While the underground train was heading back, I kept my eyes open for any oncoming trolleys from the other side. I didn't see a single one, and no one was at the station when I arrived. Even if Richmond was running more tardy than usual, there was still no sign of him making his way to the practice.

Look for anything out of the ordinary and see how far it takes you.

Those words echoed through my head as I went back to the Fyron Dormitory. I had a comfortable amount of time to see if Richmond was up in his bedroom or something and then get back to the education hall for Professor Hawthorne's stupid detention.

At the Fyron Dormitory, I went to the front desk and asked the worker if he knew where I could find Richmond's room.

"Why do you need that information?" the worker asked.

"Because I have to talk to him about Dragonstryke, we're on the team together, and he wasn't at practice, and Coach Florence told me to search for him."

"Do you want to leave a letter in his mailbox?"

"No, dude, I need to talk to him face to face," I raised my voice. I felt terrible about it, but I had to convey the urgency.

"Okay, I'll tell you what. I'll go with you since I'm not allowed to give out people's room numbers, but we can go together and see if he's in there."

The worker left the front desk and escorted me up to the top floor of the building and went down a hallway until we arrived at a suite. The worker knocked, and an older student answered, perplexed. He had big glasses and a curly mustache with long hair.

The front desk worker cleared his throat and said, "Hello, my name is Yoshi. I'm looking for Richmond. Apparently, he didn't show up to practice today for the Dragonstryke team, and his teammate here is trying to find him. Do you know if he’s feeling okay?"

"Oh, ah, I'm not really sure. I'm his roommate, but I haven't seen him all day."

"Did he say if he would be anywhere in particular, or tell you what his plans were?" I asked.

Richmond's roommate shrugged. "Sorry, man, I don't really know. He keeps to himself. We're not close friends by any means, so he normally doesn't tell me what he's up to.”

Yoshi shrugged. “Well, I guess we better––“

"Could you tell us who he usually hangs out with?” I interrupted.

"I don't really know. Like I said, we're not close friends, so I don't know who he hangs out with even."

"Any unusual behavior from him today?"

His roommate thought about it. "I'm not really sure. Richmond was out really late last night. I guess that was a little weird. Usually, he's in bed pretty early. But it's not unusual for him to go out late at night. Where he goes or what he does, I have no clue, but I remember he asked me once if I heard him leave the suite, and I told him I didn't, and he explained that sometimes he stays out late with friends at the rec hall. Last night though, he came in pretty late. It may have been 3:00 in the morning or something. I'm not really sure."

"Well, thank you for the information. That's been very helpful."

The roommate lifted an eyebrow. ”He's not in trouble or anything, right?"

"We're just trying to figure out why he wasn't at practice. Coach Florence needed him, and he was nowhere to be found."

"Ah, well, I hope he's okay then. Let me know if you hear anything. Just because we're not close friends doesn't mean I don't care about the guy. My name is Jacoby, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, have a good night," I said. I returned to the lobby with Yoshi and left the building for the education hall.

I had never gone there late at night. The rooms were dark and the whole place seemed empty, but I continued, passing the illuminated Unity Mage statue that stood prominently in the spotlights. As I climbed the steps, the soft light emanating from the lanterns mounted on the walls guided my way. Inside, the grand hall was dimly lit, casting an eerie ambiance. My footsteps echoed through the normally bustling space, giving me goosebumps as I strode through the building, devoid of its usual daytime activity.

Even though I was told to go there for detention, it still felt like I shouldn't have been there.

I went to Professor Hawthorne's classroom, which was so well lit, it felt like I was there during the daytime.

"Hello, Professor Hawthorne."

"Rollie, you will sit at a desk up here, and you will write me an essay on why it was wrong to interrupt class earlier today. And then explain how you learned your lesson and you will not do it again."

"When I finish, can I leave?"

"Absolutely not. You will serve a full 2-hour detention. If you finish your essay early, you will sit there, eyes open, staring at the board. If you're caught sleeping, that will be another detention."

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"All right, whatever, let's just get this over with."

"May I remind you I do not care to hear your smarm or attitude? If you keep pushing your luck, you will receive more detentions."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"It's probably best to keep your mouth shut. The more you speak or respond, the more I want to hand out detentions like candy on Winterium."

I didn't respond. I went to the desk with a pencil and scroll waiting for me. Having to write an essay in 2 hours had me stumped. I wondered how to start the first paragraph and what a good opening sentence would be.

"Go on, Mr. Magpie. That essay isn't going to write itself," Professor Hawthorne said. He sat at his desk and focused on reading student papers, scribbling on them with a long red utensil.

Finally, I started writing:

Professor Hawthorne is the worst teacher I've ever had. He's so clueless and arrogant that I wouldn't wish his class on my own worst enemy.

Looking up from the paper, I stared at the blackboard in front of me. Yeah, that's a good start, I thought. I smirked, erased my chicken-scratch, and heeded his earlier instructions. Following all the dumb criteria of his assignment, I finished, covering the front and back page. For the rest of the time, I just sat there like a duck and gazed at the blackboard.

