Chapter 49

I saw clouds. Then a bright light. And then... a temple in the clouds? A man held a cute little baby. Someone seemed jealous. This was another dream, wasn't it?

"...ey! Hey, Ona!" said a familiar voice. "Wake up already!" It was... Ace?

I opened my eyes. I groaned as I sat up in my bed. "Huh?" Ace and Deuce stood before me.

"C'mon, you can't go falling asleep when you're the one who called us over at this hour," Ace said.

"I was certainly surprised to hear from you so late," said Deuce. "What's this about Grim going missing?"

I looked around in confusion. "When did I fall asleep...?"

Ace's eyes widened. "Whoa, hold up! What happened to your hand?" He grabbed my wrist and examined my hand, causing me to wince in pain. "It's all scratched!"

"Well, I went looking for Grim, and when I found him, he-"

"Wait, am I hearin' you right?"

"Now way... GRIM did that?" Deuce said in surprise.

Ace frowned as he continued to stare at my hand. His furrowed furrowed in a worry that was uncharacteristic for me. "Let's head to the lounge for now. We gotta get that hand patched up stat."

"Ah, right, good call. We can talk with the headmage after that."

I got up and followed them to the lounge. Deuce found the medical equipment, and then Ace bandaged my hand in a way more careful than I thought him capable of. After several calls to the headmage, he finally answered us and made his way to Ramshackle. With all four us seated on the couch, I explained everything that happened that night.

"So, the mirror in your room connected to another place, and you spoke with a large-eared creature named 'Mickey,'" Crowley said once I finished. "After your conversation, you noticed Grim was missing and went to look for him. Then when you found him, he acted uncharacteristically aggressive and lashed out at you. Hmmm..."

"Grim was eating another black rock off the ground," I said. I had a feeling it was important.

"A black rock, you say?"

"You mean like the one he housed in the mine at the start of the school year?" said Ace.

"Now that you mention it..." said Deuce. "Grim also scarfed down the black rock that fell onto the grass when Housewarden Riddle overblotted."

"And the other times as well," I noted.

"But he didn't freak out back then," said Ace. "What's the deal with those black rocks, anyway?"

Crowley frowned. "I didn't witness any of these incidents firsthand, so this is purely conjecture... But I suspect those black rocks were blot crystals."

My friends and I exchanged looks. "What are blot crystals?" Deuce asked.

"I believe a quick refresher is in order. Overblotting occurs when a magic user accumulates more blot than they can handle. Blot, as you know, is a waste product of using magic. It is highly toxic and contains stagnant magical energy. During such incidents, blot manifests in the shape of the practitioner's darkest emotions."

"And when you want to get someone out of and overblot..." said Ace. "...you gotta rip that manifestation away from them, right?"

"At least that's how we've gotten all the overblotters to return to normal so far," said Deuce.

"Just so," said Crowley. "One must sever the link to the manifestation to free the magic user. My understanding is that when the manifestation fades, the condensed blot can crystallize."

Ace's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Magestones themselves can form when magic flowing through the earth or air happens to crystallize. Blot is essentially magic runoff, so it stands to reason that it could solidify as well. Granted, I've never witnessed it personally. Overblotting itself is exceptionally rare... Hmm."

"'Exceptionally rare?'" I said in disbelief. "Tell that to the five guys who overblotted this year."

"Okay, lemme see if I got this straight," said Ace. "Blot is bad for people even in small amounts, and the black rocks are hyper-condensed versions of it, right?"

"Correct," said Crowley.

"Which means if someone goes around snacking on them, it's gonna mess with 'em."

"Grim went berserk because he ate those rocks...?" said Deuce.

"Bear in mind, this is all speculation," said Crowley. "It's also worth remembering that while Grim can communicate with all of us, he's still a monster. Him going 'berserk' may be his true nature. The second day of the culture fair is tomorrow. We cannot leave a dangerous monster on the loose, especially if he's already injured someone."

"Dangerous?! But this is Grim we're talking about!"

"It's not his fault!" I snapped.

