The day after the chilling scream incident, the Academy decided that a bit of levity was in order. Apparently, the higher-ups thought that we all needed a break from the intense training and supernatural scares. They scheduled a "Paranormal Pranks" day, where students and faculty alike could participate in a series of light-hearted, supernatural-themed pranks and games.
I woke up to the sound of eerie, whimsical music playing through the dormitory speakers. Sam was already awake, a mischievous grin on his face as he rummaged through his drawers.
"Morning, Kan! Ready to have some fun today?" he asked, pulling out a bag of what looked like fake cobwebs and rubber spiders.
"What's all that for?" I asked, still groggy from sleep.
"It's prank day, remember? I'm going all out!" Sam said, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I'm thinking of setting up a haunted hallway. You in?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, why not? Let's see what kind of mischief we can get into."
We spent the morning transforming our hallway into a spooky spectacle. We draped fake cobwebs over the door frames, strategically placed rubber spiders on light switches, and even rigged up a motion-activated ghost that let out a spine-chilling wail whenever someone walked by.
As we were finishing up, Professor Ainsley walked by, raising an eyebrow at our handiwork. "Having fun, boys?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Just getting into the spirit of things, Professor," Sam replied with a wink.
"Well, don't go too overboard," she cautioned, though I could see a smile playing on her lips.
Our first prank victim was a fellow student named Jessica. She stepped into the hallway, and the motion-activated ghost sprang to life, letting out a blood-curdling scream. Jessica jumped a foot in the air, her books flying everywhere.
"Oh my god, you guys are the worst!" she yelled, trying to catch her breath but laughing despite herself.
"Happy Paranormal Pranks Day!" Sam and I chorused, high-fiving each other.
The day continued in a similar vein. The entire Academy was buzzing with pranks and laughter. The dining hall had been transformed into a haunted banquet, complete with floating trays and spooky sound effects. Someone had even enchanted the fruit bowl so that the apples kept rolling away whenever someone tried to grab one.
During lunch, Sam and I decided to up our game. We had heard that the library was a prime location for pranks, so we headed there with a bag full of tricks. We set up books that would fly off the shelves and replaced the normal reading lamps with ones that flickered ominously.
As we were setting up, we spotted Professor Jenkins, the strict librarian known for her no-nonsense attitude. She was perched at her desk, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of mischief. Sam nudged me and whispered, "I've got an idea. Follow my lead."
He pulled out a small vial of "invisibility" powder—really just glitter mixed with some harmless herbs—and sprinkled it on his hand. "Watch this," he said, and approached Professor Jenkins's desk.
"Professor Jenkins, I think there's something wrong with the books in the History section," he said, holding out his glitter-covered hand as if he were showing her something invisible.
Professor Jenkins looked skeptical but leaned in to take a closer look. Just then, Sam gave a discreet signal, and one of the enchanted books flew off the shelf behind her, landing with a thud.
"What in the—?" Professor Jenkins spun around, her eyes wide.
"Looks like the books are taking flight today," Sam said, struggling to keep a straight face.
Professor Jenkins narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused. "Very funny, Mr. Sam. Just make sure none of the books get damaged."
As we walked away, we couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Did you see her face?" Sam said between fits of giggles. "Priceless!"
Our next stop was the courtyard, where a group of students had gathered for a game of supernatural dodgeball. The twist? The balls were enchanted to levitate and change direction mid-throw. It was chaos in the best way possible.
"Ready for some dodgeball, Kan?" Sam asked, picking up one of the enchanted balls.
"Absolutely. Let's show them what we've got," I replied, feeling the excitement build.
The game was an absolute riot. Balls flew in every direction, players ducked and dived, and the enchantments made for some hilarious near-misses and unexpected hits. At one point, a ball went rogue and floated up into a tree, causing everyone to stop and laugh as we tried to figure out how to get it down.
As the day wound down, the Academy held a closing ceremony in the main hall. The faculty handed out awards for the best pranks, and to our surprise, Sam and I won "Most Creative Haunted Hallway."
Professor Ainsley presented us with our award—a small, enchanted trophy that let out a cheerful ghostly laugh whenever it was picked up. "Congratulations, boys. You really embraced the spirit of the day," she said with a grin.
"Thanks, Professor. We had a blast," Sam replied, holding up the trophy proudly.
As we headed back to our dorm, still buzzing from the day's events, I couldn't help but reflect on how much we needed a day like this. Between the intense training and the real dangers we faced, it was easy to forget that we were still young and needed time to laugh and enjoy ourselves.
"Today was amazing," I said, flopping onto my bed.
"Yeah, it was. We should do this more often," Sam agreed, setting the trophy on his desk where it continued to giggle softly.
"Definitely. But for now, I'm ready to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."
"Same here," Sam said, yawning. "Goodnight, Kan."
"Goodnight, Sam."
As I drifted off to sleep, the events of the day replayed in my mind, and I couldn't help but smile. We had faced fear, we had faced challenges, but today, we had also faced laughter. And sometimes, that was the most powerful magic of all.