The glimpse of sunny skies that had opened up in my mind was immediately smothered by dark clouds, foreboding a storm, as I found the Headmaster standing before me. My hatred for this man had increased to unbearable levels because of what I had discovered in those terrible documents. I could feel myself wavering between the urge to vomit and the desire to punch him right in his stupid, mocking smile. But sadly, I knew I couldn't afford to do either. So I let Sophia lead me up the stairs, to the back rows of the classroom. As we climbed, Skylark's words kept echoing in my head. Their subtext was so obvious it was almost insulting:
"He knows."
Skylark knew what Celeste and I had been doing last night, and he wanted to make sure we were aware of it.
"But then... why did he let us do what we wanted? Why didn't he stop us?"
Maybe he really just wanted to scare us and to give us false hopes of escape.
"And... how did he find out? Even if he has a mole among us, he shouldn't have known that we would act today, thanks to Celeste's trick."
As I sat down, I glanced at her to my right. She gave me one of her usual winks and whispered:
«Don't worry, I bet he's just bluffing.»
"Just bluffing... that could be true, but..."
I shook my head. Celeste was our leader and I trusted her, I couldn't let Skylark's mind games make me suspect her.
"Maybe someone saw us when we came back... In any case, I have something else to worry about right now."
Why was the Headmaster here today? There could only be one reason. He wanted to subject us to another of his terrible trials. Maybe he wanted to punish us for our act of rebellion, or maybe he wanted to keep us busy so that we wouldn't have time to find a way to activate the teleport.
"But it won't go the way you think. We just need to get out of here before whatever horrible event you have organised for us actually happens."
I gave Skylark a defiant look. My eyes met his, blue like mine but cold and filled malice. His grin grew wider but I didn't look away until he turned to the lectern. As he did, I noticed Penny in the front rows. She was sitting close to Nicole and was visibly shaking.
I glanced at the leaderboard, she was now second to last, 30 points ahead of a girl called Jen Corbain. We had managed to get her into a safe position for this week, but here came Skylark again, threatening her life with one of his stupid trials.
"Despair after relief would break anyone... but Penny is strong, she'll get through this."
I clenched my fists. I wanted to do everything I could to protect her, not as a Amy's replacement, but because she was my friend. But of course it all depended on what kind of test we were going to go through this time. If it was based on individual duels, I wouldn't have been able to do anything for her. My attention returned to Skylark, who was watching us all from his lectern, perched on his throne like a bird of ill omen.
«Very well, now that the latecomers are here, it's time to tell you why I'm visiting you today. Although I expect everyone to know by now,» Skylark said with his usual insufferable smile on his lips, «you can relax, as much as outside influences try to accelerate the course of the school year, I have no intention of speeding things up too much.»
"How nice of you."
But behind his mocking words there was some useful information.
"It seems that they have not stopped pressuring him to speed up the project. I really wonder why they are in such a hurry all of a sudden."
The reason probably had to do with the sentence I had read in the first document of that huge folder.
"The survival of our realm..."
Why did the King want an Aldric replacement so badly? Had something catastrophic happened outside the gilded cage of the Academy, threatening the safety of the kingdom?
"Perhaps a new Demon King really has appeared somewhere!"
Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing, and Skylark was certainly not going to help me. The old bastard loved to drop hints, but he would never tell us the whole truth unless it was to his advantage.
«Nevertheless, as I told you last time, I would like to shake things up and give the lower ranked students, such as Miss Corbain and Miss Pembroke, a chance to challenge the status quo,» the Headmaster continued.
Penny certainly didn't look thrilled by the idea, nor did Jen Corbain. With our numbers now limited, I had finally managed to memorise all the names and faces of my classmates. Sitting a few rows in front of me was the current last girl in the rankings, and she was trembling far more than Penny. At her side, her best friend, Annete Walker, was trying to comfort her.
"Poor girl..."
But I couldn't let pity get in the way. Sadly, it was either her or Penny. I looked away, concentrating on the words Skylark had just spoken.
"A trial that allows lower ranked students to challenge the status quo... how would that even work?"
Up until now, every test we had taken had required us to rely on magical power in one way or another. After all, it made sense: the Academy was looking for the strongest duelist among us. Why should they give the weaker of us a chance?
There was also something else that didn't make sense. Challenging the status quo... that meant trying to overthrow whoever was at the top of the rankings.
"But... Celeste is on top right now."
Whether it was because of her father or for some other reason, Skylark had protected her until now. Would that change with this test?
"But why... why now?"
When my gaze returned to the Headmaster's hideous face, a shiver ran down my spine as I remembered another phrase he had spoken to me in the infirmary. I had not given it much weight at the time, but now it gave me a haunting sense of foreboding.
"Unlike them, I always thought you were one of the most promising candidates. It would be a pity if you wasted your potential in needless acts of rebellion. Your fate is already sealed, Miss Belvoir."
