Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 1)

(50) TRotW: Midnight Encounter!

Jonah was pretty sure he was unconscious throughout the panic of running back to the Ramshackle Dorm because when he opened his tired eyes (oh, someone took off his eye-patch) he found himself staring at the ceiling of his room. A white light appeared from the corner of his vision and when he glanced at it he saw the headmaster standing there along with the tall, white-haired, grandpa that he met back after Grim had bitten him.

"This shall do it," the grandpa said as the gem on his necklace stopped glowing along with the disappearance of the white light. "He'll be better after a night of resting."

Crowley nodded. "Thank you so much, Shalom."

The grandpa, Shalom Spencer, turned around and nodded back. "I will be leaving now." Crowley gave him another nod and the grandpa walked out. Jonah could've sworn he heard him grumbled, "Boys these days... Never understand their limit."

Shalom closed the door behind him, leaving Crowley and Jonah alone in the room. Jonah slowly sat up, slightly surprised when he didn't feel pain anywhere. The headmaster was still standing beside his bed. The silence was suffocating him and being under Crowley's watchful yellow eyes just made him want to turn into goo.

"Aren't you going to say something?" he mumbled.

Crowley sighed. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. "I expect better from you, Mister Argentum."

Yeah. He's expecting that. "I'm not breaking the rule. It was a one-on-one Magishift. We're allowed to use magic as much as we can."

"Yes. But putting yourself in a situation where you're clearly on a disadvantage something that I expect the least from you."

Jonah's hands clenched into fists. "You didn't say anything when we're going to the Dwarfs' Mine," he said, voice firmer as he dared to take a glance at the headmaster. "You let us go there when we're clearly on a disadvantage!"

"I did not expect there will be a blot monster, and I expect you to run away."

"Oh, you really expect us to do that?" This time, Jonah was staring straight at Crowley. "You're about to expel Ace and Deuce! You really think they're just going to let you do that when they have this small chance?"

"And what if you die that day?"

"We didn't!"

"But you could've been!" Crowley's voice became louder now. "You were entering a battle you never fully understand. It was a miracle that you managed to get out from there!"

Jonah rolled his eyes. "Why do you suddenly care?"

"Don't you dare roll your eyes on me, Young Man," Crowley hissed, pointing at Jonah, making him backed up a bit. "You are living here under my responsibility, of course, I'm going to care." He breathed out through his nose as he dropped his arm. "The teachers are currently looking for the culprit as well. So far, we only have as little information as what you have." He pinched his nose under his mask. "I'm going to talk with Prefect Kingscholar."

"Wha-?!" Jonah tried to stand up from his bed, but the glare from Crowley made him stop. "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"So, you're just going to let him beat you up, knowing that you don't have magic, and get away from it?"

"I-" Jonah ran his hand through his face, sighing loudly. He was tired he didn't want to talk about his (admittedly) stupid action. "Please. Just... It was my fault. I'm the one who challenged him."

There was an uncomfortable paused between them before Crowley spoke up again. "I thought you are a captain."

"I am." This time, Crowley didn't stop Jonah when he stood up, fists clenched on the sides, eyes gleaming with authority and determination. "And I'm not going to let my crew get hurt knowing that they don't have to fight."