"Believe me, I've no desire to condemn him in such a manner," said Crowley. "Monster or no, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and admitted him to this school. But we cannot ignore the possibility that he may no longer be fit to remain on campus."

"Hold on, what are you sayin'?" Ace said in alarm.

"Regardless, we must assemble the faculty and housewardens and capture Grim posthaste."

"Oh geez..." Deuce groaned.

Crowley stood up. "I had best be going now. Ona, do not leave this dorm. Trappola, Spade, return at once to Heartslabyul. After all, THEY could mobilize any second..."

I frowned. "'They?'"

"Uh, what now?" said Ace.

"Oh, nothing," said Crowley. "Gracious, there's no rest for the wicked..." He then made his exit. Ace and Deuce made no move to leave.

"This is nuts," I muttered. I felt a huge weight in my heart, and I did not know how to get rid of it.

"He said Grim might not be fit to stay on campus..." Ace said softly. "So what, they're just gonna label him a menace now?"

"Grim would never..." Deuce murmured. "I mean, sure, he's a glutton who's never heard of self-control, and he can be really selfish at times. But he'd never intentionally hurt Ona or any other student without reason. Surely he wouldn't... Probably... I guess?"

"Dude, you're not helping." Ace sighed. "Look, monsters ARE feral. I've seen news stories about them attacking human towns and stuff. The headmage isn't being unreasonable."

Deuce's eyes widened. "Ace, you can't mean that!"

"But Grim's hung out with Ona for the past six months, and he's been just fine." Ace paused. "...And we've gotten along with him too."

"Yeah, you're right. All our classmates are comfortable around him as well."

Ace turned to me. "So, what's the plan? What do YOU want to do, Ona?"

I took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "I don't know much about monsters, but this is not his fault. This has to be those stones making him act this way. He needs and deserves our help just as much as the overblotters did - more so since his own immoral actions didn't lead him to this state. Besides, I don't want to lose Grim over this!"

Ace smiled. "I had a feeling you'd say that." He stood up. "Well, let's go bang out this search and find that frustrating furball."

Deuce stood up and pounded his fist into his palm. "That's what I'm talkin' about! We need to find Grim before the others. That cat's gotta lot of explainin' to do!"

We ran outside to look for Grim. We headed to Main Street first. "Come on," I murmured. "Where are you?"

"Grim, are you there?!" Deuce shouted.

Ace nudged him. "Pipe down! The headmage told us to go back to our dorm, remember? You know that if the housewarden hears we snuck out after curfew, it'll be off with our heads."

"Oh right..." Deuce began wandering around. "Heeere, Grimmy! I've got a can of your favorite tuna!"

Ace shook his head. "What part of 'pipe down' do you not- oh, that's Ona's phone."

I pulled out my phone. "It's Crowley."

"Did they find him?"

I turned the phone on speaker. "Hello?"

"Ona," Crowley said. "The Shroud brothers from Ignihyde have successfully captured Grim." Ace and Deuce exchanged a look of surprise. "How fortunate they did it so quickly. If they hadn't, I would've been forced to cancel the culture fair, and then Ambrose would've had my guts for garters..." Crowley cleared his throat. "But never mind that!"

"Can I... can I talk to him?"

"Grim is in no condition to talk at the moment. We will question him as soon as he comes to. I'm also considering having a third party look into the matter. Hence, I cannot allow you to speak with Grim in the interim. I'll be in touch soon." Then Crowley hung up. I let out a deep sigh.

"Did he just say Grim's in no condition to talk?" Ace said quietly.

"Maybe he put up a huge fight when they capture him..." Deuce said.

I bit my lip. "I'm worried sick."

"I'm sure he'll be alright soon," said Ace.

Deuce gave me a slight smile. "Yes, it will be fine. Let us walk you back to your dorm."

I nodded. "Thanks." I walked in silence with them, the weight in my heart growing heavier my the second. I stopped at the entrance to Ramshackle. I bit my lip as I looked at my friends. I did not want to be alone, but I could not ask them to risk getting in trouble with Riddle for my sake. "Well, uh, thank you for coming over to help. I appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it," said Ace.

