Nightshade Academy | Episode 0 | Hide and Seek (Audio)

I vow to serve the Empire with absolute devotion [Music] yashi Kanya was an easy target his Scarlet coat restricted his movement crinkled with every step and stood out against the Evergreens the Tracer laughed as he tackled Yoshi onto the dirt when the boy ran off to hunt the last criminal Yoshi made his way to their imaginary detainment facility his best friend quack savarium had marked the designated area by moving logs to form the outline of a square the other 13-year-old prisoners greeted him as he stepped over a log and joined them inside welcome back Yoshi I'm surprised he didn't Trace you faster with a coat like that you look like a tomato with arms and legs Yoshi flung his coat at the ground and quacks narrowed his eyes in disapproval you'll get sick it's either get sick or get caught Yoshi crossed his arms with a shiver as a Laura Valentine approached him he assumed from her irritating smirk that she would play the role of Tracer in the next round Laura loved playing tracer then we move yashi now your teeth will chatter and I'll hear you I bet if I barge your mittens you'd spot me even faster they're light green she genuinely believed her mittens camouflaged in the woods which amused Yoshi they're yellow truly banana yellow the other prisoners laughed and elora's smile faded everyone knew she was colorblind a fact about herself that she hadn't fully accepted quacks are my mittens really yellow yeah can we just start the round already lunch break doesn't last forever the Tracer had already returned with the final Criminal fine so Elora left the detainment facility and leaned her forehead against the tree one two three uh she counted to 50. the other friends scattered about the woods Yoshi never had much luck climbing trees so we searched for a clump of thick branches to hide behind hey yachi follow me I've got the perfect spot Yoshi trailed behind quacks with raised brows the coastal Breeze numbed his cheeks as they weaved around branches and stepped over logs every tree featured a unique arrangement of peeling bark sage green moss and leaves resembling Dew drops a rabbit scuffled behind a bush and Yoshi grinned he would have run after it if he weren't playing hide and seek despite his many attempts he had yet to catch a rabbit but surely it was a numbers game he was bound to win eventually how far are you taking me oh stop whining we're already here quack stopped and crouched by a short pile of logs well have a look for yourself it wasn't until yashi leaned over and squinted when he noticed the strings that Loosely bound the logs together he pulled the makeshift door open revealing a Dugout large enough to hold two people Yoshi's jaw dropped in disbelief you're kidding so this is why you stayed late after school yesterday no no I was studying at first then I realized I really wasn't in the mood to read but I was very much in the mood to build the best hiding spot in the history of Citra which is probably a non-existent standard but I digress quarks climbed into the ditch and hugged his knees to his chest now hurry up and get in she stopped counting a twig snapped in the distance yeah she glanced over his shoulder before joining him inside he was a full head shorter than quacks so he didn't have to hunge over even after they dragged the log door shut smiled proudly at his newest invention if only you put this much effort into your scores shut it Yoshi leaned his head against the dirt wall he could feel the vibrations of approaching footsteps off those strides are too long to be he turned to quacks with a frown do you hear that they held still as the footsteps grew louder and came to a halt Yoshi spotted a bronze eye staring at him through a gap in the door I know you're there no candy The Voice gave him away sixteen-year-old Chima furnace was the most menacing boy at Citrus secondary he tormented in Cycles identifying one Target and destroying their dignity before cherry-picking his next victim students fled when he walked down the hall and classmates fought over the seats furthest from his Chima feasted on their Terror but the one person who didn't fear Him was quack's older sister no matter how many bruises he left or insults he dished Cal ofarium never snapped back the log door shifted as light poured Into The Hideout Yoshi launched himself at Chima he knocked him down with pure momentum and pinned him by his chest wax run Chima didn't fight back he stared at Yoshi with a chilling grin as two unfamiliar voices began to laugh let go of me he brought his friends Yoshi gritted his teeth and threw a hasty punch but China snatched his wrist before he could land it better not be after my eyes he wrenched Yoshi's wrist until it ached yeah she tried to strike with his free hand but he lost his hold on Chima when two arms snatched him from behind leave us alone he elbowed chime his friend and successfully broke away but Chima was back on his feet to catch him the two upperclassmen shoved him against the tree and yanked his arms behind it attempting to bind his wrists with scratchy rope Yoshi tugged his arms apart as far as he could but they overpowered him and secured the knot in place the more he struggled the more