[LOCATION: Scarabia Dorm – End of the Desert]
GRIM: Ow... How many times do I have to go through this...?
JADE: We barely survived... I can't tell how far we've been thrown...
AZUL: It looks like we've been thrown quite some distance away.
FLOYD: Ehe~ It's really cold...! It's like we're under ice.
JADE: Kalim-san? Kalim-san, are you okay? Please, wake up.
KALIM: Ugh... Where are we...?
JADE: What a relief, you're awake. It seems like we were thrown off the ends of Scarabia's desert.
AZUL: Grim-san has some thick fur, and we are used to the cold to an extent, but...It will probably dangerous for Kalim-san to stay here for long.
GRIM: Wait, where's Hazel?! (Looks around)
"She's still back at the Scarabia dorm, and Jamil's prisoner." Azul gritted out.
"Well, we gotta get back and save her!" Kalim exclaimed.
JADE: We do not have our brooms nor a carpet. And we cannot fly either. What do you suggest we do?
FLOYD: Are we gonna have to walk back all the way?
GRIM: ....! Wait! I remember something! Hazel gave me this! She said it would help me not be late for class! (As he took out a small box.) 'Sorry, but I can't wait till Christmas Hazel.' He thought as he opened it. "Ah! It's a portkey charm!"
"Portkey?" Jade asked?
"Yeah, Hazel knew how much I hated apparition, so I guess she got this. It's basically an item that opens a portal to a place you want to go, but you need to have visited that place before first." Grim explained as he attached the charm to his collar.
"Wow! That's lucky!" Floyd said as Grim used his charm to get back to Scarabia.
Back in Scarabia...
JAMIL: Bring me all the food and drinks!
JAMIL: We will have a banquet! The stupid King is gone and we need to celebrate the rightful ruler!
JAMIL: Ah~ How relaxing... I can feel myself getting stronger.
SCARABIA STUDENT A: It is as you wish, Master...
SCARABIA STUDENT B: Master Jamil is the rightful King of Scarabia...
SCARABIA STUDENTS: Three cheers for Master Jamil!
Then Jamil looked over to Hazel who was still unconscious and this time she was in another dancer's outfit. (Think of the outfit Jasmine was in when Jafar took over.) But now there was a greenish dome-shield around keeping Jamil a good 6 feet from her.
"I can't be able to get too close to her now because of the Deathly Hallows acting as a shield against me. One wrong move, and I may actually get killed. For now, I have to keep her asleep until I find a way around it..."
The boys appeared from somewhere hidden from a hallway and saw the state Hazel was in.
"Well, there's a shield around her, that's a good thing at least." Kalim said.
"But how do we get her now?" Floyd asked.
Then Grim noticed a shadow drifting close to Jamil. And for some reason, his hair started to stand on its ends.
"Guys." They didn't pay any heed.
"Guys!" Grim jumped onto Azul and directed his face to the drifting shadow, and the others noticed as well.
"What's that?" Azul asked.
"I was hoping you knew." Jade said the others nodding.
Then the shadow began taking form behind Jamil as the room grew cold.
The figure had a long neck that seemed similar to a crane, but it was really boney and his hands, which had 'claws' were skeletal-like. They also had a height twice the twins if he raised it high enough, but he seemed to be hunched over. He was covered head to toe in completely black robes, but it wouldn't take a genius to figure out who that being was from the necklace they wore.
In fact, they couldn't believe it!
This was the very being Mortishackle was revolved around!
Jamil turned to see this being and felt a tremendous sense of dread.
"Y-you. You...! Y-you're really...?!" Jamil breathed out.
"Yes. I exist. Because I'm part of cold reality." The being rasped out, their voice sending shivers up and down everyone's spines.
Jamil then began taking up defense. "N-no! It can't be my time yet! Not now!!"
The being began chuckling darkly, like nails on a chalkboard. "I still find mortals amusing when they beg for their lives, saying their not ready yet and all. But that's not why I'm here. You threatened my Mistress, so you've forced my hand."
Then a scythe appeared in his hand and with one swing, the blot manifestation was cut down to size, screeching in pain as it vanished and Jamil began turning back to normal.
JAMIL: NO! No...It can't be....I thought... I was finally... free...
He said as he fell to the ground, but the boys reemerged from their hiding spot and the twins caught Jamil before he hit the ground.
"Jamil! Is he...?" Kalim asked fearing the worst.
"No. He's still very much alive. I only 'killed' the blot." The being said as he walked over to Hazel, getting rid of the shield, and tapping her head, waking her up.
Then he turned to Kalim and looked him in the eyes. "You."
"Y-yes?"
"....Fix the mess you made."
"!....Yes sir."
Then he vanished as the atmosphere of the dorm turned back to normal.
".....That was tense!" Grim finally breathed out an air he didn't know he was holding as the twins agreed.
"What in the world happened? I don't remember." Hazel asked as she grimaced about being in another dancer outfit.
