Since midterms had finished, campus brightened, opened up again, blossoming like a springtime flower that had shut and shrivelled during a cold spell.

Jacob hardly noticed. His mind was still in sixth gear. During that week time was a little scarbo, stealing past him and cackling as he desperately tried to snatch hold of it.

First he broke his promise to not skip Intro, which had always been a possibility in the back of his mind, but the act of it had started him sliding down the slippery slope and quickly he devolved into not attending a single class, which gave his days, and even his interactions with classmates and the campus itself a tangential, liminal feeling. A dream-like haze.

Archie's embargo on their interactions came back into effect. The few times Jacob ran into him in a dorm hall or outside class they traded curt nods but didn't speak. Camilla and Grace had both noticed it by now, and when Jacob had told them what was going on they cited it—to much protest from Blake—as evidence that boys were testosterone-fuelled meatheads.

The campus had swung right back into full-on tournament mode. Someone had made old-fashioned boxing posters for the matches, plastering the competing students' Academy ID photos onto the bodies of boxers, with headers like SHARPE V LAFORCE.

Reminders did nothing to assuage Jacob's anxiety. But worse was twice a classmate had wished him luck and said "I bet on you this weekend. Don't let me down!" As if that were supposed to make him perform better! Christ, betting on other students. The faculty had sent out a PSA at the beginning of the tournament that all betting and gambling was strictly forbidden, but apparently it hadn't stopped anyone. He wondered how many people had put money on him.

The hype was impossible to avoid, and Jacob found himself pouring over the bracket with the others at mealtimes. Victor face a kid named Wally Czerniak who Jacob had barely interacted with. Tanaka faced the 17th seed, Lesno Shiren, a kid who was always flicking a fake butterfly knife in class and had upset the 16th seed in the last round. Camilla faced Ishaan. Xavier Hudson faced one of the Sharpe twins. Diego, the 5th seed, faced Zelda, the 12th seed.

Before Jacob could blink it was Thursday evening and he was sitting on his bed in his dorm room with Tanaka in the chair by the door, waiting for Camilla to show up.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Jacob asked, feeling like a communist apologist in a cold war movie.

"Me," Camilla's small voice came through the door.

Tanaka opened it. Camilla entered and plopped herself down on Blake's bed. Tanaka shut the door.

"You both know what to do?" Jacob asked.

They each nodded.

He blew a breath out. A little thrill shot through him. They were doing this. They were actually going to do this. Within the next hour they might have actually found the killer. It didn't seem real.

"We can't do it here," Camilla said.

"Why not?" Tanaka asked.

"I need to carve a pentagram into a hard surface and spill blood into it. A dorm room isn't the place for that."

Sweat broke out on Jacob's brow. Christ, actually casting Ritual Magic. He grinned, infused with nervous excitement. He tried to think of a place to do the spell. An empty classroom?

"Where, then?" He asked.

Camilla shrugged. "I was hoping one of you would know a place."

"I have an idea," Tanaka said. He stood. "Follow me."

Tanaka led them out of Jacob's dorm room and down the hall. They reached the stairwell, but instead of going down, Tanaka went up. Jacob shared a look with Camilla, then followed.

Tanaka led them up to the top floor of the dorm, down the hall, to a service stairwell. Decomposition flared out of him. He opened the service stairwell and started up without saying a word.

Jacob and Camilla followed. They emerged onto the roof of the dormitory. Apart from the wind, it was quiet. Their only company were the heads of several AC units. A low lip ringed the roof, protecting them from view. Jacob could see the tops of the Vanderbilt Building and the Richter, but unless someone was in Vanderbilt's clocktower, or on the roof of either building, they were hidden from sight.

"Cool spot," Jacob said. He could envision Tanaka coming up here to meditate or run through spells.

"It'll give us some space to check the spells too," Tanaka said. He turned to Camilla. "Well, let's see if you actually learned it."

Camilla folded her arms. "No, let's see if you can actually cast a successful divination before we commit ourselves to another banned magic."

Jacob looked at Tanaka. "She has a point."

"Fine," Tanaka dug around in his pocket and pulled out a silver medallion on a chain.

"What's that?"

"This is the talisman I'm going to imbue with the spell," Tanaka said.

"Where'd you get it?" Jacob asked, eyeing the polished surface of the medallion.

"Nowhere," Tanaka growled. "Pay attention. One of you cast strength. I'll attune it to that."

Tanaka held out the medallion in front of him. It dangled on the end of its chain, glinting in the sunlight. Decomposition flared out from him. Jacob focused on the spell. A deep indigo he'd never felt before flowed out of Tanaka and into the medallion, which vibrated. Tanaka cast strength, which Jacob felt as a separate splash of evergreen. Then he did something that Jacob couldn't quite catch. It felt like he folded the indigo over the evergreen, encompassing it, and pushed both into the medallion, which vibrated again.

