Elaine quickly followed Fearne as they darted across the Archives. Fearne's brown ponytail swung from side to side like the tail of a cat, and Elaine struggled to keep up. She couldn't make sense of it—something was wrong with Custas and he was in danger? Frustration and confusion filled Elaine's mind, but she pushed them aside, determined to remain optimistic. She gritted her teeth and focused on chasing after Fearne, hoping to grasp ahold of answers as soon as she could.

She sprinted alongside Kliff, their breathing ragged and labored. Kliff's dark blonde hair bounced with each hurried step, but his demeanor was calmer than Elaine's. Despite this, the tense expression on his face conveyed his unease. Elaine could tell that he was just as worried as she was, but there was something else too, a hint of intrigue coagulating in his eyes.

Fearne and Elaine turned the corner and saw Custas lying on the floor, his limbs splayed out and his breathing inconsistent. The row they were in was cluttered with folders and scattered documents, making it difficult for Elaine to navigate without tripping over something. The chaos suggested that they had only just begun to tend to this area.

"I don't understand," Kliff said. "What happened to him?"

"It's like I said," Fearne replied, partially exhausted from her rapid sprint but worried nonetheless, "one moment, we were just stacking folders as per the instructions. Custas mentioned something to me about Fulcudo, and the next thing I knew, he collapsed and started behaving like...well, like that!"

Elaine stopped next to Kliff and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her surprise. At first glance, Custas appeared to be normal, but as she looked closer, Elaine realized why Fearne had been so distraught. Custas' eyes were unnaturally wide open, causing his eyeballs to bulge out of their sockets, and he had a dazed look in both of them. Additionally, there was a strange hue to his normally dark-colored eyes, turning them a pale blue that almost seemed white.

The atmosphere was tense as Kliff knelt down beside him. Custas' breathing was heavy but otherwise appeared normal. Elaine noticed how still he was, giving her cause for alarm. White-faced, Kliff, who was closest to him, moved his hand towards Custas' ear and snapped his fingers twice, hoping for a response. The clicks echoed in the silence, but there was no reaction. Elaine joined Kliff on her knees, folding her legs underneath her. Fearne followed suit, her face drained of color as she watched the scene unfold. The three of them exchanged concerned glances, each hoping for a sign of life from the motionless mage.

"This isn't good," Kliff muttered as a muscle twitched in Custas' jaw. "I've never seen anything like this. It's almost as if...no, no his Essence is fine."

Elaine frowned. "How can you tell?"

"I've got Magic Sense. An instructor of mine taught me how to do it when I was very young. Now, it's practically second nature."

Elaine had heard of Magic Sense before; it was the ability to detect another mage's magical signature or Essence within any given vicinity. Apparently, it was extremely difficult to master. The fact that he had done it at such an early age, well, Kliff was considered by most to be a prodigy. Realistically speaking, she shouldn't have been surprised at how skilled he was.

"He's right," Fearne agreed. "If his Essence truly was in jeopardy we would have known by now. As it stands, we can only pray to Aeris that it remains stable. Otherwise, we'd have a new problem to deal with, one with very low chances of rectifying."

"Fearne, you're a Medical Mage, aren't you?" Elaine asked desperately.

Fearne flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yes, but I'm only a novice."

"It doesn't matter. Did your parents ever teach you about anything like this? Is Custas' condition at all familiar to you?"

"No, I can't say that it is." Fearne bawled fists over her bent knees. "If I thought it was so simple a solution that I could heal him myself, I wouldn't have bothered fetching the two of you. As it stands, I haven't a clue what could be going on with him. It'd help if I knew what the cause was, but...anyway, it'd be unwise to randomly try to cast an Abjuration spell in hopes that it'd make him feel better. Beyond that, I'm...I'm just...not that experienced when it comes to...these sorts of issues..." Fearne glared at herself as she repeatedly stroked her ponytail. "I know, I'm not much help..."

