CHAPTER 12: CUTTING THE THREAD
While Idia was dealing with the intruders and Ortho was preparing simulations, that still left the overblotters in that waiting room, so spacious and yet so confining. It didn't help that the overall Styx environment was sterile and offered no comfort despite this being a place to help mages.
After a few minutes of awkward fidgeting and the occasional complaint, Grim lost his patience and demanded some entertainment. Jill summoned the researchers to grant Grim's request, albeit in a much nicer way than Grim himself would say it. So the monitor on the wall flickered, and a movie began to play.
Except it wasn't a fun movie. Rather, it was an educational movie all about blot and its effects, all sponsored by Styx to make it a fifteen-minute commercial. But at this point, it felt redundant.
Since her overblot, Jill was given a few mandatory counseling sessions to further ease her inner turmoil and explain blot to her. Not that the latter half was needed; Jill already knew all about the dangers of blot since Crowley told her after Riddle's episode. She even knew that if an overblotted mage was untreated for too long, the Phantom—the monster created from the blot-covered magestone—would eventually kill the mage in question and then run rampant. She knew of at least two runaway Phantoms that lurked in the Dwarfs Mines, and wondered if Styx captured them too. The reminder of her fragile morality did not make Jill's time here any easier to bear.
"So remember, where there is blot, there is Styx to help!" said the overly-cheery narrator, and the movie finally drew to a close.
"Man, what a lame movie. They didn't even give us snacks!" Grim fussed.
"Wasn't a movie your idea?" Jamil asked.
"At least it was informative," Riddle said. "Though, I already knew everything from my counsellor in Night Raven."
Jill gazed up at the ceiling. "I hate staying in one place," she complained. "Wish we knew what was going on up at the Isle."
"Must be quite the breach to make Idia leave for this long," Azul noted. "Maybe this ancient secret society is losing its touch."
"I'd bet that it's students from Night Raven College," Vil guessed. "And I would also bet that Rook is among them."
"Ugh, no. If we're going to rescued, please don't let it be from that guy," Leona groaned.
"Why do you think it's Rook?" Jill asked.
Vil smirked. "Rook has a… certain talent for finding people and things that he wants. And if I were in any danger, he wouldn't take it lying down." His smirk slipped off instantly. "However," Vil amended, "if Rook indeed left his post to find us, he would be leaving Pomefiore without a housewarden or a vice, which is unacceptable for his position."
"I don't think Rook would be the only one looking for us," Jamil said. "Styx made a big show of capturing us and beating anyone who got in their way. Kalim was a nervous wreck when I was taken—I wouldn't be surprised if he got all his connections to find us."
"I'm sure the Kingscholars will be worried, too, since Leona was taken," Jill mentioned.
"Nah, they probably don't even know," Leona scoffed. "I only talk to anyone from home when I have to, and I'm not even on their radar most of the time… being second-born and all."
"Oh…" Jill nodded in an apologetic way.
"We can only guess what's going on outside—if these intruders are rescuers or someone unrelated," Azul reminded the group. "Until then, I'm afraid we're still at Styx's mercy."
There was another uncomfortable silence in the air.
"I hope we get saved before the next test," Grim said. "I don't wanna go through that time when I overblotted, even if it's fake…"
"I don't think they'll make us overblot," Jill corrected. "I think Ortho is just setting something up where it'll make us go through those traumatic events again… where we overblotted before." She sighed deeply and stared at her knees. "Meaning, I'll have to fly into the school barrier again and crash-land on the sports field… I wonder if it'll hurt…"
"But how would that make your blot level rise?" Jamil reasoned. "The reason you overblotted was because you were so desperate to get home. You've felt that way all this time. Styx couldn't possibly make that feeling worse, could they?"
"I don't think so," Jill agreed. "Whether I'm here, or at school, or anywhere else… it's not Crittenden. I've been dealing with homesickness since day one, and for the most part, I think I've been handling it okay. But then after that Hallowgrim party, I was feeling pretty blue about it, and then I heard that ominous drip of blot. Then I had that awful dream, and… well, I already told you the rest." She smiled sheepishly. "At least after my overblot, the Pumpkin King was able to help me."
Everyone stared at Jill like she had suddenly caught on fire.
"You heard a dripping sound… and then you had a bad dream… and then your patron helped you?" Azul asked quietly, his mouth slightly agape.
