Markus Black

and the
Ruby Red Bloodstone
CHAPTER ONE

His Arrival

12:20 a.m. Markus was the only person to step off the train at

Station #17. The conductor would not even step onto the platform.

Nervously, he threw Markus his luggage and told him not to leave the

station until his escort arrived. Then he wished him luck.

It had only been five minutes since the train had pulled away,

and already the dense fog had started to roll in. It now consumed

the single light above the station door. Every once in a while, he

could see the light flicker as thin patches of fog passed by.

Suddenly, Markus was startled by the howl of a single wolf that

seemed to be dangerously close. Without shelter, he went and stood by

the station door; he figured he could break it down if need be. Ten,

maybe fifteen minutes had passed by, when he heard what sounded like
horseshoes clomping on an old cobblestone road and wooden wheels

rolling behind it. The clomping grew louder and louder until it

stopped at the end of the platform.

Markus cautiously anticipated the arrival of the unknown person,

who now stood just on the other side of the dense fog. He could

barely see the outline of a tall lanky man, when he finally stepped

out of the mist.

It felt like an eternity before he spoke. In a peculiar voice he

said, “Professor Black, your carriage has arrived.”

Cautiously, Markus approached him. The closer he got, he noticed

he was wearing a long black hooded cloak with skintight trousers,

which were tucked into knee-high boots. The stranger held out his

gray, clammy hand and introduced himself as Mr. Cornwall, Keeper of

the Grounds.

When Mr. Cornwall opened the carriage door he said to Markus,

“We’ll be arriving at the School of Ancient Arts in about three

hours. You’ll need to snap shut the window curtains, for the fall

monsoons arrived early this year.”

Without giving Markus a chance to reply, Mr. Cornwall closed the

door. Suddenly, a cold chill ran down Markus’s spine; for some

reason, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something was oddly

wrong. As that thought entered his mind, he wondered if he had made a

mistake in coming. While Markus snapped shut the dark blue velvet

curtains, Mr. Cornwall loaded his luggage onto the back of the

carriage, then he drove away.

 Markus propped his feet on the blue leather bench seat directly

in front of him, trying to get comfortable for the long journey. He

ran his fingers through his short, curly, black hair, shaking the

excess rain from his loose locks. As his dark brown eyes slowly

adjusted to the flickering light of the kerosene lantern that flanked

both ends of the paneled wall, he wondered why the school sent a

horse drawn carriage instead of a car, considering that it was a

three-hour ride in a monsoon.

Time seemed to fly by as they traveled the winding mountainous

roads at treacherous speeds. The few times Markus dared look out the

window, he saw at least six sets of red glowing eyes, if not more.

That scared him more than Mr. Cornwall’s driving.

Finally, they came to an abrupt stop. Markus looked out the

window and saw a twelve-foot wrought iron gate swinging open. In the

far distance, on top of the mountainside, he saw the largest castle

he’d seen since landing at Athens Airport in Greece. The mountain

road that led from the gate to the castle took a horrifying fifteen

minutes. It was barely wide enough for the carriage to travel down.

There was at least a hundred foot drop-off on both sides, and no

guardrail to prevent them from plummeting to their deaths. After

crossing the gorge, they came to a second gate attached to the

mountain. The other side of the gate was a cobblestone roundabout. On

the east side was the castle.

Markus climbed out of the carriage, and stood at the bottom of

an enormously large, blue stone staircase. Looking toward the top of

the stairs, he saw a set of twelve foot, solid, wooden, arched doors.

His eyes traveled up the side of the castle. Before he knew it,

he was looking straight up into the rainy night sky. Suddenly,

lightning struck, revealing a bell tower at the top of the hundred-

foot castle.

Markus heard a comforting voice calling down to him from the top

of the stairs. She said, “Professor Black, you must come in from the

rain.”

As he made his way up the rain-slicked stairs, he saw a tall

brunette woman standing in the doorway. She also was wearing a long

black cloak. When he entered the foyer, he noticed that kerosene

lanterns and torches, not electricity, lighted the castle. The

staircase mantle had ornate carvings of gargoyles and other mythical

creatures. So enthralled by his surroundings, he had not realized

that the woman had spoken his name three times. Finally, he looked at

her; that was when he noticed how radiant she was, even at this early

morning hour. Her long dark hair cascaded down past her shoulders,

olive colored skin and piercing green eyes. Her beauty was

invigorating.

