After the mishap, the group of four found themselves at the Rose Maze.

 "Damn it! I'm so pissed off! That little red-haired menace! Does he plan on turning into the Queen of Hearts himself?!" The ginger yelled.
"Getting thrown out for disobeying the Prefect... I'm slowly drifting away from becoming a model student..." Deuce said in dismay.

 "What cha talkin about, ya~?" A new voice popped up, and the two turned to see a floating head?!?!
ALL: WHA–!!???
 "GYAHHHH!!! A HEADLESS GHOST!!" Grim shrieked.
"Oh, oopsies~ I forgot to show ya my body." The head said and the rest of his body appeared.
 "Wh-what the... So you've got a body, too... You are?" deuce said regaining his composure.
 "I'm Alchemi Alchemivich Pinkaa." He introduced himself. "I got kitty magic, but also human magic. I'm sorta a weird guy."
"Alche—Come again?" Ace asked confused.

"I'm just as confused." Hazel added.

 "Ufufu, everyone calls me Che'nya~ At the very least, I'm super different from those guys in there~" He pointed to the dorm.

"Oh, so What dorm are you from?" Hazel asked. "Savanaclaw?"

"Boo, boo, wrong~! To be honest, I don't attend this school, but I'm just visiting. Either way, what's with those faces?" The neko boy asked.

"I'm in a bad mood 'cause that little tyrant was being unreasonable. Go away." Ace bluntly stated.
"Riddle's a tyrant... Fufufu, well I guess there's some truth in that~ That guy's been a little stickler for the rules since he was little... Fufufu~" Che'Nya said with a faraway look in his eyes.
 "Wait. Do you know something about it?" Deuce asked gaining a look.
 "I guess you could say that I do, but then at the same time I can say that I don't~" The neko teased.

 "Which is it?" Grim asked irritated.
"What~? Ya guys wanna know about Riddle~?" The neko cocked his head to the side.
 "Hell yeah, we do. I wanna know who raised a little tyrant like that." Ace grumbled.
 "Then, go ask that glasses guy~" 
"Glasses guy... You mean, Clover-senpai?" Deuce asked.
"That guy's known Riddle since he was a kid. If I were you, I'd go ask him if I wanted to know more about Riddle~" Che'Nya explained.
"So they're childhood friends? They didn't give off that kind of atmosphere..." Deuce said with Hazel gaining a confused frown.
"If that's what you think, then maybe that's what it is~ I guess ya don't need me anymore, so I'm going." And with that, he vanished.
"H-hey!"
"Fufufu~" They could still his laughter.

GRIM: "That was a very weird dude. Ah...! I just sounded like him!" Grim said to himself.
DEUCE: "Ace can't go to classes properly if he keeps wearing the collar. Let's go ask Clover-senpai about it. Plus..." Deuce pointed out.
ACE: "It's super lame to go and apologize, so I'm not doing that!" Ace said stubbornly.

"You're all surprisingly stubborn..." Hazel sighed at them.

[LOCATION: Library]

Trey was currently in the library going over some books he would need, and returning some when he heard some footsteps coming towards him.

TREY: "........"

ACE: "Clover-senpai." Ace said getting his attention.
TREY: "Oh, it's you guys..." Trey said with a blank look.
DEUCE: "We figured that we'd meet you here in the library because we assumed you'll be returning the recipe book you borrowed." Deuce said, silently letting Trey know that they wanted to talk about something.
ACE: "We still can't be convinced with the way the Prefect does things." Ace stated with his hands on his hips. 
TREY: "... I figured." He sighed.

"Either way, a mischevious cat came across our path, and told us that you knew Riddle since you were kids." Hazel said getting Trey's attention.

"A cat...Oh, you mean Che'nya?" Trey asked as he realized who the female prefect was talking about.

"That's the one. Anyway, do you know why Riddle does all this rule-enforcing?" Hazel asked.

"Not to mention, you're older than Riddle, aren't cha? Why don't you get mad at him?"

