Prologue: Four Years Of Secrets
“Welcome, Team 999, to the special Coronation of Spies. Throughout your years at Supernatural Spy Academy, you've questioned our methods and ways of teaching until it came down to the point where you had to trust in us to see the truth in all of our actions."
Star snuggled against my neck, excited for what was going on.
"Well, there's a reason for all of this, and it comes back down to the very prophecy bestowed upon you."
The prophecy...
"The last four years have felt more like trials than anything, and you've questioned why you haven't gained enough skills, strength, and survival tactics to be confident spies in the field. Those are all valid worries."
She paused and looked at each of us. Then she raised the mic to her lips.
“The last four years have felt like trials because they've been exactly that. Team 999, you've officially accomplished the Supernatural Spy Trials and are now eligible to accept your invitation into the true Supernatural Spy Academy, which is located within the depths of the City in the Sky. There, you will spend the next four years enhancing your skills, strengths, and survival tactics, and be put to the true test with no strings attached."
I was absolutely speechless, but Aria carried on.
"Before you get lost in shock, there is one final revelation. There is a reason that you and your team members survived the shock caused by the malfunctioning of your watches."
What?!
"I'd love to explain the details, but I think it would be best for the rest of the council to come up here. Daichi Xin, Mitten Lula, Scarlett Solange, Queen Kensuke. Can you please join me?"
We watched them make their way onto the stage, and our confusion grew when they left a gap in the middle.
Are there more people?
“Finally, the secretary and vice president, who both coordinate the high council, and the official headmaster of the Supernatural Spy Academy Sky Campus."
Aria moved off to the side and the red curtains in the background moved to reveal three individuals — two females and one male.
My heart stopped, and I heard Dimitri and Wolfgang gasp in pure shock.
Impossible...
Aria took a deep breath.
“Introducing the secretary of S.S.S. Sky Division, Annabella Hellsin. The Vice President of S.S.S. Sky Division, Naomi Vasiliev. And finally, the Headmaster of S.S.S. Sky Division, Dr. Artemis Spell Solange."
The room was pin-drop silent as the three individuals stepped forward and the others bowed in their presence. Aria passed the mic to Artemis, whose eyes were locked on mine.
"Good afternoon, Team 999. Congratulations on surviving the trials of Supernatural Spy Academy. I will be your headmaster from this moment forward. Let me be the first to greet the newest set of demigods to be accepted to S.S.S. Sky Division."
He paused and gave a small smile, those tender eyes of his grew glassy as he stared into my wide ones.
"There's a lot to be explained, but you'll have years five through eight to learn everything you need to become the true spies you're destined to be. Welcome to your destiny. I hope the six of you will embrace your unique differences as you carry on toward the best years of your life."
The room was thick with tension as the six of us remained frozen in our spots. My mind was trying to repeat what had just been said, my eyes processing the man standing on the stage. My body was enduring numerous sensations, my emotions flipping out of control as I mentally tried to figure out how to even respond.
What would you say to your dead parent who's actually alive?
This was one of the multitudes of questions beginning to weigh on my mind while I fought to breathe normally. A day of celebration that led to this bomb being dumped on our heads was something I never would have believed could become reality.
My father. My dad, who was my hero and savior through so many challenges in my life. Even when he was dead, the thought of him, memories of my childhood, and his wishes to see me prevail at Supernatural Spy Academy as the first witch to attend were what pushed me to reach this moment.
Four years of spy school. Four years of trials, errors, failures, and achievements.
It was all because I decided to follow my dad's dreams for me - to pursue the path of a spy and make him proud as I excelled.
This revelation didn't make me regret my actions, but now that the true secret of the academy was out in the open, I struggled to accept it.
We'd endured four years of supernatural trials. Not actual spy school? My father, as well as Dimitri's and Wolfgang's mothers, is alive? Scarlett knows that Dad is alive. The City in the Sky…demigod acceptees…my dad is the headmaster!
The multiple thoughts were becoming too much, weighing down my mind and body, making my heart pound so harshly against my chest that the rush of pumping blood was making me dizzy.
I wasn't going to faint or collapse in their presence, but I was struggling with this news.
What am I supposed to say? What should I even do? How do you respond to a situation like this? How am I even supposed to feel?
My emotions were indescribable because they were changing every second. One second I was happy. So fucking happy because there was the man I thought perished in the hospital bed without having that final chance of hearing me say goodbye and that I loved him.
I was sad because all these years could have been spent doing plenty of father and daughter activities. He was my rock. My bond with him was far closer than my bond with Mother, and if he were alive, I knew that bond would have remained and maybe aided me to reach even greater achievements.
I was angry. So fucking angry that it may have overwhelmed the other two emotions in a race to target and destroy. It had every right to try and be the absolute emotion in this predicament because it was the most deserving.
We all deserved to be furious. Our emotions had been manipulated as our minds were convinced that our parents had truly perished. The wounds left behind motivated us to strive harder as we fought to move past the loss of parents and become the best versions of ourselves for the sake of their legacy.
I could only imagine what Dimitri and Wolfgang were feeling. Plenty of thoughts and emotions had to be rushing through their minds and bodies at this revelation. Wolfgang lost his entire pack and Dimitri lost his mom for the sake of securing Lia.
If we wanted to use normal logic, none of this would make sense. When you died, you were officially gone. There were no takebacks or “oops, I woke up again” moments. When your heart stopped beating, your end was official, just like the engraved letters of your name upon a tombstone as your legacy is celebrated and those that loved you mourn the strings left behind.
There shouldn't be a try again button, and yet I wondered if such a device existed because my vision was as clear as day, and I knew without a doubt that the man before me was definitely my father.
If this was all truly real, how would we move forward? What could we even say to open the casket of lies and deceits that began to creep into the picture? If I allowed those emotions to have their say, it would merely morph my anger into a rage, and that would be something I'd struggle to control.
Then there were the mini emotions that added to the rest of the pile: the nervousness about what other secrets were hidden from us, the fear of what the next four years would have in store for us, and the heartache for my mother that seemed to tug at the strings of my racing heart.