A gust of the Well

Three knocks, then a second of silence, then another knock. The correct password. Tobus was earlier than expected. Etticus put his glass on the table and walked to the door with careful steps.
"Etticus", open up," Tobus' voice hissed behind the door. "Before the guards spot me."
Etticus opened the door, and his friend entered quickly before checking the hallway. Muffled steps could be heard around the corner. Etticus quickly closed the heavy wooden door. Locking it behind him.
"Your parents are gone right?" Tobus asked.
He was wearing a simple green tunic that fell loosely around his wide shoulders. He was tall for his age. Fourteen years old and already taller than Etticus' older brother. Light curls fell almost to his small brown eyes, and his nose was still crooked from that fight with the Querenthi mage's son two years ago.
"They are at the council. Only Baccus is home."
Tobus looked at him, brows furled, "you said it would be empty. If he comes out and sees me, I'll knock him out clean."
"Relax Tobus, he's with a girl. He's not gonna come out for a while. And we should leave anyway."
"A girl? So there's two?" Tobus hissed.
"Yeah, so let's just go."
Tobus sighed, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table and taking a bite from it.
"Those are expensive!" Etticus said. "My parents are gon..."
"Ugh, shut up. Let's go." Tobus said before slowly opening the door and peering into the hallway.
Etticus shut his mouth and followed the other kid into the hallway.

They ran through the halls of the keep as silently as they could. Peering around the corners of the ancient castle. The Elderhold Citadel was an incredibly ancient castle that was nestled in the mountains south of Thenai, the capital of Stellios. It was built next to the most valuable natural feature of Stellios, the Stellian Well. One of the few places in the world where Fount energy seeped into the air through a giant hole in the ground. The keep had been made back in the early days of humanity, by Dah himself. Or at least that is what he was taught during his lessons. Both his and Tobus' parents had jobs in the council that ran the massive keep. The complex both defended the pass and had housing for the many soldiers, mages, other staff, and visitors that lived and passed through here. But right now most of the important people and their personal guards were at a council meeting in the grand hall of the keep. So they could quite easily slip through the castle without being detected.
"Did you tell him to meet us there?" Tobus asked.
"Yeah, like you said. He thinks you want to apologize. Although he didn't get why you would want to do it there."
"As long as he is coming, it's all good. After tonight he'll think twice before talking back to me. If he is still alive."
He looked at Tobus. There was something in his eyes he didn't like.
He stopped, "you said you were just gonna talk to him. Intimidate him a bit. Nothing more."
Tobus sighed and turned around.
"Are you with me or not?" he said while taking a step towards Etticus.
"You're not going to kill him right?"
Tobus paused for a second and said, "no."
Etticus swallowed a heavy swallow and then nodded.

As they slipped through the slightly open doors into the faint moonlight, they saw a figure standing at the edge of the Well. Aendros had gotten there before them. The boy was standing there, peering out over the Well, mountain cliffs climbing up into the sky around him.
"Aendros," Tobus said as they got closer.
Etticus could see the Well clearly now. It was as wide as a lake, whisps of translucent smoke rising up from the depths. He could see lightning crackling around the sides, sometimes crossing over the middle of the Well with a louder crackle. It was blue, then purple, then slightly green, then back to purple. He could feel the energy radiating from the Well. It was invigorating him, energizing him.
The smaller boy looked back when he heard his name and walked up to the two.
"I heard you wanted to apologize," Aendros said. "I don't know why you would want to do it he..."
He got cut short when Tobus pushed him so hard he stumbled back and almost fell on his ass. He looked like an Yldar next to the bigger boy. Tobus grabbed Aendros by the collar of his robes and pulled him up into the air, pushing him closer and closer to the Well.
"Apologize?" Tobus said. "Who do you think I am? You are the one who refused my offer."
Dangling there in the air, his face getting red from the effort, Aendros looked at Tobus with a defiant look in his eyes.
"Fuck your offer," he said before spitting in his face. "I'm not your little slave. You can't boss me around just because you're bigger than me and your parents are on the council."
Tobus' eyes lit up red, as if one of the restless had possessed him.
"That was a mistake," he said before taking a few more steps, hanging Aendros over the edge of the Well.
Aendros looked down and swallowed visibly, his feet dangling in the air.
"Tobus, relax," Etticus said. "This is going too far."
He was standing next to the well now, anxiously looking at Aendros dangling there. He looked down into the well, trying to see the bottom. But there was no bottom, it just kept going down and down. Until the darkness swallowed any light that might escape from it. It truly seemed like a portal. Like a gateway to a place of pure energy.
"Alright," Aendros said nervously. "You win, I'll do it. Now put me down. Please"
Tobus almost seemed to grin while saying, "too late."
His fingers unlocked and Aendros' collar slipped away. The boy fell with an awful, bloodcurdling scream, grasping at air as he fell down into the Well. He seemed to drift with the current as he fell towards the center, before slamming back into the wall of the Well, all the while the Well's energy ripped and burned at him. Red lighting crackling past his body until there was nothing left but smoke. And that scream. He could still hear it. It had all been over in two seconds, even though it had seemed like an eternity.
With the scream still ringing in his ear, Etticus looked at Tobus. The other boy stumbled back, looking at his hands in horror.
"What?" he said. "I just wanted to ... I didn't mean to...."
He saw Etticus standing there and seemed to pull himself together.
"We have to get out of here."
"You killed him," Etticus could only say.
Tobus frowned and stepped toward him, "I didn't, don't say that. This never happened. We can never talk about this okay?"
Etticus swallowed, "you killed him."
Tobus took another step, closing his fists, "We did that. Not just me, you are also responsible. Do you really want to throw away your whole life for that loser?"
Etticus looked at the well, then back at Tobus, and nodded.
"Alright, let's go," he said in a weak voice.
"Good choice."