 "I'll do that if there's a need to, but... There's nothing I can do against him." Trey sighed out. 
"Why!?" Ace said.
 "Everything that Riddle is right now is because he was raised with very harsh rules." Trey said getting their attention.
"Eh...?"

Trey began to explain with a solemn face. "His parents are very famous magicians that there's no one in their town who didn't know their names. His mother is especially well-known that she wished for Riddle to be the same. That's why everything from what time he wakes up to what time he goes to sleep, and even what academic programs he'll do is decided for him."
"Geh... Everything...?" Grim asked wearingly.
 "What he can eat, what he should wear, and what sort of friends he can make were all decided for him." Trey confirmed. "In order to answer his parents' expectations, Riddle kept quiet and did his best. And by the time he was 10 years old, he had perfected that unique magic of his. It's been determined that he should get continuously 1st place in school ever since he was in elementary. So, I can't even imagine how difficult that could be."

"..........."

'The way Trey describes Riddle, it sounds a whole lot like what Draco went through now that I think about it. He wasn't able to be his own person until Tom was gone for good and he and his mother were free. At least Narcissa didn't want him to end up like his father or aunt.' Hazel thought back to Draco and the pressure he went through being a Malfoy and the son of a Death Eater. 

A destiny he never wanted or asked for.

Trey further explained. "Riddle thinks that being harsh will benefit everyone in the long run. He believes that being bound to harsh rules and obeying them out of fear will make people grow....... Because that's how he was raised. And he thinks that breaking the rules is a bad thing because..."
"Because if he overlooks the rule breakers, it's as if... As if he's denying everything that he was made to be... Right...?" Hazel said earning a nod from Trey.

"... I understand why you'd think of him as a tyrant, and I understand that the way he does things is a little wrong, too. But, I... I still can't find it in myself to go against him at all." Trey finished letting the information settle in.

"So the Prefect endured all that..." Deuce said, having no idea what else to say.
".......... Now that I know more, I understand completely now. The reason why Prefect Riddle is like that... It's all your fault..." Ace realized.
ALL: EH!?

"Ace is right in a way." Hazel vouched gaining attention as well. She continued:
"Riddle can't do anything about his parents because he didn't choose to have them as parents. But at the very least, you've always thought that the way his parents treated him was unfair, right? His parents never realized that the rules are not only hurting others around him but himself as well. What makes it worse, his parents never bothered to tell him what's right or wrong or that there's no set of rules that are truly black and white. Didn't you ever think that maybe their own neighbors actually hated them because of their judgement on others and their strict ways but were too afraid to say anything? Did they even realize how many people they drove off with their attitude?"
"That's..." Trey tried to reason, but he couldn't find anything to argue in Hazel's logic. He even saw that the other day when some of their dormmates wanted to transfer to Mortishackle. Back when they were children, while their parents did socialize with one another at parties and such, the truth was that people would talk badly about Riddle's parents behind their backs and only kissed up to them for one reason or another.
 "Hazel's right. If you think that the Prefect's making the same mistakes as his parents, then tell him directly. Fix your mistakes." Ace said with a frown.

"He won't learn anything if you keep spoiling him and feeling sorry if you stay silent like an obedient dog." Hazel added.

"Yeah! Are you just gonna watch everyone hate him and alienate him from a distance?" Ace finished.

That caused Trey to be silent.
"H-hey, Ace...!" Deuce said trying to calm his friend down.
"Or what? You're keeping quiet because you're scared of that collar? You're super lame!! You call yourself his childhood friend, but the way things are, you're not even his friend at all!" Ace yelled out.

"YOU BOYS! THIS IS THE LIBRARY, SO KEEP IT DOWN, PLEASE!!!" Crowley boomed.
"You're the one shouting here, yanno." Grim pointed out.
"Oh, pardon me. (clears throat before whispering) Good grief, the library is meant to be a quiet place where people can study and enjoy reading". Crowley put a hand to his mouth.

"Sorry about that Headmaster." Hazel apologized. 

CROWLEY: "Ahem. So, what is everyone doing here all gathered with such troubled faces?"
DEUCE: "Well..."

------------------------------

An explanation later.....

