The air is so heavy it's oppressive. There's finally sound besides us in these old, abandoned mines. It's slowly coming into the edge of our light—the ghosts are gone, and only this thing remains.

They haven't noticed it yet.

"Why are there so many ghosts…" Ace grumbles.

"We can't just be their entertainment! We have to keep moving." Deuce has the right idea. We need to run.

I'm frozen in place as they bicker.

"Stop acting like you're the leader here." This is not the time for them to bicker. "We wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if you didn't pull that stupid stunt."

"You started this because you were skipping your window cleaning duties!" Deuce is also wrong.

"First of all, this started because the furball torched the Queen of Hearts statute!" Ace is also wrong.

"Maybe if you hadn't made fun of us, we wouldn't have fought!" Grim is much more correct; but he should have walked away.

Except I've already learned that with any push Grim isn't going to walk away from anything except ghosts.

"Guys! Don't you see what's going on right now? If we don't bring the magestone by morning, we're going to get expelled!" Deuce is correct.

"iGuys./i" I know my voice is a fearful whisper.

"And instead of ordering us around, we should have split up like I wanted!" Ace argues; not that he mentioned something like that in the first place.

But—but finally I gather my voice. "There's—there's something ielse/i here." I feel this weird, oppressive feeling coming. It's so—it's so dark and—and—it's bringing tears to my eyes. Why can't they feel it? See it?

"Will… not… give…" A deep, inhuman voice sounds from down the shaft. A weird, schlepping sound following the words. It's growing ever-closer and it's horrific.

"Huh?!" The group shouts in surprise.

"Where is… that voice coming from?" Fear enters Ace's voice. I take a step back.

"The stone… is miiiine…." It speaks, like a haunted spirit tortured for eons.

"It—it sounds like… it's coming closer…" Deuce's voice waivers in fear.

Finally it fully steps into the light we're making. It's a strange creature, tall, and horrifying. A leaking jar head with black goop falling out. A red, button up shirt with gold buttons. What looks like a brown cap upon its head. Gruesome hands covered in black with what look like human fingers at the ends, as if its being is consumed by that sludge. Sludge that runs down its legs; they're gone, and it's all a being rising out of that goop. In its left hand it holds a pickax, like the miners long ago. In the right, a purple-glowing lantern that lights its way—probably fueled by whatever strange magic, whatever energy consumes it now.

"The stone… is mine-" It calls out as it approaches.

"THERE IT IS!" The boys shout.

We take off running, finally, but it's Deuce that tugs my sleeve—and my legs finally work again. We're going even faster than the ghosts. No spells to fling at it; there's only this horror in the air.

iThey are mine./i

Some—some voice. I swear I hear it in my head. Tears fill my eyes and I try to blink them away. I'm absolutely terrified.

"What IS that?!" Deuce questions as we flee in terror.

Grim shouts, "AHH! No one said there would be monsters! Let's GO!"

"This is bad! But didn't it say something about stones?!" Ace points out something good but I don't really care.

iThe stones… were always mine./i

The monster's cry reaches our ears, "Will… not… give stones…"

Then what's the voice I'm hearing?

There's a gasp from the three of them, as if they all share one brain cell, coming to the conclusion that this creature is hoarding whatever stones are left in this mine.

"So there are still magestones here!" Deuce voices.

"I—even with my genius power—I can't win against that!" Grim's terror thick in his voice.

"But if don't get that magestone, we'll be expelled! I'm going after it!" Deuce bullheadedly proclaims.

"Are you serious?!" Ace, we both know he is.

"You can't do it alone." And if he does, he's going to die. I feel it. That thing will kill us—but this bullheaded guy would rather die than face expulsion.

"I will never let myself be expelled from the school!" He proclaims loudly—he's stopped, turning to face the creature.

We've all stopped too.

"Then we have to fight it—we have to work together. There's no other options." I look at them; I'm not –wait. Maybe—maybe I can help.

"No!" Grim calls to me, running a bit ahead. "Stay BEHIND us! Tell us where to hit!"

Like with the ghosts.

iI will have all of the riches./i That voice in my head echoes.

"Ace, aim for the weapon! Keep it from hitting you! Deuce, attack the lantern—and Grim, send fire at the head!" Both objects can be used as weapons, and if it has some sort of sight it might be where its supposed head is.

But only Grim listens. The blow hits, but it only pushes the monster more forward.

It swells in energy, shouting at us with a concussive force, "GET OUT! GET OUUUT! GEEEET OUUUT!"