I had no idea who he was referring to by 'them', but it sounded like Skylark and these mysterious people had a disagreement about my value in this competition. Could it be that I had suddenly become Skylark's horse in this terrible race we were running? All because of the power I had manifested in the dungeon?
"Could it be that me and Celeste are going to be at the centre of a power struggle between Skylark and some other idiot?"
I glanced to my left again. Celeste looked worried but I could see an hint of excitement on her face. That was such a typical reaction from the odd and deranged noblewoman who was my friend. As much as she wanted to be a reliable leader for us, her true nature was that of a thrill-seeker.
"But I have no intention of fighting with her. I'm not going to dance to Skylark's tune."
I was about to share my concerns with Celeste when Skylark's voice interrupted me.
«Before I explain the details, I think we could all benefit from a change of scenery.»
"A change of scenery?!"
I didn't have time to look back at Skylark before he clapped his hands. A familiar light began to shine on the floor beneath me.
"What the...!?"
«Elizabeth!» yelled Sophia at my side, grabbing my hand.
But as I tried to return her grip, mine closed on nothing and the world went black.
"Is he sending us back to the dungeon?" I barely had time to think before light shone again and blinded me, as it usually did after this kind of sudden teleportation.
When I managed to regain my sight, I realised that the place I had been transported to was definitely not a small, dusty room lit by torches. No, the sun was shining above me, as it had not even an hour ago. I was back in the courtyard, but this time Sophia was not here with me.
"Why did Skylark bring me here?" I thought as I quickly walked to the door.
Was he going to start the event right away? Even before the fated battle in which he had unleashed Aldric on us, he had given us some time to prepare.
"Maybe he doesn't want to give us time to discuss what we found yesterday. He wants to keep the pressure on us and doesn't want to give us a chance to escape."
If that was the case, this test was going to be terrible, I was sure of it. My already high anxiety rose even higher when my hand touched the handle of the door, only to find that it was shut.
I quickly pulled out my wand from its holster and pointed it at the lock.
«Open.»
Nothing happened. I expanded my mana and found, to my dismay, that the same magical barrier that usually sealed our rooms was blocking my way.
«I'm trapped,» I muttered, looking around.
The green lawn was deserted and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Was this trial about escaping from a magically sealed room? Was I going to die if I didn't find a way out in a certain amount of time?
"Sounds like something Skylark would enjoy. Watching us struggle like mice in a trap."
As if on cue, the Headmaster's voice rang out across the courtyard, making me jump.
«By now, everyone should be familiar with their surroundings, so it's time to explain the game you're about to play.»
"I bet he was waiting to make us panic..."
His voice was magically enhanced and had a cheerful tone. He was in his element: he wanted us to lean on his lips to know what terrible fate awaited us.
«Don't worry, you're not trapped. The doors will open soon. I just had to separate you and spread you around the school to give everyone a fair chance.»
"A fair chance?"
Were we going on a treasure hunt or something? But in the end it was not important. What mattered was the usual question... how many of us were going to die today?
As if reading my thoughts, Skylark's magical voice spoke again.
«Relax. As I said, I don't intend to speed things up too much since you're already so limited in numbers. So if you play your cards right, only one of you will leave us today.»
"Only one of us... that's surprisingly kind by Skylark's standards."
But I couldn't help thinking there was going to be a catch. I didn't like the sound of "if you play your cards right".
«As for the game you're going to play, I'm sure you're all familiar with it. After all, even I indulged in it when I was little.»
"So we are talking about prehistoric times."
«It will be... Tag.»
"Tag?"
Of course I knew what tag was. Even if I hadn't played around much as a child, I'd often seen my classmates running around chasing each other and shouting "You're it!"
The issue was something else:
"How is Skylark going to distort such an innocent game to make it horrible and cruel?"
I had a bad feeling, which the old professor's words quickly confirmed:
«I'm afraid that one of you was subjected to something rather unpleasant during the teleportation... a curse.»
In a panic, I immediately looked down at my hands, afraid to see some kind of horrible mark on them, eating away at my skin. Before I could lift my sleeves to check my arms, the Headmaster spoke again, in a mocking tone:
«You needn't worry. This particular curse is not dangerous and won't leave any permanent marks on your body. In fact, other people won't even be able to tell that it's affecting you.»
"A curse that's invisible to other people... I've never heard of something like that."
«In 24 hours, the curse will activate, instantly eliminating whoever is 'It'. But don't worry, to save yourself, you can just pass the curse on to someone else with a simple touch.»
"Piece of shit!"
As usual, Skylark's test would pit us against each other. The person currently cursed had only one way to live: to condemn someone else to death instead. And the fact that the curse was invisible would make things even worse.
"What if they wait until the last second and pass it on to someone who trusts them?"
My mind immediately started racing and I started pacing up and down the courtyard. More than a game of tag, it sounded like we were about to play hot potato with an infectious disease.
"A disease... in that case... I just have to isolate myself and I'll be perfectly safe".