"Yes…?" Jill felt silly. "I mean… you guys didn't go through that, did you?"
"I didn't," Grim said. "My overblot is different, so I had no dreams. I mean, I do get weird dreams sometimes of the Great Seven acting villainous, but it might be unrelated to this."
"The Great Seven… acting villainous? Only in a nightmare," Vil said disapprovingly. "Why, the Fairest Queen was so kind and patient to me, even in my darkest time…"
"What did you guys dream about?" Jill asked. She quickly realized that she crossed a line. The tension was still thick in the room; there was no way that everyone would just cut all the threads between them and share their deepest darkest secrets. Right?
Riddle finally straightened up and took a deep breath. "I dreamt that I was on trial… held by my own mother," he announced. "I was being held accountable for not being a good enough representative for the Queen of Hearts. The court even wanted to execute me…" He shuddered at the memory. "So after that, I decided that I would be much stricter with my students, and I overused my signature spell in the process. When the others revolted, I overblotted in a fit of rage… and thankfully, I was defeated. Then I dreamt I was in court again, except I was in the Queen of Hearts' court. She berated me for how cruelly I acted, then got my mother up as a witness. Then when Mother started to lie about me, I stood up against her, and… I started to grow. I grew up to over a mile high, and because of Rule 42, I was released. Thanks to that dream, I realized the error of my ways. It was strangely satisfying."
He averted the eyes of the others. "I know, it's silly in hindsight. It's not like I can control the whimsy of dreams."
"Still better than my dream," Jamil mentioned. This got everyone's attention, and the Scarabian folded his arms and sat defensively. "…I dreamt that I was a genie, trapped within a black lamp and at the mercy of Kalim," he confessed. "After that, I decided that I finally had enough of him. So over winter break, I tried to sway public opinion to knock the precious little sultan from his throne. And it worked for a short time… but I was beaten, by Kalim no less. And in my second dream, I was inside that lamp again. But the Sorcerer of the Sands was in there with me, and he told me the value of patience and persistence. Then I woke up, and… Kalim was comforting me. He even promised me freedom." He sighed. "I'm thankful he showed me mercy… but I hate being in his debt."
"You tried to usurp him, and he wants to help you? What a sap," Leona said.
"Exactly," Jamil said with a wry smile. Jill felt uncomfortable, but she had to accept that deep-seated issues wouldn't just magically disappear with the overblot.
"I guess I'm in the same boat, though," Leona said. "Right before the Interdorm Spelldrive Tournament, I had a dream about my nephew Cheka being born."
"That little boy we met in Sunrise City?" Vil guessed.
"Yep. The next in line to the throne." Leona's face was composed, but his tail flicked in annoyance. "Remembering that wasn't fun. So I decided that I would prove myself in the Spelldrive tournament. And since Malleus was so ridiculously overpowered, I knew I couldn't play fair to win. So I used everything in my arsenal."
"You had a lot of athletes injured, including some on my team," Riddle accused.
"Yep. Already paid my dues, though, and got my tail kicked," Leona replied. "When I blacked out, I had that dream again… except the King of Beasts was in my room. He told me about his own time on the throne, and how it costed him his brother. I couldn't relate at all, but… he said I should focus on what I could be, not what I can't be." He shook his head. "It helped a bit. Maybe I can't be king, but I can be something better."
"It would start with you putting effort into doing things the right way, rather than taking shortcuts," Vil criticized.
"Oh, and what's your story then?" Leona asked.
Vil huffed, glancing away. "…I suppose it's rather similar to Jamil and Leona," he said. "I too have a rival, one who constantly outshone me no matter how hard I worked. I dreamt that Neige was crowned the fairest of them all, while I became a withered old man. It haunted me to the point that I gave it everything I had in the Voice and Dance Competition. I had one of my students tell me the future over and over, only to tell me that my efforts would be fruitless. I put together a team and gave them the harshest training, only to alienate them. I… even tried to get Neige out of my way." His voice weakened. "It was my worst moment… not one I ever want to repeat. When my overblot was defeated, I dreamt of Neige sleeping forever in a glass coffin. I realized it wasn't what I wanted at all. Then the Fairest Queen appeared and comforted me. There will always be people who prefer others over me, or even those who don't like me at all. But… I can't let those people get the better of me."
