Chapter Text
The notice appeared on the common room board three days before midterms. It was written in gold ink that smelled faintly of singed parchment. No one remembered who posted it. That was usually a bad sign.
Lewis read it twice. Then he turned to the nearest person, who happened to be Nico.
“You didn’t do this,” Lewis said.
Nico didn’t look up from his book. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It says ‘Mandatory Group Assessment: Advanced Planar Convergence.’ You love those words.”
“I also love sleeping,” Nico said. “And not failing. So no, I didn’t sign us up for whatever this is.”
Lewis tapped the notice. “It’s got our names.”
“So does the detention log,” Nico said. “That doesn’t mean I put them there.”
Across the room, George Russell cleared his throat loudly. He was holding a stack of books and wearing his most helpful expression.
“If it helps,” George said, “I think it’s a good opportunity.”
Lewis narrowed his eyes. “You would.”
“I just mean,” George said, “that working with people outside your usual circle can broaden your perspective.”
“My usual circle is fine,” Lewis said.
“Your usual circle is Nico,” George said. “And you two argue more than you cast.”
“We don’t argue,” Nico said. “We debate.”
“You debated for forty minutes last week about whether a fire spell could toast bread,” George said. “You nearly set the curtains on fire.”
“That was research,” Nico said.
Lewis sighed. “Fine. We’ll do the assessment. But if we get assigned with Sebastian again, I’m withdrawing.”
“Sebastian’s not so bad,” George said.
“Sebastian tried to stabilize a portal using enchanted jam,” Lewis said. “It attracted bees. From another dimension.”
“They were very polite bees,” Nico muttered.
George shifted his books to one arm. “Anyway, I already picked up your materials. The library said you’d need the red-bound edition of Planar Mechanics, but someone checked it out already.”
“Who?” Lewis asked.
“Charles,” George said. “He said he needed it for a duel.”
“A duel,” Nico repeated flatly.
“With Max,” George said. “Apparently they’re testing whether a binding spell can stop a charging hex.”
“That’s not a test,” Lewis said. “That’s a hospital visit.”
“I told them that,” George said. “They said you’d probably say that.”
Lewis rubbed his temples. “We need that book.”
“I can ask Charles for it,” Nico said. “He owes me a favor.”
“Since when?” Lewis asked.
“Since I didn’t report him for turning the fountain into sparkling cider,” Nico said.
“That was you?” Lewis said. “I thought it was an accident.”
“Everything is an accident if you don’t get caught,” Nico said.
They gathered their things and headed for the stairs. The common room was loud with other students discussing the same notice. A first-year ran past shouting about extra credit. Someone else was arguing with a suit of armor that had developed opinions about scheduling.
As they reached the upper landing, Lewis stopped.
“What,” Nico said.
“Do you think this is a trap?” Lewis asked.
“Yes,” Nico said. “But I think it’s a trap with a deadline. So we should probably go talk to Charles before Max challenges him to something involving live owls.”
They found Charles in the east wing, sitting on a bench with a stack of books and a very focused expression. Max was leaning against the wall nearby, flipping a coin that occasionally turned into a small flame and then back again.
“We need the red book,” Lewis said without preamble.
Charles looked up. “Which one?”
“Planar Mechanics,” Nico said. “The one you borrowed.”
“Oh,” Charles said. “That one. I gave it to Sebastian.”
“Why,” Lewis said.
“He said he needed it for a lecture,” Charles said. “Something about safe portal construction.”
“There is no such thing as safe portal construction,” Max said. The coin turned into a tiny fireball, then a bird, then a coin again. “Only less unsafe.”
“Did he say which lecture?” Nico asked.
“The one in Hall B,” Charles said. “After lunch.”
Lewis checked the time. “We have twenty minutes.”
“Then we walk fast,” Nico said.
They moved through the corridors, dodging clusters of students and one very insistent third-year trying to recruit volunteers for a weather experiment. By the time they reached Hall B, Sebastian was already setting up. He had a large circle drawn on the floor and several boxes labeled in neat handwriting.
“You’re early,” Sebastian said.
“We need the book,” Lewis said.
“Of course,” Sebastian said. He handed it over. “Just be careful with page forty-two. I marked it.”
“Why,” Nico asked.
“Because that’s where the miscalculation happens,” Sebastian said. “If you skip it, you’ll end up with a doorway that opens to the wrong century.”
“You speak from experience,” Lewis said.
“Once,” Sebastian said. “Only once. And it was a Tuesday.”
They left quickly. The hallway felt colder now. Lewis kept glancing at the book.
“Stop looking at it like that,” Nico said.
“Like what,” Lewis said.
“Like it’s going to bite you,” Nico said.
“It might,” Lewis said. “This school puts teeth in everything.”
They reached the study room and spread out their materials. George arrived ten minutes later with notes and a box of supplies.
“I brought extra ink,” George said. “And a backup quill. And a map.”
“We don’t need a map,” Lewis said.
“You said that last time,” George said. “Then we ended up in the sub-basement for three hours.”
“That was a navigation error,” Nico said.
“That was a portal error,” George said.
They began working. The assessment required a joint presentation on planar theory, a live demonstration, and a written analysis. It was supposed to be collaborative. It was mostly Lewis explaining concepts while Nico corrected his wording and George suggested additional sources.
“We should include a section on ethical boundaries,” George said.
“We should include a section on how not to die,” Lewis said.
“Those are related,” Nico said.
By evening, they had a rough outline and a growing list of things that could go wrong. Lewis stared at the page and then at Nico.
“You’re quiet,” Lewis said.
“I’m thinking,” Nico said.
“About what,” Lewis asked.
“About how this started with a notice,” Nico said. “And how we still don’t know who posted it.”
“Does it matter?” Lewis asked.
“Probably,” Nico said. “But not until after midterms.”
They packed up as the lamps dimmed. Outside, the sky was dark, and the towers glowed faintly. Students hurried past in pairs and groups. Somewhere, a bell rang for dinner.
Lewis paused at the door.
“What,” Nico said.
“Nothing,” Lewis said. “Just wondering if Charles and Max ever finished their duel.”
“If they did,” Nico said, “we’ll hear about it tomorrow.”
“Or tonight,” George said. “If the windows start rattling.”