《Betrayal (Magic school, fantasy, dystopian)》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Lillianna! Stop chatting and focus on your writing!¡± said my least favorite teacher, Ms. Octopus.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Octopus,¡± I said, frowning.


    ¡°Oh, man!¡± whispered my best friend, Maddie, ¡°Why does Ms. Octopus hate you so much? I mean, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡±


    ¡°Really? Lillianna, you just started to blank out, so Ms. Octopus is right!¡± said my class enemy, Vivian.


    ¡°You, Vivian and Lillianna! Extra lunch detention for talking in class! Oh, and Maddie, be quiet, that¡¯s one last warning!¡± said Ms. Octopus, her ridiculously long and dark eyelashes glimmering. I glared at her and continued to write my essay.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    My essay was about a girl whose parents were captured by an evil teacher, who was a bit like Ms. Octopus¡­


    ¡°Lillanna, what are you doing? Stop blanking out!¡± said Ms. Octopus.


    ¡°Ms. Octopus, I didn''t do anything!¡± I exclaimed, frowning at my essay.


    My school is called Tech Advantage Magic High School. In our school, which is on Kepler-452b (pretty similar to Earth), we all have 1, 2 or even 3 powers. Mine? I can control shadows and create illusions. This school also specializes in technology and computer stuff. However, we still have normal courses such as writing, sports, languages, simple science and even (god, help me) math.


    ¡°Lillianna! Come here right now!¡± said the principal, Ms. Shark.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, standing up. I walked over to her as she led me out.


    She led me into her office, which is really big and tall. It has an indoor waterfall which roars loudly, a bunch of machines and electronic parts for the school work and herself. It smelt of metal and also plants.


    ¡°Lillianna, you might wonder why you are here.  First, sit down and I¡¯ll explain the situation. I¡¯m afraid your parents have been reported missing by the Magic Hunters. Any ideas why?¡±


    I frowned in surprise. I¡¯d just seen them this morning! ¡°Really? Are you sure about that?¡± I asked, not believing Ms. Shark.


    My parents were some of the most important people in the government. If the Magic Hunters couldn¡¯t find them, that was worrying. The Magic Hunters were the most important police force in the world: elite wizards and witches sent on the most important missions for the government.


    ¡°Yes. According to the Magic Hunters, they saw the security camera record. Here it is!¡± she said, holding up a remote control.


    I gasped! The video showed some black cloaked figures sneaking behind my parents in the kitchen, silently shooting them with some kind of magic from their hands, knocking them unconscious, abducting my parents. From another camera, I saw them throwing them into a car and driving off.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Lillianna, in case you¡¯re wondering, they sent 5 witches to find them, and you will NOT go looking for your parents on your own! The government will find them, and you will be safe here,¡± said Ms. Shark. She was psychic and could read minds. She knew what I was thinking.


    ¡°What!? Only 5 people? You have no idea how important my parents are! And if the Magic Hunters cannot find them, then who will?¡± I said, almost losing my wits.


    ¡°Lillianna, they will find them! Trust me!¡± she replied.


    ¡°FINE!¡± I shouted, storming out the office, adding more darkness to the office on my way out.


    ¡°Woah, Lillianna, what happened?¡± asked Maddie.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what I get when my parents are kidnapped!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°WHAT! Are you sure about that?" she said, worry forming across her face.


    I sank to the ground and muttered, ¡°yes.¡± I walked glumly back to my dorm. I bolted my doors with high-tech security and grabbed my backpack. I threw open my fridge and grabbed as much food as I could such as trail mix, granola or protein bars, apple slices, cubed cheese, salami and many kinds of jerky. I also grabbed my first aid kit and my flashlight, small hammer, gloves and ropes from under my bed. Yeah, under my bed. And most importantly, my clothes, tents, and sleeping bags from my closet.


    ¡°Lillianna! Let me in!" yelled Maddie from outside my dorm.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°NO! Leave me alone!¡± I yelled from inside my dorm. I threw open my window and raised my hands. Thick strands of shadow formed into a thick shadow-rope. I held my breath as I threw it down, till it hooked onto the street lights below. Then I slid down.


