"A-archer? What are you doing here?" Luna stuttered out, normally seeing Archer she wouldn't think much of, but in this environment, he made her nervous and that other voice was screaming at her to run now.
Archer gave no response as he reached forward and much to Luna's surprise, lifted her into the air with one hand.
"Aaah!" She shouted out in surprise as he gently moved her over to the middle of the classroom.
"Archer what are you doing?" Luna demanded before noticing how the desks and chairs had all been moved to the wall with the chalkboard.
Archer snapped his fingers and looked up at the ceiling, Luna's eyes trailed up to follow. Up on the ceiling was an intricately drawn magic circle that Luna was in the middle of. With the snap of Archer's fingers, the magic circle lit up and Luna suddenly felt very cold.
Luna then felt a wave of fear wash over her as she felt as though something was being ripped away from her. Then she heard it. The cries of fear of that voice. But it felt different this time, louder, more real, also in a specific direction this time. Above. Looking up she saw her.
A ghostly wild visage of a student wearing an older version of the Trinity Academy's uniform hovered above Luna. The ghost looked just as confused as Luna when they saw each other.
"What? No! My body!" The ghost, Trinity Boens cried out.
"Sorry Trinity, she's not yours to use. Neither are the others you've been manipulating this whole time." Archer said as he gently tugged Luna so that she now stood behind him while he stared up at the ghost.
"No, it my love life! It's my high school experience! I will not let it be ruined again!" The ghost screeched while growing larger, her jaw began to unhinge to an abnormally long length. Claws began to grow from her gnarled fingernails.
"What is that thing?" Luna whispered in horror.
"Oh it's a ghost. More specifically a vengeful spirit. It was possessing you." Archer said turning to her casually as death quite literally emanated from the ghost.
"That thing was possessing me?" Luna asked going a bit pale, "Is that why?" She said in horror.
"Yup." Archer said nodding his head, "I know you've been through a lot. Don't worry I promise you'll get the help you need." He said gently to her completely ignoring the raging ghost.
"Don't you dare ignore me!" Trinity screamed as she looked ready to strike.
"Or what? You'll fight me." Archer said finally turning back to face the ghost. There was nasty grin on his face.
Trinity was taken aback, that look in his eyes told her that she would not be leaving here if she charged headfirst at him. He was confident that he could take her, and she was worried that he was right. Still, this annoying brat needed to keep Luna, her vessel safe so he couldn't just run at her without leaving Luna exposed. It seemed as though they were in a stalemate.
Archer's grin only widened as he realized that the ghost was scared of him. He almost laughed at how humorous he found that. Casually he pulled out his phone and began to read out loud.
"Princeps." Archer uttered. That single word caused Trinity's nonexistent blood to run cold.
"Stop." Trinity said fearful" in her voice.
"Gloriosissime caelestis militia." Archer continued ignoring the ghost's horrific wails, "defende nos in proelio et colluctatione..." As Archer continued to chant his exorcism the ghost began to thrash about and try in vain to smash through the windows.
It confused Luna as the speed and force that the apparition was moving at should have easily smashed through the glass. Looking up Luna realized that the magic circle looked similar to the advanced circles she had seen mages on television cast.
"You really think that would work? You can't get out unless they're open." Archer scoffed before continuing, "…Neque locus inventus est eorum amplius in coelo."
As the ghost continued to flail around, her fate seemingly sealed something flew into the window. With a loud crash, the glass pane smashed apart and Archer halted his chant momentarily as he looked in disbelief as what looked to be a stone disc had smashed through the window.
As a fresh breeze began to waft in through the new opening Trinity turned to stare at it along with the two humans. The door behind the two students opened as Julia entered the room realizing that the sound of glass breaking was not supposed to happen.
"What the hells?" Julia said aloud seeing the horrific visage of the ghost.
Her words snapped everyone out of their momentary stupor. Archer immediately began to quicken his pace when reading his verses, "Virus nequitiae suae, tamquam flumen immundissimum, draco maleficus- damn it! No!" Archer said Too little, too late, as the ghost surged through the broken window and disappeared into the aether.
Running up to the window where the disc smashed through he stared out of the broken pane and looked out, "Who? Where?" He seethed.
Outside he saw facing directly out the window were the woods and him, the student. He remembered the name Esme told him, Evan Case. The student who set up camp there in order to gather magical plants more easily and for training.
Archer saw him. Running off into the distance, no doubt trying to get himself far away from the scene of the crime. Shaking his head in frustration Archer turned back towards the classroom, no point whining about something that already happened now.
Luna at this point dropped to her knees. Archer immediately focused her attention on her as did Julia. Rushing up next to her, he grabbed her shoulder in concern.
"Are you alright?" Julia asked.
"J-Julia?" Luna said noticing her for the first time, "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Trying to free you from being possessed I think." Julia said as she looked over to Archer, "How did it go?"
