Smoke still hung in the air, the scent of charred furniture and... something worse. Bob groaned his ears still ringing from the blast. His room was a total wreck—walls blackened, bits of ceiling hanging down like burnt confetti, and the smell? Well, that stench would haunt the place for years.

Just as Bob tried to gather himself, the sound of sharp footsteps echoed through the hallway. His stomach dropped. Oh no. He knew that walk. Sure enough, standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the morning light, was Professor Emberlin. Her face was a mix of fury and disbelief, her eyes sweeping over the destruction like a general surveying a battlefield.

"Mr. Disaster," she said, her voice ice cold, "What have you done this time?"

Bob scrambled to his feet, wobbling. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to... blow up the room!" He gestured helplessly at the smoldering chaos around him. But Emberlin's glare cut through his excuses like a hot knife through butter.

Smoke curled around her as she stepped inside, her gaze fixed on Bob. "An accident that nearly leveled a whole section of the academy? Not to mention the mysterious disappearance of a student?" Her voice dripped with suspicion. "You're coming with me."

Bob's heart raced. Disappear? Felina? He hadn't thought about her since the blast. His brain scrambled for an escape plan—run? hide? Before he could decide, Professor Emberlin raised her hand and muttered something under her breath. Instantly, Bob felt his body lock up, frozen in place like a human statue.

"Not so fast, Mr. Disaster," she said with a smirk. Bob tried to move, but his legs were stuck. His arms? Useless. Even his mouth refused to stammer out more excuses. He stood there, helpless, like a deer caught in magical headlights.

"Let me make one thing clear," Emberlin continued, circling him like a hawk. "This wasn't just reckless. You could've killed someone. Do you have any idea what kind of power you're playing with?"

Bob's mouth finally worked again. "I didn't hurt anyone! I swear, it was just... a mistake. Things just got out of hand," His voice squeaked at the end. Great. Real convincing.

"An accident? Felina's gone, and your room looks like a bomb went off," she shot back, her voice sharp. "What are you not telling me, Bob?"

Bob gulped. Felina's grotesque transformation flashed in his mind. But how could he explain that? That she thought he was some dark lord, then exploded in a puff of poop and fire? Even in his own head, it sounded ridiculous.

"I—I don't know where she went," Bob stammered. "She just... vanished after the explosion!"

Emberlin's eyes narrowed. "You've caused more chaos in a few days than most students do in their entire time here. Unstable magic, reckless behavior... You're a threat, Bob." She moved closer, her gaze piercing. "And now a student is missing. You're coming with me. We'll see what the other teachers have to say about this."

With a quick flick of her wrist, she cast another spell that wrapped around Bob like invisible chains. He tried to struggle, but it was no use. He was stuck, powerless. With a sharp tug on his arm, she dragged him out of the room, the smell of smoke and disaster following in their wake.

As they marched through the academy halls, Bob's mind raced. He couldn't let them think he was some dangerous lunatic. "I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I just—" he paused, searching for the right words. "I'm... unlucky?"

"Unlucky?" Emberlin's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Unstable magic and bad luck aren't a good combination, Bob. We're trying to train mages, not deal with... whatever this is." She waved her hand, gesturing vaguely at the mess they were leaving behind.

Bob's heart sank further with each step. This wasn't just about getting in trouble anymore. He was becoming a problem—a liability. The kind that gets thrown out of magical academies... or worse.

Stolen story; please report.

"But I didn't hurt anyone! You have to believe me," he pleaded as they turned a corner, approaching the academy's detention area. The cold, stone walls felt ominous, and the air seemed to grow heavier.

Emberlin didn't reply immediately. Her expression remained hard, but there was something else there too—concern. Not for Bob, but for the academy. "We'll see," she said finally, her grip on his arm tightening. "For now, you're going to stay in a nice, quiet cell where you can't cause any more trouble."

Bob's heart pounded. "A cell?! Come on, that's a bit much, don't you think? I'm not a criminal!"

"Not yet," Emberlin said, her voice calm but firm. "But let's keep it that way."