It sends a wave of magic at us one by one, throwing us all back and forward. We're all scrambling up, now with bumps and scrapes but it doesn't look like anyone's—badly hurt. But we might be as its coming closer with that large, rusty pick raised up above its head.

Fire lights again from Grim-"It's doing nothing!"

But, I catch-"There's-there's a strange glow behind him!"

Ace's eyes go wide. "I see it! It's shining at the end of the tunnel!"

"That light—is it a magestone?!" Deuce's eyes are wide, but the monster still approaches.

"I… WILL NOT… THE STONE… IS MINE!"

i"All of it has always been mine. No one, no one can have what's mine!"/i

"WE need to get out of here! Or else, we're done for!" Grim calls, and starts the retreat.

"We have to go—we need—we need a plan, guys! We're going to die here!" I reach, tugging on Deuce and Ace's sleeves. They seem to be transfixed by the stone in the distance.

They listen to reason, and we all flee with the monster screaming behind us.

i"That's right. Mine. It's mine."/i But the voice fades as we go.

I thought, before, I've never run so fast in my life—but we have run so far, and so fast, that before we know it we're well out of the mine and into the Silent Woods. So far, in fact, that I can see the cottage. It looks like the monster hasn't pursued us, at least. At—at least I hope. Finally when we stop, huffing and wheezing, a glance behind tells me that it didn't chase us all the way out here.

"We're far enough, right?" Grim asks, between heavy breaths.

"Ow… what was that? No one mentioned monsters!" Ace is rightfully horrified.

"It wasn't a ghost—that's for certain." No shit, Deuce.

"No, no—it was some sort of monster. I don't—and that voice…" I can't hear it anymore. What was that? And that negative feeling—it's faded, at least.

"Let's just give up and go home. I'd rather be expelled, if I don't have to fight that thing again." Ah, the defeatist.

"What?! No! I'd rather die than be expelled!" I knew that already. "The magic stone was right there, and you just want to go home?"

"Guys." I start, trying to simmer them down before it's a fight.

"Hah! Big talk from someone who's not even half as good as I am. You want the stone? Then get it yourself—I'm out."

There's a sudden shift in Deuce. His entire stance changes. His leg goes back a little, as if he's preparing to throw a punch. Head cocked a little to the side, and a fist goes into his hand. "SO THAT'S IT? Fine! Stay back like a worthless coward." The entire tone more gruff, raw—wild, even.

"Ha? Who are you calling a coward, coward?"

"Deuce, are you—okay?" This is sort of a 180. Don't tell me we have a weird split-personality saga coming in this strange fantasy world.

"Umm, Deuce… did you just turn over another personality?" Grim asks, incredulous at this switch.

"Oh!" He coughs without convincing a soul. "Sorry! I lost my cool for a second there."

"Now, what can we do…?" I wish they had listened, I have a strategy, I think; that we can have two of them occupy the weapons to keep strikes from happening while the third concentrates their magic on possible vulnerable areas until we figure out how to defeat it.

"It's not like you can use magic, No." Grim counters.

"I know that." I shake my head.

"We need more training; if you can't strongly visualize your magic, it doesn't work—it's about focus." Deuce sighs, looking a little helpless.

"It's why we're at a magic school in the first place." Ace cuts in, contributing more positively to the conversation. "But it takes a lot of practice to do what you want with a snap of your fingers. But if you're flustered or scared—you mess up easier."

"...And you were just throwing spells recklessly…" I give them a pointed look; they weren't listening. But—that is getting my gears turning. We need a strategy that focuses on what they can currently do.

"No, no—everyone has a specialized magic; that's what you can use more intuitively." Ace is explaining concepts I really don't necessarily understand yet but we're still in day one or two of my introduction to magic.

"Regardless, I will find some way to defeat that monster and get the magestone." Deuce's confidence isn't what it was, either.

"Suuure—like how you destroyed the chandelier—you're an idiot, Deuce." Says the other idiot. "You didn't land a single blow last time, and now you'll suddenly defeat it? Sure."

"What did you just say?" The tone shifts again. So this side comes out when Deuce is riled up? Noted.

Grim sighs. "And there they go again.

"Both of you cut it the fuck out!" My voice definitely increased in volume. "This is getting us nowhere!"

The three startle, finally giving me the attention.

"Woah! Why the yelling, No?!" Grim has his paws up. Good.

"We need to cooperate." I start.