"Well you're free." Archer said quickly studying Luna's complexion, "Any dizziness, trouble breathing?"
"Just tired." She said still looking a bit overwhelmed.
"What happened to the ghost, Trinity?" Julia asked looking over to the shattered window.
"Escaped, hiding somewhere on school grounds, at least she won't be trying anything for at least today." Archer said with a grimace.
"What happened, ghost? Was I possessed?" Luna asked.
"Yes, the brooch. Her spirit was trapped in it and you happened to pick it up." Archer said looking apologetically.
"So everything that happened…"
"Let's not worry about that now." Archer said as he got up, "Let's take you somewhere better to be debriefed." He said as he pulled out a spray bottle and a rag from his bag.
"What are you doing?" Julia asked.
"Cleaning up this mess before I get in trouble." He said as he got up on a desk only to find that he was still slightly too short to reach, "Hmm." He said looking up at the ceiling in frustration.
"I'll help." Julia said offering a chair to help give him another boost.
"Let me help too." Luna said as she slowly got up.
"You should sit and catch your breath." Julia said.
"No, I want to help." Luna said adamantly.
Julia looked up at Archer who shrugged, "It'll make cleaning this faster." He said.
"Thank you." Luna said walking over to help.
***
"Okay, so how do I get through the place without getting caught by the secretary?" I have two passengers with me you know?" Archer said as they walked down the halls that were currently in disrepair, his phone in hand.
"Which is why you are to take the secret elevator. You are heading on the right path right?" Electa said through the phone.
"Yeah, standing at a fire hose, west side, floor one." Archer said looking at the container that held the firefighting equipment.
"There's a hidden elevator, open it by finding a hidden panel on the bottom left and enter the code I gave you." She instructed.
Archer approached the emergency firefighting kit, placed the stone disc that flew through the window down and bent down running his hands around the bottom before finding the panel. Inputting the code he heard a small click and the container opened up. The axe and fire hose pulled further back and now an empty cubby existed in the wall.
"Sounds like you found it." Electa said hearing the noise of the machine operating through the phone.
"Bit of a tight squeeze don't you think?" Archer said examining the elevator, there was just enough room for a person to curl themselves into the place.
"It is for emergency only."
"Hmm, who want's go first? I'll keep watch." Archer asked the other two.
"I'll go first." Julia offered as Archer helped her in. Entering the space Julia found a button to send her up. The door closed and she was lifted up to the principal's office.
"You're connected to the principal?" Luna said in wonder.
"Something like that." Archer said with a shrug as they waited for the elevator.
"What about Julia?"
"Oh she's only here because you're here." Archer said casually before noticing Luna's face fall, "No, no. It's not that you did anything wrong. None of this is your fault. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else. Besides you did a great job of handling the possession. A weaker mind would've broken."
"What does that mean?"
"Some people who get possessed never recover fully. Either they are killed by the spirit or their mind just can't handle it."
"Their mind?"
"They become a vegetable." Archer said quickly.
"Oh." Luna said, that one word told Archer all he needed to know about what she was feeling just now. Thankfully by now the elevator had redescended and opened up.
"You go first." Archer said, "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you."
Luna nodded and crawled into the elevator and it lifted her up. Archer took this moment of alone time to reflect on his next couple of steps. He would need to find wherever the ghost of Trinity went, he had an idea where she would be, but to get to her he would likely need help.
He weighed out his options as the elevator opened for him. Getting inside, aside from needing to be in a crouched position, there was enough room for him to sit and turn around if he wanted to. Going up the elevator was surprisingly harrowing.
From the outside it was completely silent, but now inside the elevator he could hear the loud whirling of machinery and the creaks of cable lifting him upwards. It sounded like it hadn't been in use for years. What was worse was that this all happened in darkness, there was no light inside so whoever rode it would be unable to see their own hands as the sounds of old machinery accompanied them. He unconsciously tightened his grip around the disc as the elevator moved.
"You really need to get that thing a tune-up." Archer said as he reached Principal's Electa's office. He rolled himself out and saw Phil and Electa already conversing with the two girls.
"Never needed to use it before." Electa said with a shrug before addressing everyone, "Now that we're all here. Please have a seat."
Once seated on some rather comfortable cushioned chairs, Electa smiled warmly at Luna, "It is good to see that you are alright. I apologize for being unable to help you directly."
"No, it's okay. I'm just a bit confused what's happened to me." Luna said quickly as she shifted on a couch.
"I believe Archer should have the honour of explaining things to her. He seems to have a plan for what happens next." Phil Doyle said looking towards Archer.
"Thank you Mister Doyle." Archer said with a bow before taking the center of the room, playing with the stone disc he moved as he talked, "My name is Archer Griffen, F-rank who's part of your class. You sort of met Julia here already, this is the school's principal and that is Phil Doyle another professor at this school."
"Yes, pleasure to meet you all." Luna said bowing her head in introduction to the others.
