Theo wasn't technically running from detention.
He was… strategically avoiding it.
There was a difference.
The strategy involved ducking into the unused west wing of the academy—where the chandeliers collected more dust than light, the paintings all seemed to glare, and even the rats gave it a wide berth. And yes, maybe it was explicitly marked off-limits by both the principal and two very bored student safety prefects who mostly used the rule as an excuse to nap.
Still.
When one is fleeing the wrath of Madam Grelka—who had a voice like a thunderclap and a paddle named "Justice"—one doesn't pause to weigh lesser evils.
So Theo sprinted past cracked doors and faded banners, past a broken suit of armor that sneezed when he passed (he chose not to question it), and dove into a half-collapsed storage room that smelled like mold and mystery.
Panting, he crouched behind a crate.
Safe.
For now.
Then he noticed something odd.
The air… moved. Not just from his frantic gasping, but from somewhere beneath the room, faint and cool. A breeze—dry, tinged with earth and something older.
He pressed a hand to the floor. A hollow sound echoed.
Theo tilted his head.
"Oh no," he whispered. "I've discovered plot."
Five minutes later, he had pried up an old floorboard with a broken broom handle, cursed at least seven times, and was peering into a yawning black tunnel that smelled like secrets, sulfur, and very bad decisions.
A staircase spiraled down into darkness.
There were noises.
Low, rhythmic chanting.
Glowing red symbols burned faintly along the walls, pulsating like a heartbeat.
"I really should not go down there," Theo said to absolutely no one.
He paused.
Went down anyway.
Because, well. Curiosity killed the cat. And Theo was 90% sure he had a dog soul.
Ten minutes after that, Theo burst into Revantra and Elias's study room like the devil himself was on his heels.
"I FOUND A DEVIL BASEMENT!" he screamed.
Revantra—who had been deeply focused on writing a rune with tiny flames—jerked so hard she set her paper on fire.
Elias, who was holding a steaming cup of tea, dropped it onto his own lap.
Silence.
Theo stood in the doorway, heaving like he'd run a marathon, hair sticking up wildly, eyes wide and terrified.
Then, very calmly, he added, "We're all going to die. I vote we flee."
Elias wiped hot tea off his thighs. "Theo, for once, start from the beginning."
"I was avoiding detention."
"Shocking."
"And I stumbled into a cursed under-school lair full of glowing symbols and creepy voices and probably blood rituals and maybe a goat!"
Revantra, now patting her scorched parchment with a spell, narrowed her eyes. "Was there actually a goat?"
"I don't know! I left before the chanting reached 'sacrifice' in the sentence!"
Elias blinked. "Okay. Back up. Where exactly is this tunnel?"
"In the west wing. Under the floorboards of the scary room with the even scarier armor that sneezes. I may have… pried it open."
"You what?" Elias groaned.
"I'm sorry! In my defense, I was being actively persecuted by institutional injustice—"
"—you were skipping detention."
"Details!"
Revantra stood, brushing ash off her skirt. "Show us."
Theo paled. "Wait. We're going back?"
"You thought we'd what? Hug you and run away screaming?"
"Honestly, yes!"
She smirked. "Too bad. Elias?"
Elias sighed, rising to grab his coat. "Let me guess. You're going to march into danger without a plan."
Revantra gave him a sharp grin. "You know me so well."
Back in the forbidden west wing, Theo reluctantly led them to the cracked storage room, now with a perfectly pried floorboard and a staircase that definitely hadn't been approved by any architect with a conscience.
Elias stared into the tunnel.
"…That goes very far down."
Revantra was already descending.
Theo squeaked. "We're doing this raw?! No wards? No prayers? Not even a flashlight spell?!"
"I'm the flashlight," Revantra said.
And with that, flames danced up her arms, gentle and glowing, painting the walls in amber light.
They descended in silence, the chanting growing clearer.
It wasn't quite demonic. Not full demon tongue, anyway. More like… corrupted Old Common, twisted into something hungry. The kind of language that invited things rather than summoned them.
"Okay, this is officially creepy," Elias murmured.
"Officially?" Theo whispered. "This is ten levels past creepy! This is cult movie finale creepy!"
Then they reached the chamber.
It was circular, carved in obsidian-like stone that pulsed faintly red. Candles floated in the air—real ones, not magical—each with a black wick burning in reverse. The walls were painted in blood symbols. Some fresh.
And in the center stood five robed figures, swaying in unison, hands raised toward a glowing sigil etched into the ceiling.
They hadn't noticed the trio yet.
Theo opened his mouth.
Revantra clamped a hand over it.
"Nope," she hissed.
One of the cultists stepped forward and pulled down their hood.
Young. A student. Maybe sixteen. Eyes glazed over.
"I offer my will to the Hollow Flame," he whispered.
Elias's eyes widened. "Hollow Flame?"
Revantra nodded slowly. "An ancient demon cult. One of the nastier ones. I thought they were extinct."
"Well," Theo muttered. "Surprise. They live under our school. Like mold."
The chanting swelled.
Revantra's fingers twitched. Fire curled around them.
"I should stop them."
Elias put a hand on her arm. "Carefully."
But before they could act—
The sigil above flared, and a burst of energy sent the candles exploding outward.
The cultists collapsed.
The three intruders ducked.
And a voice—low, slithering, feminine—echoed from the walls.
"Daughter of Flame… Why do you hide?"
Revantra froze.
Theo whimpered.
The air grew cold.
Elias took her hand.
Revantra lifted her chin. "Because I'm not your daughter anymore."
Silence.
Then, laughter. Chilling, amused, ancient.
"I see you… and I see what you could become."
The sigil dimmed. The cold vanished.
Revantra released her breath.
The cultists were out cold, magic overtaxed.
Elias knelt to check pulses. "They're okay. Probably just enchanted."
Theo clutched his sleeves. "We… we should report this, right?"
Revantra didn't answer at first. She stared at the ceiling, eyes narrowed.
"No. Not yet."
"What?!" Theo squawked.
She turned, face unreadable. "This isn't random. They were preparing for someone. Not me—someone using my name. If we report this now, they'll scatter."
Elias frowned. "You want to investigate?"
"Yes."
Theo stared. "You people are crazy."
Revantra smiled slightly. "Welcome to the club."
That night, back in their dorm, Elias sat beside her as she stared at her locket.
The metal felt warmer than usual. Almost alive.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "Mostly."
He waited.
Then she added, "It's strange. Part of me felt drawn to that room. Like I knew the chants. Like my blood remembered."
He wrapped an arm around her.
"You didn't go to them. You didn't answer the call. That's what matters."
She leaned into him, cheek brushing his shoulder.
"…Theo really did find a devil basement."
"I owe him a non-exploding cookie."
They sat in silence a while.
Then Revantra muttered, "Next time I find a secret cult under my school, can we just pretend it's a wine cellar?"
Elias chuckled. "Only if it's vintage cursed."
She smiled.
But her eyes lingered on the locket.
Something had awakened.
And she didn't know whether to run from it—or face it head-on.
To be continued…