The medallion instantly shot off to the side, then swung around, pointing back towards Tanaka, then swung more weakly out front. It looked almost frantic.

"Are you casting strength?" Tanaka asked, voice tense.

Evergreen flashed out from Camilla. "Now I am."

The medallion swung and pointed aggressively towards Camilla. But then it swung back and forth at various angles more weakly.

"You messed it up," Camilla said.

"No," Tanaka shook his head. "It's working, but it's too strong. It's sensing every single person casting strength on campus. See it jerking around?"

It looked like Tanaka was right. The medallion's movements reminded him of a bear's nose tilted to the sky, twitching and swivelling its head indecisively as if deciding which delectable scent to follow.

"Then weaken it. Narrow the focus," Jacob said.

"What use would that be for the Ritual Magic?" Tanaka said. "We need to cast something that other people won't be casting on campus."

Jacob thought about the spell he'd been working on for his match with Archie. He doubted anyone else would be casting it. But Tanaka would have to learn it to calibrate it, which might take him a while.

"Okay, what about Necromancy?" Camilla said. "We've already done it once, a second time isn't going to kill us, and I doubt anyone else will be casting it on campus."

"But only I can cast it," Tanaka said. "We need something we can both cast."

"I can cast it too," Camilla said.

Tanaka's eyes narrowed. "Bullshit."

Dark, violent violet burst from Camilla. Both Jacob and Tanaka jerked away instinctively.

"What the fuck?" Tanaka barked.

"I thought you said you couldn't cast it when we were with Father Emil?" Jacob frowned. He distinctly remembered the fuss Camilla had made after finding out he'd asked Tanaka for help first, and her acquiescence that she didn't now how to.

"I couldn't then," Camilla said.

"How'd you learn it?" Jacob asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd assume if there's a book on Necromancy it's also in the restricted section," Jacob said. Had she broken in again after getting all angry about him putting her and her father's reputation in danger?

"What are you talking about?" Camilla frowned. She gestured at Tanaka. "He cast the spell right in front of us."

Jacob glanced over at Tanaka, but the transfer student was equally baffled.

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"I mean, I'm not blind," Camilla said.

"Right," Jacob said. "Yeah, of course," Jesus Christ. He couldn't imagine how it could be that simple.

"Okay, I'm gonna attune it to Necromancy," Tanaka said. Deep violet trickled out of him, wrapped up in the indigo casing, and merged into the medallion.

The medallion shot eagerly at Camilla. It strained against its chain, like a guard-dog at an intruder. It held that strain until Tanaka dropped the spell.

"Let's test the distance," he said.

Camilla left the roof and made her way to the far side of campus, near the town. She texted Jacob when she'd reached it.

"Okay. Do it," Jacob said.

Tanaka cast the spell again. The medallion hesitated, then moved firmly in the direction Camilla had gone. Tanaka let it lead him to the edge of the roof. Jacob followed.

"Okay, working so far. Let's follow it to her," Tanaka said.

They made their way down the stairs, then jogged across campus, following the medallion's arrow.

They reached Camilla, who was leaning against a tree trunk in a little green space outside the town.

"Perfect," Tanaka muttered.

"I'm pretty satisfied it's working," Jacob said. "You two?"

They both nodded.

"Time for the Ritual Magic?" Jacob asked.

"Yes. Let's do it," Tanaka said.

They made their way back to the rooftop in excited silence. The campus passed them unnoticed. It was actually happening.

"Wait," Jacob said once they'd returned to the roof and magically locked the service door behind them.

"What?" Tanaka asked.

"Don't you have to cast the Ritual Magic as well as the divination?" Jacob asked.

Tanaka shook his head. "The spell can use someone else's magic to attune it, they just have to be within a few metres."

"Okay. Good," He'd been worried they'd gotten ahead of themselves.

"Let's get this rolling," Tanaka said. "Cast your Ritual Magic."

Camilla stepped forward to the centre of the roof. She knelt down and swept the surface clean. The roof was a flat, grey stone. She placed her purse next to her and pulled out a sharp-looking knife.

"Wait," Jacob said, suddenly overcome with guilt and something foreign he didn't quite understand.

"What now?" Camilla looked up at him.

"I'm not letting you do this."

"What are you going on about?" She frowned.

"You were right about your and your father's reputation. I won't risk it again," Jacob said. "Let me do it."

"You're not risking anything," Camilla said, a dangerous edge entering her voice. "I'm doing this."

"But you said last time that-"

"I've chosen to do illegal magic this time," Camilla said. "Last time you dragged me into it without my knowledge. That's the difference."

Jacob clamped his mouth shut. That wasn't the issue, was it? No, it was something else. But how to put it into words?