"Are you going to be alright?" said Deuce.

"I'll have to be," I said.

Ace hesitated before stepping forward and giving me a hug. I gratefully hugged him back. He was not usually affectionate but knew I was, so I appreciated the effort. "We'll see you tomorrow, alright?" he said softly before pulling back.

I gave both them a small smile. "Yeah. Good night, guys."

"Good night, Ona," they said before walking off.

I took a deep breath and entered the dorm. I walked all the way into my room and stopped. I felt empty. I did not want to be alone. I could think of a few friends who would come to my aid. I wanted to all Floyd, but I was afraid he would be in a bad mood if I woke him up. I did not doubt he would still come over, but he might be too annoyed to pick up his phone or even check to see who was calling. So, I dialed Jade's number.

"Ona, what's wrong?" Jade said, picking up after the third ring.

"C-Can you come over?"I asked, unable to keep the emotion out of my voice. "I-I need you."

"I'll be right there. Don't worry, Ona." He spoke in a firm tone that brought me relief.

"Thanks, Jade."

I made my way to the lounge to wait for him. Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Open opening the door, I was almost knocked over by someone who was not Jade. "Little Shrimpy!" Floyd cried. "I heard what happened!"

"Floyd?" I was a little confused, but I hugged him back gratefully.

"I thought you would appreciate having him here as well," Jade said, stepping into the dorm.

"Yeah, thanks."

Floyd pulled away from me slightly and gave me a look of distress. "Azul told us Grim has gone crazy!"

"He hurt you," Jade said in a hard tone. He grabbed my wrist and examined my bandaged hand, his eyes narrowed.

I flinched under both of their gazes. "D-Don't blame him," I said. "It's not his fault."

"Then who's fault is it?" Floyd said, more curious than angry. His arms were still gently wrapped around me.

I sighed. "I... It's complicated. Can we talk about it later? I'm tired and just want to sleep... but I don't want to be alone. Can you guys stay with me?" I gave them a pleading look.

Floyd's expression softened. "Of course! Do you want to cuddle?"

I smile slightly. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Thanks."

"Let's get you to bed," Jade said gently. "We can talk in the morning."

The three of us entered my room. I immediately fell onto my bed, and Floyd got in beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. I let out a sigh of relief. His presence felt comforting. My eyes flickered to Jade, who stood watching us with an unreadable expression. "Will you join us?" I asked.

"We can make room for you," Floyd offered.

"That is alright," Jade said with a polite smile. "I will take the bed next to you. Make her feel better, Floyd."

"I don't get it. If you hadn't woken me up, it could have been-"

"Floyd."

"Fine." I heard a bit of resignation in Floyd's voice. "I will comfort her." He held me even closer to his chest. Part of me wonders what is going on between them, but a larger part of me is too tired and hurt to try to figure it out. I am unable to resist Floyd's warmth and comfort, so I fall asleep with out arms wrapped around each other and my head resting on his chest.

I awoke feeling confused. Why did it feel like there was someone in bed with me, and why wasn't Grim yapping? Then I remembered. A rush of feelings filled me. Grim was gone. I opened my eyes to see Floyd's sleeping face right beside me. His arms were tight around me, and I could not move. "Floyd?" I said groggily. "It's time to wake up."

"Still tired," Floyd grumbled, not opening his eyes.

I sighed. In all honesty, I did not mind too much. I was not eager to get up and face the world, and I was comfortable with him. But I smelled something good, and it made me curious. Then something else occurred to me. "Where's Jade?"

"Huh?" Floyd finally lifted his head and opened his eyes. He smiled lazily. "Ah, making breakfast."

I smiled slightly. That was pretty sweet of him. "Then maybe we should get up and get ready so we can go enjoy it."

"Okay." Floyd finally let me go, and I stood up. Before I could look around for fresh clothes, he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. "Hey, are you alright?" I could not help but feel touched by the concern on his face.

