Ashwock Academy ✓

C H A P T E R - N I N E T E E N

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His eyes opened slightly, his lids fighting to stay closed. He was sitting on a soft cushion, but he was unable to tell what it was. His vision was filled with light, making him squint at the sudden brightness. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a few blobs sitting in front of him, the three of them smiling. 

Trevor started to sit up but was alarmed when he didn't find the strength. That made Rafe frown a little and she grabbed his hand, stroking it with her thumb. Fletcher and Ella let out a sigh of relief. They sat on the sides of Trevor, Ella holding a first aid kit and a few unwrapped bandages.

"You alright?" Fletcher asked. Trevor shook his head slightly, reaching up to his cheek. He felt for his wound and instead felt a large thick bandage, blood seeping through.

"That bandage is only temporary, until you actually get it treated," said Ella. She held her breath, not sure what he would say next. When Trevor tried to adjust himself so that he would be able to see them better, Rafe stopped him.

"Don't move, you need your rest." Rafe said, moving her hand from his to sign. She didn't mention the nightmares that he had and how he talked and moved in his sleep, saying something about Theodore and Rum that was almost inaudible. Trevor didn't recall a nightmare, but the others remembered. "So, how'd it happen?"

He shrugged a little. When he talked, he found his voice to be slightly raspy and hoarse, his throat sore. He tried to lift his hands up to sign but he was too weak, so he just kept them down. "I don't know. I just saw something out of the corner of my eye right before the power went out, a little light, so I followed it to see what it was. Next thing I knew, a black cloud of smoke surrounded me with a piece of sharp glass and it slashed me on my cheek. I screamed, and I only remember feeling the roaring pain and seeing Raven and Rafe's faces before I blacked out."

Rafe put her hand near him on the couch, not knowing if Trevor wanted any more physical comfort from her. Fletcher handed him a bottle of water and he accepted, downing it in one sip. It soothed his throat, making it easier to speak and the pain much less. Fletcher and Rafe frowned, but Ella tried to show a little empathy by smiling. Trevor mirrored it back at her for a second before it faded away, and he sighed when he saw Rafe and Fletcher's worried faces. "Okay, how bad is it?"

Fletcher and Ella held their breath, not wanting to say anything rude but Rafe didn't mind. "You look like you got hit by a bicycle and fell face first onto sharp rocks."

Ella nudged her, giving her a did-you-seriously-just-say-that face, but Trevor didn't care. He chuckled, making Rafe laugh as well. He knew he could always count on her to be the honest girl that she was. 

Trevor's eyes went off of Rafe and behind her to the other cushions. He expected to see the others, but they weren't there. "Where is everybody?"

Ella packed up her bandages back into her first aid kit. "The kitchen. They're looking at the book that your group found," She said. "They didn't want too many people around you while you were sleeping."

"I'll go tell them that you're awake," Fletcher said, standing up and walking out of the lounge and to the kitchen.

Now more awake, Trevor shifted his body into a more comfortable position on the couch. He looked at Rafe and Ella. "What did you guys find? In the library?"

Ella shrugged, thinking of how to explain it. "Nothing."

Trevor looked at them with disbelief. "Nothing?" Rafe nodded. "Not even a key?"

Rafe raised her eyebrows. "A key? Why a key?"

Before he could explain, Fletcher walked back into the lounge with the other four students, all of them with relieved faces. "Thank god," said Raven. She put her hands to her heart, letting out a deep breath. They all took seats in different chairs except Rafe and Fletcher, who sat on the ground next to him.

"So, what did you guys find?" Ella asked. Raven showed her and Rafe the journal, flipping through the pages.

"The Effects Of Dark Magic by Alfred Pons. Except, it's annotated by Theodore." She said, but she got interrupted by Fletcher.

"And at the end, it says that he never got to finish the book," He said. Raven turned to the specific page, handing it to Rafe and Ella. As they read through it, they gasped.

"Sacrifice? What does that mean?" Ella asked, worry flooding her brain. Raven shrugged.

"And keys? Don't we already have two keys?" Rafe suggested, and Fletcher gasped. He pulled out the key from his pocket, Damien grabbing his. 

"Perfect, now we only need two more," Raven said. When she didn't get a response, she added, "I remember seeing four key holes." Everybody nodded, understanding.

"How'd it happen?" Jackson blurted out of nowhere. They all stared at him, but his attention was directed at Trevor. "Your cut?"

Trevor sighed. He didn't want to explain it again, not after he already told the other three, Plus, he just didn't want to bring it up anymore. It would just remind him of the pain he was in. Rafe noticed his struggling, so she filled in for him. She explained it just as Trevor did, but Jackson was still unsatisfied.

"I was asking Trevor, you weren't even there," Jackson snapped. Rafe started to defend herself.

"He just told us before you walked in. He's in pain, so he shouldn't be answering all of these questions if he doesn't want to." Before Jackson could argue back, Damien nudged him, silently telling him to give it a rest.

"But did you get a clear look at who it was?" Teony asked hopefully. All of the students looked at him, waiting for an answer, but he shook his head. Teony sighed disappointedly. 

"Wait, what about the second part of the entry?" Rafe asked. "The part about 'no dark magic following us out'? What does that mean?"

Everybody knew what that meant. It meant that they had to find the person that murdered Fox and Jessica and make sure that they stayed there forever.

But they needed to find the keys first.

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A/N

Sorry for such a short update, this was supposed to just be like a filler chapter to build up to the action. More action will start in the next chapter, I promise :)