The boys exchanged looks and said that it didn't matter, but that the situation was over.
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Jamil's mind went through his memories as his plight was explained.
JAMIL: Every one of them kept saying the same thing—
JAMIL: "I'm sure you'll understand," they say. So... Who will be there to understand me?
KALIM: Let's keep having each other's backs, okay, Jamil!
JAMIL: Stop it.
KALIM: Jamil's the only one who will never betray me.
JAMIL: Please stop!! Kalim, as long as you're here, I...I... I thought that I had to always surrender to you! I... Even I... I wanted to be number one, too.
--
[LOCATION: Scarabia Dorm – Lounge]
JAMIL: ... Where am I...?
AZUL: What a relief. It seems like he's back to normal.
GRIM: That monster will haunt me in my dreams, yanno...
KALIM: (sobbing) Jamil... UWAHHHHHHHH!!!!
FLOYD: Rakko-chan's just crying.
JADE: It seems like he forgot to give Jamil-san a good punch, too.
KALIM: (sobbing) I-I'm so glad you're alive... I'm so happy—
JAMIL: Why are you crying... (sighs)...
KALIM: I... I didn't know what kind of life you've been enduring. I-I didn't... (sniffs) I didn't realize how you felt at all...
AZUL: That is the cause of this harsh betrayal, you understand?
FLOYD: He's right~ Umihebi-kun's been living his life thinking of what a dummy you are, Rakko-chan~
GRIM: Dude, read the room...
KALIM: You did a lot of bad things... But, you've always been the one who's been there for me.
JAMIL: Kalim...
KALIM: That's why... Let's end this. Let's stop caring about our parents' status. Let's stop playing servant and master and start being equals.
JAMIL: Hah...?
KALIM: Let's start being rivals who aim to be the best. Let's start over from an equal standpoint. Let's be friends, Jamil.
JAMIL: An equal standpoint... Friends...? A very characteristic decision, huh, Kalim. Then, let me say this since we're being open...I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE!!!!
KALIM: Eh?
GRIM: WHAT~~~~~~~!?
JAMIL: You're so sketchy, stupidly clumsy, and a reaaaallllyyy carefree and materialistic rich kid!! As if I'll be friends with someone like that! If we didn't grow up together, I'd definitely not be friends with you!
KALIM: Eh? EHHHHHHH~~~~!? WHY!?
GRIM: He's definitely not holding back, yanno...!
HAZEL: Here we go again...
AZUL: I see no problem at all. For me, this Jamil-san is a lot more favorable.
JAMIL: What are you grinning about? That's creepy.
AZUL: I've always been curious about you since we were first years.
JAMIL: Huh?
AZUL: You usually never make yourself stand out—A wallflower, so to speak. You make sure not to stand out academically, too. Whether it's with class standing, or with practical training. But, at the same time...You never get failing scores. I figured that you may have been doing it on purpose all this time. It is not unthinkable in the least, after all. I always thought that you were planning something behind the scenes, but...It finally made sense to me after Hazel-san told me about it.
JADE: I see now. Azul ranked high for Alchemy, but it would be easier to start counting from the bottom if you're going to look at his Flying grades.
GRIM: Th-that's a bit extreme...
AZUL: I finally understood everything after we played a game of mancala. Jamil-san controlled the flow of the game to accommodate for Floyd's moodiness.
FLOYD: Eh~ Really? He can do that?
AZUL: It would be too obvious if he lost all of a sudden, and if he made Floyd go against me, he would definitely be annoyed. You made it so that your opponent would feel better after winning. It is not something that an average student would be able to pull off.
GRIM: You beat me without hesitation though, yanno!
AZUL: My hunch was correct. Jamil-san's real skills are very wonderful!
KALIM: Right? Right! He's really awesome!
AZUL: I think that you would get along better with someone like me, Jamil-san. How about it? Why not transfer to Octavinelle and let's show the world what we can do?
Hazel: Azul.
JAMIL: Never. What's with you? Suddenly showing up and shooting your mouth off... You're really pissing me off! I definitely don't want to be friends with you, Azul.
JADE: Oh, my~ You got shot down.
AZUL: Fufufu... I do not mind. It worked out well for me in the end since I have new information to add to my collection.
FLOYD: Oh, your "People's Weaknesses" collection~?
JAMIL: Hmph... It's not like letting a secret out would change anything. I won't hold back anymore starting today. Towards Kalim, towards you. Never again. I'm not gonna lose anymore.
KALIM: Yeah...! I won't lose either!
Meanwhile....
Grim was looking around for another of the stones he liked and...
"(sniff, sniff)...A dark stone... I can smell a dark stone coming from here...Ah!
I found you...! Hihihihihi...! (chomp, gulp)! This is... It's spicy, but it's got a mellow aftertaste... Ah... I've eaten my fill... More... I wanna eat more of these dark stones...
Hihihihi..."
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I decided to add a unique twist to this chapter. What do you think?
Plz comment and stay safe!