Elaine sighed. "It's okay, Fearne. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that. Well, if healing Custas is out of the question, then I suppose the next best option is taking him to the Medical Mages on campus. Perhaps they'll be able to—"

As Elaine reached to touch him, as fast as she could blink, Kliff snatched his hand around her wrist firmly, stopping her hand mere inches from Custas' shoulder. Elaine started, whirling wide-eyed to meet his darkened glower. "I wouldn't advise that," Kliff said grimly. "It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Kliff, what are you talking about?" Grunting, Kliff released her. Elaine was taken aback by how strong he was holding her; if she looked at her wrist close enough, she could just barely make out traces of slender, red-colored marks that were the imprints of his fingers.

"We need to be careful," Kliff warned. "It's as Fearne just told us, we've no idea what could be the problem with him. My best bet is that it's some kind of curse."

Elaine's throat went taut. "A curse? But that would mean..."

"Yeah, there might be someone on campus capable of using Black Magic," Kliff confirmed with a grimace.

"A warlock?"

"Could be," Kliff grunted, shaking his head. "I don't want to believe this to be the case. Even so, it is nevertheless a likely possibility. Going back to my original point, however, since we are unaware of the nature of this curse, it'd be foolish to interact with him willingly. For all we know, we could also contract the curse's effects, and what good would that do?"

"Then what are you suggesting?!" Elaine snapped. "To just leave him here like this?!"

"I'm saying, we shouldn't lose our cool," Kliff replied calmly. "Custas' life might be at risk here. If we want to save him, we must be smart." He next turned to Fearne, looking no less frustrated. "You stay with him while we go get help. It's not a good idea to leave him alone."

Fearne hesitated but gave a nod. "R...Right!"

"Elaine," he said, glancing back at her. "I know he's your friend, and I apologize if I'm coming across as insensitive. But in these cases, it's best that we act quickly. We mustn't allow ourselves to lose our wits. It's no different from using magic, yes?"

Elaine could understand where he was coming from; nothing that he'd suggested was wrong. What would have happened had she made physical contact with Custas? Would she have unknowingly incurred the curse as Kliff had predicted? Fritz! None of them were even certain if it was a curse to begin with. Elaine clenched a fist. Regardless of what happened, them sitting around helplessly like this wouldn't free Custas of his torture any sooner. Kliff was right. This was a job for a Professional Sorcerer.

"Alright," Elaine muttered. "Come on! Before it's too late!"

Kliff nodded at her. "Right!"

"Argh! What's with all the racket?! Isn't there a single spot in this infernal academy where I can have some peace and quiet?" someone growled. Movement on the opposite end of the aisle caught Elaine's attention. Rising out of the large pile of documents sheets and folders was a figure dressed in clothing so black they matched his pair of lifeless eyes, long, dark-colored hair drooping over him like a mop, concealing a significant portion of his pale scowl. "Oh, great. Just what I needed," Professor Marsh muttered. "What the heck are you brats doing here?"

"Professor!" Elaine exclaimed happily. She never thought she'd be so thrilled to see the grouchy sorcerer; they were desperate, and this wasn't the time to be picky. "Quickly, sir! We need your help! We were sorting through the documents in here when Custas—"

Marsh raised a hand in front of him, banishing Elaine to silence. "Not so loud, will ya? I have a headache," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hmm? What's the matter with Cloude back there?"

"He...well, we don't know," Elaine admitted slowly.

"He just became like this out of nowhere," Fearne carried on. "Please, sir. We're worried. We don't know what to do."

Kliff folded his arms. "We were just on our way to fetch the Medical Mages when you popped up out of the blue."

The professor absorbed all that they had to say with a frown that refused to vanish. Elaine couldn't even tell if he was listening to them or not. Finally, as Kliff finished speaking, and the quietness of the library rang obnoxiously in all their ears, Professor Marsh diffused a couldn't-be-bothered sigh and started for Custas, moving past Elaine with hands in his black sorcery cloak's pockets. Standing above the downed student, Marsh furrowed his brows in accordance with an irritated murmur she couldn't make out.

"What's the matter, professor?" Fearne prodded nervously. "Is his condition serious?"

"Nah, he'll be fine," Marsh said apathetically. "The only problem here is that this idiot went and broke the rules."

Elaine peeked at Kliff, hoping he could fill her in on what she was obviously missing. Sadly, he looked to be just as bewildered as herself.

