Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

I was gasping for some air as I tried to open the door using the basic side spell that I know to unlock the door. Yet, even how many times I tried unlocking the door, I couldn't bring myself to unlock it for some unknown reason.

"Whoever did this, he or she might have used some kind of a supporting spell to make it possible for me to unlock this damn door using the basic spell I know," I muttered to myself as I looked at the door.

Now, how could I get out of here?! And I can't think of a single person who would do this to me!

It looks like I don't have any other choice but to shout for help. This room is really isolated from the rest of the classrooms placed here on the second floor of the student building, not to mention it was placed at the very edge of it. Except for the utility personnel of the school, no one would dare to go here.

Have I also mentioned that only our section has this cleaner's system? If not, then yes, it was actually the idea of our adviser, Mr. Pumpkin, to instill that idea in our room so that we won't be relying too much on the personnel and learn to respect them as well.

Anyway, I know I need to take my chances rather than just stand here and do nothing. Perhaps utility personnel would come by here sooner or later...

"Help! Somebody, help me!" I shouted, but no one responded for the next couple of minutes.

I did the shouting for at least half an hour until my throat gave up on its own and I stopped doing it. I don't want to show some weakness here, but tears started brimming down my face before I knew it.

"Alohomora!" I tried to use the unlocking spell once more, hoping this time it would work. But unfortunately, the same results just happened.

Feeling frustrated with my current situation, I shut my eyes tight and try to think harder about how to get out of here. 

Come on… there must be a way to get out of here. Geez, Krisella, you are already a rank C wizard, and yet you are still not familiar with the basic side spells in your father's spellbook?

My eyes then flung open after a couple of minutes as an idea struck into my mind. Actually, there is one spell that I can use to get myself out of here, but that involves blasting and breaking the door in the process. 

I was able to read it one night in my spellbook, and it's somehow complicated to use if you are not trained properly. The drawbacks of the spell might ignite a fire in the place when done inadequately.

Too afraid to use the spell immediately, I tried again the safer option. And that is, again, to shout for help and hope that someone out there could hear me.

"Please… someone… open the door I'm stuck in here!" 

Yet no matter how much I tried, I knew there would never be a single person who could hear me over here.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, I tried preparing myself for my last sane option. I guess I don't have a choice then but to use my last resort.

Gathering all the concentration and mana that I could, I instilled the necessary spell first into my mind and try to memorize it to avoid committing mistakes. As I've said, this spell is kind of dangerous. Any mistakes done and that would cause a disaster.

Whenever I felt that I am now ready, I stretched my right hand forward and chanted the needed blasting spell in this situation.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

A powerful force instantly came out of my hand and blasted its way towards the door. The moment I thought my plan would work this time, that's when I realized I was completely wrong about it.

Instead of blasting the door away from its hinges, the spell surprisingly countered right at me and blasted me away from my place, causing me to hit the hard wall where some boxes were piled together. 

Because of what happened to me, I instantly felt dizzy and nauseous in my place as my body fell on the ground, disabling me from getting back on my feet.

I could feel the smell of something burning within my vicinity. And as much as I wanted to check it out, this feeling of vomiting anytime soon prohibits me from doing so, not to mention my vision is starting to dim out as well.

"Someone… please… help me…" I managed to say in between coughs.

After several seconds of fighting to stay conscious, darkness soon started to swallow me.

---

All white…

That's what I could describe the moment I opened my eyes once again. Wherever I look at, all the surroundings within me are covered in white.

Am I dead? Is this heaven already?

A face of an elderly man that I think is in his forties wearing a set of white robe approached me all of a sudden when I was casting my gaze around me. A pang of pain in my head jolted inside me that caused my face to distort a bit when I tried getting up.

"Father?" I said dizzily without much thinking about it. 

I am not sure if I heard this man chuckled but after that, he spoke to me for the first time.

"It's actually Doctor Suarez, at your service." he introduced himself. 

It was then that realization hit me hard. I am currently not in heaven, nor is my father here with me now. I realized that I am in a hospital room, and the nurse that just entered through the door started checking my vital signs.

"Oh. W-what happened? How did I end up here?" 

Several questions start popping out of my mind whenever I am looking at both the nurse and the doctor 

"Someone was able to see you lying unconsciously on the ground just in time amidst your surroundings being devoured by fire." The doctor responded happily. 

"S-someone?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

I wonder who is this person to whom I owe my life with...

---

-THIRD PERSON-

---

EARLIER AT THE CASTLE…

"Krisella is still not here, that's odd." 

Lancelot couldn't help but worry when Krisella did not show up in the prince's office where he and two other mentors of the girl are currently staying. 

"It will be six in the evening soon and she is still not home until now. I wonder what happened to her." the archbishop added.

"The last time she was this late, she came back in distress," Lucas mentioned.

Instinctively, the two of them turned their head towards Alex, who was silent standing on a corner, with their eyes narrowed at him while looking at him suspiciously. The lad, in return, arched his eyebrow at these two.

"What are you looking at? I did not cause trouble this time. I swear!" Alex said defensively.

'Well, that might be true.' both Lucas and Lancelot thought.

They knew Alex pretty well. He is a terrible liar, and they could easily sense if he is telling the truth or not. In this case, they can somehow sense that the lad is indeed speaking the truth, or else he would be silent about this matter.

"Then where could that girl be? She never comes to our training sessions at this late hour." Lancelot said in a worried tone. "Unless she is in some kind of a dangerous situation right now."

Both Lucas and Alex turned their heads to look at the archbishop.

"You think so?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I'm not sure either. But there is no other way that Krisella could be this late, isn't it?" Lancelot asked back. Both of them fell silent after that.

"If that is the case, let's go find her." 

After remaining silent for a while, Lucas volunteered to find the girl. Alex shook his head first and volunteered as well. Even if they don't show it, they care for their trainee deep down inside.

"Alright. Please hurry. We might not know, but she might need your help right now." Lancelot said that made Alex and Lucas nod their heads before excusing themselves to leave the room.

Hastily, they went outside the castle gates and split their ways. Lucas took the east part of Citadel while Alex took the other side where Gilead Academy is located. He decided to check the school first since this would be the last place that Krisella went for today.

When arriving at the said location, an unexpected scene caused the lad to halt at his place and made his eyes round and his mouth slightly gaped.

In the stretcher carried by two masculine men from a distance… he could visibly see the figure of Krisella unconsciously lying while she is being loaded in a large cart that would bring her to the nearest infirmary.

"No… it can't be." the lad thought to himself.