Just as Alina turned toward the staffroom, still trying to recover from her awkward almost-laughter at the principal, a breathless staff worker came running down the hallway, her footsteps fast and uneven, eyes wide with panic.
"Miss Alina!" she shouted, nearly tripping. "The dining room for Class D—it's—it's flooded with water!"
Alina blinked. "Wh—what?!"
The worker's face was pale. "The babies! They're inside!"
In that instant, Alina's heart dropped. The worksheet and bag she was holding slipped from her hands and scattered across the hallway unnoticed. "Take me there!" she said, already running.
They rushed through the halls past classrooms until they reached a brightly colored door with a gold "Class D Dining" plaque above it. Unlike other classes, Class D had their own tiny cafeteria, built to match their unpredictable… energy.
But right now? The door was shut. Water leaked from underneath the crack in the frame, spilling into the hallway like a gentle stream.
The worker gestured toward the glass window on the door with trembling fingers. "Look inside!"
Alina leaned forward and her eyes widened in horror.
The room was completely flooded. Not ankle-deep. Not puddled. Flooded. Tiny chairs floated. Tablecloths clung to the walls like desperate swimmers. Baby utensils drifted by like helpless rafts.
And inside the madness…
Boo was floating near the chandelier, legs crossed like a ghost prince meditating mid-air.
Drake had turned into his baby dragon form, wings flapping wildly as he hovered just above the water.
Vlad Jr. was in bat form, hanging upside down from a light fixture with his wings tightly wrapped around him like a judgmental cloak.
Luna was in wolf form, paddling furiously in circles with soaked fur and furious growling, barely managing to stay above the surface.
Sable, sweet baby Sable, was clinging to a floating tray like his life depended on it, his big eyes wide with watery terror as he tried not to sink.
Felix had shapeshifted into a sharp little raven and perched himself on top of a floating chair, completely soaked but perfectly still.
Alina recognized Felix in his raven form because she saw he was wearing the same chain around his neck that he had worn in his human form.
And Rocky... had turned into a full boulder. And was sinking.
Alina's jaw dropped.
"Oh my stars—" she gasped. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Alina didn't hesitate. The moment the worker opened the door, a gush of cold water rushed out, soaking her shoes and hitting her knees but she pushed inside anyway. Her heart slammed against her ribs as her eyes scanned the flooded room. Tables floated sideways, tiny chairs bobbed like boats, and plastic cups drifted aimlessly. She could barely believe what she was seeing.
"Drake! Luna! Sable—hold on, sweethearts!"
She was already in motion, wading through the icy water with shaking hands and soaked clothes. Her hands trembled, not from the cold, but from panic. Please let them all be okay... please let them all be okay...
Above her, Boo floated like a sleepy prince, legs crossed, completely unbothered as he spun slowly near the chandelier. "Teacher, I think we've… got a slight pool situation," he said casually.
"Boo—help me!" she called, already guiding Luna, who was paddling angrily in wolf form, toward the counter. The little pup whined and barked as Alina grabbed her scruff gently and helped lift her onto the dry surface. "You're safe now, sweetheart," she whispered, brushing the water from Luna's soaked fur.
Sable was clinging to a metal tray, his small fingers shaking as he tried to stay afloat. Alina's chest ached as she reached him, pulling the tray slowly toward her and scooping him up with both arms. He buried his face in her shoulder like a scared kitten, his small frame trembling against her soaked dress.
Overhead, Drake, now in baby dragon form, flapped his wings frantically. "Teacher! Is this a storm?! Did the weather change inside?! I didn't bring an umbrella!"
"You're okay, Drake! Just hover!" she said, trying to stay calm while her dress clung to her legs like seaweed. "No umbrella needed—we're fixing this!"
At the back of the room, Vlad Jr. was upside down in bat form, tucked into the corner of the ceiling. He looked more irritated than afraid, and when she called out to him, he only opened one eye. "It's unpleasant," he mumbled, "but manageable."
"Of course it is," Alina muttered, trying not to laugh through the chaos.
Then she turned and gasped.
Rocky had turned into a full boulder. A very heavy one. And he was sinking.
"Boo!" she shouted again, and the ghost zipped down immediately.
"Yes, brave commander?"
"Help me roll Rocky out before he sinks through the floor!"
Together, with her pushing and Boo phasing in and out to nudge gently, they managed to steer Rocky toward the raised kitchen platform. Just in time, he popped back into baby form—soaked, dizzy, and blinking rapidly like a confused turtle.
Alina was soaked from head to toe, her dress stuck to her skin, her sleeves dripping, and her breath shallow from moving so quickly.
She looked around the room.
Everyone was safe.
Wet… but safe.
But something wasn't right.
She froze.
Kelpie.
Lucian.
Her eyes scanned the water in a panic. "Kelpie? Lucian?" she called, voice rising. "Sweetheart?"
No answer.
She ran toward the deeper side of the room. "Kelpie?!" Her heart thundered as she looked around desperately.