I shook my head. "No, but I will be eventually. Just... stay with me for awhile, okay?"

Floyd grinned. "I can do that." He pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks, Floyd." I smiled at him as he let me go. Nothing may be solved, but it was nice to know my friends were there for me.

Soon enough, Floyd and I entered the kitchen, where we saw Jade making something. "Good morning," Jade said in a light tone. "How are you feeling, Ona?"

"Not great," I said honestly, "but thanks for making breakfast. You didn't have to do that."

Jade smiled at me. "It was my pleasure." He started serving the food onto plates, and I could see that it was scrambled eggs. My mouth watered.

"I hope there are no mushrooms in there," Floyd grumbled. "You know I don't like them."

Jade smirked. "I didn't make this for you. Just pick them out."

"But I don't have any mushrooms," I said.

"I woke up early to retrieve them." Jade set the plates on the table. There were, indeed, mushrooms.

I brightened a little at the sight of the food. "This looks great." Jade appeared pleased with my praise. The three of us sat down and began to eat. Floyd pushed all his mushrooms onto my plate, which I did not mind at all.

"What are you plan to do today, Ona?" Jade asked once we finished eating.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe I'll meet up with Ace and Deuce later." Neither of them had texted me yet, so I assumed they were still asleep.

Jade nodded. "I am needed at my booth at the culture fair. You're welcome to join me. Perhaps you and Floyd could enjoy the fair."

I hesitated. "I don't know if I'm up for having fun."

"That's okay," Floyd said, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "We can just hang out with Jade at his booth."

I found the idea agreeable. Besides, I needed to talk to Jade about something. I just had to find a way to get him alone. I did not want to have to re-explain everything to Floyd. The three of us cleaned up and then headed to the fair.

For awhile, we stayed at Jade's booth, chatting with each other and anyone who walked by. Eventually, I noticed Floyd getting fidgety. "Hey, Floyd," I said, "I still don't feel like heading out there, but you should go check out everything. Maybe you can find a snack for us."

Floyd brightened. "Okay! Good idea, Little Shrimpy. I'll be right back!" He ran off, grinning.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Jade said in a polite tone with amusement just under the surface once we were alone.

I looked at him in surprise. "How did you-?" I shook my head. "Never mind. I just..." I hesitated as the pain from earlier washed over me. "I had another dream..."

Jade's expression softened. He took a step closer to me. "You mean, one of the dreams you believe is prophetic?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I fell asleep after Grim attacked me, and I had a dream."

Jade placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Tell me about it."

I took a deep breath. "Okay." I explained the dream in as much detail as possible. At the end, I let out a heavy sigh. "I didn't think I'd have another one so soon. Does this mean there's more trouble brewing?"

Jade seemed to carefully consider his words. "If this is the same type of dream, then, yes, something is happening."

I swallowed hard, fear rising in my chest. "I-I thought so. But what could it be?"

"That's hard to tell from this dream alone. It doesn't strike a bell with me. Perhaps the next one will provide us with more information."

I nodded. "I'll tell you as soon as I have it." I bit my lip in worry. "You don't think this has anything to do with Grim, do you?"

Jade was silent for a minute before responding. "It seems doubtful. It doesn't fit the pattern. Anything is possible, though."

My eyes widened in fear. "Oh no! What am I supposed to do? I can't lose Grim. This isn't his fault. What's going to happen? What if I can't save him? What if-"

"Ona." Jade placed both hands on my shoulders and looked right into my eyes. "You have been successful up until now, have you not?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"You will succeed this time too. And you are not alone. I am with you. And so is Floyd. And all your other friends. You don't have to worry. Everything will be alright." I slowly calmed down as I listened to his words. Then he pulled me into a gentle hug, and I felt myself relax even more.

"Thanks, Jade."

"Of course, Ona." He kissed the top of my head.

