Chapter IV: Zenithclad

The horse-drawn pumpkin carriages had arrived to pick up the kids at the Grand Pavilion. The pumpkin-headed piper, Surlich, grunted, staring out into the scolding night, as it waited for the first wave of kids to pour out of the building. The cold night air stabbed Circe's eyes as he and his peers were being led by Professor Sempra toward the carriages. Circe and Avery were assigned the fourth carriage.

When they stepped inside, Circe still couldn't help but marvel at how graceful the chandeliers on the ceiling performed, how the leaves and vines grew and slithered like the foliage of the jungle, as well as the tiny decorous flowers that acted like lamps in the compartment seats. What still impressed him was how the pumpkin grew larger and larger as more people entered it. It could've easily housed one thousand faces, but it would've been too crowded and noisy for the pipers.

The two kids plopped into their seats near the back of the pumpkin carriage and didn't say anything to each other for a while. Circe wasn't in the mood to talk anyway, his mind was still stuck in the visual cloud of the silent audience who had refused to clap when they heard his name. Their stares, their caustic resentful stares. The longer he thought about it, the deeper it stung.

Two more kids joined their compartment seats and casually sat right across from them. One was a chestnut-haired kid with glasses Circe had never seen before, but he recognized the blue striped tie. The kid was in Mecha, he seemed pretty timid and distant, the type of kid that probably wouldn't tell him off. The other girl was a mixed Brazilian girl with long curly hair that was elegantly groomed back. She had an exotic dreamy face with a weird shade of brown hair that started off light and grew gradually darker. Circe pinpointed the fringed yellow lapel and the yellow-striped tie in his mind.

Zebulon, the black kid with the dreads, peered into the compartment. "Are these seats full?"

"No," Circe said, scooting over. It was nice to not be stuck with people he didn't completely know. "Where's Phineas?"

Zebulon frowned. "He's off doing his own thing. I tried calling him but I don't think he heard me."

"Hmm," said Avery. Her fingers tapped the table.

"What?" said Circe and Zebulon.

"Nothing," said Avery. Zebulon gave Circe a look that said "girls".

The carriages began to move and trundle into the night.

The Brazilian girl held out her hands and smiled. "Lorraine Silva, Hero. It's nice to meet you guys."

Circe and Zebulon happily received the hand and grinned. Avery stared at the hand and smiled back. "It's nice to meet you too."

"You're the invisible girl," Circe said. "That trick was pretty clever."

"Thanks. And you're Circe Chimer, the boy that everyone's supposed to hate?" said Lorraine with wavering uncertainty.

"Pretty much hits the mark," Circe said. Lorraine laughed.

"And umm…" said Avery staring uncertainty at the bespectacled boy beside Lorraine.

"Oh that's James Boolean, we just met. He's pretty quiet," said Lorraine.

James waved feebly as if the action might make him sick.

"That's ok," said Avery. "You seem pretty smart, James."

"He is," Lorraine divulged. "He was just telling me about algebraic notations, binary vegetables, and computing."

"Binary variables," James said.

"Yeah, that."

"I'm Zebulon,' said Zebulon, who didn't really feel like talking about binary variables. "So we have three Monsters, one Hero, and one Mecha. Wow, why are all the attractive people in Hero?"

"And all the smart ones in Mecha?" said Circe.

"And all the bullies in Sorcerer. Their crowd didn't look too happy to see us."

"You guys are generalizing," said Lorraine. "Everyone looked pretty normal to me."

"Ignore them, they're being idiots," said Avery.

"Are we?" asked Circe.

"Phineas was sorted into Hero. He doesn't look that attractive to me."

"Well, he's not here for you to judge his looks so…"

There was an awkward swapping of stares.

"He's probably attractive intellectually," James pointed out.

"Right! Gimme some," Zebulon got a clap from James. Avery clapped her forehead.

"What classes are you guys looking forward to?" Lorraine asked. "I'm interested in Law Studies, but we don't take that until our third year."

"I actually want to see what Monster Languages is all about, you know…when we're able to take it. I was pretty good at English at my old school."

"And good for you," said Zebulon. "The only thing I'm interested in taking is lunch, I'm starving."

"In Monster Transformation, do you think we'll be practicing with actual monsters?" Circe asked Avery.

"Maybe. I can't wait for the real thing though, when we'll be Shadowing."

"That's in our second year," Circe said excitedly.