"—What, rush back in there? No way." Ace counters, before hearing me out.

"Rush in again? Nope!" Well, Deuce and Ace are in sync now. Great.

"No—a strategy. We need a plan of attack to defeat this thing. Or at least disable it long enough to get the stone and get back to Crowley."

"Strategy? What, we have to work together?" Ace wins the golden cupid doll of dumbassery tonight. "Is that a joke? Why would I want to work together, No?"

"I don't want to work with him, either." Deuce throws a glare Ace's way.

I am about to knock their stupid heads together.

"But it's so pathetic to get kicked out of school on the first day…" Grim looks… dejected. Aw, I want to pet his little head.

"Uh—well…" Ace looks a little… taken down a peg.

"I think I have a plan." I softly put in, trying to nudge them all into it.

"Fine, fine! Let's get this over with, then… So what's the plan, No?" Good, Ace is finally on board.

"Look, I know that Ace has some skill with wind magic, Grim with throwing fire around, and Deuce can summon heavy objects." I start, looking at the three of them. "It might be the only things you three can do when in a high-stress situation with basically zero training." Which, they have the right idea looking a bit embarrassed. Good. They were awful today.

"First, we have to lure him as far out into the open as possible. It gives us plenty of room and reduces the risk of us getting trapped in the mine. Grim—I need you to lure it out, using your fire to catch its attention. Then, we need to lure it all the way into the open, so it can't just run back into the mine." I start, and at least the three are silent and listening right now.

"Then, I want Ace to blow it with as much wind as you can with your wind—while Grim throws his flames. Try to work together to trap it in a whirlwind, or a vortex if you can to keep it trapped. Then, Deuce, I want you to crush it with the heaviest thing you an summon.

"If you can pin it, then we can go get the magestone. I don't know if we can actually defeat it, so really the best strategy is to use magic to keep it unable to attack us. Once we get that magestone, then we need to do our best to get out of there as fast as possible."

"Got it!" The trio say in sync, which is exactly what I want here!

"Let's go-!" And we forge ahead.

It's the best plan we got and honestly I hope it's going to work.

The trek back to the entrance of the mine isn't quick, but we get there.

Once we arrive, Grim's the first to speak:

"No, are you sure this is gonna work? I'm sca—uh—nervous." Good cover, Grim.

"Brace for the worse, and hope for the best."

"Ha! That's not the way to look at it—let's get it done!" Ace's grinning from ear to ear, for some reason he's excited.

"Let's go-" Deuce gestures, and we all head inside.

"HEY! STUPID MONSTER! O—OVER HERE!" Grim calls out, trying to get the creature's attention.

i"It's all mine."/i Echoes in my head. Yeah, it's—it's coming.

It emerges in its slimy, gooey—God, it's horrifying when it's in the moonlight. It does look like something that's being consumed by the sludge. "GET-OUT!" It roars at us, but it's come out of the mine, into the open for us.

"HE'S COMING OUR WAY NO!" Grim veers off to join the attack group.

I wave at the thing, despite the pressure I feel again. Despite how my chest feels tight.

i"It is all mine; no one can take it from me—I won't let them. They can't steal it all away."/i What am I hearing?

"COME AND GET ME, MONSTER!" I call, waving at it as I take several strategic steps back.

It roars again, "THIEVES- NO… NO STONES… MINE. MINE!"

It thrusts its pick into the ground, and thankfully it misses me.

That was close.

"Ahhh! If it hits, we're so dead!"

"I'm getting him as far away as I can, Grim!" I shout back, continuing to wave and move out of the way.

"GO—GO!"

"It's away from the tunnel!" Grim shouts excitedly.

"ACE, GRIM! GO FOR IT!" I call to the other part of our four-gang.

"Alright, I got this—an Ace tempest!'

"And Grim's Fire SPECIAL!"

The monster cries out.

i"Don't take what's mine."/i

"How's that? An inferno with my wind with those amateur flames!"

"They're not amateur! Don't piss me off!" Of course Ace and Grim have to bicker in a fight for our lives.

"DEUCE!" I signal him to start.

He looks like he's murmuring to himself as the monster is thankfully trapped in the fire tornado the two have put together.

" E!"

Finally, he shouts, "CAULDRON!"

A gigantic cauldron falls on top of the monster, smashing it down.

"It's working!" Grim shouts excitedly! "Look, No! The monster's squashed like a pancake—just like Ace, hee hee!"

