Luna Lane and the Silence Gate – Chapter 3: The secret in the basement

This is not the start of the story, you may want to read at the beginning through these links:

• Link for Chapter 1: Strange things in Babb.
• Link for Chapter 2 : Ancient Auditorium

The next morning, Luna woke up. She glanced at Iris’s bed, and from the dark, lumpy shadow behind the curtains, Luna was absolutely certain Iris was still asleep—possibly hibernating.

With a mischievous grin, Luna pulled the curtains open dramatically and leapt onto Iris’s bed like an excited cat.

“WAKE UP, IRIS!” she announced, landing with a bounce.

Iris let out the most tragic groan in the history of mornings and burrowed deeper into her blanket like a worm retreating into soil.

“No,… five… more… centuries…” Iris mumbled.

Luna poked her.
“You’ve had enough centuries, pro. Time to rise or shine. Preferably both.”

Iris finally peeked one eye out.
“You’re too energetic. Return it.”

Luna only grinned wider.

“Come on! We need to get our timetable from Yuri. Wake up!” Luna said as she shook Iris.

“Okay…” Iris yawned.

The girls hurried into the Grand Lobby.

“I needed to warn you about something,” Yuri announced loudly. “The basement in the North Wing and the forest to the East of the castle were forbidden.”

Students were preparing for their first classes. Luna and Iris went to Listening class. The classroom had no tables—only soft pillows arranged around an old grand piano.

“My name was Orin,” the teacher said. “Today, you would learn your first lesson: how to listen like an Auditor.”

He continued,
“Humans listen with their ears, but ears are easily fooled. An Auditor listens with heart and soul. Now, listen!”

Professor Orin stood by the piano.
“White! Tell me what you heard.”

Malik White, another new student, stood up. Orin waved his hand, and the piano began to play by itself.

“I heard… waves and hammers,” Malik said.

“Not all new students could hear anything,” Orin said calmly. “Most freshmen couldn’t—yet.”

“Lane!”

Luna stood. The music flowed straight into her chest—warm, powerful, alive. Without thinking, she raised her hand. The piano switched into a different song.

“That’s—Lane, you changed the music!” Orin shouted. “It responded to you! Don’t be scared, but be careful. That was extremely rare.”

After class, Luna and Iris walked to the library.

“You controlled the sound,” Iris said quietly.

“What?” Luna blinked.

“Sound didn’t obey anyone. Except one person.”

“Who?”

“The Living Key,” Iris explained. “Someone who could command sound itself. The Living Key could unlock the Silent Gate.”

“So… what was the Silent Gate?” Luna asked.

“It was a gate that, once opened, gave someone the power to control what the world heard,” Iris said. “It was almost like controlling the world.”

“That meant… sound would disappear?”

“Kind of,” Iris replied.

There was a heavy silence.

“Come on!” Luna said quickly. “Let’s go eat!”

At the cafeteria, while they ate, Luna suddenly heard a whisper:

“Luna… the key… only your soul, heart, and sound can unlock the Silent Gate…”

“Whoa!” Luna gasped.

“What happened?” Iris asked.

Luna told her everything.

“So you were the Living Key,” Iris said, shocked.

Suddenly, they heard Malik talking to some boys:

“I wonder what’s in the forbidden basement. I’m going down there tonight!”

“Good one, Malik!” one boy laughed.

“Hahaha,” another joined.

Luna and Iris exchanged worried looks.

That night, just as they suspected, a shadow slipped across their beds. Malik.

Luna and Iris followed him silently.

The Northern Basement was filled with shelves of ancient books. Malik moved quickly between them. The girls followed until they reached an old door—the Silent Gate. The gate shivered, as if it felt the presence of the Living Key. The whole room trembled.

Suddenly, Luna saw a giant scorpion charging toward Malik.

Without thinking, she leapt from her hiding place and pulled both Malik and Iris away from danger, and rushed them out of the basement.

After that night, Malik became a close friend to both Luna and Iris.

• Wow!!! A Living Key is soooooooo cool! At the Silent Gate, it need Luna? Why? What will the Living Key affected to it? And what is it used for? And why it is so important that there are a scorpion guard the gate?
• Let’s read more in Chapter 4 – coming soon!