Arcane Academy

.08

Nathaniel:

Nate leaned down to scoop up some fallen cups from the ground before shoving them into the black trash bag in his hand. Across the room from him, Mason was sweeping up some of the confetti which had rained from the ceiling. The net which had held the confetti now hung lazily from the ceiling, hanging on by one edge. He knew that the confetti had been a bit much, but really, what was a party without something raining from the ceiling like in the movies? He always had to make his party some kind of exciting with at least one twist or surprise. Last time, the surprise had been a crap ton of pizza. It had cost him a pretty penny, but it was worth it.

Mason held the broom in his hands for a second as he sighed and stood up straight, stretching his back. Mason had not said a word since the others had left, though neither had Nate. He hadn't been sure what exactly to say, so he just let the silence hang in the air between them. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, maybe just a little awkward. Only because Nate wanted to say something, anything to break the ice. He was happy when Mason finally spoke. "Weird day."

"You can say that again," Nate sighed as he tied up the full bag in his hand, then looked around the room at the remaining mess. He would likely fill quite a few bags.

"I wonder if this is some sort of sickness." Mason said thoughtfully as he brought his eyes over to Nate who raised his brows questioningly. "I mean, three people in one day? Seems suspicious."

"Three?" Nate said, his brows pulling down in confusion.

"Yeah, Celeste Abbott, Jonathan Cardwright, and then that boy..." Mason trailed off, making it evident he didn't know his name.

Nate was quick to supply for him. "Azrael Harlem." He hesitated before he leaned to pick up another cup and toss it in his newly opened bag. "When did Jonathan...?"

"Dinner, in the Great Hall. Spooked a bunch of the students." Mason explained as he frowned. He scooped up some confetti with the dustpan and came closer to toss the colorful paper into the trash before he placed the pan aside and began sweeping once more.

"That explains why I didn't know. I don't eat dinner in the Hall. I usually eat at the tables outside or just in the common rooms. I don't really care for the Hall and I dont go there unless I have to." He shrugged as he started collecting more trash easily. The two let silence fall between them again as they worked until finally, the Weapons Hall was about halfway clean. Mason had moved on to getting rid of the remains of the snacks and remaining drinks while Nate still collected trash. He couldn't believe how messy the other students were. Really, how hard was it to toss something in the nearest trash bin?

"Do you think the changes could be related?" Mason asked suddenly, causing Nathaniel to look up at him curiously. When Nate didn't immediately respond, he continued on to explain. "I mean, could there be something connected between the three?"

Nate suddenly smiled and reached into his pocket, making Mason hesitate as he placed down an empty bowl that had once held crisp golden chips, now discarded in the trash. A jingling filled the air as Nate held up a large set of keys. It was hard to tell how many were on the chain, but it was a lot. "There's one way to find out."

"What do you mean?" Questioned Mason.

"I mean," Nate replied, "we check the files."

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Once the rest of the Weapons Hall was cleaned, Mason followed Nate out into the dead silence of the night. He chewed his bottom lip nervously as he scurried after the boy until he was right beside him. The campus looked spookier at night, all darkness and shadows. There were no lights or candles or any way to see really and it made Mason just a little jumpy. He wrapped his hands around himself as he shivered, and not from the cold.