Twisted Wonderland

All Caught on Stream

You and Floyd step from behind the corner with Grim in your arms. Your heart sinks from what you just overheard. Panic flashes through Jamil's eyes when he sees you.

Grim smirks. "So, you finally show your true colors! I bet you thought you were real slick, pullin' the wool over our eyes!"

Jamil looks from you to Jade. "How... How much did you hear?"

"All of it, from start to finish." Jade smiles, holding up a phone. "Your entire conversation from the moment you left the lounge has been livestreamed to the world from Azul's smartphone."

"What?" Jamil's eyes widen.

"Azul's Magicam livestream presently has five thousand active viewers." Jade looks to the screen. "It's trending online under the topic: A Certain Magicians' School's Dirty Little Secret. It's your moment in the sun, Vice Housewarden. Naturally, all the dorm students are gathered in the lounge, watching you."

You hear the sound of footsteps running your way. The students run into the hall, looking to Jamil with hurt in their eyes.

"Vice Housewarden Jamil, is everything you just said true?"

"Have you really been deceiving us this whole time?"

Grim glares at Jamil. "Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing! You're a fraud, through and through!"

You step forward, feeling your heart break. "Did you really do this?"

"Y-you... You've got it all wrong. I.." Jamil struggles to find his words when he sees your heartbroken expression.

"Don't even try to talk your way out of this one." Jade takes a menacing step forward. "The mind control magic you used on Azul is hard evidence. Jamil... It's been you all along. You've been using your signature spell on Kalim and making him throw Scarabia into chaos."

Jamil looks from you to Jade. "I was trying to avoid escalating matters, but you leave me no choice." He turns to Azul. "Azul, I command you! Subdue and restrain them all. But bring Y/N to me."

"Yes, master." Azul stalks over to you.

You back up into Floyd. "Azul? What are you doing?"

Jamil grins. "Pleading with him won't help."

"Yes. I am Jamil's loyal minion," Azul stops beside you and turns around, folding his arms. "or at least, you wish I was."

Jamil's eyes widen. "WHAT?"

Azul grins. "Jamil, you said the funniest thing to me earlier. Allow me to return the favor. You thought I was an arrogant magician, but you were sorely mistaken. An embarrassing misjudgment for the vice housewarden of Scarabia, 5he dorm that embodies the spirit of mindfulness."

Jamil shakes his head. "What's going on? I know you made eye contact. I had you under control!"

Azul rolls his eyes. "Please. I'm a competent magician. I always prepare for all eventualities before I act. Isn't that right, Floyd?"

"I think you let your guard down a little too soon there, Sea Snake." Floyd's voice was significantly deeper than before.

"MRAH! What's with your voice?" Grim asks.

"I signed a contract with Azul and got this rad deep voice for it." Floyd turns to you. "Whaddaya think? Do I sound all cool and grizzled now? In return, I offered Azul my signature spell, Bind the Heart."

Azul pushes his glasses into place. "And if you don't know what that spell does, your face is going to crack when you hear this. It jams an opponent's magic and diverts it elsewhere."

You light up in realization. "You used Bind the Heart to divert the mind control magic!"

Azul smiles to you. "Brilliant dedication, Y/N. And after swiping it from Floyd-ah, correction. After taking it as collateral, I used it to evade Jamil's mind control spell. Then I pretended to be his thrall and got Jamil to spill his true intentions as he gloated."

"I gotta hand it to ya, Azul." Grim smirks. "You're real dastardly!"

Azul shrugs. "I prefer to be called an intellectual. At any rate, I quickly deduced that Jamil was the only person Kalim would care about enough to fight back against Jade's signature spell. And that was the underpinning of my whole plan."

"Jamil?" Kalim comes from behind the corner, standing next to you. "What is this? What's going on?"

"K-kalim!" Jamil freezes.

"Y-you were controlling me?" Kalim shakes his head. "That can't be true, right? I've been having occasional blackouts lately where hours have passed the next time I come to... But those were just dizzy spells or me nodding off, right? I tend to doze off anywhere as it is. You've always gotten on my case for it."

Kalim steps forward. "So please, say it isn't so. Tell me I was just nodding off."

Jamil stays silent. He looks to the floor, his hood covering his eyes.

"Mind-controlling me, plotting to expel me... You would never do any of that. Jamil, you're..." Kalim's voice falters. "You're the last person that would ever betray me, right? After all, we're best friends, right?"

A small laugh comes from Jamil that soon escalates into mania. He throws his head back and laughs.

Kalim takes a step back. "H-hey... what's wrong?"

Jamil finally stops laughing. "Oh, I'll tell you, Kalim. I'll tell you EXACTLY what's wrong."

You flinch from Jamil's harsh words. Floyd holds into your shoulders protectively.

"You've been the same for as long as I can remember." Jamil glares at Kalim. "Oblivious, gullible, foolish AND I HATED IT! You trot along merrily in ignorant bliss, utterly blind to my suffering! Every time I see you smile, it makes my skin crawl! I'm sick of it! There's no point in maintaining my facade now. You have no idea how many days I've spent wishing that you would just go away. But that ends today! Myself, my family... I don't care about ANY of it anymore!"

Crimson red magic swirls around Jamil. "The one you behold is your master. When I ask you a question, you will answer. When I give you a command, you will assent! Snake Charmer!"

The magic blast out of Jamil and quickly envelopes the whole hallway. Azul stands in front of you and the twins, using Floyd's signature spell to divert the magic away from you. The same can't be said for the rest of the Scarabia students. They all clutch their heads in pain.

"What?" Azul looks around in shock. "Did he just mind-control the whole dorm at once?"

All the boys stand to attention. Jamil grins. "All of you, eject Kalim and the Octavinelle guests from the premises and bring Y/N to me!"