his wrists burned he settled down and watched with labored breaths as Chima calmly dusted his pants keep the little one out of my way one of Chima's friends guarded Yoshi while the other continued to pin quacks to the ground quarks was a dramatic boy the kind to complained for 10 minutes about a paper cut and Yoshi knew he wouldn't stick up for himself as China walked toward quacks Yoshi discreetly shoved his fingers into the knot hoping to entangle it without the boy next to him noticing leave Yoshi out of this oh relax we won't hurt him if you cooperate Chima stopped and towered over him ah coaxavarium it's so nice to finally meet you although I'm sure your sisters told you enough about me already I'm not paused and his two friends burst into laughter all right she doesn't give a damn about me but what if I spit in your face huh would she give a damn then he leaned over and spat huh would you give a damn about that the older boys laughed again Yoshi felt the knot loosening when quarks tried to escape his captor drilled him down even harder the Twigs beneath him dug into his wrists and he cried out in pain let him go Chima faced Yoshi with a quick jolt of his head shut it convert Yoshi coward at the weight of his glare China stared for only a moment longer before removing a rusty pocket knife from his coat with the knot slightly loosened Yoshi yanked his wrists apart but the ropes wouldn't give way to his hands had the terror not clogged itself in his throat he would have screamed how do I get him out of this Cal thinks that if she ignores me she wins China slammed his shoe into quack's stomach leaving him choking for air he left his foot there as he dropped to one knee and held the knife against his neck she wants me to believe there's nothing I can do to make her fear me but there is one thing he's in there no he wouldn't wouldn't dare Yoshi tugged harder and the ropes drew blood his eyes watered when he spotted two yellow dots in the distance Chima's friend held a hand over Yoshi's mouth and olora bolted away he desperately hoped she had seen chyma's knife and was leaving to find help Citra secondary instructors remained uninvolved in Social matters outside of the classroom but a threat to kill violated Imperial law as he watched the yellow dots disappear a realization dawned upon him murdering quacks would send Chima straight to the detainment facility the real one there was no way chaima would destroy his future just to make Cal snap he's bluffing has to be I mean that's the only thing that thing that we sense right please don't hurt me hmm okay all right deal but in exchange why don't you tell me one good reason why you deserve to live please huh don't hurt me if you want to live so bad tell me one reason why I shouldn't bury you in the grave you dug up for yourself go on you have 10 seconds 10 days nine eight quacks continued to cry and chama's friends laughed even harder six the Guardians will find out five he'll lock you away you know that right four three China stopped counting at the sound of approaching footsteps a figure emerged from the shadows and the boy restraining quacks stumbled away as though he'd seen a ghost when Chima raised his head to face the interrupter a stocky log struck his skull the knife slid from his grip as he collapsed onto the ground Cal avarium dropped to her knees log in hand you can't win Chima's trembling fingers searched the dirt for his pocket knife before he could grab it cow swung the log down a second time laughs his arm fell limp the branches swayed their leaves rustling loudly Yoshi could hear every bird squawking every distant footstep and cry for help every racing breath the air tasted like mud and rust and salt water cow screamed through gritted teeth as she reeled the log back Yoshi closed his eyes as blood splattered across his face oh please what if China was only bluffing what if this was nothing but when he opened his eyes Chima's friends overcame their shock and rushed after cow they tore the log from her grip before distancing themselves the clouds darkened as our long hair waved violently in the wind she leaned over and sobbed quack sat up next to her splatters of blood mixing into his tears Cal had never been the warmest older sister and quacks had sometimes expressed concern over whether she cared for him at all but in that moment he stared at the girl who saved his life with unconditional admiration Yoshi lowered his gaze from the siblings and gagged at the sight of Chima's head oh what have you done [Music] Belladonna book one Nightshade Academy written and narrated by Mel Tori Franca produced by Mel Tori Franca and Wilson Hensley edited and Mastered by Juan Pablo Diaz [Music] cover art by mad Studio score by Juda puspida azri theme song composed and produced by James Sinclair stodd starring Jason Brown Anthony Andreas echeveri Melissa white Alex Bowie Patrick virsba Julia risto David John bores Connor Blanc Cody Keel Ellie Chua Ben Autry Walter Mack [Music] if it's really true [Music] featuring the voices of Gwyneth Evans J Ross Philip kryonoff Lucas Hensley Levi Titus Angie Eggers Willem dagar Allison Prophet Maria Palma nychiat Academy is produced in association with Lost Island press future if it's really true