Holding out her hand, in a kind voice, she said “Nice to finally

meet you, Professor Black. I’m Professor Gorgon, Headmistress of this

magnificent school.”

Markus took her hand and said, “It is my honor to meet you,

Professor Gorgon.”

She smiled and said, “You must be exhausted from your long trip.
Let me show you to your bedchamber.”

She led him up the three flights of stairs. On the stone wall

there hung old portraits of past headmasters. The landings were lit

by torches, revealing long corridors with at least a dozen doors.

Above each door was a dimly lit lantern.

She noticed his curiosity and said, “After a good night’s sleep,

your adviser will give you the grand tour,” then she handed him a

long skeleton key that opened chamber 355.

After he pushed open the heavy wooden door, Professor Gorgon

stood just inside the bedchamber while he walked around. The first

thing Markus saw was a king size, four-poster, canopy bed, with heavy

burgundy drapes that flowed to the floor. The two nightstands that

stood on either side of the bed had a soft glowing lantern. The other

side of the room was a stone fireplace. He could hear the soft

crackling sound the logs made as the cozy fire burned. The outside

wall had a set of etched glass windows, a large bench seat with white

and burgundy pin stripe cushions, and two large burgundy pillows. His

view was the snowcapped mountains. Looking around the dimly lit

bedchamber, he realized there was no TV. At that point, he knew with

the lack of electricity, he would have no outlet for his radio or

shaver. He made his way to the private bath, surprised to find it

somewhat modern, with warm running water.

When he walked out of the bathroom, Headmistress Gorgon said,

“Professor Black, I hope your bedchamber is to your satisfaction?”

Perplexed, Markus replied, “Everything looks fine.”

 In a soft voice, she said, “When you awaken, pull the call rope

that is next to your bed. Your advisor for the day will come for

you.” Before closing the door behind her, she wished him a goodnight.

Mr. Cornwall had already put Markus’s clothes and suitcase away,

and next to them were seven black cloaks.

Markus took a long hot bath, and climbed into the most comfortable

bed he had ever slept on. He closed the drapes on the canopy to help

drown out the light from the constant lightning. The moment his head

hit the pillow, he began to dream. He dreamt about red glowing eyes

chasing him through the wet misty mountainside. No matter how fast or

slow he ran they sustained the same distance. He knew they could

smell his scent. It was futile to try and hide, for at every turn,

there they were. There were many times an attack was inevitable, but

it never came. That’s when he realized he was being herded instead of

hunted.

11:35 a.m. Markus woke up, completely refreshed, and could

barely remember his dream. By the time he was dressed and pulled the

call rope, it was lunchtime.

It took less than ten minutes for his adviser to come knocking.

The gentleman on the other side stood at least six foot, his ash

colored skin looked odd with his long curly black hair and dark brown

eyes. He too was wearing a long black cloak.

In a subdued voice, he said, “I am Stefan Prescott, Professor of

Astronomy.”

Markus held out his hand and said, “Nice to meet you Stefan, I’m
Markus.”

Without offering his hand for Markus to shake, he muttered,

“Yeah, nice to meet you.”

Markus was just about to shut the door, when Stefan stopped him

and said in his usual aggravated voice, “Professor Black, you must

always wear your cloak whenever you leave your bedchamber.”

Shocked, Markus went back and retrieved one of the cloaks that

were hanging in his closet. Feeling foolish, he put on the long

cloak. It fit his five eight-frame perfectly, like it had been

tailored precisely for him.

Stefan led him down to the dining hall for lunch; it was an enormous

room that seated at least a hundred students. The long rectangular

table that sat at the head of the room had twelve chairs and a throne

in the middle. Hanging from the ceiling were eight lit candelabras.

The flicker of the candlelight illuminated a painting that covered

the entire ceiling.

The painting was of a great battle between eight winged mythical

creatures and eight western dragons. All of the mythical creatures

were enormously large cats of different kinds. The people upon their

backs wore strange gothic clothing. The other eight riders on the

western dragons wore long black cloaks that blew in the wind,

creating a black silhouette. The only thing you could see coming from

their hoods were their red glowing eyes. Staring down onto the battle

were seven fairies. As their wings fluttered, sparkly dust fell from

them, revealing different colors; they were red, blue, lavender,

green, pink, orange, yellow, and finally, aqua. On the ground, below

the battle were many different mythical creatures. They too were

watching. On the far left was Cerberus, Guardian of Hades, and the

ground he stood on was cracked open. You could see the red molten

lava flowing from below, waiting to devour its prey, pulling them

down into the Greek underworld of Tartarus. During lunch, Markus

studied the painting. He felt its significance somehow pertained to

him, but was not sure how a three thousand year old painting of Greek

mythology would relate to him. Yet he felt drawn to it; it was almost

hypnotic.

