The bridge had made Beatriz see that she doesn't need to hold back. But it had also shown her just how scary the Flower of Ilvermorny could be. Snaping in and out of places without much effort by using apparition. Which wasn't apparition but something far more efficient and faster.
Since they had used all their time on the bridge, they hadn't had time for lunch. And now the Herbology lesson would begin.
The so called hanging garden that the herbology classroom was held in, a reference to the lost wonder of the earth. Actually wasn't hanging, much to Filas disappointment.
But beautiful nonetheless. A whole temple looking building with plants, trees and everything else growing on it and out of it. from the roof, a waterfall poured into a creak down below.
The Hanging Gardens were less a classroom and more a living monument to the jungle's power. Massive, weathered stone pillars were strangled by emerald vines, and the entire structure seemed to be held together by the very flora it housed.
Professor Silva was already standing in the center of the main platform. She was a tall, lean woman with eyes that seemed to track the movement of every leaf in the garden.
"You are late," Silva remarked, her voice like the rustle of dry leaves. She didn't turn around, but a long, whip-like vine near her feet twitched in the girls' direction. "Beatriz, I expected the Ilvermorny guest to struggle with the directions, not for you to lose your way in your own school."
Beatriz straightened her shoulders, "My apologies, Professor. The transition corridor was... more active than usual this morning."
Fila didn't listen to the exchange, her whole mind focused on the different plants around her.
Plants that could kill, and that could heal. Plants really had use for everything in the magical world. For potions and heling, even in combat if you knew how to handle a Chinese chomping cabbage.
Inside this massive castle of flowers and living plants. Fila felt home, like in a forest or in the greenhouse back at school. Well almost any forest, she still seemed to have beef with the rain forest as it almost made her insane on arrival.
The professor kept going with her lesson, Bea had joined in with the others in class. Meanwhile fila walked around, looking at the exotic plants.
All of them greeted her gently, some even stretching out as she graced her hand near them.
But something pulled on her, something hidden in a old looking cabinet.
It felt old and as if it wanted to grow. Fila found herself drifting toward the back of the room, past rows of snapping ferns and glowing lilies.
The pull was magnetic.
In a shadowed alcove stood a cabinet that looked as though it had been carved from a single block of dark, weathered ironwood. Its doors were warped, held shut by silver chains that looked less like locks and more like a necessary restraint.
As she reached out for the cabinet she felt a hand on her shoulder, she quickly pulled her gaze away from the cabinet and looked at the person.
"Easy there child, what's in there isn't for the easy of heart." Professor Silva said calmly. She looked first at Fila than at the Cabinet.
"What's in there." Fila asked, "Its sad and screaming almost."
Silva sighed, "its my greatest creation and also my biggest failure." She looked sad while she looked towards the cabinet. As if she tried to hide her previous mistakes behind a looked door that she hoped would never open again.
"A failure?" Fila rasped, "Nature doesn't usually fail, Professor. It just adapts. What was it supposed to be?"
Professor Silva's hand remained on Fila's shoulder, her grip firm but not unkind. "It was meant to be the Coração da Floresta—the Heart of the Forest. A seed capable of purifying any blighted soil, of bringing life back to a desert in a single night. But I poured too much into it. Too much hope, too much magic, too much... of myself."
Fila soon enough realized what she meant, "You cursed it."
The accusation hung in the air for too long, leaving it as a mystery. But the professor didn't disagree or reject it.
"It became a parasite," Silva continued softly, her gaze far away. "It stopped wanting to heal. It only wanted to grow, consuming everything in its path to reach a light it could never find. I had to bind it before it turned this garden into its own tomb."
Fila didn't pull away. If anything, she stepped an inch closer, her cherry-red blindfold facing the darkness of the alcove. To her, the screaming wasn't a threat; it was a plea. It reminded her of the quiet, frozen moments in the cellar—the feeling of wanting to reach for the sun while being buried under the weight of the dark.
"It's not a parasite," Fila whispered, her voice gaining a steadier, more grounded quality. "It's just lost its place. It's trying to beat, but there's no heart left to tell it how."
Fila reached her hand forward, from the side several vines started tugging at the chain that surrounded the cabinet.
"No, Ophelia don't!" Professor Silva tried to stop her, but before she could the last pull ripped the chains apart.
The doors of the cabinet swung open with a force of a bull running. A gust of hair shot out and almost knocked the professor of her feet. Fila stood still with steady feet.
She looked at the sad creation that lain in the middle of the cabinet. It was dark and hideous. Darkness almost seemed to be flowing out of it, and roots as dark as coal surrounded the seed that laid underneath.