"I think we'll be joining you guys as well. The Heroes are usually the first ones to get assignments," said Lorraine.

"We probably get more dangerous battles," said Circe.

"Not really, I think we all start small, we'll be only thirteen after all."

"Way to let them down gently," said Avery, sarcastically winking.

"James, the Mechas usually start working in hospitals in their second year don't they?" Lorraine asked.

"Sounds like it," James said miserably. "Our classes suck."

The pumpkin carriages finally arrived at the violet neon entrance of the Darkplenty Hall and the piper gave a splenetic shout for everyone to get out. The students poured out to the entrance and stood under the stone spikes protruding over the neon lights and four glass doors. This time they were led inside by a goblin and Professor Sempra. The goblin's name was Equin Redcap.

"I'm sure you heard of my brother Ulrik and my cousin, Golluck." said Equin, sweeping them into the pearly halls of Darkplenty.

"We've heard," said Circe, yawning. His group was in front of the throbbing mob. He didn't understand why goblins loved to talk about their relatives so much.

The front entrance hall was bedecked with a bunch of posters under walls fringed with soft pink neon lights. To their furthest left and right sides was a passageway that led to the movie theaters. In the center was a shiny black door outlined in neon blue The doorknob itself appeared to be glowing in blue as well. When the crowd of anxious students entered they were windswept by the visage of a large sweeping dining room area with a bunch of neon restaurant booths that served all types of cuisines.

From the typical American burger and pizza restaurants to Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Cajun, and Eastern food. The names of the restaurants were boxed in with their own individual neon color. In the center of the room was a colony of round tables scattered around with the other older students eating. A huge glass-paneled vista sat in the background so you were able to see the purple night sky and the huge bustling city. There was a door that was carved in that let you through the glass doors so you could eat outside.

"Alright guys, enjoy yourselves!" Professor Sempra shouted.

"Wait, the food is free?" Zebulon hollered, incredulous. The students roared with laughter.

Sempra's pink lips creased into a smile. Her bloody diamond jewel flashed and Circe could've sworn that her eyes had turned red. "Yes Mr. Brooks, the expenses are taken care of. Usually, you would need your badge—" but her words got drowned out by the horde of students that rushed by her. In a matter of seconds, the first years were already in line to get something to eat.

"So, I guess we're all friends now. You guys don't seem to hate me," said Circe as Avery and Zebulon joined him at Alfonso's Tacorea line.

"Why would I hate you? You saved my life," said Avery.

"You guys are alright," said Zebulon trying as hard as he could to be nonchalant. Avery rolled her eyes.

After they had gotten their white takeout bags of tacos and burritos, they went to Worthington's to get their seasoned burgers and fries. They were handed checkered bags with a lip and tongue that was branded with the emerald Worthington's letters.

"We should eat outside," said Circe, staring enviously as the fourth and fifth years went outside with their group of friends.

"Look, there's Phineas!" Zebulon waved. "Phineas, over here!"

Phineas Dempsey was standing in the Indian restaurant line talking to a gang of fifth year girl and boys. Circe found them very alluring to look at and almost thought they were the popular kids until he saw Nathanial Hawthourne and Jeremiah Goldcoin walk by to sit with a group of ninth year Sorcerers. Nathaniel, an athletic thin boned boy with long chestnut brown hair and ocean blue eyes, was wearing a suit with a fringed purple lapel and purple striped tie and Jeremiah, the tanned blonde boy, was dressed similarly but in yellow. The girls fawned over them as more and more gravitated to their table. A chubby-faced girl with brunette pigtails was fiddling with Jeremiah's tie. She was dressed in a striped red tied suit with fringed red lapels.

"Don't worry about Phineas," said Avery sullenly. "It looks like Phineas has found his real friends."

"Don't talk like that, I'm sure he's just distracted," said Circe, trying not to look at Jeremiah and Nathanial's growing mob of fans. The two of them left to go outside.

"Oh, wake up! He literally saw us. He doesn't want to talk to us anymore. And what are those girls thinking crowding around those boys? They're twelve."

"C'mon, let's go eat. You guys get a little jealous when you're hungry," said Zebulon.

"Says who?"

The trio slid past the glass door under the large mullioned dining hall window. The chattering buzz of the dining hall instantly became muffled as they were met with the cold night air and the view of the dark purple sky with shadowy black clouds overlooking a busy gothic city.

Circe accidentally bumped into a tall woman with white blonde hair.