By the time lunch was over, he had met all eleven professors and

one of them was from New York City. There was something about her

that he found quite intriguing, almost to the point to where he was

unable to pull himself away from her. After clearing his mind of the

thoughts of her, he was quite surprised that a school this size had

only twelve professors and less than a hundred students arriving at

the end of the month.

Stefan started the grand tour on the main floor. Directly across

from the dining hall was the hearth room. He showed Markus through a

large arched doorway. The first thing he saw was a row of etched

glass windows that soared at least twenty feet up to the ceiling. On

both ends of the room was a large stone fireplace, with a roaring

fire in both of them. Hanging from the ceiling were three large lit

candelabras. On the blue stone floor laid three beautiful rugs with

at least fifty overstuffed chairs arranged in many different groups.

Even though the room was large, it still had a cozy feel to it.

Between the hearth and dining room was a long corridor that led

to the library, kitchen and bathrooms. They made their way back to

the foyer and headed up the stairs. Stefan informed Markus that the

second and third floors were all dormitories. The professors each had

their own suite and the students shared four to a bedchamber. Without

stopping, they went directly to the fourth and fifth floors. As they

walked though each classroom, Markus could not believe how different

and unique each room was. They were not normal math or English

classrooms, but laboratories, and conservatories. The botany room had

plants he had never seen before. There were rooms where ancient Greek

spells and magical potions were learned, and in one of the rooms,

hanging from the rafters was a large skeleton of what looked like a

dragon. They finally made it to Markus’s classroom; the history books

did not contain stories of World War II, or any other world events

for that matter. They told bizarre stories of mythical creatures and

ancient gods and battles he had never heard of.

Stefan noticed the bewildered look on Markus’s face and said in

the same unpleasant voice that Markus had quickly became accustomed

to, “Professor Black, didn’t you receive the registration packet

explaining our academic program?”

“I came to Greece two weeks early for a holiday. It must have

come after I left,” Markus said, while walking around his classroom,

wondering if he should be here.

After a long sigh, Stefan said, “After dinner tonight,

Headmistress Gorgon will be hosting the Party of New Beginnings for

the professors. During that time, everyone will receive their

orientation program, and instructions of their requirements.”

When they left the room, Markus noticed the door at the end of

the hall and asked about it.

“It leads to the bell tower, and Headmistress Gorgon keeps it

locked at all times. It is quite dangerous up there.”

“I saw it last night upon my arrival, and I thought I saw a

shadow when lightning lit up the sky, revealing the tower.”

“That’s ridiculous. No one could have possibly been up there,”

Stefan said in a harsh voice.

He quickly changed the subject, for he too had seen strange

things that could not be explained, but did not dare speak of them.

Hastily, Stefan said, “There’s much more to see, so we must keep

moving.” They made their way down the five flights of stairs in an

awkward silence; Markus was taking in all of his surroundings.

Looking at the long corridors and tall ceilings, he wondered if

secret passages lay on the other side of these ancient stone walls;

he knew that was one question he dared not ask Stefan.

The silence was broken when they stepped off the stairs and into

the foyer, with Stefan saying, “I’m sure you will love the grounds;

everyone else thinks they are quite breathtaking.”

While making their way around the school, they came upon many

different gardens, waterfalls, and mountainsides. The treacherous

cliffs had cobblestone walls around the edges to prevent the children
from falling. On the south side of the school was a large veranda

with two French doors leading to the dining hall. That way, the

students and staff could enjoy lunch outside on a beautiful sunny

day. It had a magnificent view of two mountain peaks that lay across

a deep gorge. The grounds on the other side of the veranda had a long

winding trail that led down into the Black Forest. Markus looked up

at the peaks and thought he saw something glowing inside one of the

many caves that were on the side of the mountains. He asked Stefan

if he had seen a red glow.

