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The class had just ended.

The students protested against saying the enchantment, but they almost had no choice. Only Fox could resist anything that time around. Jessica wasn't deeply affected. She only bit her lip and closed her eyes, feeling something but not letting it get to her. Damien did almost the same thing but also rubbed his face, hiding it from view. Fletcher held his hands into fists and placed them behind his back, putting his head down and briefly gasping.

Ella and Trevor were the most affected. Ella was shaking her head as she sat on her knees on the ground, gasping like Fletcher was and trying to hide from something invisible. Trevor was close to tears, but not only because of the temptation. It reminded him of his past, and how he never wanted to experience it again. And he was. At that school. He would never escape it.

After that lesson they were shooed off to lunch. Only Jessica knew where the lunchroom was because she was taking note of where everything was while walking, and left everyone else wondering where it was. After about ten minutes everyone found their way.

Mr. Barla stood behind the kitchen and served their meal; mashed potatoes with green beans and a choice of either a hamburger or a cheese burger. There were a three tables. Ella, Jessica and Marisa sat at one table, and Teony hesitated before joining them. She looked back at another table to see Fox sitting alone, and she decided to sit with him instead. When she sat down next to him he smiled at her and she smiled back, and it was a silence until Rafe and Trevor joined and started talking. Fletcher and Raven also ended up sitting there, eating instead of talking. Jackson, Damien and Rum also sat at one table, and started talking about themselves and their backstories.

"Is it just me or is this academy too good to be true?" Jessica asked Ella and Marisa, still starstruck.

"It's not just you," Marisa reassured. She looked at them mysteriously and hushed her voice. "Something's going on here. I don't know if it's the books or the tapestries or even Mr. Barla, but I just feel like this school is more than it seems."

"Marisa, this is magic we are talking about, of course it's not gonna be a normal academy," Ella whispered.

"Yeah, but who uses dark magic to keep us away from it?" Marisa argued. Ella and Jessica stayed quiet. "I'm looking around tonight."

"Are you mad?" Jessica gasped. "If Mr. Barla finds out-"

"He won't find out," She interrupted. "And if he does, I just say that I wanted to get a snack and I couldn't find the kitchen."

Ella sighed. "You better be right Marisa."

"I am, trust me."

Rafe and Trevor picked at their food, wondering if they should eat it. Fletcher looked at them, and spoke; "You alright? You had quite the reaction back in the classroom."

"I'm fine," Trevor snapped. He didn't want to bring it up, and looked down. Rafe didn't answer.

"I know you're not," Raven said. "I didn't get to see Rafe but I saw you out of the corner of my eye."

Trevor didn't see her lips move, so his eyes stayed down. Everybody else got the hint, and didn't bring it up. "Teony, how come you didn't do anything? I know Fox said the incantation right," Fletcher asked.

"I don't know, I didn't feel anything," She said in a hushed tone.

"How is that even possible?" Rafe contradicted, putting a piece of potatoes in her mouth.

"I don't know," Teony repeated, a little louder this time.

"I didn't do anything either," Fox pointed out. "I don't know what it means, maybe we're different or something?"

"Not to mention Rum," She replied.

"And Rafe, Ella, and Trevor."

"Well, don't forget, we still have the rest of our time here to find out," said Rafe.

"I don't want to find out," whispered Teony. She didn't want to feel different than everyone else in that way, and honestly, that stuff scared her. She touched her collarbone, thinking of when she cut herself and how she wants more than anything else just to stay safe. That's why she was there, anyways.

"Okay, class," A large voice called. Mr. Barla came out from behind the kitchen counter and into the cafeteria. "time for your next lesson."

The next lesson wasn't anything interesting. All they did for the rest of the day was learn about dark magic and it's history. Mr. Barla said he made a mistake during the last lesson and that the spell was supposed to be for later in the year, but no one believed him. He said that they had to study the magic first, and then go onto the more advanced stuff. Pretty much the only person that was paying attention in that class was Jessica, who was constantly writing down about the dark magic history and laws. Trevor was at the back so he couldn't understand any of what Mr. Barla was saying, and often relied on Rafe to pass him notes, help he didn't want to admit he needed.