"P-Professor Sempra?" he said nervously.

"Chimer, I was just looking for you. Zenithclad and I would like to have a word with you," said Professor Sempra solemnly.

Circe stared at Avery and Zebulon who looked just as nervous as he was and shrugged.

Professor Sempra giggled. "I'm just messing with you Chimer," the woman morphed into a mixed Japanese girl with strawberry red hair. She was wearing the typical three piece skirt suit with a yellow striped tie with a fringed yellow lapel. She looked at Zebulon and pointed. "Hey, you're really funny." Then she walked back into the dining hall.

"Carrow Katakowa, Hero. She's a shapeshifter," said Avery. "She's not allowed to be using her powers outside of class. I don't know how she's getting away with it."

"How do you know all this?' Circe asked.

"Because I actually paid attention to the names that were being called at the Avaluation, unlike you idiots."

"All five hundred of them? Who could possibly stay awake through all of that?" Circe marveled.

Zebulon fixed his gaze. "And why are you such a party pooper?"

"What, you thought she was cute?"

Zebulon laughed, cooly putting his hands into the slitted pockets of his black trousers. "No."

The trio sat a round black table and ate their food. Circe stared mindlessly at the vase of flowers that was standing in the center of their table as he chewed his burger. The conversation around the table started to move toward their families.

"We come from a long line of gargoyles called Garguples that used to help thieves and murderers to inspire chaos and death. They would pay us a hefty sum though," said Avery. "However, after my grandparents' line, we started to change our skin and turned over to the good guys. My mom and dad currently work as bankers."

"What would've happened if you guys were still bad?" Circe asked.

"It would be a pretty long and difficult fight. Gargoyles are plentiful in the monster world, next to goblins. But what makes us tricky to fight is that we like to be invisible and work behind the scenes, as demons do."

"Interesting," said Circe,

"Are you guys related to demons?" Zebulon asked, taking a bite out of his taco.

"Yes, actually. We come from a long line of them. What about you guys?"

"We come from an ancient line of hyenas called the Feliforces. They used to be much bigger and darker and they were related to the Hellhounds. They were able to breath fire, talk, and tell the future," said Zebulon. "Nowadays there are two species of us. The mutant hyenas with the three heads like me and the normal one headed hyenas. Our kind can still breathe fire but we don't tell the future. The normal ones don't do any of that."

"What about you, Circe?"

"I don't know," said Circe rather gloomily. He looked out into the dark purple night. "All I know is that my father is a Chimera and that's where I get my powers from. Oh, and that people hate me for no reason."

"Oh, it's not for no reason. The Chimera was one of, if not the strongest creature in the ancient world," said Avery knowledgeably. "The reason for that being was that they were very difficult to kill; they always regenerated, just like the Hydras and if any normal person saw them, it was an omen of death. So before anyone even fought the Chimera, they probably weren't gonna be alive to do it. Only the strongest of the strongest warriors headed off with the Chimera and sometimes even they lost. Your kind is enlisted as one of the Unkillables."

"The Unkillables?" Circe raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, monsters that are incredibly difficult to kill. There were only four of them I think, there might be more. It includes the Chimera, the Nine Tailed Fox, the Leviathan, and the Hydra. I don't know too much about the Unkillables, but hopefully we'll be learning about this in class. Anyways, that's why people hate–erm…I don't like using that word–are intimidated by you, Circe. You're a massive threat."

"But I'm not evil," Circe said palliatively. "I'm not out to destroy all of mankind. My ancestors were—"

"And your father," Avery added.

"My father was an idiot. I don't know what he was thinking. Matter of fact, I don't much about him at all. How do you know more about me than me?" Circe said sensitively.

"Right," Zebulon guffawed.

"The gargoyles were known for stealing forbidden information and sharing them to mankind. It's one of the similarities we have with demons," said Avery.

"It still doesn't add up though," said Zebulon, wiping the taco shells from his hands. "If Circe is such a big threat, then wouldn't people be more careful not to make him angry? They'd be kinder to him wouldn't they? So why does everyone here still hate him?"

"Because people are stupid. Sometimes when you're very angry or jealous, logic gets thrown out the window."

"And how would that reflect my reputation?" Circe said, incredulous. "If I started fighting everyone I met, it would confirm people's assumptions and I would get swarmed with Shadowers and a bunch of humans trying to kill me!"

"Yeah, there's that," said Zebulon admittedly.