“It’s probably the sun reflecting off the clouds, so we had

better start heading back in before the storm arrives; they roll in

very fast here on the mountain.”

Just as they made it to the front of the school, a bolt of

lighting streaked across the sky; accompanied by the loudest clap of

thunder Markus had ever heard. He looked up, and once again he saw a

shadow in the bell tower. This time, he did not mention it to Stefan.

The moment Markus and Stefan stepped into the school and shut

the door behind them, the onslaught of the rain began. Stefan

informed Markus that dinner was in an hour and that he should head to

his bedchamber and freshen up, for the Headmistress frowned on

tardiness. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways,

with Stefan walking toward the library.

As Markus began to walk up the stairs to his bedchamber, he

noticed the storm outside had intensified, almost to the point of an

angry roar. The constant lightning lit up the stained glass windows
that were at the end of each landing, cascading an array of colors

along the halls.

When Markus finally made it to his bedchamber, he noticed that

someone had been there. It must have been housekeeping, because his

bed was made and the bathroom cleaned, with fresh towels folded and

neatly placed on the shelf. He said out loud, “Wow, I could get used

to this, considering my loft in D.C was always a mess.”

He was just about to go and get ready for dinner, when he heard

a noise at the door. He turned around just in time to see a letter

slide from underneath it. He picked it up and it read:

You are cordially invited to the Party of New Beginnings.

The black tie affair will be held in the hearth room; with drinks and hors d’oeuvres

at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be promptly served at 6:30 p.m. followed by a brief

orientation.

Sincerely,

Headmistress Gorgon

The invitation came with a note informing Markus that his formal wear

was hanging in his closet.

By the time Markus changed his clothes, it was time for him to

head down to the hearth room. He entered just as the giant

grandfather clock struck 6:00. Headmistress Gorgon looked up at him

and smiled.

She walked over to him and in a kind voice she said, “I hope you
enjoyed your tour of the grounds today.”

“It was quite invigorating. I can’t wait till tomorrow. If it’s

a nice day, do you think I could possibly take a hike on the trail I

saw down by the veranda?”

“The trail is dangerous and only experienced hikers should

attempt it.”

He told her that he and his father had been hiking and mountain

climbing since he was twelve years old. She finally agreed to let him

go, but not without a guide. She informed him that Mr. Cornwall would

assist him on the trail. Then she excused herself and went to talk to

the head chef. While Markus mingled with the professors, his eyes

kept trailing back to the distraught looking Professor O’Connor. Her

long brown hair and ice blue eyes were captivating; it was like

Markus was magically drawn to her. Oddly, he felt the burning need to

protect her, but from what? When the dinner chimes rang, the

professors were led to the formal table that was set up in the hearth

room. The foods on the plates were nothing like what he would see in

his hometown of D.C. The mashed potatoes, if that was what they were,

were a deep purple and the other stringy vegetable was lime green.

The white chicken was the only thing on the plate that looked normal.

Not wanting to offend the Headmistress with a disgusting look, Markus

concentrated on the seating arrangements, instead of the strange

food. He was pleased that they would be sitting in the same order as

in the dining hall. That way, he would be sitting next to Professor

O’Connor. He knew he had to find out what was bothering the woman
that had sent the hot pulsating current which was now traveling

through his veins.

During dinner, Markus leaned over and whispered in her ear; he

said, “Professor O’Connor, is there something wrong?”

His lips were so close to her ear, she could feel his warm

breath and smell his sweet scent. Trying to shake off the slight

tremor that was running up her spine; she said in a shaky voice,

“This place scares me.”

Concerned, Markus said, “What do you mean?”

“I have seen and heard things. That’s all I can say for now. We

can talk on our way back to our bedchambers.”

After dinner, Headmistress Gorgon stood at the podium that faced

the large table and said, “I am pleased to announce that we have two

new Professors. Mr. Black will be head of ancient history, and Miss

O’Connor will teach Greek math scrolls and ancient navigation. This

will be the first time The School of Ancient Arts has had professors

from the United States. As most of you know, the school requires that

all of our professors have Greek heritage, but for some reason the

school council has chosen these two wonderful professors to join our

elite fraternity. I strongly suggest that each and every one of you

welcome them gracefully.”