 "I see, so that's what happened... You don't want to apologize to have the collar taken off, but you know that convincing the Prefect will not go smoothly..." Crowley said with a neutral expression.
"That's about it, yeah." Ace nodded.
"I see. If you dislike the way your Prefect does things, you do have the option to switch dormitories. However, the Mirror of Darkness is the one that judges based on what it sees in your soul, so it is actually quite a herculean task to transfer dormitories." Crowley sighed.
"Transferring, huh... I feel like I'd lose to him if I did that, so I don't really wanna go for it." Ace grumbled.
"Very well. Then how about challenging little Rosehearts to a duel and then take the title of Prefect for yourself?" Crowley suggested with a smile.
ALL: EEEEEEHHHHHHHH!!!??

"(whispering) I said, please keep it down!" The Headmaster shushed.
"(whispering) It's because you said something weird, Headmaster!" Ace whispered back.
 "Nothing strange in it at all, my boy. Little Rosehearts himself got the position by doing the same thing, after all." Crowley admitted.
 "How is the Prefect position decided here in Night Raven College?" Deuce wondered.
 "I heard them say that Riddle managed to be the Prefect one week after getting in." Grim added.
 "Well, I heard that they can either be appointed by the previous Prefect, or they can win a duel against them. However, there are also other ways." Hazel told the boys.
 "A duel is one of the simpler ways, I'd say." Crowley added.
"But, I thought that using magic for one's own benefit was forbidden...?" Ace asked.
"For personal gain, yes. However, a duel appointed and approved by the Headmaster himself due to official and valid reasons is another story." Crowley informed him.
"If I remember correctly, it's forbidden to enforce a handicap on your opponent before a duel starts, so you can have the collar taken off without apologizing to Riddle. Ah, but..." Trey said, unsure of where this is going.

 "New students are given the right to challenge their Prefect should they want to. What will you do, Trappola-kun? Will you challenge him?" Crowley asked in curiosity.

ACE: "Alright, then. I'll show him who's boss." 
DEUCE: "I'll do, too."
 "Me, too!" Grim added.
"Grim, you're from Mortishackle, remember?" Hazel reminded the cat.

"Miss Potter's right. Unfortunately, you're from a different dorm so you can't participate, Grim-kun." Crowley shrugged.
"Wha–!? Damn it... This was a chance for me to show off my skills, too..." Grim slouched.
 "Are you guys serious? I didn't think that you'd agree with them, Deuce." Trey said a little surprised.
"Really? As a man, wouldn't it be great to aim for the top at least once? Since I fell this is all unfair as well, I'll do my best for the team if we're gonna go ahead and challenge him." Deuce said steeling his courage.

 "Then, I shall inform you of the proceedings of the duel." Crowley said, signaling his approval.

"You sure you can do this, Ace? Will you be okay...?" Hazel asked, worried for her friend.

" You don't have to be so worried~ So, do you guys have any good ideas?" Ace asked the others.
 "Hm... I feel like Prefect will win if we go with magic. If we go physical, then we have a chance of winning." Deuce pointed out.
"True, he looks fragile." Grim added.
 "Oh, I forgot to mention. Any attacks aside from magic is forbidden." The headmaster chuckled out.
 "Eh?"
 "Hahaha! Let's have a fun duel while playing by the rules~! I shall finish telling you everything tomorrow, so please inform me when the duel will take place. Now then, please excuse me." Crowley bowed before he left. 

ACE: "A-alright...! I don't have the confidence if it's magic, but... We'll manage somehow!"
DEUCE: "Y-yeah!"
GRIM: "You better do your best!"
TREY: "You guys..."
ACE: "When I become the Prefect, I'll have him say "I was wrong, I'm sorry." to me! And I'll make him stop enforcing all those dumb rules on everyone!"

Hazel smiled at Ace's determination, then she felt a twitch on the mark above her heart. The one in the shape of a rose.

And for some reason, she had a feeling something was gonna go terribly wrong.

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Next up is the Riddle overblot!

Hope you're all ready for it!

Plz comment and stay safe everyone!