After a few minutes passed, Aviv Parastroka, the Russian girl, and Jamie Soo, the Korean girl joined their tables.

"You guys are the Mechas, right?" Avery said, smiling. "Oh my gosh, your powers are really cool. How did you do that chainsaw thing again?"

Aviv and Jamie launched into a story about the origins of their powers and their family line but Circe drowned it out in exchange to hear what Nathanial and Jeremiah were saying. They were sitting behind him, under the company of the fifth years and…

"Malik, you told us that your ancestors were the greatest sorcerers at what time again?" Nathaniel asked.

"I already told you," said the dark skinned boy with short cropped hair, there was a grittiness in his voice. The menacing red striped tie shined against the moonlight.

"Entertain us then, we're earshot."

"During the Babylonian age, the Absaloms were well renowned and respected sorcerers. Some say our kind helped the Babylonians build the tower of Babel and construct the great city of Babylon. We're also distant cousins of King Nebuchadnezzar II."

"No way," said Jeremiah.

"Way."

"Sounds like a load of ish to me," said Nathanial confidently.

"Oh yeah, and what about you? What makes you so great?"

"We're related to Apepi, the first great serpent that helped create darkness and sin. It was there during the creation of evil and in fact, most if not all dragons are related to him. Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake Lee, a Chinese first year who was sitting across from them nodded. "Yup, especially the black dragons."

"Big deal, my family is related to Helios," said Jeremiah. "You know the sun god. They say that Helios and his father Apollos was also the originator of beauty."

"Yeah right," said Nathanial.

"It's true."

"Hold on," said Malik.

Circe felt something red and hard hit the back of his head. It was an apple.

"Couldn't keep your ears to yourself Chimer?" Malik said, standing up. "How would you feel if we snooped into your conversation."

"I couldn't give a damn what you do, Malik." Get out of here. Get out of here before it's too late. Circe remained where he was.

"Leave the kid alone Malik," said Jeremiah, cooly taking a bite out his sandwich. "He's not bothering us."

"Well, he's bothering me. Matter of fact, I don't appreciate the faculty inviting such a disgusting creature to this school. Your kind should've been erased years ago," Malik said. Your mother was a disgrace for having you. A gorilla could've screwed your mother and she would still have a better child than you."

The fifth years howled with laughter. Nathaniel and Jeremiah had fallen out of their chairs. Nathaniel wiped a tear.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother," Circe said. He could feel his teeth growing longer, his vision growing redder, and the scaly wings protruding out of his back. Red hot fire started to sizzle on his hands.

"Circe, no!" Avery cried, standing up.

"Repellio!" Malik shouted, pushing his hands into the air. The golden ring on his finger was twitching and glimmering against the moonlight.

A huge gust of wind threw Circe backward and knocked a bunch of tables over. A group of first year girls screamed and ran inside. Circe got up and shot a large ball of fire from his hands. Malik dodged it and laughed hysterically. "That's all you got Chimera?"

Trembling with anger, Circe felt something white hot boiling in his stomach. He roared and a massive cloud of flames poured out of his mouth, spraying the eating area with flames. Malik repelled it with his hands and fell back, hitting his head with a table. Nathaniel, Jeremiah, and the gang of fifth years scurried off into the building. Circe could hear Avery's voice but it was so distant like it was all the way at the end of a tunnel. Then there was another, harsh scolding voice. Circe tried to vomit out more fire, but an invisible force was holding him back.

"Enough!" shouted Professor Sempra. "Origio!"

The fallen tables had been restored to their upright position, the black burnt marks on the ground vanished, and the smoke had been blown away. The disrepute dining area had been made orderly once again.

"Chimer, Absalom, present yourselves at once! What the blazes were you thinking?"

Circe tried to explain how Malik had started it all by insulting him but Sempra had cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it Chimer!"

"He's not lying Professor! Malik really did provoke him," said Avery. Zebulon, Aviv, and Jamie were standing nervously by the door. The rest of the students had fled.

"Settle down Calhoun, this wasn't your fight. As for you two, well, my dearest wish is to expel both of you for causing so much havoc and excitement in one night, but considering this is barely even your first day, I'll recoup your punishment."

"Thank you, Professor," said Circe and Malik.