After finishing her speech, in walked two people wearing long

black cloaks with their hoods pulled up over their heads, making it

impossible to see their faces. When they reached the table, one went

to the right, the other to the left. Simultaneously, they laid

bookbinders down in front of each professor until they met in the

middle. They turned around and silently walked out. Headmistress

Gorgon told everyone to study and memorize their academic journal

that was in front of them. Before stepping down from the podium she

wished them a goodnight, and for them to enjoy the rest of their

evening.

While the other professors commenced to retire to their

bedchambers, Markus knew he couldn’t let Professor O’Connor go. His

bizarre need to be around her was intoxicating. He leaned over and

said, “Professor O’Connor, would you like to stay and have coffee and

dessert by the fire?”

Dreading the thought of being alone, she said, “Yes, only if you

call me by my first name.” She held out her hand and said, “My name

is Elizabeth.”

He reached out and took her hand into his. His warm hand sent a

second shiver running through her. By the time it reached her

trembling heart, it was an intense surge. Her body began to quiver as

the exhilarating rush flowed swiftly through her. Before she drew her

hand back, he said, “Nice to meet you Elizabeth, I’m Markus.”

Staring into his brown eyes she muttered, “It’s an honor to meet

you, Markus.” Quickly, she pulled her hand away and looked down at

the floor, fearing she would forget how to speak if she kept looking

into his dark enchanting eyes.

The two of them walked over to the two closest chairs by the

fireplace that faced each other. After an awkward moment of silence,

Markus began to talk. The longer they sat and talked, the easier it

had become for her to look at him. In the moment he leaned over and

took the empty cup from her, his fingers intentionally brushed across

her hand. She couldn’t believe the rush of emotions pulsing through

her, just from a single touch. That was the first time she felt safe

since arriving at the school, knowing that she had someone like

Markus with her. Her sense of security would have been shattered if

she had known of the red glowing eyes that were watching them from

the other side of the large windows across the room.

The more comfortable they became with each other, the less they

wanted to say goodnight, but it was getting late. When they left the

hearth room, Markus saw something enter a room across from the

library.

Immediately, Elizabeth noticed the changed look on his face. She

asked, in a worrisome voice, “What’s wrong?” He told her what he had

seen; they both knew that there was no door there. Cautiously, they

approached the unseen door, hoping for a quick glance. They reached

it just in time to see it close, revealing only the stone wall. They

stood there, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, the wall started

to move. Markus grabbed her hand and they both ran up the stairs, not

stopping till they reached his bedchamber. While trying to catch

their breaths, they leaned against the door, waiting for their

pounding hearts to slow down. Frightened, Elizabeth frantically

asked, “What the hell was in there?”

Calmly, Markus replied, “I wonder if it was the two that handed

out our bookbinders.”

She looked at him and said, “It was quite creepy how they came

in. You couldn’t even see their faces or hands. I told you there was

something odd going on around here.”

Anxious, Markus said, “Our binders are down in the hearth room.

I need to run down and grab them.”

He could tell how frightened she was. He took her hand and said,

“You’ll be OK as long as you keep the door locked. Do not let anyone

in until I return.”

She grabbed the arm of his shirt and pulled him back. He was so

close that their lips were slightly touching when she whispered, “Be

careful.”

When he pressed his lips to hers, he could taste the strawberry

gloss she had applied to them. She let out a slight moan; he pulled

back and smiled at her, a smile that made her melt.

Quietly, he made his way down the stairs undetected. He walked

through the arched entrance to the hearth room just as a bolt of

lightning lit up the etched glass windows. It revealed a large winged

creature hovering on the other side of the window. Markus froze in

fear when he saw what looked like an extremely large snow leopard

with wings on its back. Markus stared into its red glowing eyes until

the night sky went black and he could no longer see out the window.

He didn’t dare enter the room, not knowing if the creature was still

there. Suddenly, he was startled by a noise behind him. Quickly, he

turned around. He was relieved when he saw that it was Headmistress

Gorgon standing behind him.

“Professor Black, can I help you?”

His abrupt reply shouted out of his mouth so fast that it

sounded wary, even to him, when he said, “No thank you, I’m fine.”

In a suspicious voice she said, “What are you doing down here so

late?”

Trying to sound calm, Markus said, “I left my binder there on

the table, and I wanted to read it tonight before I went to bed.”