"It doesn't matter," Jacob shook his head. "Let me do it. You said it yourself, I have no reputation. Don't risk your father's again unnecessarily."

"You can't do it, moron."

"Teach me. Walk me through it," Jacob said. He glanced at Tanaka. "It's like Tanaka said. If we get caught, I'll need to be able to prove I can do it to take the blame."

Camilla folded her arms. "Oh, so this is about protecting me? 'Saving me'?'" She said in a mock voice. "I already told you, I don't need you to save me. Since when are you so thick-skulled?"

"No, it's not that," Jacob said. "You said it yourself. It's about your father's reputation. I don't want to risk it."

"So I don't matter, then?" Camilla said. "It's all about my father. That's all you care about?"

"Fine," Jacob said. "It is about you. I don't want you to do this. I don't want you to risk your reputation and future on this."

"You think I'm not capable of making this decision for myself?" Camilla snarled. "What do you think I am? Some weak little girl?"

Jacob ground his teeth. He should just back down. What was he gaining from this? He was just wasting their time and antagonizing Camilla.

And yet, the simple, cold hard truth was that she had been right last time. He'd been impulsive, hadn't considered the situation and the consequences. Whether it was guilt over that, a desire to make up, or that it was the logical thing to do when he actually weighed out the consequences, didn't actually matter. He knew this was the right thing to do.

"Camilla, you know I don't think that," Jacob said.

She met his eyes then looked away. "Then screw off."

"No. You don't have anything to prove. Let me cast it."

"It's not about proving anything."

"Then what is it about? Because there's no reason for you to risk yourself with this other than wanting to show off. You don't have anything to prove."

"The reason to risk myself with this is because I want to."

"That's ridiculous! Be reasonable."

"So now I'm not being reasonable?"

Jacob hissed through his teeth. "You know I'm right. I'm not letting you cast that spell."

"You think you can stop me?"

"No, but I will try, and you'll have to hurt me to stop me." Just saying it gave him a crazy little shock. He was insane, but he wasn't going to back down on this.

"You're bluffing."

"Try me."

They locked gazes for a moment.

Camilla growled. "Fine, you little rat. Fine."

"You two are ridiculous," Tanaka shook his head.

Camilla held the knife out to Jacob. "You have to carve the symbol, that part's important."

Jacob took the knife and crouched down beside her. He shifted his grip on it, getting a feel for it. He didn't feel any angst at the prospect of casting an illegal magic himself. He was ready. "Okay, what am I carving?"

"A pentagram," Camilla said. "Don't worry. I'll walk you through it."

Her voice was gentle now. He looked at her, but her face was unreadable.

"Draw a five-pointed star," Camilla said. "Make sure the sides are straight."

Jacob dug the knife into the roof and gouged a line in it. "Like this?"

"Yes. Keep going."

He finished the star.

"Now enclose it in a circle."

He did.

"I'm going to cast it, so pay close attention to what I do."

"That was it?" Tanaka asked. "Those symbols in the book were way more complicated."

"Those were actual spells to summon things or drain someone's energy."

"Then what's this?"

Camilla rolled her eyes. "Well, seeing as I didn't want to actually perform Ritual Magic, or have to bleed someone out for our spell, we're not casting any functional spell. We're just releasing ambient Ritual Magic."

Tanaka grunted.

Jacob wasn't sure he totally understood that, but Camilla would know what she was doing. "Okay, what's next?"

"I'm going to cast some Ritual Magic. Pay attention to where I cast it on the spectrum."

Jacob closed his eyes and released his magic, which always helped him in class.

Camilla's magic flared to life next to him. At first like a red lamp had been turned on. It bled orange, shifting into a potent, brilliant vermillion.

"Match it."

It took Jacob a couple tries to clear his mind enough to be able to sight onto that very specific shade. His own magic appeared like a light in his mind next to Camilla's. He used her's for reference, which helped way more than he'd anticipated.

"There. You got it. Now shift it to the pentagram."

He did.

"Now think about it expanding within magic itself."

"What?" Jacob said. His magic vibrated into other shades or orange, then snapped back to vermillion.

"Imagine that magic has a structure to it. Any magic. All magic. And picture your spell expanding the magic from within, like you're filling up a balloon."

It took him over a quarter of an hour, but he did managed to do it. His magic expanded in his mind, stretching into a thin vermillion veneer. But something was missing.

"Now you need to cut your palm and drip the blood into the pentagram while you cast," Camilla said.

Jacob opened his eyes. The spell dropped away instantly. "While I'm casting?"

"Yes."

He swallowed.

"C'mon, you can do it," Camilla encouraged.

He looked over at her. She didn't seem angry anymore. Or maybe he was not reading her well. Either way...

