The weekend ends, causing the students to return to school. The parking lot begins to fill up again. Amanda collects her backpack and exits the limo. Near the main entrance of the school, she notices Erica and Emmalyn. She ventures over and greets them.

"Arriving to school in style," Erica comments.

"Uh, yeah. A welcome to school present from my aunt Josie" Amanda replies.

"And a benefit to belonging to a founding family" Emmalyn adds.

"A benefit" Amanda comments.

"Yeah, founding family ascendants are added to a list of traveling privileges" Erica informs. "And before you state the obvious, the school definitely favors the founding family students. But there a small few, who live outside that universe and think of us non founding family students as equals" Erica explains.

"Like me, Ansel, yourself" Emmalyn adds.

"Yeah, I don't understand people like that. People, who believe they're superior". Amanda pauses and looks around.

"Looking for Ansel," Erica assumes. "He is probably still in his dorm".

"But we can take you there. We're about to head to our dorms" Emmalyn offers.

"Uh, no thanks. That's fine. I'll just see him later. I still have to settle into my dorm anyway" Amanda explains, before leaving them.

"Okay. Bye then" Erica replies, walking away with Emmalyn.

         Amanda walks up the carpeted hallway toward her dorm. She nears the door and collects the key card to unlock the door from her pocket. Emmalyn and Erica locate Ansel in the courtyard. He sits at a table with the latest copy of the Spell Caster's Gazette in front of him.

SPELL CASTER'S GAZETTE

~Dark Arts Shop~

Low on activity for almost a decade, recently the shop has become a standard shopping stop. Evermore promotes itself to being a safe haven during the new school year. But doubtful parents happen to be going to protective lengths when it comes to their children's safety. But hey, who can blame them? So, next time you're in Spell Caster's Ave. Stop in because the dark arts shop might just have what you require to protect yourself and your loved ones.

"Amanda is back," Emmalyn informs him.

"That's good. Maybe, I'll go check in on her later. With this impending battle, the Spell Caster's Gazette is sure hyping about it" Ansel explains.

"That'll occur for a while," Emmalyn comments.

"Do you really believe there'll be a battle?". Erica sits down, across from Ansel. "There has hardly been an issue since the new protocol has been put in place".

"That's exactly when ghastly issues begin to arise, when it is least expected" Emmalyn replies.

Now the dorm door is shut again.

"Hey. How was your weekend?". Emma sets her bag on the table.

"Spend time with family. Nothing eventful" Amanda answers. "You?".

"Basically, the same". Emma walks over to the kitchen and opens the fridge door.

Amanda collects the Spell Caster's Gazette from the coffee table and scans over the article.

"What's wrong?" Emma asks, seeing the look on her face.

"Dark Arts shop is rising in business activity because of the supposed war rumors" Amanda answers.

"Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous of how people are acting" Emma states. "Hey, isn't Avelle supposed to be back?".

"Yeah, I would think so" Amanda replies.

A faded red driver's side door of a truck happens to be pulled open.

"Heading back to Evermore," Nate presumes, gaining a nod for a response. "Look, I don't know what you've been through in your life, and I don't take the standoffish behavior personally. But if I overstepped in some way or you thought you were supposed to be alpha. I'm sorry".

"You're fine. You seem to have a good handle on the pack" Avelle replies. "I'm sorry if I seemed standoffish. I just thought coming home for the weekend,...I just thought I wouldn't feel so disconnected".

"Visit again," Nate suggests. "This will always be your home, your pack. I'm just managing the pack in your absence".

"Well, you're doing a good job" Avelle tells him, while she climbs into the truck.

"Just drive safe" Nate reminds her. Then he turns around, begins to walk away, and disappears into the woods.

    Avelle pulls her door shut and goes on her way. Emmalyn rejoins Ansel in the lounge. He sits on the couch, staring at the cozy warm fire burning before him. Emmalyn stops and sits on the arm of the couch, which was located on the opposite side of him. She remains quiet.

"Does she know?" Emmalyn asks, curious.

"What are talking about Em?". Ansel attempts to play stupid.

Emmalyn turns her head and looks at him. "Amanda. Does she know about the hatred between your families? Does she know that you're really a Blackwell?".

"Amanda knows I'm a member of a founding family and that's all she needs to know" Ansel replies.

"Because she is a Davenport" Emmalyn assumes.

"And if what I've been informed of is at all true, I have to keep a strict boundary line between us" Ansel explains. "She could know a lot more Evermore history, than she is letting on".

"Amanda doesn't seem like the deceiving type" Emmalyn expresses.

"I agree. But she could believe the same about either us or Erica or members of her family" Ansel replies.

"Are you ever going to inform her about your real identity?" Emmalyn asks.

"If it becomes necessary" Ansel answers.

    Around 11:30ish, Avelle returns to campus. The truck rolls to a stop, in front of a pair of closed iron gates.

"Are you serious?". Avelle places her truck in park and departs it. She swings the door shut, unlocks her phone, and turns on the flashlight feature. She ventures over to the gate, finding a tight security system. Not only is there a tightly clasped padlock, but there is also a strong protective boundary spell in place. She attempts to touch the padlock, only to feel her hand bounce backward.