"This isn't the time-" I scold, but I hear it again: i"This is MINE!"/i

"Could you not bring that up? Aw man, today isn't my day." Ace whines.

"Quick—let's get the stone!" Deuce calls; we are at that step. Glad he remembered the plan.

In we go to the mines; with the cauldron pinning the creature and we—we're going to make it, right? But I hear such a mournful cry behind us: "WAIIIIT!"

i"Please—don't take them away."/i

It's not too far in, just down a tunnel. Not too far at all.

The wands and Grim light up our way. But this place is gorgeous with how the gemstones in the stone catch the light and make our way turn honestly magical. But we can't stop and admire the scenery—there's something much more important ahead.

I catch the unnatural shine, and point. "There!"

I'm not tall enough to get it, but Deuce is. He reaches, grasping the strange object and pulling it free—easily, thankfully.

It's a blue stone with a flickering lights inside of green and red. I've never seen something that looks so mystical before—well, maybe the Mirror of Darkness. But even standing here I can feel the energy from it. This isn't a normal stone; it's special alright. And—and we're about done, aren't we? We've done it. We got the stone!

"There! We've got the magestone!" Deuce cries out in elation.

But a feeling of terror starts to creep into me.

"HANDSSSS OFFFFF!" It cries from the entrance. Looking down, it looks like it's getting free from our trappings.

"Oh no! It's almost escaped!" Ace's panic echoes in all of us.

"Deuce, put some more stuff on it!" Grim encourages though he's clearly scared.

"Stuff… CAULDRON!" He calls out. "Uhh—umm—CAULDRON! THEN ANOTHER CAULDRON!' We need to teach him more objects.

The cauldrons fall down and press the monster, but maybe it isn't enough.

"Can you summon anything else besides cauldrons?!"

"Shut it—I'm reaching my limit!" Deuce replies.

Oh shit.

i"I won't let you take it away from me. I won't let anyone take it away from me!"/i

Grim throws up some flames. "We've got the magestone—let's go!"

"IT'S MIIIINE!" The monster cries out.

i"You can't have what's mine!"/i

We take off as fast as we can, racing as fast as our legs can carry us. Past the mines, past the creature, and into the woods. However, with the silence of this place there's nothing that stops us from hearing it shoving off the many cauldrons Deuce summoned—and unfortunately, soon we can hear the sickening sound of sludge. It races toward us.

"No way! How did it get out of that?!" Ace cries out in disbelief.

"GIVE…. GIIIVE IIIT BAAAACKKKK!" The consumed creature calls.

i"I won't let you take it!"/i

"Damn it—it's close!" It's Spades-face McObvious.

"I don't think we have a choice but to fight, guys—"

We've stopped, now turning toward it.

"No! Get behind us! We're going to get rid of this monster. Don't fuck up Mr. Serious." I am a bad influence on their vocabularies.

"We'll take it down with imy/i true power." Where was this confidence from Grim a few minutes ago? "No—tell us what to do!"

"Okay! Look—I want Grim to aim for the lantern—maybe-maybe with that glow it's a power source of some sort! A core—and Ace, throw wind to knock its blows away from us. Deuce, whenever you can, drop things on it. Distract and pin it—okay?"

"GOT IT!" The trio shout.

Now, I am proud of these little ducklings as they start following my plan. As the monster comes toward us and raises its pick to strike, Ace blows a tempest to knock it away from us—then Deuce calls, "CAULDRON!" and summons yet another to strike it down.

It lands with a satisfying thud on the ground.

"FEEL THE WRATH OF GRIM!" The overly-dramatic fire cat calls out, summoning a huge flame to the lantern.

The monster cries in anguish.

i"STOP—STOP! Don't take my STONE! Everyone else has—everyone else takes EVERYTHING!"/i

I can't help the tears streaming down my cheeks as I'm taken hold by horrible anguish. I don't understand.

"G-GRIM! ACE—ACE-Use your wind to fan his flames! Put an inferno on the lantern—Deuce, a cauldron! Keep them coming!" It's—I really can't stop crying.

"WE GOT IT!" The three give me confirmation and get to work.

Deuce summons more cauldrons as Grim and Ace work together, creating a frightening inferno to encase the lantern.

i"Why?! Why?! Why are these thieves stealing from me? Why do they have to take what's mine?! This place is mine; all of it is mine—I don't want all I have left to be stolen by these thieves! But I can't do anything to stop them. I can never do anything..."/i

"KEEP AT IT!" I encourage; from the back. What is speaking? It's not the monster—and I don't think anything else can hear—I don't know, but—but-!

i"When will people stop?"/i

Eventually, the lantern fizzles out and there is no longer a strange glow; the creature falls limp, and starts to fade away.