"Don't thank me just yet. I salvaged your punishment for expelling you, it doesn't mean you're completely exonerated from correction. Both of you will serve tomorrow's detention at 7:00 in the morning. The goblins will be sure to bring in your breakfast. Now I want both of you out of my sight and off to bed, you've lost the privilege to enjoy the rest of your dinner tonight. Scram, the carriages will be waiting for you guys."

Circe gave Avery a look as he and Malik were being led out of the dining hall by a goblin. He could hear Sempra's shrill voice echoing from the outside eatery. "You could've killed someone!"

Their pumpkin carriage was being driven by a piper called Qurich. He was much more genial and quieter than their last rider, Surlich. The air felt chillier when there weren't a lot of students in the carriages. Malik and Circe didn't utter a word to each other, which made the ride a lot more bearable for Circe. He was still boiling inside but in a more muted and modulated manner. The horses stopped in front of the Grand Pavillion and Circe and Malik quietly egressed out of the carriages. The two boys split ways as they made their way toward their Centers.

There were still a bunch of students still strolling about, casually talking to each other into the night. Circe was about to enter the Monster Center when he noticed a group of first years rush by him, surreptitiously whispering to each other. He recognized some of the faces from the Avaluation. What were they doing heading toward the Sorcerer's Center? Circe, eerily intrigued followed the young group of kids in the strange direction. They arrived at the statue of a hooded man holding an eye in the palm of his hands.

"There it is! See, I told you it's still there," said the curly-haired boy pointing at the shadowy chamber door beneath the statue.

"And it's open," another first year boy added. "We should go in."

"No! We might get expelled. Or worse, killed."

"Good point." And the close knit group of boys left the ominous statue and headed back into their RCS House. Circe peered down at the forbidden golden chamber door underneath the statue. His heart started to throb as he inched himself closer to it. Something inside of him itched to see what was behind that door. Whatever it was, it would be better than having to go to sleep. Who had bothered to leave the door open anyway and not even close it? What if he was caught? Surely they would expel him this time.

Circe was swallowed in darkness as soon as he stepped through the threshold of the golden door, After a few minutes of walking blind, the torches burst to life licking the forbidden black air. There were a lot of strange objects in the room, Circe noticed, such as a golden elephant, a panoply of golden mirrors, and tons of boars heads that hung from the ceiling. It was as if he was walking into a maze of horrifying objects. What nearly got him to bail was the figure of a naked woman with frizzly hair jumping out in front of him. The woman was oddly shiny, as if she was made of wax. But before Circe could touch her, she ran away into the cold gloom of the chamber cackling.

"What the hell is this place?" Circe whispered.

He suddenly came upon a tall, imposing mirror. But the anomaly about it was that the glass wasn't silver or reflective, it was ink black. As if it were made of tar. Circe reached out to touch it, but it clung to his hands like glue. He tried to tug back but it kept growing. Besieged with fear, Circe tried to run, but it was too late.

"Let me go. Let me go!" But the mirror had already swallowed the boy into its inky depths.

Circe hit the ground on his butt. He was sitting on the cold grass in front of the Grand Pavillion. The faint hooting of owls escaped the air. It was around midnight, everyone was already dead asleep. Or so they appeared to be. Something about this world didn't feel right to Circe, as if he didn't belong there.

Circe saw a thin knobbly blonde boy walk by him. Tears dripped onto the grass. He was weeping, afraid, and alone. Aroused by curiosity Circe stumbled after him. They skirted around the massive structure of the Grand Pavillion and arrived at the Monster Center. Only it wasn't just the clocked bricked building they were staring at. They had arrived at a conjugation of hooded dressed in blood red cloaks. A stone circle had been formed and in that stone circle, a wooden cross had been erected behind a strong passionate bonfire. Hung upside down on that cross, was a thirteen year old girl with a strange star painted on her belly in red.

"The Star of Amyclist," Circe gasped. The young blonde boy didn't seem to have heard him. But what could they possibly be thinking of summoning, thought Circe. They couldn't really be summoning…

"It is with great honor that the council of the Formidables offer this young virgin body to Beelzebub, prince of demons, and his worthy delegations as a testament of our undying loyalty and a token of grattitude for his protection," said a dark grating voice.

The young girl was weeping, pleading through her screams. "Please don't do this, professor. Please!"

"Carry on with it Zenithclad! The delegations of evil wait for no man," said a more tenuous silky voice.

"Hold your tongue, Raufman, it seems we may be imbued in the company of a child," said another cloaked figure. Circe couldn't believe his eyes. He recognized those elfish ears that were poking out.