Marsh grunted. "I can fix this. Just need to remember those words, is all. Crap, how did they go again?" He lowered himself into a crouch, arms resting over his knees. Closing his eyes, Marsh held a hand over Custas and began muttering to himself a series of short but indecipherable sentences that, to Elaine, made just as little sense as the imaginary language Milo had made up when he first learned how to spell his name.

When it was that Marsh had completed speaking in that strange tongue, all of a sudden, Custas swallowed an enormous gulp of air in through his mouth, enough to make the lungs of a meadow mouse burst like a balloon. At the same time, Custas's diaphragm lurched upward as if a creature was trapped inside him and it was doing everything in its power to claw its way out.

Elaine jumped back in surprise as Custas' body convulsed uncontrollably, his arms and legs spasming as would headless serpents. An eep! escaped Fearne, her roommate covering her face with both hands to spare herself the dreadful sight. Even Kliff—composed and quiet—averted his gaze, wincing. On the other hand, Marsh didn't have the slightest reaction. Grunting again, he rose to his feet with a distant look in his dark eyes. Had he already anticipated this outcome? What exactly had he done anyhow? What did those odd words mean?

Custas carried on like that for the next five minutes or so, until it was that his body went still, and the strangled heaves he was making ceased. Elaine gulped, not having the courage to ask if her friend was well and truly all right. She moved towards him—half expecting Professor Marsh to halt her, but he didn't—and Kliff followed her lead, crouching beside Custas after she had done the same.

"Custas?" Elaine said softly. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

His face was as malleable as a rippling lake. Eventually, however, he did open his eyes, and to her relief, they had returned to their original color, not that palish blue from before. "Where am I?" he groaned. "Is this...heaven?" As Custas turned his head to focus on her, a drunken smile no higher than his cheeks surfaced. "Ah, an angel? I must have made it to the Eternal Gardens after all."

Kliff sighed in relief. "Guess he's fine."

Custas glanced at him, and his smile soured into a disgusted scowl. "Never mind," he muttered. "I'm definitely in the other place..."

"Custas! How do you feel?" Fearne asked, leaning close to him as he worked his way into sitting upright, a hand over his forehead.

"Uhh...I feel like...like someone just stuck a spoon in my ear and gave my brain a good stirring," he cringed. "In other words, I've been better."

"Do you remember how this happened?" Elaine inquired.

"Well, that shouldn't be a mystery," Marsh said, pointing a finger down at them. "All of the records here are protected by a special enchantment that prevents outsiders from viewing their contents. When someone who isn't authorized reads so much as a single word out of any of these documents, they are immediately struck by the enchantment, and end up in a pathetic, drooling mess like Custas had. It isn't fatal, and it should wear off after an hour or two, but the enchantment can be broken with a special phrase."

Ah, so that was it, Elaine thought.

Fearne squinted. "Wait, so that means...Custas, why were you looking inside of the folders?"

"Yeah, man," Kliff said curtly. "What's the matter with you? Haven't you ever heard of confidentiality? I mean, Micah gave us a warning and everything."

"Of course, I'm aware! Don't treat me like some kind of idiot, fireboy!" Custas spat back. "It's just, after hours and hours of sorting all this crap, I don't know, my curiosity got the better of me. Come on, guys. Cut me some slack. I'm only human, you know!"

Marsh arched his brow. "Micah? You mean from the Student Council?"

"Yeah," Elaine sighed, and she swiftly explained their situation when she noticed how confused their professor was. "In any case," she continued, "we agreed to the Vice President's conditions of appeal, which is why we're here organizing folders in the first place. He didn't say it, but he heavily implied that if we failed or disappointed him in any way, he'd do what he could to see to the Aire Club's termination."

Marsh nodded. "I see. I always knew those Student Council brats could be crafty. I usually stay out of their way; not too fond of getting unnecessary headaches. But the headmaster holds them in high regard, so if they're threatening the Aire Club or whatever it's called, you made the right call."

Elaine breathed out, grateful that Marsh could see where they were coming from. At the same time, she overheard a snippet of the argument Custas and Kliff had been engaging in behind her, leaving poor Fearne to try to amend the two, but to no avail. "Come on, I said I was sorry already! Jeez, what do you want me to do, sing an apology song or something stupid like that?!" Custas growled, tapping a finger on Kliff's chest.

