House of Anubis: Triad of Memphis

House of Uploads/House of Priorities

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Tyler handed back the phone and computer to Sarah after having uploaded all of the phone's files to the computer. Sarah thanked him, never having doubted him.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back to Sibuna?" Sarah asked before leaving.

"Tyler nodded. "I have homework, and classes, and more homework to worry about...It's better off with just you four anyway."

Sarah took a deep breath.

"Parents' day..." Sarah trailed off before raising her voice again. "What else happened that day? To you."

"Sarah-"

"-I'm not asking so much."

"I...I let William and Rachel be together. I couldn't stand to see her hurt, and I knew she liked William in the same way that I liked her...so I never told her and I let them be together."

"You broke your own heart, is what you're saying?"

"I broke my own heart," Tyler repeated.

Sarah left after that. She didn't know what else to say, so she decided she'd just finally leave Tyler alone. She hurried back upstairs where Lucille and Jonah had cut through William's ropes, and William was curled up on Lucille's bed with his back up against the wall. He was coming back to full consciousness and finally recognized where he was.

"William, you need to remember what happened to you," Lucille insisted. "And then you need to tell us."

Sarah sat down the phone and computer on her own bed and came over to that side of the room.

"I just remember someone carrying me off," William explained. "I wasn't even fully conscious at the time; I think I had hit my head."

"On what?" Lucille inquired.

"On something hard."

"We're not getting much out of him." Lucille glanced back at the others.

"Let me try," Sarah said, kneeling down. "Hey Will, what's the last thing you remember before hitting your head?"

William thought for a moment. "I...it was Friday night, wasn't it? We had done the play and we came back to Anubis...I was going to head to my room but someone-someone stopped me."

"Who?" Jonah asked.

"Let him get to it!" Sarah whispered violently.

William continued. "Mr. Rainier, I think? There was something about a code. Into the cellar. I don't remember much else."

"My vision," Lucille suddenly figured. "When I brushed past Mr. Rainier, he was the first thing in my vision. He was down in the cellar and he appeared scared."

"You don't think he took William into the cellar, do you?" Sarah pursed her lips. "And...William hit his head in there and he left him?"

"I don't think Mr. Rainier would do that," Lucille shook her head.

"Maybe he lost William?" Jonah suggested. "Maybe William had gotten somewhere he couldn't get to and...he couldn't do anything about it?"

"Well this definitely means Mr. Rainier knows about those tunnels in the cellar," Sarah declared. "Perhaps when Jonah and I first saw him coming out of there, he was trying to reach those tunnels. He finally found his way in, through William, son of someone who knew the code."

"The same someone who came to the school that Parents' day," Jonah added.

"Wait until he realizes William is back though," Lucille pointed out. "He'll have questions. Like how did William get back? And where did William go in the first place?"

"He wouldn't be so blunt to just make those questions public," Sarah admitted. "He doesn't want to blow his cover which is exactly why he's probably been snooping around, trying to find something or awaken something evil."

"And he's most likely working with Mr. Carroway since he gave him that note and all," Jonah stated.

"Mr. Rainier's not as innocent as he seems," William finally spoke up, becoming more and more aware of his surroundings. "Trust me, I've done my research."

~~~~~
Jared grew bored down in the cellar. He quit looking around the table since he had seen enough to know it was all probably bad and all probably illegal. He tried to call the others on his phone, but he didn't have any reception down there, even at the top of the stairs.

He also considered going through the bread oven but realized he didn't have the Eye of Horus locket with him.

He tried to listen for people passing by the cellar but could never guarantee that it was Lucille, Sarah, or Jonah - the three who could actually do something to get him out of there.

By luck, the door was eventually unlocked and light flooded in as two silhouettes loomed in the doorway. Jared scrambled back into the shadows as Mr. Rainier and Mr. Carroway both descended the steps to the table. Jared slipped through behind them and tiptoed up the stairs, but paused before leaving as he heard them talking.

"How do we know which pieces are the right ones?" Mr. Carroway asked.

"We don't. Either this book will tell us, or the Chosen One will know," Mr. Rainier explained.

"And have you discovered who the Chosen One is, yet?"

"I've limited it down to Sarah or Lucille...those are the two girls Jared mostly spends his time with."

"Assuming that the Osirion already knows who his Chosen One is," Mr. Carroway muttered. "It's what we'll go by."

Jared left the cellar after that, not needing to hear anymore and not wanting to get caught. He went to find Sarah, Lucille, and Jonah, assuming they were already back at the house by that time. Niamh arrived at the top of the stairs just as he was about to ascend them.

"You're better!" Niamh exclaimed. "I mean...you recovered quickly..."

"Yeah, that's not important," Jared dismissed. "Have you seen Sarah and/or Lucille and/or me but in lesser awesome form?"

Niamh figured that last person he was inferring was in fact Jonah. Niamh shook her head. "Haven't seen them around. But hey, I was wondering-"

"-I really don't have the time-"

"-first you really insisted on helping me and now you 'don't have the time'," Niamh made finger quotes. "Look, if you want to bail because you don't want to hang out with me, just say so. But don't lie to me."

Jared figured Sibuna-matters could wait just a bit longer. "Alright, let's get started."

~~~~~
And that is the chapter...Who knows, William might just be inducted into Sibuna soon enough and that mysterious man's identity may soon be uncovered.

But for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Here are the discussion questions.

I just want to see your opinions on this as of now. Nared or Jucille?

Which do you think should be Jared's first priority? Sibuna or Niamh?

Until next time, Aristocrats!