And so does the voice that was echoing in my head.

We're all left frozen in our places.

The dust settles… we did it.

"Wow…"

"Did we win…?" Ace dares to ask.

"We did it! We really won!" Grim's jumping up and joy in jubilation at our victory!

"WE WON!" Deuce shouts, jumping in the air as well.

"We did it!" Ace is joining the jump around team.

"Victory! High-fives, everyone!"

"WOO!" We all cheer in relief, exchanging high-fives. I even hug Grim in relief.

"No—!" He sounds surprised, and I let him go, wiping the rest of the tears from my face.

He huffs at me. "Really, No? You were that scared? I wasn't scared for a moment!"

I give him a very stern look.

The cat demon huffs. "Sure, sure."

"I'm really glad we're getting along. It really saved the day." I can't help the big smile on my face! My cheeks hurt I'm so happy. We came together and saved the day.

"No—no, it's not like that at all!" Deuce stutters out.

"Yeah! Don't say weird things like that." Ace huffs.

"WE only one because of my genius." Grim's in on it too. "Not because we worked together as a team or anything!"

I am going to smack these three, I swear to God. I know my hands are on my hips and I am about to give them a tongue lashing that they'll cry to their mothers about.

Deuce and Ace both break out into a grin.

"Fine, fine—you're right, No. I hate to admit it, but we won thanks to your plans." Ace rubs the back of his head, sheepish, I think.

There's a thoughtful look on Deuce's face. He must be using all two of his brain-cells. "Yeah. We only got the magestone because of your strategy, and how you guided us in battle. So, now we can go back and give the Headmaster the stone—we won't get expelled! I'm so relieved."

"—because we all worked together." I encourage them to accept the truth.

Ace waves a hand at my direction. "Whatever. It's great. We saved the day. But I'm exhausted—let's just go back."

It's late, and he's right. I suddenly feel the exhaustion hit my body. "Okay Ace, you're right—let's go back."

"And I'm starving—I used too much magic." Grim's stomach growls with righteous fury.

"We'll eat, don't worry…"

"What's this!?' He picks up a strange, black stone that lies there, where the monster was.

"Part of the monster…?" Deuce guesses. "Maybe a magic crystal? But I've never seen one like that. It's black as coal."

Grim is sniffing the rock way too intently. "Mmm… so tasty… I guess the monster was holding a treat! Thank you for the meal!"

And he swallows it whole.

"EHK! No way!" Ace is grossed out.

"Grim! You don't know what that is! Spit it out!" GROSS! Oh My GOD this cat-magic-monster-demon-thing!

"Oooo—" Oh that doesn't sound good.

"Are you alright?" Deuce is at least concerned.

Ace sighs, shaking his head. "See—that's why you don't eat weird things off the ground, Grim."

"Does this world even have vets?" And how am I going even to afford it? I'm literally destitute in another dimension.

"DELICIOUS! IT'S AMAZING!" Grim suddenly cries out.

The reaction makes us all cry out in surprise.

"It's so rich, so full of flavor! A sweet aroma, a savory taste in my mouth! A perfume of flowers dancing across my taste buds!" So basically I should call him Grim Ramsey.

"Ewww… Monsters have weird tastes." Ace makes such a face, it's kind of cute.

"Sure, but… people also, don't put random things they find on the floor in their mouths." True, Deuce, true.

"So… I guess monsters are great trash disposals. I'll make sure to give you weird scraps, Grim." I shake my head. I'm going to have to teach him NOT to do that in the future.

"It was so yummy! I want another!" Grim's almost dancing with joy. Okay, so he's ego AND food motivated. He stops, looking over at us. "Unlike weak humans, monster stomachs are strong!"

"Sure—don't come crying to us when you get sick later, Grim." Scoffs Mr. Heart Face.

I roll my eyes. "C'mon, I'm getting hungry too. And I'm not eating random weird stones off the ground."

"Yes. Let's get this magestone to the headmaster."

It's not far to what looks like a gate—Ace puts his hand on it, saying a quick spell, which I only catch the end of, "-back to Night Raven College!"

It's another swirl of magic, and we arrive from whence we came. The next thing I know we've arrived back in the Mirror Hall.

We really did make it back, and I'm starting to accept, I think, fully, that this is not just a weird dream.