As he continued to hug me for as long as I needed, I remembered what happened last night. He had not given me any physical affection, instead allowing Floyd to take that role. Why was that? Was he not fond of physical touch and would only give it to me when there was not someone else around to do so? No, Ace didn't like hugs too much but had given me one when I needed it. This felt different. Something else was going on.

"Hey, Jade?" I pulled away from him and looked up at him.

"Yes?" Jade said with a kind smile.

I hesitated. There was no way he would tell me the truth, and I was too mentally weary to try to figure him out now. "Never mind."

"Hey, guys!" Floyd said loudly upon his return. "Look what I found!" On the table, he sat a platter full of different kind of doughnuts. "They all look great, don't they?"

I brightened upon seeing the pastries. "They do. Good find, Floyd!" I grabbed a chocolate frosted doughnut and took a bite. It made me feel a little better. For awhile, I was distracted by eating the doughnuts and talking with the twins. The platter was finished by the time someone else approached.

"ONA!" a familiar voice shouted. I saw Kalim running at me full speed with Jamil trailing behind him. "I am so sorry about Grim!" Then he engulfed me in a hug that was more bone crushing than any Floyd had ever given me. All I could let out was a squeak.

"Kalim, she can't breathe," Jamil scolded him.

"Easy there, Sea Otter," Floyd said. He gently pulled Kalim off of me, and I took a deep breath.

Kalim gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"Are you alright?" Jamil asked.

"Yeah, he just took my breath away," I said.

"I wasn't talking about that."

I looked at Jamil in surprise. His face did not give away what he was referring to, but I knew what it had to be. "You mean about Grim? I'm not feeling too great. I'm worried about him."

"That is understandable. Do you know what is wrong with him?"

"Well, Crowley had some ideas..."

"Oh yeah, you never told us about that," Floyd said. "What did he say?"

"Yeah, tell us!" said Kalim.

I hesitated. I did not mind telling Kalim, Floyd, or Jade, but could I trust Jamil? I glanced at his face, but it revealed nothing to me. Jamil was another one who was hard to read, and I was not at the top of my game. I looked to Jade instead. Jade seemed to understand my unspoken question, for he gave me a tiny nod. I smiled in response. Jamil noticed out exchange but did comment on it.

"Alright," I said. "Crowley thinks it might be the black rocks Grim has been eating."

"Black rocks?" said Kalim.

I nodded. "Every time someone has overblotted, a black rock has appeared and Grim has eaten it. Last night, I saw him eating the rock from Vil. That's when he attacked me."

"Vil overblotted?" Floyd said curiously.

Jamil gave me a look. "You really want to tell him about that?"

"Why not?" I said. "I already told Jade, and everyone will find out about it eventually."

"It's just-" Jamil sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. What did the headmage say about the black rocks?"

"He said they might be crystalized blot. It sounds like it's the residue of blot when the overblot form fades."

"That would explain Grim not acting like himself," Jade said.

"And you just let him eat this rocks?" Jamil said to me with disapproval.

"H-Hey!" I said, feeling defensive. "I didn't know what they were! And I did try to stop him. I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. He's impossible to control when he has his mind set on something."

Jamil's expression softened. "Yes, I understand." His eyes flickered to Kalim before looking back at me. "Did the headmage say anything else?"

I hesitated before responding. "He said it might be... Grim's nature... as a monster."

"You mean, the rocks brought out his true nature?" Floyd said.

I shrugged. "I guess so. But that's crazy, right?"

"Maybe not," Jamil said thoughtfully.

I looked at him in horror. "What? Just because he's a monster you think-"

"No, that's not what I mean." Jamil spoke calmly and looked at me with a serious explanation. "What if blot brings out someone's true nature - no matter what kind of creature they are?"

My eyes narrowed. Was he seriously suggesting that Grim and everyone who overblotted - including Jamil himself - were evil? "No."

"Ona, let me explain-"

My gaze hardened into a glare. "I said no."

Floyd laughed. "You're not going to win this one, Sea Snake."

"I don't get it," Kalim said.

"He's suggesting that overblotting brings out a mage's true nature. Meaning, all five of them - and Grim - are nasty at their core."