He took a deep breath and touched the knife to his palm. The blade was like a sharp sliver of ice against his skin.

"One quick motion," Tanaka said. "Like peeling off a bandaid."

"Camilla, cast again. I need it to match my colour," Jacob said.

She did. He took another minute to match the colour of his magic again and shift it out to the pentagram, then thought about expanding it. It took him so long the knife blade grew warm against his skin.

"Now," Camilla said.

Jacob drew the knife across his palm in one quick motion.

He didn't break skin.

Goddamnit, stop being a coward. It wasn't going to kill him. He'd stood up to Camilla, now it was time to follow through. If he chickened out now he'd never live it down.

He blew a breath out, made sure he had a hold on the spell, then gouged the knife into his palm and slid it across. Pain hissed through him. Crimson blood rose up to the surface of his skin. A single drop fell from his palm down onto the pentagram.

His grasp on the spell wavered, and if it had been any normal spell like strength or a ward he would have lost it, but the moment his blood touched the pentagram, the spell took on a life of its own. It charged, swelled, writhed with sudden power. More blood dripped onto the pentagram. The carved surface sucked it up like a sponge. The blood trickled along the lines of the star and the curves of the enclosing circle, drawn along by some unseen force. The symbol glowed with pungent, vermillion power.

Suddenly Jacob was looking at the roof, but at the same time, through it, down, down into a burning, ravenous void. His eyes were registering the marred surface of the roof and the glowing symbol, and also bright vermillion halls that eagerly consumed the magic in his blood. He looked down through them, through the aeons of impossible patterns and mind-bending lattices making up the very fabric of magic.

A hand came down on his shoulder and then another slapped him in the face.

Jacob blinked, seeing stars. What happened? His hand burned. Blood trickled out from it, drawn through the air into the symbol by some gravitational phenomenon. He closed his fist and dragged his hand away from the symbol.

Camilla had leaned over him at some point. Her face was very close to his, her ponytail curling around the side of her head, the tip brushing his nose. Concern marred her features.

"Jacob! Are you alright?"

"What? Did I fall asleep?"

"No, moron. You were in a trance or something."

"Got it!" Tanaka said. Jacob barely heard him.

"How long?" Jacob asked. He wiped his forearm across his face. He was sweating profusely from the exertion of casting the spell.

"Just a few seconds."

He rubbed the side of his face. "You slapped me."

She smiled. "Had to snap you out of it somehow."

He sat up. "Did it work?"

He answered the question himself. He could feel Tanaka accessing the spell he'd cast, enveloping it and handing it to the medallion.

They waited with bated breath.

The medallion didn't move.

"Did you mess up the spell?" Camilla asked.

"I got it right," Tanaka snapped. "You saw!"

Tanaka circled the roof, muttering, but the medallion didn't respond.

"It's not working."

"No. It's just not sensing anything," Tanaka said.

"Maybe the Enforcer was right. Maybe it's just not on campus," Jacob said in disbelief.

"But how?" Camilla asked. "They can't leave campus."

"No!" Tanaka hissed. "You're not getting it. I poured enough power into this thing that it will sense something for dozens of miles in every direction. Divination crosses the barrier between worlds, which means even if the spell is being cast on Earth and we're in the magical realm, or here, it'll sense it."

"So we were wrong and it's not Ritual Magic," Jacob said.

Tanaka shook his head again. The transfer student grimaced. "No... It's not that. It's me. My mistake."

"Shocker," Camilla said.

"Shut up!" Tanaka snarled. "Spell signatures have a residual half-life that Divination locks onto. But it degrades over time. Since it's been two weeks since the last killing—and use of Ritual Magic—the signature has degraded too much."

"Residual half-life?" Camilla cried. "You let him cut himself, risk that crazy magic, and you didn't tell us?"

Tanaka floundered. "I thought I could make the spell strong enough that it wouldn't matter."

Camilla barked a laugh. "Oh, well, isn't that great, huh?" She turned to Jacob. "Isn't it great we went through all that just so ol' Tanaka here could learn that arrogance doesn't solve every problem?"

Tanaka looked like he was about to explode. "I... I'm sorry."

Camilla nudged Jacob. "See? If I'd learned Divination we wouldn't have run into this."

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Jacob asked the transfer student.

Tanaka looked away. "I don't know."

"Ugh," Camilla said. "Mr I-Have-To-Know-Everything."

Jacob normally would have tried to reign Camilla in, but Tanaka deserved the berating. He wiped the cut on his hand. He stood up and kicked the now faintly glowing symbol, scuffed the markings until it faded. All that for nothing.

"Well, what do we do now?" He asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Well, thanks to that brand new information donkey-ass over there gave us, there's only one thing we can do," Camilla said. "Isn't that right?"

Tanaka looked at both of them.

"We have to wait for the killer to strike again."