"Chimer!" Zenithclad spun around and held out his hand forcefully. The young blonde boy was magnetically pushed to him as if by gravity. "What are you doing here? Answer truthfully or we shall have to kill you tonight as well."

Circe paused for a moment. Staring studiously at the young blond boy. "Dad?" he whispered, stepping closely into the bright fire.

"I-I-Nobody wants to talk to me," said Halvorok Chimer.

"And you felt this was the time to interrupt the Dean on trivialities such as this?" Raufman snarled. "Scurry along you silly boy, we have a school to protect."

Zenithclad gave Halvorok a mingled look of fury and pity. His reluctance to act on the boy was implicit. Halvorok flicked his gaze at the girl on the cross. "Why are you doing that? She's innocent."

"It has nothing to do with innocence or morality, Havorak," said Zenithclad. Then he sighed and took off his blood red hood. The enigmatic man had a long dark curly beard, red craters sprayed on his face, a golden ring on his nose, and a face that sort of resembled a half human and half bull. His most outstanding features were the long bull horns that protruded from his forehead. Circe would've fainted if he hadn't already met Elven.

"It has to do with the fact that we signed a blood pact with Lucifer many years ago to protect this school and its students from monsters. In return, we would have to pay allegiance to him by sacrificing one of our younger students, mainly females."

"But…that defeats the whole point doesn't it?"

"It's one in exchange for many Havorok. Now, observe."

Zenithclad went up to the cross and slit the girl's necks. Then he cut her stomach open until it split open her bladder and vagina. The blood gushed out and the star on her belly glowed. Before Circe could process it all, the body had disappeared.

"You're sick!" said Havorok. The hooded crew laughed.

"Life's sick, Chimer, the sooner you realize that the easier life for you will be one day. You say you have no friends, but I refuse to believe that. Find people who tolerate you and want to be with you. Find your own people instead of waiting for people to come to you. I believe in you, Chimer, you're not a monster. None of us are, it's just the circumstances in life that allow people to perceive us as monsters."

"But what if I really am a monster? What if we all are?"

"I refuse to believe that."

"But you just killed a girl in cold blood," said Havorok, skeptical. Something about this man didn't seem to add up.

"Because I had to. It's time you went to bed."

"And I believe it's time you went to bed as well, Circe," said a thunderous voice in the sky. Circe shook his head and found himself in the inky space again. He was pulled out by a strong grip and soon found himself back in the chamber. Standing in front of him was the bull faced figure of Zenithclad. He stared at him for a moment.

"What were you doing in the Black Mirror?"

"I got lost professor, sorry," said Circe.

"Lost, in here? In the Hall of Mysteries?" said Zenithclad.

Circe's face flushed. "Yes."

Zenithclad sighed. "Always the troublemaker, just like your father. Very well then, you may go."

Circe turned around to leave but then froze. "Professor, did my father ever make any friends? Like, did people ever like him."

Zenithclad stared at him for a moment, a shadow of thought cut through his face. Circe got the feeling that he was thinking exactly the same thing he was thinking.

"No Circe, I'm afraid he Havorok never made many companions. It hurts me to say this, but your father took a dark path in his later years."

"Oh," said Circe. He was suddenly interested in tracing the lines on the ground.

"He was just like me. No one ever like me when I was a child. Not even my siblings. In fact, my sister got so jealous of my accomplishments that she cursed me into a half bull. I've never really recovered since."

"Really?"

Zenithclad nodded.

"Do you still talk to your sister?"

"No. But she remains one of the main benefactors as to why my life took the dark path that it did. I never wanted the same for your father. And I'll do my damned best to not let you turn out that way as well."

Circe nodded. "Do you still do sacrifices, Professor?"

Zenithclad stared. A beastly glint shined out of his dark pupils. "I think it's time you went to bed."

Zenithclad led him out of the Hall of Mysteries and into his dorm room inside the Monster Center. There was a clean bunk bed and several posters hung on the wall. Zebulon was sitting at the bottom bunk, shocked to see the knobbly kneed white-haired boy.

"Where were you? I thought for sure, they had expelled you."

Circe relayed to him the events that occurred at the Hall of Mysteries.

"Damn, that's freaky," said Zebulon.

"Tell me about it."

"Do you think you'll end up like your father?"

Circe yawned and got onto his top bunk to finally rest his head. "I hope not."

But then again, with time, it was very difficult to tell.