Professor Silva regained her balance, her wand already drawn, the tip glowing with a vibrant green light. "Ophelia, step away! It will latch onto your magic—it will hollow you out to feed its own growth!"
Fila didn't listen to the professor, actually she thought that Silva didn't really understand how these plants worked. They weren't just something to use for our own sake.
With a solid step forward fila reached out to the seed, she pulled away some of the vines that had grown from it.
The dark roots, sensing the warmth of a living presence, began to uncoil. They moved like wet silk, reaching out toward Fila's hands. As they touched the air, they began to turn a sickly, translucent grey.
"Silva, put the wand down," Fila commanded without looking back. "You're scaring it. Every time you cast a containment charm, you're just telling it that it's a monster."
Silva hesitated, her hand trembling. "It is a monster, child. It destroyed everything I tried to grow with it."
Fila looked down at the seed and picked it up. It was as big as a handball. And fila held it like a baby, cradled in her arms.
Some of the vines still attached to it started twisting themselves on her arms, trying to latch on.
"Fila, wait!" Beatriz shouted, stepping forward. "It's starting to climb your arms!"
The seed in her arms vibrated slightly. "It so loud in here isn't it?" she said in a whisper to the seed. "Lets go outside and make you whole again."
She snapped her finger and apparated outside into the rain forest.
The snap echoed through the humid temple, and in an eye-blink, the heavy, floral scent of the Hanging Gardens was replaced by the raw, overwhelming musk of the true Amazon.
"See?" Fila rasped, her voice blending with the rustle of the leaves. "No boxes. No chains. Just the dirt."
She knelt, the damp earth soaking into her pants. The seed was vibrating so violently now that it was a blur of shadow in her grip. It was trying to feed, trying to find the "hope" it had been cursed with, but Fila didn't give it hope. She gave it the truth. She pushed her magic into the seed.
The reaction was instant, it stopped vibrating. And in the arms of the girl it calmed.
Inside the seed, Fila was hard at work repairing and heling the little seed baby.
Fila click her tongue against her teeth as she saw how bad of work the professor had done with the seed. "You cant just force it to do what you want…" she mumbled for herself in the forest.
The professor way of doing it wasn't wrong in any way, the only thing is that this isn't a normal seed. It's a creation, and therefore you have to treat it as something else. If it needs care, you give it care. Its simple herbology that magical flowers are different from normal plants.
After about an half hour of sitting cross-legged on the floor of the jungle. Fila had seen someone walking towards her for a while now through her sight. Two titans of wizard and witch. The headmaster and headmistress.
Headmaster Fontaine stopped a few steps from her, and so did headmistress Dourado.
"You made quiet the stir Ophelia. But I can't say I'm surprised." Fontaine said with a slight chuckled as he looked down at the seed laying in her lap now.
"I'm an Ilvermorny student, Headmaster," Fila rasped, her thumb tracing the now-silky surface of the seed. "We're known for our hands-on learning. Usually involves more dirt than the books suggest."
Dourado stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the seed. She looked at the faint silver shimmer now tracing Fila's forearms where the vines had merged and then retreated. "Professor Silva is quite convinced she has lost twenty years of work to a headstrong girl with a penchant for dramatics. And yet..." She knelt slowly, her hand hovering over the plant. "It is quiet. For the first time since it was formed, the Coração is at peace."
Fila was still putting the finally pieces in place in place to make sure this doesn't happen again, and so it can be happy.
"So what brought you here." She said to the two Professors. "I don't think you came here out of worry, you should know better Headmaster."
Fontaine laughed, "Well yes, but Professor Silva got really worried even after my speech about you being able to handle it."
Fila finally stood up and stretched her legs.
The humid air of the rainforest seemed to hang in a respectful stillness around the three of them. Fila brushed the dark, fertile soil from her knees, her movements fluid and unbothered. The seed, now a smooth orb pulsing with a soft, silver luminescence, rested securely in the crook of her arm.
"You speak as if I have a choice in the matter, Ophelia," Fontaine remarked, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He adjusted the lapel of his coat, looking every bit the composed headmaster even in the middle of a tropical thicket. "When a guest student steals a volatile magical relic and vanishes into the green, certain protocols are expected to be followed. Regardless of how much faith I have in your... unorthodox methods."
Headmistress Dourado still knelt where Fila had sat just before. Where Fila had sat, a ring around her chape had formed of flowers.
But she stood and let it go until later.
And as she did, Fila held out the seed to Dourado. "Here, and don't lock it in a cabinet again." she then snapped her finger and in a flurry of leaves she disappeared.
