The Devil Prince

Chapter 21

As Rose and Zane enter the mess hall, it looks like it's been transformed into a whole new dimension. The normal hanging lights are replaced with the night sky. Somehow the roof is gone and the stars shine down on the students.

Zane looks around and notices that, while there are no Elders or Grand Elder, there are still Clerics and Warriors around. Most of them are still around the same age as everyone else and many of them were promoted this year. Jake is among the Clerics watching over the whole thing.

"Wow, this is amazing." Zane says looking around like a child in a candy store. "The school I go to outside of here never had dances or parties like this!"

"Every year the student mentors outdo themselves." Rose says. "Of course, I've never actually gone to one of these end of the summer dances. I only saw photos of years prior and I didn't go last year. Had no reason to." She looks at Zane and smiles. Zanes' heart skips a beat.

"Wow...I don't even know what to say." Zane stutters trying to think of something. "Thank you?"

"That's good." Rose says. "Am I your first date?"

"That obvious? I'm sorry." Zane says embarrassed.

"Don't be. It's cute. You're trying." She grabs his hand and pulls him further into the mess hall. "Have you ever danced with anyone?"

"Not really. All the dances at school I went to I went with a group of friends. We sat in the bleachers talking about video games and comics." Zane says trying to not sound nerdy. "We were never really into girls."

"Really?" What changed?" She says circling Zane.

"Well, I think I found one worth being into." Zane says watching her walk around him. She passes in front of the main entrance and notices that Major Tom has entered the mess hall and is now walking around the perimeter of the room.

"You really think that I'm worth it?" Rose says blushing, Her cheeks turning the same shade of red as Zane.

"Yeah, I'd say so." Zane says. He sees major Tom pass them. He seems to be randomly moving throughout the room, bouncing off the walls as he goes along. "Definitely worth it." Zane pulls her in. Now face to face, he can tell that she's just a little shorter than he is. He can feel her heart beating fast.

"Hey!" Major Tom snaps at the two. He pulls a knife out and walks towards the two.

"Woah, hey, if we're too close then we can split apart." Zane says breaking away from Rose. Major Tom continues to walk towards them with a knife. "Major Tom?" There's some screaming and most of the students split away forming a circle around the three. The clerics and Warriors all jump into the circle and surround the three.

"Dad, put the weapon down." Jake says approaching his dad. Major Tom looks over his shoulder and eyes his son. Major Tom's eyes flash purple. "Shit!" As Major Tom lifts the knife, Jake puts a barrier over him.

"You thought I was going to stab the prince?" Major Tom laughs. "You're crazier than I thought you were! He wasn't my target. I was!" Major Tom slices his hand and let's the blood, now purple, drip to the floor.

"That's dark mastic! A form of magic not seen in hundreds of years!" Ellie says running up and reinforcing the shield though it's a fruitless effort. Major Tom breaks the shield and throws his blood on the floor and the entire thing starts glowing purple.

The floorboards start cracking apart and everyone runs out. Zane pulls Rose along down the hall and out into the courtyard. The entire compound seems to be glowing. The entirety of Tengoku is glowing.

"What did he do?!" Rose says yelling over the sound of the ground rumbling. "What's happening!"

"Somehow he traced a summoning circle around the entire compound!" Jake says running out of the mess hall. "That dark magic allows him to do it!"

"If I had to guess, he's opening up the underworld." Ellie says following Jake. "We're about to face a full invasion with very little help from any fully trained elder."