A Twisted Halloween II: Spectral Soiree

Chapter 8: Cordially Invited

Soon, Cowley, and the other students follow Ace to the front of Ramshackle Dorm.

Riddle calls out, "Trey! Sebek!"

Trey and Sebek arrive.

"Riddle!" Trey calls out.

"Blast! They got away!" Sebek says, frustrated.

"Who got away?!" Crowley questions

"There was a suspicious figure lurking around Ramshackle Dorm!" Sebek answers.

"A suspicious figure... Then that confirms someone was deliberate in causing all this," Rook says.

"I came this close to apprehending them, but they fought me off with magic and escaped," Sebek says.

"Our culprit uses magic, then," Riddle replies.

Then Rook asks, "Did you see their face?"

"No. They wore a hood that fully concealed their face," Sebek answers.

"Argh!" Ace says, frustrated, "If only I'd gotten everyone here faster. We might've caught 'em!"

But Trey says, "No, you did more than enough. You went to get help as soon as you realized the three of us couldn't handle our fore, right? They probably ran because they sensed the headmage and the others approaching. I'm honestly not sure what shape Sebek and I would be in if that battle had gone on any longer."

"Did they leave anything that might serve as a clue to their identity?" Crowley questions.

"...They left this," Trey says, and holds out some kind of card.

"A card?" Riddle says, confused, "What does it say?"

Trey opens the card and reads it, "Invitation. All Night Raven College students are cordially invited to a Halloween Party. Come and join the festivities. I await you at the venue."

"An invitation...?" Silver questions.

"Where'd you find it?" Leona asks.

"It was stuck between the fence posts here," Trey answers.

"We rushed inside the dorm as soon as we saw it... And we wouldn't find anyone inside. Briar, Grim, Sereia, Tanzanite, Jasper, and Tinket aren't in the dorm. The Usual ghosts aren't hanging around either. It's eerily quiet," Ace explains.

Crowley is shocked, "Briar has gone missing as well?! Along with the others?! The culprit even invaded this dilapidated old - ah, I mean, this historic building?"

Then tries to remain calm, "No one would think anyone lives here given its exterior. I assumed it would be overlooked... Ah!" and something hits him, "Now that I think about it, when Diasomnia used Ramshackle dorm for their Halloween display... They posted a sign outside that read, 'DO NOT ENTER - PRIVATE RESIDENCE.' Did Briar and the others get kidnapped because we inadvertently announced people lived there?"

This makes Riddle so mad that his face turns red in anger, "They abducted Briar and her roommates, then leave us an invitation? How BRAZEN Can a person get? They're certainly going the extra mile to push our buttons!"

Ace tries to calm Riddle down, "Whoa, cool it, Housewarden! You're gonna pop a vein!"

But Sebek agrees, "I couldn't agree more, Riddle! A transgression against Malleus wasn't enough for them? They had to taunt us with a note too? DOES THEIR MOCKERY KNOW NO BOUNDS?! I shall find the author of this tasteless missive and teach them a lesson!"

"Hmm. some invitation, huh?" Leona replies. "They trap us in the school, then 'invite' us somewhere? Cute. Real cute."

"The question becomes: what venue do they have in mind, and where is it?" Crowley wonders.

Suddenly, they hear a voice, "Multiple bio-readings detected. Approaching!"

The group looks to see someone flying towards them.

"What's this? Someone's flying towards us with incredible speed," Rook replies, a little surprised.

The one who arrives is Ortho.

Ortho says, "At least, I've found you all!"

"What's the matter, Shroud? Shouldn't you be with the others?" Crowley asks.

"There's trouble at the Mirror Chamber!" Ortho says.

"What?!" Crowley asks.

Then Ortho says, "Get to the Chamber ASAP! I'm gonna hunt down the other teachers. Bye!"

But Silver says, "Wait! There's no telling who might be lurking nearby. It's dangerous for you to go alone!"

"D'accord," Rook replies.

Then turns to Trey, "Trey, why don't your group go and help Ortho?"

"Right!" Trey, Ace, and Sebek answer, agreeing to the task.

Then Ctowley says, "Everyone else, make haste! To the Mirror Chamber!"

And so the group split up, Crowley and his group head to the Mirror Chamber while Ortho and his group try to find the other teachers.