"A truly remarkable girl." Dourado said to Fontaine.
Headmaster Fontaine watched the spot where Fila had vanished, a few stray leaves drifting lazily through the air where she'd stood a second before. He let out a long, weary sigh, though his eyes were twinkling behind his spectacles.
"Remarkable is one word for it, Headmistress," Fontaine remarked, adjusting his collar. "Others might use troublemaker or headache maker. But yes, in terms of magic and knowledge. She is probably the most remarkable witch in a very long time." Fontaine felt a proud smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
In the middle of a courtyard Infront of the school entrance. A girl popped out of nowhere, making leaves appear around her as she did.
"The leaves are a nice touch I must admit." She heard a boy say. She turned her head to her left and saw the unmistakable magical figure that could only be Miles.
"I know right? I really just gives a nice touch of grace." Fila took slow steps towards him. He wasn't doing anything. "What are you doing? Just lurking or?"
Miles didn't move from his spot, leaning back against the cool stone of a decorative fountain.
"Lurking is such a strong word," Miles replied, his voice carrying that familiar, dry edge. "I prefer 'observing the local flora and fauna.' Though, usually, the flora doesn't teleport into the middle of the courtyard with theatrical leaf-effects."
Ah looking at girls. "So have you seen any attractive flora yet?"
Miles nodded. "Oh yes, but it seems you have already taken the best flower for yourself."
Fila had to think out what they were discussing for a moment and puzzle it together. And then she let out a good laugh. "ah, you mean Beatriz. Yes don't you dare lay even a finger on her."
Miles held up his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "I value my life far too much to get between a Thunderbird and her latest... interest. Besides, I think the champion would probably turn me into a charcoal briquette before I even cleared my throat."
"Fair point," Fila said, her smile widening as she reached him. "She does have a bit of a temper when she's awake. And even more when she's sleepy."
"So," he said, falling into step beside her as they began to walk toward the massive stone arches of the school entrance. "I assume the gardening project was a success? Professor Silva was seen sprinting toward the Headmistress's office looking like she'd just witnessed the end of the world."
"She's dramatic," Fila replied, stretching her arms behind her head. "The seed was just lonely. Everyone kept trying to make it pure and just perfect. It just wanted to touch the dirt and be a plant. People complicate things."
The two friends walked together into the great hall, dinner would have already started being served at this time. and after that, the first duel would start. And the excitement could be felt through the walls of the school.
The Castelobruxo students already wore their support badges and had their flags ready in the dinner hall.
Fila signaled to Miles to excuse her as she moved to the snakes table. Her prey sat at her usual spot. "BO!" fila pinched the sides of Bea's waist and made her jump and give a quiet 'yelp'.
Beatriz nearly knocked over her goblet of pumpkin juice. Several students nearby ducked, expecting a stray bolt of lightning, but as soon as Bea realized who it was, the jagged tension in her shoulders collapsed.
"Fila!" Bea gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. "By the Great Serpent, do not ever do that again. My heart is already doing enough work today."
The others around the table laugh softly. "I've never seen someone make you stand on your toes this much, and I love it." Clara said.
Fila slid onto the bench beside her with a casual, liquid grace that seemed to claim the space. She reached out and snatched a small, warm roll from Beatriz's plate, taking a lazy bite. "I don't know, Bea. That yelp was pretty melodic. You should consider adding it to your repertoire."
Beatriz glared, though the fire in her eyes was more fond than furious. Her gaze dropped and scanned the girls body. "Hey I'm fine, it didn't do anything if that's what your worried about."
She seemed to murmur something that Fila didn't catch and she turned back to her plate, she seemed upset.
Fila felt something heavy form in her stomach at the girls visible worry.
Fila's usual smirk faltered, the playful light in her posture dimming as she realized the gravity of the reaction. Bea wasn't used to being this worried about someone who isn't her family, and this maybe felt too real for her.
She leaned in, her shoulder pressing against Beatriz's.
"Bea," Fila rasped, her voice dropping to a low, grounded register. "I'm sorry. I didn't think... I just saw a mess that needed fixing. I didn't mean to leave you in the dark."
Beatriz didn't look up immediately. She poked at a piece of roasted meat with her fork, "Silva didn't make it sound like a 'mess,' Fila. She made it sound like a death sentence. And then you just... pop. Gone. No warning, no nothing."
Fila reached out, her hand hesitating for a fraction of a second before she gently covered Beatriz's fist on the table. "Silva was trying to grow a flower in a cage. I just took it to the garden. It was fine, Bea. I'm fine."
The whole seed situation was a lot more complicated than that, but calming her mind seemed to be the thing that was most needed right now.