Kalim gasped, his eyes widened in shock. "What? There's no way that's true, Jamil! Why would you say that?" He appeared distressed at the very idea.

Jamil crossed his arms and looked away. "I simply pointed out a possibility."

I shook my head. "It's not a possibility. There's no way that's how you all truly are."

"And how can you be so sure?" Jamil looked at me with a challenge in his eyes.

"Because I-" I stopped myself before I said anything about the mental connection I had experienced with him and the others. There had to be another way I could explain this. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No one is truly evil at his core. Evil is the corruption of good, so where evil exists, good must also exist. For some reason, you don't seem to understand the concept that people don't do things without reason. There's always something behind that negative behavior. People are trying to do what they think is best. No one is evil for evil's sake." I continued to stare at Jamil, but neither of us would back down.

"Ona is correct," Jade said after several moments of silence, "but your observation does have merit, Jamil. I theorize that blot suppresses one's goodness and brings out the evil. In other words, someone becomes the worst possible version of himself. And if someone is only able to choose evil, is that really a choice at all? He is only half of himself, which means it is not his true nature." He looked at me. "That is what you meant?"

I nodded, smiling at him in relief. "Yes, exactly." I turned back to Jamil. "People are not the worst thing they have done. You cannot ignore the good. I know who Grim is, and I will help him no matter what it takes."

"Yeah, I agree!" Kalim said.

Jamil stared at me long and head before lowering his head ever so slightly. "Fine."

I wait for him to elaborate, but he remains silent. "What?"

"I will concede this to you." He paused. "And you have my support in your efforts regarding Grim."

My face brightened at this. "Thanks, Jamil!"

"Great!" Kalim said happily. "Now that we've got that figured out, do you want to enjoy the fair with us?"

I hesitated. "I don't know..."

"It might make you feel better," Floyd suggested.

"Yeah, definitely!" Kalim said. "You can come too, Floyd."

"How about now?" Jamil said in annoyance.

Floyd smiled. "No thanks, Sea Otter. I'm not feeling like it right now. But you should go, Shrimpy."

The idea does sound a little appealing. Perhaps Kalim's company would be good for me. I glanced at Jamil. "I won't be a bother to you?"

"Not at all," Jamil said, his expression a bit more relaxed than normal. "If anything, your presence will make it easier on me."

"But are you sure you can trust him, Shrimpy?" Floyd said in a half-joking tone. "You're a little vulnerable right now, and he might say something insensitive."

Jamil shot him a look. "I most certainly will not."

Floyd shrugged. "Maybe not on purpose..."

I felt uncertain about it myself. Jamil seemed to be nicer to me since yesterday, but did he really plan to keep it up? I glanced at Jade, who I noticed had been observing Jamil carefully. Jade noticed me and gave me a small, genuine smile. I nodded in return, understanding the message. I looked from Jamil to Kalim with a smile. "I would love to explore the fair with you guys."

Kalim grinned. "Great!" He grabbed my arm and dragged me away.

"Have fun!" Floyd called after us.

Soon enough, Kalim, Jamil, and I wandered the streets of the festival. Kalim excitedly ran ahead to scope everything out while Jamil stayed back with me. "So, do you always do what Jade advises?" Jamil asked coolly.

I looked at him in surprise. "Huh? What do you-" Then I realized he meant the silent exchanges between Jade and me. "Oh, that's not what's going on at all. Jade is more perceptive than I am, so I trust his judgment on other people. If I have no reason to go against it, I'll accept it. Of course, if I had the opposite opinion, I would discuss it with him to try to figure out the truth. In this case, I am naturally inclined to trust people, so his advice matched up with that."

Jamil nodded. "Interesting." He paused as if thinking hard about something. "Would you... ever consider giving my opinion the same weight?"

I smiled. "Sure, but it will take some time to get to that point of trust. So, let's have some fun together so we can bond a little more, alright?" Jamil gave me a tentative smile in return, silently agreeing to my suggestion. I felt a little better already.