I wonder where Richmond could be. That was strange. He wasn't at practice, and he wasn't in his suite, and his roommate didn't have a clue either. Something felt weird about that. I should check out all the communal places after this. The rec hall, the library, and the dining hall.

But what about that meeting I spied on at 1111 Serpentine? I tried repeating the conversation in my head and tried to pinpoint the voices. I feel like Head Counselor Jonathan attended, but is there anyone else that may have been there that I would have known? Elijah was there, but what about Patrick? Patrick seemed weird when I showed him the letter. Could that have been him at the meeting? It's probably an excellent idea for me to tell Principal Pine about what I witnessed at 1111 Serpentine. Dang, I should have done that earlier. Even though Elijah gave the warning not to mention it to anyone or anything. Principal Pine is one of the strongest mages in existence, right? If anyone could handle that information and defend themselves, it would be him, right?

The more I sat there and thought about it, the more I realized I should have said something to him. But I was afraid. I had just been accused of graffiti once again, and it was hard to think of a cohesive defense or anything to say in general.

I pondered what to do next for the rest of the detention. And if I had an idea of anyone else involved in the meeting at 1111 Serpentine. As soon as Professor Hawthorne let me go, I would immediately go to Principal Pine's office.

By the time it was over, Professor Hawthorne had come to my desk and picked up the paper, reading the essay while I sat there. The way he stood over me felt demeaning. He read the sentences, narrowing his eyes as they went from left to right.

"Rollie, You're not the best writer, and you don't have a particularly charming way with words, but this essay will suffice. You may leave."

I was so worried he would crumple up the paper and throw it at my face. Something about his energy and the way he carried himself, it always felt hostile, even if he wasn't saying anything.

Not wanting to press my luck, I nodded at him and left the room. Going through the empty halls, I made it to the main entrance and stopped.

I heard the echoes of laughter from the right side of the building. It sounded like two people, and I closed my eyes, focusing as much as possible. Faint footsteps went down the hall. I followed where the sound was coming from. As far as I knew, I was the only one in the building, along with Professor Hawthorne.

I never had a reason to go to the right side of the building. That was for the older students and their specialized classes. When I went down the dim hall, I saw a set of stairs at the very end. My footsteps were quick and feather-like, barely making a sound. Going up the staircase, I heard laughter again. This time it was a little louder. Two people were having a conversation. I picked up my pace to try and get closer. There was another set of stairs at the very end, and I could hear footsteps going up, and I followed. I felt like I was gaining on them. Rounding the other staircase, I paused before entering the third floor. There was a silent pause.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something," someone said in a hushed whisper.

My heart pounded in my chest. I crept up to the top of the steps and crouched down, so it was just my eyes seeing the rest of the hallway. It was darker on the third floor than the other two, but I could see two shadowy figures enter a room at the right corner. I followed after them.

All the doors in the hallway were closed, but I imagined they were just more classrooms. I made it to the end of the hall, where I saw them go in, but the door was closed. Trying to push it open gently, but it didn't budge. I waited a few moments, wondering if there was a better way or something else I could do, but I decided to give the door a shove. It flew open, but it scratched the ground and groaned. Unless they were no longer in the room, they definitely heard me.

Or maybe they didn't?

There wasn’t a single noise as I entered. It was just a dark room with a spiral staircase. Tiptoeing as fast as I could up the steps, I made it to the top, I pressed my ear against the final door, but I didn't hear anything other than howling wind. Turning the knob, I slowly pushed it open.

And there I was, on the roof of the education hall. The roof's perimeter had a barrier that went up to the waist. To my right, more steps led to the center of the structure, the highest point. I didn't see anyone around, but I had to check the entire roof. Jogging to the middle and up the steps, I froze.

Someone with a mohawk stood near the edge of the roof at the center with someone else. A face turned around, and I saw Patrick.

"You were right, Richmond. We did have someone following us. And would you look at who it is? One of your own." Patrick snickered. "In fact, the very person you are impersonating."

I stepped closer to them, standing a few yards away. My fists clenched.

"Glad you're here. You're just in time for the December Surprise!" Patrick's face lit up, and he cackled. I had never seen him so happy.

"Both of you were there at 1111 Serpentine," I said.

Patrick's face soured. "And what would you know about that location?"

"I saw you there, talking with Daniel and Elijah. You were talking about summoning crystals."

"Yeah, and you almost ruined everything. I told you not to go on that path at the haunted house, yet you did. That wasn't my summoning crystal, though. That was Mandy and Elliot.” Patrick grinned.

It took me a moment to remember them, but those were the two twins I saw in the library with the cute little pet. Elliot was upset to see me, but Mandy seemed nice.

“But you see, Rollie,” Patrick continued, “you're a bit of an idiot. You and your friends. Pulling that prank on the rec hall and telling me about it was one of your biggest mistakes. It'll be amazing if you graduate from here and don't get kicked out."

Everything started clicking for me. The summoning crystals were used for summoning hellions. And it also made sense why Richmond stood there in a mohawk, mimicking mine. “So you're the one trying to frame me." My jaw dropped.