Bob's feet dragged against the cold stone floor as Professor Emberlin led him deeper into the academy's detention area. His heart pounded in his chest like a drumbeat, every step echoing with dread. This wasn't detention like the kind where you write "I will not set fire to the bathroom" a hundred times. No, this was a magical prison cell designed to keep someone from turning the walls into mush with a flick of the wrist. And if anyone needed that kind of cell, apparently it was Bob.

"Here we are," Emberlin said, her voice cold and professional, like she was discussing the weather and not the fact that Bob was about to be locked up like a magical menace. She waved her hand, and the door creaked open, revealing a tiny, dimly lit cell. The walls shimmered with faint runes, glowing softly—anti-magic runes, the kind that made casting spells about as useful as trying to use a spoon to fight a dragon.

Bob gulped. "This is... a bit much, don't you think?" he asked, his voice squeaking slightly. He tried to sound casual, but it came out like a nervous chipmunk.

Emberlin didn't even blink. "Consider yourself lucky, Bob. This cell's designed to keep you from making things worse." She gave him a final push inside and the door slammed shut with a heavy thud. Bob flinched as the lock clicked into place.

"Now," she said, her voice cutting through the thick silence, "the other teachers will be informed. We'll decide what happens next." Her eyes narrowed, and she added, "I suggest you think long and hard about your actions."

Bob opened his mouth to protest, to plead his case, but the words caught in his throat. The coldness in her gaze told him everything he needed to know—this wasn't going to end well. With a final sharp turn, Professor Emberlin marched away, leaving him alone in the tiny, cold room.

As the silence settled, Bob slumped onto the hard stone bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Great," he muttered. "Went from almost having a fun time with Felina, to her turning into a monster, and now I'm in jail. Just another day in the exciting life of Bob."

He tried to calm his racing thoughts, but his brain wasn't having it. He replayed the explosion in his head, Felina's weird transformation, and now this. "This is bad. Really bad," he whispered to himself. He knew he wasn't evil. He wasn't some dark mage plotting destruction. He was just... Bob. But every time he tried to do something right, it exploded in his face. Literally.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "If I had known magic would be this much trouble, I would've stuck with... I don't know, accounting? Less fire. Less poop."

The room was eerily quiet, except for the occasional hum of the magical runes. Bob tried to stand up, pacing in the small space. "Think long and hard," Emberlin had said. What did she expect him to think about? He couldn't help but imagine how the teachers would see him—a walking disaster, someone with too much power and no control.

Ding!

P.U.M.A. chimed in, breaking the silence. "Don't worry, User! You've still got quests to complete!"

Bob groaned. "Seriously, P.U.M.A.?"

Before P.U.M.A. could chirp another useless comment, Bob's ears perked up. Outside, he heard rushed footsteps. Faint, but growing louder. He turned his head toward the door. Something was happening.

"Professor! It's chaos out there!" A student's panicked voice echoed through the hall, muffled by the thick stone walls. "There's something... dark forces moving in the academy!"

Bob froze. His mind went blank for a moment. Dark forces? Was this about Felina? Was the academy under attack?

He crept closer to the door, pressing his ear against the cold wood. From what he could make out, the student's voice was shaking with fear. "I think they're... they're mobilizing! It's like they're preparing for something. We need you!"

Bob's heart pounded, but not out of fear for the academy—he needed to get out of here. If things were spiraling out of control, sticking around wasn't an option. He had to find Merlin, maybe link up with Cooper, and get as far away as possible before this mess got even worse.

Outside, Emberlin's voice turned sharp. "Dark forces? This better not be some student rebellion. Lead me there immediately."

Bob heard the sound of rushed footsteps as Emberlin and the student hurried off, the echoes fading down the hallway.

"Hey!" Bob yelled, banging his fist on the door. "What about me?!"

No response. They were already gone.

Bob stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. They had forgotten about him. He was locked in a magical cell, surrounded by anti-magic runes, with no idea what was going on. And outside? Outside, something dark and dangerous was stirring.

Bob slumped against the door, his panic building again. "I can't just sit here... I need to get out." But the cold truth hit him. There was no escape—not unless he could figure something out.