"Excuse me, are you a student?". A woman in a gray suit, black boots, and a black hat.

"Yes. I returned late to campus. Now I'm locked out" Avelle answers.

"Do you enjoy attending here?" The woman asks.

"I guess so," Avelle answers.

"Can you do me a favor?". The woman moves closer to Avelle. Before Avelle can inquire about the favor, the woman snaps her fingers to cause Avelle to become unconscious. "Forget I was here".

    A few hours later, Avelle regained consciousness. It is late afternoon now. Avelle slowly opens her eyes. At first her vision is blurry, and she feels dizzy. She forces herself to be still.

"Avelle, are you okay?" Emma asks, standing beside her bed.

"Uh, yeah. What happened?". Avelle slowly sits up.

"You were found, lying outside the main entrance of the school" Emma answers.

"I thought you-" Avelle begins.

"Believed you were bayou trash. I do. But Amanda is in class, and I was the only one that could be reached. Since you never informed the school of an emergency contact" Emma explains. "Before the school year progresses, you should adjust that. If you don't have an emergency contact in mind. The school will provide one".

"I'll make sure to fix that. But what occurred?" Avelle half asks, still confused.

"You were lying outside the main entrance. I don't know why and frankly I don't care". Emma recollects her backpack from the end of the bed. "I'm late for class and my obligation regrading you has been fulfilled".

    Amanda continues to stand within a group of fellow classmates. The teacher Ms. Blackwell stands beside a small black circular table with a clear glass ball on it.

"Good afternoon class,". Ms. Blackwell glances to the glass ball and then to the class. "This is a simulation orb".

"Is this appropriate?" a student asks, concerned.

"Well, why wouldn't it be?" Ms. Blackwell asks.

"With all the rumors circulating" another student recalls.

"That Evermore is a dangerous and nasty place" Ms. Blackwell presumes. "The school is safe and there isn't a reason to believe otherwise. The society is dead. The ancestors are pleased. Nothing is wrong". A brief moment of silence circulates. "So, let's get on with the lesson shall we". Ms. Blackwell walks a couple steps toward the class and stops.

"A simulation orb can be used to practice defense" recalls a student.

"Exactly. But how?" Ms. Blackwell asks.

"By making the individual feel they are really immersed in the moment" Amanda answers, with her gaze locked on the glass ball.

"Can a simulation orb be able to display the past?" asks another student, who happens to be standing behind Amanda.

"Sometimes. Depends on if you can find the right witch" Ms. Blackwell answers.

"To uncover the past, you require a visionary witch". Rachel walks into the room and ventures toward the front of the group. Rachel notices Amanda's curious expression. "A visionary witch is a special based witch. A witch that can display pieces of the past and future. Visionary witches are rumored to be hard to locate. People aren't even sure if that race of witches is still around".

"Doesn't the society still use visionary witches? To predict outcomes" a student inquires.

"The society isn't as strong as they once were. The society isn't a threat. The society contains many revenues of solutions to problems. But the society isn't worth discussing the entire class period. Who would like to use the simulation orb first?" Ms. Blackwell explains.

    A few students each take their turn to be rewarded with pleasant experiences. Now Rachel volunteers to go next. She positions her hand over the ball.

"Videam me futurum" Rachel states.

   The glass ball glows brightly. Rachel finds herself, immersed in a scene set somewhere in the school. According to the hallucination, an open grimoire resides on the stone floor.

"There is an open grimoire. Its left on a page for an imprisonment spell" Rachel answers. "I think I'm in the ancestral gallery".

"Does the ancestral gallery really exist?" a student asks.

"Seems to," Rachel replies.

Ms. Blackwell moves around Rachel and places her hand over the ball to end the simulation. "Praedictionem exalant".

Rachel acts spacey for a moment. But then she realizes she has happened to return to reality.

"Who is next?" Ms. Blackwell asks, masking her concern.

"I'll go". Amanda walks forward, places her hand on the glass ball and casts the spell.

   The clear ball proceeds to give off a faint white glow. Then Amanda finds herself in a large room. A circular wooden banquet table and a set of chairs reside in the middle of this large room. On the table, appears to be an envelope addressed to Amanda. She ventures toward the table and picks up the envelope.

"What do you see Amanda?" Ms. Blackwell asks, curious.

   Slightly startled, Amanda jumps. Then she bends down to pick up the envelope, which she had happened to drop.

"I'm teaching my cousins a few spells," Amanda lies.

The tan envelope is opened, and she slides up the note.

To Amanda Davenport,

Be careful who you trust. Evermore is an amazing school with all its lavish opportunities to the young generation of supernatural based beings. But each layer of the school is built on dark loosely buried secrets from the past. The Davenport's and the Blackwell's have been feuding for a little more than fifty years. The ancestral realm will provide answers to future questions you'll conceive. So again, be careful with every step you take.

Sincerely, someone who was once in your place.

Now Amanda feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Ms. Blackwell asks, after Amanda resurfaces to reality.

"Fine. Just didn't expect the hallucination to be so vivid". Amanda turns around and relocates to the back of the group.

"Okay, everyone. Class dismissed" Ms. Blackwell orders.