“I love your enthusiasm, but well enough, you should get back to

your bedchamber, for it’s late. Mr. Cornwall loves to get an early

start when he goes hiking. He’ll probably be calling on you by the

crack of dawn, so if I were you, I would read it tomorrow, after your

hike.” Then she said, “Good night.” Markus retrieved the binders

and quickly exited the hearth room. He had forgotten about the hike,

and it was too late to back out now.

Markus made it all the way to the third floor landing before he

heard voices. There was someone on the fifth floor. He crept up the

dark stairs and silently entered the hall, but no one was there. He

walked past every classroom, peering in through the glass doors,

seeing no one. Finally, he came to the bell tower door. He leaned his

ear against it to see if he could hear anything. The only thing he

heard was two muffled voices behind him. Slowly, he turned around to

see that there was no one there, but a light coming from one of the

classrooms he had just passed. He heard voices again, and then the

door started to open. Quickly, he hid in one of the shadows up

against the wall, hoping not to be seen. Quietly, he waited for them

to disappear down the stairs before he emerged out of hiding. He went

back to the door and turned the knob. It was sealed shut. It wouldn’t

even budge. Suddenly, the door violently shook, and then he heard a

low grumbling growl coming from the other side. Markus turned around

and ran toward the stairs. When he reached the landing, he looked

back at the door one last time. All around the frame was glowing red.

He ran the rest of the way to his bedchamber. When he opened the

door, Elizabeth said in a frantic voice, “My God, what took you so

long? I was terrified!!!”

He told her everything that had happened, and then said, “You’re

staying here tonight.”

Shocked by his demands, she said, “It’s against the rules.”

“To hell with the rules, I’ll get you back to your bedchamber

before anyone is up, so don’t worry.”

He told her that he was going hiking tomorrow with Mr. Cornwall,

and didn’t like the idea of her being alone. He asked her in a much

calmer voice, “Do you know how to hike?”

“Are you serious? I lived in New York City. Central Park was the

closest I ever came to any type of woods, let alone hiking in the

mountains.”

With the thoughts of the day racing through her mind, she walked

over to the window. Silently, she looked out at the raging storm. She

wondered what kind of creature was lurking out there. Through her

thoughts she heard a muffled voice say, “Well, you’ll get a crash
course tomorrow, because you’re not staying here alone.”

As his voice echoed through her mind, she turned away from the

window, and went and sat on his bed. After a brief moment of silence,

she looked up at him and muttered, “I can do anything, as long as

you’re there to help show me the way.”

He took her hand and pulled her up toward him. Slowly, he leaned

down and stroked her long dark hair, then traced her jaw line with

his fingertip. He placed his hand behind her neck; after entangling

his fingers around her hair, he drew her in even closer, until his

lips softly touched hers. He pulled back, and looked into her ice

blue eyes. She stared back at him, drinking him in with her warm

gaze. He felt her shudder when he said, “Trust me, I will never let

anything happen to you.”

Just hearing his voice made her heart flutter with excitement.

The moment his yielding lips reconnected with hers, she felt her

pulse quicken as the blood raced through her veins. When Elizabeth’s

lips parted, he could feel the fire inside of him intensify. Markus

tasted her sweet scent, as he fed on her mouth. The thoughts of the

day had left his mind, and were replaced by desire. Elizabeth arched

backwards as he moved his mouth down on her throat, taking nibbles

with his teeth. His hair clenched in her fists, Elizabeth whimpered

with need. The sound Markus heard fueled the fire inside him, yet he

knew it was wrong. He wanted her, but before he would make love to

her, he needed to know that this was what they both wanted. Not some

strange desire to protect her, or her need to be protected. He slowly

made his way back up to her mouth, pulled back and with a sigh he

said, “Although we have only met a few hours ago, my need to have you

is overwhelming, but not now. I have to know that the dangerous

circumstances are not the reason you’re drawn to me.”

“Markus, I have never been with anyone before. Nor have I felt

this intense passion that is flowing through me at this moment, yet I

have to agree with you that it’s not the time.”

After kissing Elizabeth good night, Markus laid next to her.

Somehow, Elizabeth knew he was the one. She had finally met someone

she could fall in love with, for she would never have kissed him the

way she did, nor would she have allowed him to hold her until she

fell asleep.

While they slept, they were unaware of the stranger that was lurking

outside of Markus’s door. It was now confirmed that Professor Black

was indeed on the fifth floor. As silence fell on the hallway,

Augusto disappeared behind the unseen door.

Coming Soon

Chapter Two

The Black Forest Trail