Aaaand now here's Jerome with the disclaimer.

Jerome: Ice-Princess-93 doesn't own anything. Especially not Alfie and I's pranks.

Me: I wouldn't want to own your pranks.

Dinner flew by in a blur. We all sat around the table, eating the wonderful spaghetti and garlic bread with salad that Trudy had made, and as usual, Alfie and Jerome were having a food fight. I tried my best to dodge the food flying through the air but sadly ended up with a glob of sauce on my face.

Afterwards, I had decided to call a Sibuna meeting. Everyone gathered in my room; even Jerome. I guess we had fully included him in the club now, even though he put us through hell last term.

"Okay guys," I started off once everyone was seated. Fabian and I were on my bed while everyone else completed the attempted-circle on the floor. "I have something to tell you."

"Victor made a duplicate of the elixir!" Alfie shouted.

"Rufus is back!" Jerome got up, eyes wide.

"You're getting highlights in your hair!" Amber squealed, grinning and pointing at me. We all stared at her. "What?"

"Guys! Let Nina talk!" Fabian shouted, glaring at everyone.

"Okay. Like I was saying before I got so rudely interrupted," I continued, taking a deep breath and squeezing Fabian's hand. "Before dinner, when we were all leaving Fabian's room… I heard the house talk."

"What does she mean by 'hearing the house talk'?" Jerome asked, crossing his arms.

"Are you sure?" Patricia asked, ignoring him. "But I thought… I thought you said the mystery was over!"

"I thought so too! I mean, that's what Sarah told me before getting the cup out of the fire." I must've looked scared out of my whits, because Fabian let go of my hand and instead put his arm around me. "Look. I don't know what this means, but… maybe the mystery isn't over. I mean, Rufus is still out on the loose, thinking he's immortal. We're all in danger."

"Plus, what if Victor and his cronies come up with a plan to make a duplicate elixir?" Fabian asked. I stared at him.

"They can't. Remember what we heard from Mrs. Andrews that night when they were initiating Mr. Winkler into The Society? She said Victor's dad had a 'tragic accident' before passing on the secrets to the elixir. He's tried over and over to make a duplicate, but failed every time."

"Oh yeah. Well, that explains why he was so depressed when he found out I had thrown out the actual elixir."

"Um, what did you do with that, exactly?"

By now, it seemed as if no one else in the room existed. I was totally focusing on Fabian and what he was going to say. I quickly stole a glance around the room and saw that everyone else was holding their breath or crossing their fingers, hoping for good news.

"I really did throw it out. I smashed the flask it was in and threw it all out into the rubbish. I swear. And when I checked the next morning, Trudy was already taking out the rubbish bin that the elixir and glass were in, so there's no trace of it anywhere. I promise."

We all let out sighs of relief, but I looked over to see Jerome visibly stiffen. His phone chimed, meaning he had gotten a text.

"It's from…" he checked his phone. "Uh, you're not gonna like this."

"Rufus." Fabian and I said in unison. Jerome nodded.

"How? Why?" I was practically screaming, and by now had gotten up, charged over to Jerome and snatched his phone before Fabian or anyone else could hold me back. I read the text aloud. "Meet me in the clearing in the woods. I know Alfie's alive and the elixir I drank was fake. Bring Nina and the boy who gave me the elixir. -R.Z." I cringed, throwing the phone back at Jerome. "Why?" I repeated, going back to sit next to Fabian.

"Well, that doesn't mean that I'm necessarily going to-" Jerome was cut off by Patricia holding her hand in front of his face.

"If you don't, you'll be tracked down by him and either mummified alive, or he could pull out those zapping killing bugs and finish you three for good." she glared at him, then softened her gaze once she saw how freaked out I was. "Sorry, Nina."

"I…" I was lost for words. Just then, Amber shouted.

"Nina! Your locket!" she pointed at the glowing Eye of Horus I had on the chain around my neck. I stared down at it. Instead of glowing the normal red it usually did, this time it was a dark, ominous blue. Our mouths fell open as we watched what followed next.

As soon as she pointed out the glowing of the locket, the house started creaking and shaking, knocking posters off the wall like it did those few times last term when we were opening puzzle pieces and had tried to assemble the cup. My eyes widened as the light from my locket poured out into the air, revealing a message written in smokey light. It read: The mystery is not over. Beware the black bird and the man searching to live forever. Then it disappeared and my locket wasn't glowing anymore. We were all silent.

"Okay," Alfie started, breaking the quiet. "That was weird…"

"Nina?" Fabian asked, sounding worried. I just looked at him. I guess I had a look of utter shock and terror on my face or something, but the next thing I knew, everything went black.