Chapter XXVII - The Penalty

I shuffle down the hall, walking through the dormitory after having the teacher let me off after visiting the Headmaster, instructing me to go and stay in my assigned room.

I shift through my pockets, searching for the dorm key I was given on the first day. My hand brushes against something alarmingly cold, making me recoil. Being the idiot I am, I went back in and fished it out of my pocket with my fingers.

The crystal shard sat in my palm, still cool enough to hold. It seemed heavier than I first held it, the crystalline surface almost looked like it got even darker.

I stare at it for a moment, the weight seemed to also pull on me, every feeling I felt tonight pushing on my shoulders. I shake my head out of my daze, frowning slightly. Hearing chatter behind me I instinctively tuck it back into my pocket and quickly make my way around the corner.

"Hah..." I lean back against the wall, feeling drained and ready to collapse for the night. I look through my other pockets again, my hand finally closing around the metal brass key I was searching for. I then look for the room number engraved on the key itself, "...Room CLXIX...or 'one-hundred sixty-nine' if you will." I walk all the way to the end of the hall, realizing the rooms only went up to one hundred.

I turn around, confused, "Surely there's a second floor or something..."

"Are you looking for your dorm?"

I couldn't help but flinch in surprise, before turning back around to see the owner of the voice.

Lily giggles, "Aw, sorry, did I spook you?" Her inky dark eyes gleam impishly, clearly poking fun at me.

I glance over her shoulder at the wall and from side to side, no entrance or exit to where she could have come through. Almost like she appeared from absolutely nowhere.

Her eyes widen slightly in recognition, "Oh it's you, so we ran into each other again huh?" She pauses briefly, before quipping up again, "Soo, you are looking for your room right? I think I might be able to help you with that."

I nod slowly, hesitating for just a moment, "...Yeah. I'm looking for one-hundred sixty-nine."

Her eyes seem to light up, "Ohh, I know where it is, hand me your key for a moment?"

I hand it to her, slightly puzzled.

She takes it and turns to step towards a painting that was hanging on the wall.

It was a simple piece of artwork, a still life of an assortment of trinkets, a pocket watch, a whistle, a fedora, and a lock.

Lily waves the key in front of it once, then the edge of the frame lights up with a bluish light, before quickly fading away.

"Okay, this is just what you have to do after curfew, usually the door is open." She then places the key back into my hand, and motions towards the wall, "Now you should be able to pass! Follow me." She turns and casually struts straight through the wall.

I walk up to the painting, skeptical. Then Lily's arm comes through the wall, pulling me through.

A slight chill passes through my body as I move through it, and I end up in a small boxed space, almost made up of entirely grey brick, alit by torches.

When you live in a world of strange things, walking through entrances or exits mimicked as a solid barrier is practically considered normal.

The floor under my feet seems to move, before not long after, stopping with a light ding!

"A..elevator of a sort?" I said, trying to comprehend the concept of why this is here.

"More or less, when you're at an academy where renowned magicians used to attend, and where there's the rich and wealthy. You sure to have some state of art magic innovations." Lily said, already stepping out of the elevator through the wall.

I follow along this time and walking out onto the floor- it looked almost exactly the same. Except for the plating on the door to the rooms, instead of plain numbers, it was numerals etched in silver.

Lily skips ahead of me, gesturing to all the rooms down the corridor, "This is where all the students are put in pairs, like the ones downstairs, but if you are rich 'rich', you can get a room all to yourself. Usually only reserved for royals, that's how rich you have to be. For us of a lesser status, you can still get pretty comfortable with all the fancy parties and food." She turns a corner and stops, pointing to the door in front of her, "Here you are, room CLXIX."

Before I have a chance to use the key she nonchalantly throws open the door and strides right in.

Wary, I gingerly walk in after her.

The first thing I notice is the scent, a faint floral fragrance lingers in the air, it was subtle, but pleasant to take a whiff of. The dark hardwood floor didn't creak even once, and the cool light wasn't too harsh or bright.

"This is certainly more privileged than what I have ever been accommodated in," I said, glancing at the two twin beds, each accompanied by a sturdy-looking oak desk. 'Sure beats my old shaky metal one...'

Then I found the source of the scent sitting on the window sill, a pot of overflowing moonflower vines, growing on a set of thin wooden beams along the window, almost falling to the floor. With the small delicate flowers slightly blooming in the moonlight, I can only wonder how a mostly tropical and outdoors plant is kept, growing, and alive in a student dorm room. I barely can keep a cactus alive, not they really need my help, prickly plants they are.

Lily flops onto one of the two beds, smiling, "How do you like it? I admit my own home wasn't as spacious as this before either."

"It's...a change," I glance at her, "And are you...my roommate here?"

She shakes her head with a laugh, "No, but the one who is is a friend of mine. I even know where she keeps her spare key. Though I don't know why the door was already open tonight, maybe she was in a rush?"

I skim the room again, signs of someone already living here were scattered throughout. Papers still laid out on the desk, a half-drunk cup of coffee sitting next to the vines on the window sill, and a picture frame propped up on the shelf next to a row of textbooks and novels.

Lily stands up suddenly, looking out the window.

"...Hmph, they're here again." She turns and starts to walk out of the room, throwing a grin over her shoulder, "I will be going, I also had already heard of your scuffle with the duke's son. And I must say, you got guts." She then leaves and closes the door behind her, leaving me to myself.

My thoughts now turned back to the event I sit down onto one of the chairs with a sigh, looking out the window.

"Tomorrow morning..."I realize with a start, "But...the meeting...is also tomorrow." I relax a little, "That's in the noon, no problem...But, what if I have to be there then too?"

Then the panic ensues when I realize I'm still screwed.