"As much as I'm sure that would be an absolute delight to see," Kliff smirked angrily, "I think it suffices to say that because of your mishap, you've caused us to waste time that could have otherwise been spent on, oh, I don't know, assuring the club's safety."

"We still have the entire day to worry about that so get off my case! Besides, based on what Fearne told me, you and Elaine weren't getting much work done either. It appears I'm not the only one that got sidetracked."

A blush appeared under Kliff's squeezed eyes like a pinkish scar. "Th...That's not...there's more to it than that..."

"Oh, I'm sure there is. A lot more!"

"Alright, enough out of you two!" Fearne said, raising her voice. "Honestly, why are we even still fighting? Custas is back to normal. The crisis is over. Let's just get back to doing what we were before, okay?"

"It's over?" Marsh questioned. "No, you misunderstand, I'm not finished with the four of you yet."

Startled, Elaine turned to face their professor, and when she did, she felt her stomach contract with fear, her throat tightening as her heart stabbed her in the chest. Professor Marsh had become shrouded in a smog of darkness as fluid as water, black vapor pouring off of him as would steam from a hunk of melting ice. And his eyes—once as dark as a starless night—had illuminated to a bright red; all the while, his long, black hair lifted off his shoulders and floated around his head, almost like he was drifting in outer space. The wand in his dominant hand, a long and slender thing made from a kind of blackish wood, was alight with purple-colored energy rays beaming from its tip.

"Pr...Professor?" Elaine gulped.

"None of you," he grunted, "recognize the severity of what has just occurred. Mr. Cloude, you've committed a grave transgression against the academy."

"Now, wait just a second, teach," Custas grinned nervously, raising both his hands. "Let's not act too hasty here. I was only—"

Marsh stomped on the floor so hard it earned a gasp out of Fearne. Shooting from underneath his boot like a serpent with oily scales, the shadow slithered over wooden strips, storming past Elaine and Kliff and straight toward Custas. Before the boy could react, the animated shadow engulfed him, colorless tendrils wrapping around his legs, waist, and arms, stopping just before they reached his neck.

"What the hell?!" Custas exclaimed. When he tried to move, the shadows tightened, forcing him to stand straight with his legs pressed together and arms pulled into his sides. Whatever this spell was, it kept a struggling Custas completely bound in place.

"Professor!" Fearne gasped. "What are you doing?!"

"Silence," Marsh said coldly, his eyes flashing red. There was very little emotion in his voice. "Listen carefully, brats. The rules of this academy are absolute. There won't be any remorse for those who take it among themselves to compromise our sacred principles. Mr. Cloude, what you've done is tantamount to treason. I have the right of mind to expel you, and drag you off the campus myself."

Custas winced as the shadows constricted him. "Professor, please, I—"

"I didn't give you permission to speak, did I?" Marsh whispered. "Have you even acknowledged how this looks? Not even a month into a semester a new student goes poking around in the Archives filled with sensitive information that, if released to the public, could threaten the reputation of Glyph Academy as a whole. Others could possibly even suspect that you might be involved in an even greater ploy, and given your background, that wouldn't be too far-fetched of a story to bite into."

Custas grimaced but didn't say anything, his mouth clamping shut.

"What's wrong?" Marsh asked, tilting his head. "Have you no excuses or lies for me? Perhaps you could try using your charmspeak again?"

"Professor!" Elaine snapped. "You're taking this too far!"

"Stay out of this, Harwood," Marsh grunted. "It doesn't concern you."

"Actually, it does," Elaine said defiantly. "Custas is my friend, and while I see why you're upset with him...I don't think he deserves to have his future ruined because of one momentary lapse in judgment. Before today, has he given you any reason to doubt his intentions?! That he means to graduate and become a Professional Sorcerer? He's a student of Glyph and a sorcerer trainee no different than I am!"

Marsh opened his mouth to reply, but Kliff cut into the conversation before he could. "It should also be worth mentioning," he said loudly, "that the only reason we're here is because of the Student Council, a faction of the academy that, you yourself said, was viewed fondly by Headmaster Valerian. If they are given so much power to interfere with students' lives, wouldn't that mean you and the other teachers are also partially to blame? I mean, because of your policies, they have the influence to crush the dreams of whoever they want. And if it weren't for that, none of us would have even come here."

