Zaya gulped. It was a great offer but Zaya had a feeling she didn't really know or care which was bad or good. She only wanted to wipe out magic from the face of the earth and at this rate almost nothing could stop her. Zaya thought she might barely even need their help.
Zaya returned back to Zoey's room. She could see Zoey had already gotten there.
"How did it go, not sure Zoey," Zaya said as she sank onto her air mattress and fell asleep.
It was around 5:30 AM. Zaya woke up, stretched, yawning. She looked left and right—she couldn't find the others, only their mattresses remained. Her phone was ringing. She answered it.
The voice from the other end spoke, "Hello… Zaya?"
"Heyy Mum," Zaya said, "I actually… i‑i just woke up."
"Have you taken your medicine?"
"Well… sort of," Zaya said, staring at her bag hung on the wall.
"Alright, Zaya, get ready for school, would you?"
"Yes, Mum," Zaya replied, "I'll be on my way now."
Zaya wondered why the others woke her up. She quickly got up, dressed, and took one of Zoey's bikes to school.
Zaya walked through the school entrance. Luckily the receptionist wasn't at the desk—she must've gone for a bathroom break, Zaya thought as she hurried toward the hallway.
Just as Zaya expected, there was a short janitor in the hallway. She began wondering the best way to get past him and find the others. The janitor spoke, "Zaya, is that you?"
"Ashara?"
"What are you doing in the janitor's outfit?"
"Long story, Zaya, and of course, duh, what else could be a better disguise."
Zaya reluctantly walked toward Ashara. "Where are the rest?" she asked.
"Well, they've started on their parts of the mission. Let me take you to where June is."
They walked for about ten minutes—Phantom Middle School was huge. They finally got to where June was. June stood at the front of some opened lockers, casual in her dress, a black headband and orange contact lenses.
"Zaya, you finally made it," June said, walking closer.
"Why did you leave me behind?" Zaya asked, slightly angry.
"Well, Zaya, it wasn't our fault really. You held the staff and were talking in your sleep."
"Yes," Ashara confirmed, "you seemed to be shouting at someone. You kept saying 'NO!' 'LEAVE ME ALONE!' 'DO IT!' 'THIS IS MY SACRIFICE!'"
"Zaya," June continued, "if we had woke you up, the shock alone would have killed you."
"That's strange," Zaya said. "I don't remember having any vision like that though."
"No worries, Zaya," Ashara said. "We'll figure that out later. We still have a lot of papers to share, alright?"
June then handed a huge pile of papers to Zaya and Ashara. "Guys," she said, "we have less than thirty minutes to share the rest. The inbuilt CCTV system will override my hack by then and students will start arriving."
"Alright, guys, start sharing these."
"Wait," Zaya said, "you forgot the 'thumbamacropuliousis.'"
Zaya and Ashara split up, going in different directions to cover more space. Ashara went upwards toward the right, using the elevator to reach Pauline, while Zaya went downwards to the left, closer to where Zoey was.
She took the elevator down, walked into the Grade 4‑5 hallway, and began opening lockers, dropping envelopes into each one. Zaya started pondering what she meant by sacrifice and who she was talking to in the vision. Who was speaking? She kept asking herself this question while sharing papers, until she unknowingly collided with Zoey.
Zoey wore a headset, listening to music. She fell, but Zaya caught the envelopes in her hands with her feet just in time.
"Hey!" Zoey said, standing up. "Zaya, you made it. We thought you were falling sick again. What happened?"
"Um… it was those visions again, taking over my mind."
"So, what did Mum say?"
"She said something about protecting our loved ones and stopping evil magic for good. I hope she can pull it off."
"Would you join their cause?" Zoey asked.
"No, I think it might not be a good idea. Mum sees it as a gift for saving me in the volcanic river… Well, except she accepts my offer."
"Which is?" Zoey asked.
"Oh, I'd only help when I have time. We're still in middle school, and I'm the leader of the Phantom Girls. I must figure out who we really are."
"Got it," Zoey said as Zaya helped her stand.
The thought of Pauline crossed Zaya's mind. She wondered how Pauline was doing sharing the envelopes in the teachers' locker room.
Pauline, dressed as the school secretary, had already distributed envelopes to every teacher's locker. Still itching for more, she slipped into the principal's office, dropped an envelope, then began sifting through documents on the desk—unsure what she was looking for. She saw lots of papers about the principal's military career.
A rattling sound came from the ceiling above her. She dove under the principal's table, heart pounding. Through a hole in the table she saw a group of people drop down on a rope. Pauline stayed still, eyes on the hole. A red‑haired girl about her age stepped forward, crimson eyes brighter than the rest. She led the team.
The red‑haired girl's face was covered, keeping her identity hidden. The red‑haired girls began searching the office, scattering everything. Pauline realized they weren't the only ones hunting for something.
Her nano‑wristwatch buzzed with a voice message from June: "Guys, ten minutes until the cameras reload. Leave everything and aim for…" Pauline cut it off, hoping the girls hadn't heard. She was wrong—they'd found her. She heard the whir of swords being drawn.
Pauline readied herself to fight when the door burst open. She thought it was the principal, but it was Ashara—half‑breed cat form, stance fierce.
The main red‑haired girl said, "We are not your enemy." Before she finished, Ashara attacked, delivering a swift strike that the girl dodged.
Ashara snarled, "Whatever red means dragon, so you're my enemy!" She sharpened her claws.
The red‑haired girl stood poised, uttered a spell‑like phrase, and in seconds she and her five companions vanished through the ceiling. Ashara followed, glowing white energy.
The coast was clear. Pauline stood up, disappointed she couldn't help Ashara. She moved toward the door, hand reaching for the knob. The knob turned by itself, someone on the other side opened it. Pauline's heart sank as the school principal stepped in.