Beatriz finally turned her head, her dark eyes searching Fila's face, looking for any sign of the "hollowing" Silva had warned about. Finding only the same stubborn, mischievous girl with the same cherry-red blindfold, she let out a long, shaky breath.
"You are the most difficult person I have ever met," Beatriz murmured, though the edge was gone from her voice. "But don't you dare do that during the tournament. I can't focus on winning if I have to wonder which part of the jungle you've decided to haunt."
"Deal," Fila smirked, the heavy feeling in her stomach finally starting to dissipate. She gave Beatriz's hand a small, playful squeeze before letting go. "Now, eat something. I didn't spend all that time on the bridge helping you find your teeth just for you to get out-dueled because you were hungry."
Fila finally stood, she felt like she needed to spend some time with her friends from home.
She moved towards the table were all Ilvermorny students had collected themselves. Even the champions sat there. And as she approached she was met by the gaze of Aaron.
"Oh well look who decided to join her school after deserting to the other school." Aaron thought this would bring more than a few laughs to the table, but it had the opposite effect and even gained a slap to the back head by Sera who sat beside him.
Aaron rubbed the back of his head, scowling at Sera, who didn't even look up from her plate as she retracted her hand. "What? It's a joke!" Aaron protested, though his voice lacked its usual bite when he saw Fila's unhurried, sauntering approach.
"Deserting implies I was ever on your side to begin with, Aaron," Fila rasped, her smirk returning with a sharp, effortless edge. She slid into a seat across from him, leaning back and propping an ankle over her knee. "I'm a free agent. I go where the interesting plants are. And right now, the snakes have much better snacks."
"And more drama, apparently," June chimed in, leaning forward with her chin in her hands. Her eyes were sharp, "Word is you broke into a high-security cabinet just to give a seed a piggyback ride into the woods. Fontaine looked like he was trying to decide between giving you a detention or a medal."
"He settled for a sigh," Fila said, her airy lilt returning to its usual mischievous peak. "It's his favorite way of saying 'I'm impressed but please stop'."
She sat down next to Daniel.
He leaned towards her slightly. "What do you expect from the duel later?"
Yes the duel, Fila had thought about it somewhat. And with each thought she always came to the same conclusion. That Rin would win.
Castelobruxo champion Enzo wasn't weak. He was actually very strong and controlled from what Fila could see, BUT. Being strong and controlled doesn't do much against someone who has magic that feels like its going to rip your face of, if you look at it for to long.
"I don't know, might be a close match." Fila bullshited, not wanting to start giving away to much.
She didn't continue the discussion, she had to eat. And she didn't want to sit hungry when the duel would begin.
The buzz of the first duel was endless. Spoken at every table, and everyone had different opinions of how it would play out and of who would win. Mostly bias opinions.
But to her surprise after looking over the supporters in the hall. Not all Castelobruxo students seemed to be on Enzo's support. Actually several tables seemed to have more support for Rin.
Looking closer at it, it seemed that its some sort of rivalry between tribes. Fila ate the rest of her plate and stood up.
She skipped over to Bea again, "Hey cutie, what's up with some of your students seem to cheer on Rin instead of Enzo?"
Beatriz looked up from her plate, "You really don't let me have one moment of having a regular heartbeat do you?" she sighed and turned around to face Fila.
"Most tribes will hate on each other, just because they are in another tribe. that's just love for the game." She than pointed to Enzo. "But Enzo is a bit of a, how do it put this."
"An idiot." One of the students from beside her cut in.
Bea snaped her finger. "Thank Diego. Yes he's an idiot, and most don't like him because he's rude as fuck."
Fila let out a raspy, delighted chuckle. "Rude as fuck, huh? My favorite flavor of disaster." She leaned her hip against the table, her blindfold tilting toward Enzo, who was currently surrounded by a tight circle of supporters. He looked polished, too polished—like a statue that had spent too much time being buffed and not enough time being rained on.
Fila peaked down with her blindfold to Bea, she seemed to understand.
"I don't know who's going to win, but Rin is a really scary opponent. Especially to him." She said with a light shrug.
Fila then looked towards the Mahoutokoro champions who all sat collected at one table in the far corner of the hall. They were stale to say the least, minimal interactions with anyone other than themselves.
"Fila who do you think will win?" one of the girls who sat with them said, Fila got caught of guard because she didn't say that she could call her by the short name, but let it slide.
Fila still looking at the Japanese champion, she sat calmly and enjoyed what looked like a spring roll. And with a little hesitation she finally answered, "I think Enzo is going to have to have a card hidden in his sleeve if he wants to win."