"Archer, she already knows that." Phil said with a cough.
"Right well as briefly touched upon earlier, you were possessed by a ghost named Trinity Boens when you put on that brooch. She was a student at this school thirty-nine years ago. You got the brooch at lost and found correct? On the morning of the first day?"
"Yes." Luna said nodding her head as Julia's eyes widened.
"The lost and found?" Julia whispered.
"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you exactly where she got the item. Sorry about that, my bad." Archer said realizing he had accidentally withheld information, "Yeah, it was the first day of school correct?" Archer said turning to Luna to verify.
"Yes, I saw it when I passed the lost and found table and picked it up cause I thought it looked pretty. I was the worst choice I ever made." Luna said with a small laugh.
"I'm sorry." Julia said suddenly grabbing Luna's hands in sorrow.
"Huh?"
"When I got to school in the morning I had them set up the lost and found table early." She apologized profusely.
"What?" Luna said looking at Julia confused, "No, no, it not your fault!"
"They were supposed to be placed during lunch, but since I was early I thought it would be better if they were put there in the morning." She said bowing her head.
"Uh, no…" Luna began before Archer cut her off.
"First off. It isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself." He said grabbing the attention of Julia, "Right now whose fault this is, isn't important. We need to focus on stopping Trinity first." Archer then turned to Electa, "The former student now ghost that is."
"What Archer says is correct. I still require a debriefing of what has happened, you can feel sorry for yourselves once this is over." Electa said.
"Right. Sorry." Julia said nodding as she sat back down on her seat.
"Now Archer, you said you were to deal with the ghost issue. What happened?" Electa asked.
"Right, so I set up a classroom that you generously let me use and made a circle to trap the ghost in. That part worked, hence why Luna's got her body to herself now." Archer said pointing over to her, "But before I could fully complete the exorcism, this flew in through the window." He said placing the stone disc on Electa's desk.
"What is this?"
"A target. Meant to be thrown and shot out of the air, was made to be able to absorb high-energy attacks. It smashed through the window giving Trinity an exit out." Archer explained casually.
"A window was broken?" Electa said in a dangerously low voice, "Who did it?"
"Oh…" Archer paused for a moment, the look of rage in her eye made him falter momentarily. He thought of lying but then decided that crossing her would be a bad idea, "A student named Evan I believe was responsible."
"What was he doing throwing that thing around?" Electa said getting up and glaring daggers at Archer.
"Not sure, training I guess."
"Why was he training in the woods!" She growled.
"Because he's living there!" Archer said helplessly.
"Why is he living on academy grounds?"
"He got permission!"
"Why does he have permission?"
"I don't know. I assume he got permission from you." Archer shrugged.
"Who gave him permission?" She seethed. Phil Doyle at this point intervened.
"I think we are getting sidetracked." He said clearing his throat.
"Right, my apologies." Electa said taking a moment to collect herself, "Continue, what happened to Trinity now that she escaped?"
"She's still stuck on school grounds, but is now in hiding. I know how to find her and draw her out though." Archer said.
"How?"
"Trinity Boens likely died in the school dungeons. Third floor. I go there tonight, find the body and destroy it." Archer said snapping his finger.
"Oh, not tonight." Electa said with a small wince.
"Why?"
"A few former students, now registered heroes are going dungeon diving." Phil said with an awkward cough.
"People like that Fiery Falcon guy?" Archer asked not wanting to know the answer.
"It is as thanks for coming in and inspiring the students." Electa said.
"Okay… that's fine. I can wait twenty-four hours, give me more time to prepare." Archer said with a sigh.
"Can I help?" Luna said suddenly.
Everyone looked at Luna in surprise and Phil was the first to speak, "Are you sure? You've been through quite a lot."
"Yes, I want justice." She said adamantly.
"Me too." Julia said, "I also want to see this finished."
Electa said nothing as she glanced at Archer, "It's your job, you make the choices." She said.
Archer pondered for a moment looking rather bemused with everything, "I need a few promises."
"Yes." They both nodded listening to Archer.
"You listen to me, when I say you're out, you are out." Archer said sternly, "You don't tell anyone about this, and once this is all over, you act like this never happened. Deal?"
"But—" Luna began before Julia cut her off.
"Yes. We agree." Julia said giving Luna a knowing glance. Some silent message must have been passed by that look as Luna nodded her head in agreement.
"Then we're good." Archer said to Electa.
"Hmm." Electa grunted.
"As long as you keep it under control, you are free to do so." Phil said.
"You're free to leave; you can take the rest of the day off if you so choose. I can give you sick notes." Electa said.
"Ah, back through the elevator, right?" Archer asked looking apprehensive.
"You don't want to be spotted." Phil pointed out.
"Huh, great." Archer said with a sigh as all three of the students shuffled their way over to the elevator, none looking very excited to ride it again.
"Now." Electa said to herself, "To deal with this Evan Case."