"It seems you lot have more in common than you realized," Azul said.
"Well, what about you?" Jamil asked the merman.
"What? No, I refuse!" Azul bristled. "Maybe you're all willing to share your past, but I'm not! What if you use this information against me?"
"But you know our stories, too," Riddle said. "Even if we tried to expose you, you could easily turn it back on us."
"We're not trying to force you," Jill tried to soothe him. "It's just, there are studies that show the effectiveness of group therapy—"
"Alright, fine," Azul said begrudgingly. "I suppose even the Sea Witch had a past that she wasn't proud of, so… let me get it out of the way." He sighed and looked at the monitor instead of the other prisoners. "I used to be a slow, clumsy, dopey little octopus. I hated it so much that I studied with all my might, earning top grades in my class and even getting to grant the wishes of my classmates… while taking something in return, of course. When I was older, I decided to make my mark on the surface world and become a business tycoon. I became the opposite of who I once was, but… then I had a terrible dream. I was back to being a little octopus, hiding in my pot as others laughed at me. When I awoke, I knew I had to put more distance between me and my former self. So I created a study guide for finals and made deals with classmates that would ensure they'd be put in my service."
"Sounds like something you would normally do," Jamil remarked. "I'm not sure what blot has to do with it."
"Quiet, snake," Azul scoffed, and continued. "So yes, I was thwarted at the bottom of the sea, and I overblotted, only to be thwarted again. In my dream, I sank into the Sea Witch's grotto, and she told me the values of treating others with kindness… because they would repay that debt with more kindness. Thanks to that advice, I've made more beneficial connections, so it worked out in the end."
"Wow. You guys are all still so shrewd," Grim commented.
"I'm proud of all you guys," Jill said warmly. "I know it wasn't easy to talk about, but I think we're a little more united now."
The other overblotters glanced to each other, then smirked. A few of them even chuckled.
"Jill, we know you mean well… but you really are too saccharine at times," Vil said.
"You'd make a better therapist than a mortician," Riddle offered.
"How you forgave all of us immediately after our incidents, I'll never know," Jamil admitted.
"What? Hey! I believe there's good in everyone, alright?" Jill huffed. "Of course I was upset by what you all did! But I had to let it go! Forgiving people is always the right thing to do!"
"C'mon, you can stop pretending to be pure of heart," Leona assured her. "You overblotted too, you know."
"Yes, now tell us about your dreams," Azul demanded.
"Alright…" Jill steadied her breath. "So after the party, I had a dream where I was trapped in a coffin. My funeral was being held above me, but no matter how much I screamed and fought, I couldn't break free. In hindsight, trying to break into Royal Sword was a terrible thing to do, but I saw it as the only option I had… that's how I justified it, anyway. And okay, maybe it felt kind of fun to go behind everyone's backs and be a little naughty—I never said I was pure of heart. But then I failed and overblotted, and it was the worst thing I've ever felt in my life… After that, I dreamt of a labyrinth. The Pumpkin King was there to help me find a way out, and he also told me to make the best even out of bad situations like that one. And then I decided something."
"Oh, this'll be good. What'd you decide?" Leona asked.
"I've decided that I'm going to find a way to explore worlds whenever I want," Jill decided. "Maybe Grandpa was content to just stay on Earth, but I'm not him. I want to be in Earth and Twisted Wonderland… and everywhere in between, too."
"So we don't have to be apart?" Grim said hopefully. Jill nodded and hugged him.
"My, how selfish of you, Jill," Vil teased with a twinkle in his eye. "It seems our school has corrupted an innocent soul."
"You, exploring other universes? Oh, the havoc you'll wreak," Riddle teased as well.
"We might forgive you for your greed, if you take us along," Jamil said with a smirk.
"Of course!" Jill said at once. "…Once I find a way, anyway… hopefully soon."
"I almost wish I could've seen your overblot," Azul admitted. "If it was similar to the Pumpkin King, then you might be the most terrifying monster out of all of us."
Jill hesitated, then gave a nasty smirk of her own. "Well, I can't be all sugar and spice. You need a strong backbone to live in this world, after all!"
Jill knew that she wasn't out of the woods yet, and that she was sharing a room with conmen, schemers, and control freaks. But the tension, the threads that separated everyone, had been cut for the moment. Strange as it was, she almost felt like… she was with family.