”

«She caught me with the puzzle piece, she knew something was up.»

«You couldn’t lie?»

«I know, I know. It just came out! I’m an idiot, ok?» Maybe a large amount of savior syndrome can distract him from the inconvenience, and in fact the boy stands up, as if outraged by the self-inflicted words, and tries to comfort her as best he can.

«Hey, no, no, no. Don’t say that. Look, everything will be fine, I’m sure.» Nina feels the warmth of the hands he would have liked to rest on her shoulders but instead withdraws, embarrassed. At least, the friendzone act has paid off. The two agree to return to the attic to clear up the phonograph thing once and for all, and she, holding fast to the belief that she wants to leave Amber out of everything, slips away when the girl has fallen asleep. The routine by now is the same: they tiptoe to the attic door, pick the lock with the hairpin, and climb the stairs as quietly as possible, then settle down on the uneven parquet floor of the attic. Fabian pulls the prehistoric tool out of the hiding place where they store it every time they leave, after which he places the cylinder inside the housing. They are finishing their preparations when the door creaks and, slowly, the figure of Amber appears before them. I can’t believe it. Shit, wasn’t she asleep?

«Thank goodness you’re both here. I thought I was going to get eaten by a ghost.» She exclaims, approaching with a pair of bright red shoes in one hand and a necklace of garlic heads in the other. Nina shushes her.

«Amber, what are you doing here? And…what’s with the heels?» She really can’t believe what is happening: every intention of keeping her girlfriend safe has just flown out the window in the most ridiculous way possible.

«I didn’t want to miss out on anything and these are my lucky heels.»

«Why aren’t you wearing them?» We’re getting a little off topic here.

«I can’t actually run away in them.»

«Amber, what’s with the cloves of garlic, this isn’t Twilight!»

«The Bible says “always be prepared”.»

«Amber, that’s the boy scouts.»

«Guys. Let’s just focus.» Nina calls them to order and stops the ongoing squabble, so Amber sits next to Fabian. «What if it makes that horrible noise again?»

«Don’t worry, this should do the trick – he replies to her, putting some lubricating oil on the strange gears of the object. – But if it doesn’t, get ready to pull a runoff.» She nods and waits for the boy to turn the crank again. An anxiety that the screeching will reoccur does not leave her, at least until a sound is heard that is slightly disturbed, but not as terrible as the previous evening’s.

“Mother and father have given the house a name. Anubis.”

«It’s a girl.»

“They’re going away again soon, to Egypt I think. Father says he has to, for his work. When they go, I’ll be on my own again. With him.”

«Why is she crying? It’s so…»

«Sad.» Nina completes her friend’s sentence and looks sorrowfully at the phonograph that is telling that unhappy story. She doesn’t know why, but she almost feels compelled by the little girl’s tale, she recognizes that despair as if it were her own.

“I don’t want to stay here. I’m frightened of what will happen to me”

«I don’t wanna stay here either, can we go, please?»

«Right, this is getting far too risky.» Fabian exclaims, putting the object away; even Nina suspects it will be a short time before they receive unwelcome visitors. «I vote we get out of here and find some more sensible and safe way to listen to this thing. Amber, quietly.» He puts away the last few things in bulk and follows his companions down the staircase. As soon as the first blonde’s head peeps out, Victor’s shadow is now too close and she pushes the two friends back behind the door.

«What are you doing? You know you’re not supposed to be sneaking around after lights out.» Upon hearing the caretaker’s voice Nina would like to tear her hair out. This is why I didn’t want to say anything to her, for crying out loud!

«Hello, Trudy. Ice cream, brownie, yum, yum.» Now it is Amber’s voice that reaches across the wood, and she looks at her friend dumbfounded.

«What the hell is she doing?» She whispers, flustered and not quite knowing which deity to rely on to keep them from being found out.

«Yes. Unlike you, miss Millington, I was not born yesterday, now what are you doing.» And there it is. He’s unmasked her. She is now in a cold sweat.

«I’m starving and I don’t care about your stupid rules, I’m on a fridge raid!» Amber has clearly dropped the sleepwalking act, and after the threat made to the man, her footsteps can be heard running away.

«Amber Millington! Get back here, now!» Victor then exclaims, chasing after her. Nina tries to hold back her laughter and finally goes out into the hallway, followed by Fabian.

«Impressive.»

«She’s just full of surprises.» She’s the woman of my life. «Maybe she can be trusted after all.»

When she finally manages to escape the janitor’s clutches, Amber returns to her room and she waits smilingly before hugging her.

«You are a reckless human being! You promised you’d stay out of it!» She unwraps her grip and points a finger at her.

«I didn’t use those exact words, so technically I didn’t promise.» Nina rolls her eyes, takes her face in her hands and kisses her.

«I’m so proud of you, you did amazing.» Amber’s eyes light up with joy and emotion, perhaps because it is the first time someone has spoken those words to her and truly believed them.

«So...am I in?»

«With all shoes, I’m afraid. There’s no turning back now.» After a few moments of silence, a strange amber-colored circle appears in front of Nina, glows for a few seconds, and then vanishes. Amber frowns.

«What the hell was that?»

«I think I just passed the first challenge.»