You wake up and everything hurts. You’re bound in heavy cast-iron chains to a chair, just a regular, enchanted, chair. They’re magic canceling. You cannot break free. Someone opens a door and closes it again. Then there’s a flashlight in your eyes. Someone is checking you out. You lash out as best you can, and you notice the slack on the chains. You have enough to reach up and hit the person checking you out in the face. She cries out, falling. You see, in the light of her flashlight, the bleeding cut you’ve made on her face. She stands, glaring and fingering the cut gently. You then have seconds to realize who you’ve just hit: Kailya Akari, leader of the Gone Darks.

“Now, that’s not how we play here,” Kailya tells you before everything goes dark.

But you’re still conscious. You have no idea what’s happening as Kailya speaks again.

“Let me show you how we do play here.”

Aurora shivered, shrinking back against the chair as far as she could. Shit. Shit. Shit. "I- I- I didn't mean to-" She stammered. Aurora wasn't a coward by any means, but Kailya scared her. How did I end up here...? She thought, mentally cursing herself for being out of the dorm at night. If Aurora hadn't been wandering the hallways, then she wouldn't have stumbled across the Gone Darks practicing their dark magic and wouldn't have ended up in this situation. She glanced around, but couldn't see a thing through the blackness.

Kailya approached Aurora from behind, placing a hand on the witch's shoulder. In her other hand, she held a sharpened iron blade. She pressed it to the other witch's head. In no manner would she enjoy being forced to torture the poor girl, but she would if it came down to it. Kailya never liked torture. Nor was she a coward about getting her hands dirty. Slowly, some of the blackness gave way to a dimly lit room. The room was almost completely empty, except for the chair, chains, and the two girls themselves. Shadows danced up the walls. Kailya sighed, stroking Aurora's shoulder.

"Tell me. Why were you awake last night?" She purred, leaning close to Aurora's ear.

Aurora stiffened. Her whole body trembled. She didn't respond for a quick moment, as she was looking about to get a lay of the land- or in this case the room. "I couldn't- I couldn't sleep..." She managed. Her voice shook, betraying her fear. Crap. Get it together, Rora. She's just a girl. You can get free of the chains and report her to the headmaster, She thought, though she knew her thoughts were unlikely to turn out true. She was only a first year. She had nothing in the school except her classes and a few friends. She had no proof that Kailya was who she was. She, metaphorically, was an empty well on a deserted island with no rain.

"I knew that. But why were you in the halls?" Kailya pressed, pulling back slightly from Aurora.

But her hand never left the first year's shoulder. In fact, her grip tightened slightly at the girl's words. Excuses, excuses. I've heard them all before, She thought, shaking her head. Shadows slid up the walls and the room was plunged back into darkness, showing Kailya's displeasure with the response to the question asked. She twitched the knife and a lock of the first year's hair fell to the floor. Such a waste. She was pretty hair, Kailya frowned, wondering now why she had chosen the hair. She could have gone with so many other options. But she couldn't second guess herself now that she'd done it.

Aurora growled slightly when Kailya twitched the knife, hating the feeling of her beautiful hair being cut. She hesitated before speaking. This time, she didn't want to displease the Gone Dark. She wanted to get away, to break free, to emerge in the world of light and have everything be okay again. But that was no longer possible. She was no longer just another first year at the school, learning the ways of light magic. She was a prisoner now, and for how long she didn't know. "I thought- I thought I should ex- explore a li- little," She stammered, pulling against the chains and Kailya's grip on her shoulder.

Kailya appeared to be satisfied with Aurora's answer. She realized she still hadn't gotten the girl's name, which might have been the most important thing to get in the first place. Oops. Sloppy. Oh well. Just going to fix that mistake... She thought, wondering how she could have been lax enough to miss that detail. She never missed details- until now, apparently.

"Do tell me, first year. You have a name?" She inquired, smirking as she moved the knife away from Aurora's head and traded it out for her wand.

Aurora blinked, realizing that Kailya had slipped up. I can use that to get out of here if she's missing little details like that. Any interrogator who slips up has been easy for me to escape before, She shivered, remembering the way she had gotten into the school. She'd been imprisoned at a high-security prison until she'd received the letter, which had been in an odd manila envelope with the school's seal on it. She hadn't kept her composure while reading the letter, she might not have ended up a free witch. "A- Aurora," She answered finally.

"An unoriginal yet always beautiful name," Kailya's tone was mocking yet genuine.

Kailya had nothing against the name Aurora, by any means. But she'd heard the generic name so often given as a false name throughout her time just at the school, that it bored her. She thought for a moment before taking her hand off Aurora's shoulder and running it down the girl's arm, circling so she was in front of Aurora.

"Lumos," She whispered, lighting her wand to provide the only light in the room.

"So tell me, Aurora. What do you know about the Dark Arts?"

"Nothing! Only what I've learned in my lessons!" Aurora spoke almost too quickly, startled by the light. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden brightness. I don't know anything! I only saw you go into that gargoyle. I didn't even know you were a Gone Dark until you kidnapped me! She thought but didn't share her panicked thoughts with the older girl.

Kailya stepped closer to Aurora, the wand held firm in her hand. She moved her wrist so the light wasn't completely blinding the younger girl. It'd be such a shame if I had to hurt a pretty little face like hers. Oh well, She smiled, pondering her next move. Finally, she decided on a simple threat. The silence was her greatest weapon, as silence gave her the ability to rule the school from the shadows- causing fear and chaos when she wanted to.

"You saw me with the gargoyle. If you tell a soul, you will never speak again. Do you understand?"

Aurora stayed silent, nodding. Her eyes were wide with fear, but also defiance. There was no way she'd stay silent, despite the threat, but she didn't plan to be silenced with some Gone Dark's magic. This is a bad idea. But if I can get out of here... we're in different classes, and I can go to the headmaster- even if he is her father. He'll believe me, right?

"And don't you think of going to the headmaster," It was as if Kailya was reading Aurora's thoughts, though she wasn't.

I know the look on your sorry face. Wipe it off, before I do it for you, and make sure not a soul sees your face again, Kailya thought angrily, moving her wand down to her waist, still held firm in her hand. She then extended her hand and tapped the cast iron chains, letting them fall to the ground. She stepped back.

"Try anything and this will only be fun for one of us," She spoke in a dangerous tone, but it was hardly intimidating.

Kailya wasn't in the mood to play mind games, nor was she in the mood to so much as half-heartedly try to intimidate Aurora. She was simply tired. Tired of waging her war. I would go back to the light if I could, but the darkness has consumed me, and that's alright. I'll except my fate for what it is. This school is better with me in the shadows, anyway. She scolded herself mentally.

Aurora lowered her head, silent. She understood. She just wanted to get out of there and sleep. She didn't move except to place her hands on her lap and fold them. She was terrified. This is insane!