That seemed to be the right approach. I'd have barricaded myself in the courtyard and just waited for the end of the game. It would've been uncomfortable, but I could've gone 24 hours without eating or drinking.
"I really want to find Sophia... but she'll be fine, even if she's 'It' right now, there's no way she won't find someone to pass the curse on to. I just hope the others will be okay too."
But of course Skylark was not going to make it that easy.
«Obviously there is more to this game. I wouldn't want you to get bored hiding all day. So I made up another set of rules to liven things up.»
"No hiding, uh? But how is he going to get us to come out into the open when there's a mysterious cursed person haunting us?"
«I took the liberty of putting something in the pocket of your uniform, you can check it now. It's nothing dangerous, don't worry.»
Reluctantly, but with a tiny bit of curiosity, I put my hand into the pocket. Just as Skylark had said, there was something there.
"What is this?"
It looked like a playing card with the Academy's crest on its back. On the front, however, was not a number or pips, but an image of a pitchfork and a word.
«...Villager?» I murmured,
«Just like the curse, the front of the card is invisible to anyone but its owner. So you are the only one who can know what your role is in this game.»
«A role? In a game of tag?»
«Indeed, your role will greatly change the way you approach this game. Most of you will be Villagers who have no other task than to avoid being cursed.»
"...seems like I got lucky for once."
«But one of you is not going to be as lucky. The student currently holding the card showing the Demon will lose 1000 points at the end of the game.»
"1000 points! That's a death sentence for most of us!"
Pretty much only the top 5 students would not be in the negative after taking such a penalty.
«That is, unless you finish the day with the curse on you! In that case, you won't be eliminated. Instead, you'll gain 1000 points and you'll be able to choose who will die in your place.»
A shiver ran down my spine. Now I understood how Skylark intended to force us into the open. The 1000 points would be an incredible safety net for most students. Anyone would have gone after something like that. But that was not the part that worried me.
"The possibility of selecting a specific student to eliminate..."
I couldn't let that happen. After all, everyone except the members of our alliance would've chosen one of two options: Celeste, the top-ranked student, and Sophia, who was probably still the most feared among us.
But the Headmaster wasn't done yet:
«In addition to the Demon, one of you has also been assigned the role of King. Don't worry, nothing special will happen to you at the end of the game... just make sure you're not cursed, otherwise you'll bring misfortune to 6 of your subjects.»
"6?!"
Counting the King themselves, that was half of us. As I thought, what was supposed to be a simple game of tag was turning into something several times worse.
"An invisible curse and invisible cards... people are going to be lieing like crazy. Demons, kings... how the hell are we supposed to know who is who?"
I could already see how things would have turned out: everyone would have claimed to be the King to avoid being cursed. Meanwhile, the Demon would have done everything he could to become "It" in order to save themselves.
Skylark magically enhanced voice interrupted my train of thoughts once again.
«Finally, one of you has been assigned the role of Seer. By looking at your card you'll be able to see the name of the King. Make sure to use this information wisely.»
"I see... so at least we are going to have a way to tell the King apart from the others... I hope the Seer is a member of our alliance."
«Just like the curse, the cards can also be passed on others. You can trade them or even steal them, as long as you leave your current one behind. But be careful, you are only allowed to switch once with the same person.»
"Only one time..."
The more I thought about it, the more I understood what type of game we were going to play: one of deception.
"Since we can't just show the cards to each other… people are likely to lie about their role. And since you are only able to trade once with each person, you need to think really well about it, or you may be stuck with something you don't want."
The Demon was going to be the main issue. On its own the card spelt doom for its owner, but in conjunction with the curse it could become a powerful weapon.
Of course, being in a large alliance like ours would normally make things easier in a situation like this. There was only one issue:
"The traitor..."
If they really existed, a game like this was the perfect occasion for them to act and put us in danger.
«That's about it. For this event, I have decided to relax the rules a bit. It wouldn't be fair for someone to be cursed without a chance to fight back, would it? For this reason, you are free to fight each other, but killing is still not allowed outside of duels, as usual. Speaking of which, you are also forbidden from using duel conditions to force other students to reveal their role or whether they are currently under the curse. You can still use them to force a card exchange or to pass on the curse. With this, I wish you good luck. The 24 hours begin now!»
At that moment, I heard the lock of the courtyard door click but I decided not to go out right away. Instead, I sat down on the green grass. I looked up at the fake sun, trying my best to clear up my mind.
"So we can't use duels to find out other people's roles."
That would have been nice. Of course, people could just refuse, but it would've been useful to call bluffs.
"But duel conditions might still be the key."
I could've forced suspicious people to trade their cards with me.
"I need to get the Demon, one way or another. Even if I don't get the curse, I have enough points to survive this week."
In any case, there was nothing to be gained by staying here. I stood up with newfound determination. After all, even in this new, terrifying ordeal, I had something over everyone else: someone I could trust blindly.
"Sophia... I'll find her. Together we will definitely get through this."