It was about six hours of class before they could finally get dismissed. It felt almost like punishment to them, but they were glad to finally leave. Even Jessica got bored, her notes only half complete. The students raced up the spiral staircase, exhausted by the time they got to the top. The girls and boys split up, going into their separate dorms. Marisa acted tired, and flopped onto her bed. "Do you mind if I sleep now? Mr. Barla almost put me to bed with his lessons."

"Now?" Raven asked, confused. "It's barely eight!"

"I'm just tired," She responded. She looked at Ella and Jessica, praying that they wouldn't tell the others what she was planning. They stayed silent.

Raven sighed. "Alright. Whatever."

Marisa sighed in her mind with relief and tucked herself under the covers. "Wait," Rafe interrupted. "aren't you going to change?"

"I'm too tired," Marisa lied. She closed her eyes, and pretended to fall asleep. Going to bed earlier would gain their trust even more. 

For the next hour, everyone else was talking. Rafe was talking about her brothers at home and how they would always prank her, and Ella showed them all the pictures she got. Marisa heard a few girls giggling and rolled her eyes. She didn't understand why girls giggled all of the time at the stupidest things.

She waited until everybody was asleep to go. Marisa put on her shoes as quietly as possible, and tiptoed out of the door. But before she left, Jessica grabbed her leg. "You really doing this?" She whispered.

"Yes, now let go," Marisa snapped. Jessica looked at her with worried eyes, but ended up releasing her grip. "Thanks." And she ran out of the door.

She didn't really know where she was going. Maybe she should have thought of that before she left.

But she had to decide quick.

She ran through the hallway and turned at random corners, and after a few rotations, she realized that she was lost. Cursing in her mind, she tried to keep going, not having an end in mind. She kept opening doors, and she ended up finding the pool. She was tempted to jump in but went against her gut, closing the door.

It took her almost an hour to find what she was looking for.

The basement. Happy that there was one, she opened up the trapdoor on the ground and climbed down the ladder. 

It was really dark, so dark she could barely see anything. She pulled out her phone, glad that she brought it, and turned on the flashlight. 

It was dusty, which made Marisa sneeze. She kept going though, even though her eyes were close to watering from the dust and dirt around there. There was broken furniture around the small basement. The basement was scarcely smaller than her dorm room which made it look more like cellar, and the couches took up most of that space. The walls were brown and the dirt fell like dripping wax onto the ground, some from the ceiling that fell onto her head. She brushed it off and kept looking around.

Broken pieces of wood were scattered along the ground, and Marisa found it hard to avoid them. She stepped over them with difficulty and actually almost fell one time. Frustrated that there was almost nothing there, she turned around.

And she was glad that she did.

She stepped on something else that was not a piece of wood but rather a book, and not the textbook they were studying, but a different kind of history book. She rubbed off the dirt from the cover and read the title in her head; "The Effects of Dark Magic by Alfred Pons." 

Relieved that she might get some answers, she turned to a random page in the book.

And she saw the tapestry that hung all over Ashwock.

"Oh my god," Marisa gasped. 

She kept reading the page in her head; "The dark magic I have encountered isn't like a demon, it's more. It's so destructive that it can only be one thing; human. I have come to the conclusion that it needs a host to survive, and that everything I have previously known about the magic is a lie. So, I created an enchantment to conduct further research. Just say the next paragraph aloud, and you will know how it works."

Marisa thought to herself, wondering what to do. It could be dangerous, She thought. but I would also get answers. And that's why I came.

She took a deep breath, and let it out while saying the enchantment; "Quæ habitat intra revelare nobis revelare ac tenebras." When she first said it, nothing happened. She wondered if she said it right, and started again. "Quæ habitat intra-"

Then there was the scream.

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