The morning mist hung low over Blackmoor Academy, making the familiar paths look foreign and haunting. The group gathered in the courtyard, their breath visible in the cold air. Despite the clear tension, a quiet determination bound them together—Richard had to be somewhere. Alive.
"I had a dream last night," Hope said, pacing slowly. "It wasn't normal. I heard Richard calling for me. Over and over."
"It's more than a dream," Daemon muttered, arms crossed. "Sounds like a supernatural echo. A psychic connection."
Hope nodded. "Then we're running out of time."
London looked at the others. "We have to search every corner of this school. Top to bottom. If he's here, we'll find him."
Raphael glanced around. "We can't all go together. We'll cover more ground if we split up."
Jessa stepped forward, brushing her curls back. "Then let's do it."
Hope drew in a breath. "Alright. We'll break into three groups."
She looked around the courtyard. The wind swirled fallen leaves at their feet.
Group One:
"London, you're with me," Hope said. "We'll check the Headmaster's quarters and the old potion archives beneath it."
London smirked slightly. "Just the two of us? Sounds dangerous."
"Don't get any ideas," she replied, but her smile betrayed her fondness.
Group Two:
"Stephen and Daemon, you check the East Wing—the sealed classrooms and the underground dueling rooms."
Stephen grinned wide. "Oh, joy. More time with my sunshiny brother."
Daemon grunted. "Try not to break anything this time."
Group Three:
"Raphael, Jessa, and Celeste—you'll cover the West Tower and the forest courtyard behind it. The wards there are weak. If someone took Richard out of the main school, they might have passed through there."
Celeste looked surprised she was being included. Hope met her eyes with a calm nod. "We trust you."
Celeste flinched inwardly. If only they knew...
---
Headmaster's Quarters – Hope & London
The room was silent when they entered. Richard's scent still clung to the air—earthy cologne and coffee. Hope moved quietly, running her fingers over the books on his shelf. Everything seemed untouched, yet cold.
"There's a hidden passage here," London said. "Remember the fireplace mechanism?"
Hope knelt beside the grate. "Yeah. He showed it to me once—said it was used in emergencies." She pressed a sequence of stones at the hearth's edge.
With a rumble, the fireplace shifted, revealing a spiral staircase leading down.
Hope smirked. "Got it."
London stepped forward but paused when he noticed something glimmering. "Hope..."
She followed his gaze. Blood. A few drops, smeared faintly across the mantle.
Her heart raced. "Let's move."
They descended the stairs, the air growing colder and more metallic with each step. At the bottom: silence, cobwebs, and a long-forgotten alchemy chamber.
"Check the corners," Hope whispered.
They split up, each scanning the dusty stonework. London's flashlight flickered.
Then, from behind a cabinet, he found something odd—a torn piece of fabric. Familiar.
"It's Richard's," he whispered.
Hope's eyes widened. "He was definitely here."
---
East Wing – Stephen & Daemon
Stephen whistled as they moved through the cold stone hallway. "This place gives me the creeps. But I love it. It's like Hogwarts... if Hogwarts were run by Dracula."
Daemon sighed. "Focus."
Stephen tapped on the walls dramatically. "Oh spooky walls, reveal your secrets!"
"Stephen—"
Suddenly, a metal grate groaned. A secret door popped open slightly.
Stephen blinked. "Wait... what?"
Daemon raised an eyebrow. "You actually triggered something?"
"I'm insulted," Stephen said, smug. "I'm incredibly talented."
They entered the hidden room—it was old and sealed with dust. Strange symbols were etched into the floor. Vampire script.
"This is ancient," Daemon muttered. "We're not the first vampires in this school."
"But are we the hottest?" Stephen added, posing. "That's the real question."
Daemon rolled his eyes but stepped deeper inside. "Search for clues. There's something weird going on here."
---
West Tower – Raphael, Jessa, and Celeste
The wind howled through the broken stained glass as the trio crept through the tower's top floors. The courtyard below was eerily still.
"This place is freezing," Jessa whispered, rubbing her arms. "What was this wing used for again?"
"Storage," Raphael said. "Mostly abandoned after the fire years ago."
Celeste stayed silent, eyes scanning the corners. Her encounter from the night before haunted her.
"You okay?" Jessa asked.
Celeste flinched. "I'm fine. Just... focusing."
Raphael gave her a look but said nothing.
They reached the rooftop balcony, the view of the forest stretching beyond the crumbled railings.
Suddenly, Raphael paused. His werewolf senses flared. "I smell something... old. Wrong."
Jessa drew her wand. "Where?"
Raphael turned to a cracked mirror on the wall. "Behind there."
He yanked it aside—revealing a hidden compartment. Inside was a torn piece of Richard's journal... and something else.
A single, black feather. Not from any ordinary bird.
Jessa paled. "What the hell is that?"
---
Back at the Common Room – Later That Evening
Each group returned, each bringing strange clues—a bloodstain, a feather, old vampire script, pieces of Richard's journal. But still, no sign of Richard himself.
And still, no one suspected Celeste was hiding something.
Not even Jessa, who sat beside her, chatting about how close they were to finding their dad.
Celeste forced a smile.
But inside, she was trembling.
---