"Dresden, you—"

"Simply put," Kliff went on, "if you're going to reprimand Custas, wouldn't it only be fair that you do the same to the Student Council for leaving us in a room containing such sensitive documentation? If nothing else, it does warrant an investigation, no?"

"Please, sir," Elaine pleaded with clasped hands. "Don't do this..."

Marsh stared at them both, barely able to contain the hurricane of anger behind his indifferent—if not partially annoyed—expression. He then glanced back at Custas who had by now ceased his pointless struggling, and in return, the shadows loosened enough to where his legs and arms weren't so stiff. Fearne neared him, a flinching hand grasping him on the shoulder.

Marsh released a long sigh, and as he did, the shadows containing Custas dissolved into puffs of smoke. Custas dropped to his hands and knees as Fearne lowered beside him, placing a hand over his back. "I supposed I could overlook this incident for now," Marsh said, putting away his wand. His red eyes dimmed to black, and his hair plopped back onto him like a silky rug. "But, Mr. Cloude, if something like this ever happens again, know there won't be anything I can do to help you."

"Noted," Custas heaved, holding his neck.

"Finish what you're doing here, and then depart," Marsh said as he started down the aisle. "It looks like I'll have to find another reading spot for today."

"Reading spot, sir?" Kliff called after him.

"Yeah, this is one of the few places in the academy where that sulmo of a headmaster can't find me. Not to mention, I love how quiet it is, especially when I don't have to worry about pesky students interrupting me."

So that's what he was doing? Elaine thought, bemused. Does he normally read while he's buried alive in books?

"Consider this your first and only warning." A high-pitched scream that could only come from a bird startled them all, and in a flurry of black feathers, Lyra the crow flew out of the air and landed neatly on his left shoulder, cocking her head around to peer a large eye at them. "Others at the academy won't be as lenient as myself. Just a little something to remember."

Kliff waited until the sorcerer stalked around the corner before he said anything else. "Man, am I glad that's over. For a second, I thought he'd banish us into one of his pocket prisons again."

Elaine wanted to reply to his snide remark, but she couldn't force herself out of the stupor. Her heart pounded nonstop, pulsing cruelly as if she'd just finished running for her life, and her breathing was heavy, causing the inside of her mouth to feel dry and cracked. She touched her chest, and took a step back, staring at the floor with wide eyes.

"Elaine?" Kliff asked, concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"Did you see it?" she uttered. "That was Shadow Magic just now, wasn't it?"

"You mean the professor? Yeah, I've heard he's the best shadow mage in the entire—"

"That was so awesome!" Elaine exclaimed, leaning towards him with glistening eyes and clenched fists. "I've been itching to ask Professor Marsh to demonstrate his magic, but I was too afraid since he's so strict and mean! But to see it in person?! I thought I'd pass out! And did you sense his magic power?! His Essence is on another level, so powerful that I could actually see it! You think if I ask him he'd cast another spell?! Maybe if we...ah..." Elaine trailed off when she, at last, noticed Kliff's puzzled face. "Oh, err, right. I get a little crazy when I see new kinds of magic for the first time. I can't help it..."

"A little?" Kliff smirked.

"Fritz!" Custas grunted, rising to his feet with the help of Fearne. "That professor of ours sure knows how to get his point across, doesn't he? I thought he was going to snap my arm out of place."

"Custas!" Elaine said worriedly, rushing over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I'm just happy to still be alive," he joked with a wink. However, as he took a step forward, he stumbled, and Elaine caught him before he could plummet back to the floor. "Fritz! I don't think I've recovered from that stupid enchantment yet."

"It's fine," Elaine smiled, placing his arm over her shoulders. "Let's switch partners for now. I'll stay with Custas to ensure he doesn't get us into any more trouble."

"Fine by me," Fearne smiled.

"Yeah, I suppose that'd be best."

It might have just been a trick of the eye, but to Elaine, Kliff seemed a bit disappointed by the new arrangement. Nevertheless, he followed after Fearne without another word.

"Thanks, by the way."

"Hmm?"

"For bailing me out," Custas snickered. "Guess I owe you a favor now, don't I?"

"Forget about it," Elaine sighed. "Just concentrate on getting better, and we'll call it even."