    ¡°LILLIANNA! DON¡¯T YA DARE LEAVE ME HERE!¡± screamed Maddie from outside my dorm as I jumped from the sill.


    I ignored her cries as I shadow-catapulted myself over the school walls.


    Goosebumps cased my skin as I saw a familiar figure outside the school wall, just in front of me.


    ¡°''Wait, is that Ms.Octopus?¡± I whispered to myself. I glared at her silhouette and gathered my courage and followed her.


    I threw my backpack across my shoulder and whipped a cloak of shadows around myself to shield myself from her, the stupid teacher who accused me of doing what I was supposed to do.


    ¡°Worker Number 2, I found Lillianna!¡± the teacher exclaimed through the phone. ¡°Ok, you can come out now!¡± whispered the psychotic teacher I hated.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    How did she see me? Had she been tracking me? What was happening? Was she the kidnapper? Why did she have so many workers, and who were they?


    ¡°WORKER! GET HER! RIGHT NOW!¡± screamed Ms. Octopus.


    ¡°Okay, okay, boss! No need to scream! Our victims might hear you!¡± said the mysterious worker through the telephone.


    And yeah, I heard her. So I ran out toward the woods.


    ¡°Lillianna, I¡¯m here! Don¡¯t scream! I followed you here! I know you want to go find your parents, so I¡¯m here to help you,¡± said a familiar voice.


    ¡°Maddie! What are you doing here?¡± I exclaimed.


    Wow, she WAS here! I thought I clearly told her not to follow me? Well, what was done was done. Maddie certainly had some super stealthiness and good senses (which were her powers, after all).


    ¡°Duh, to help you!¡± she whispered.


    ¡°DON¡¯T! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT!¡± I explained.


    ¡°Shush, Lillianna. We don¡¯t want to get caught! Now, let¡¯s get going before Ms. Octopus or the principal finds us!¡± she whisper-hissed.


    ¡°Wait, how did you find me?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°Well, I was hiding in the bushes and I heard that idiot shouting into the phone!¡± she said.


    "Yeah, but how did you see me?¡± I asked her.


    "I dunno, I can just see you! Don¡¯t ask me why,¡± she replied casually. Weird.


    ¡°Well, sure,¡± I said, ¡±Come on, before we get caught!¡±

 Chapter 4

    We rushed to the heart of the forest, where the trees are so thick and tall that it always seems like nighttime. Many students made up myths about seeing monsters there. Students also tried to set up adventures there, although they often failed and got caught by the night guard (which we escaped from). Those students got a lot of detentions and are forbidden to go to the movie room on Fridays for a year (we can watch movies on Friday every 2 weeks).


    ¡°Let¡¯s camp out here. I brought a camouflaging cloth,¡± said Maddie. Maddie is really good at chemistry, alchemy, and potion-brewing classes. One of the hardest potions in potion-brewing is making camouflaging potions.


    ¡°Wow, thanks!¡± I said. We placed it over our tent and took out our sleeping bags and placed them inside the tent. We put our pots and cooking materials outside the tent. We couldn¡¯t make a fire because it might be seen by other people, which would set us off.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to sleep. I¡¯m already falling...¡± complained Maddie.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll set an alarm, so we can get moving tomorrow morning to find my parents," I said, tapping the time on my Apple Watch.


    ¡°Omg, what is that?¡± gasped Maddie as she stared at the dark sky.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What?¡± I gasped, still playing some games on my watch.


    ¡°There!¡± she explained, pointing to a small black thing flying overhead.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what that is! I¡¯m tired. Plus, we have a camouflage cloak, unless you don¡¯t trust something you made!¡± I said, yawning.


    ¡°Well, then, when will we wake up?¡±


    ¡°I set the alarm to 5,¡± I said


    ¡°5 am???¡± gasped Maddie.


    ¡°Yes! If you think you can¡¯t wake up that early, go to sleep right now,¡± I snapped. Yeah, Maddie is a late riser: she usually wakes up around 11 am.


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    ¡ª


    "Hey! Wake up!¡± I shook her, waking her up.


    ¡°What? Fine!¡± she moaned, rolling over.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready,¡± I said, holding up a bottle of milk and 2 bars of chocolate.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how to cook!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°Oh, well...¡± she said, walking towards me.


    ¡°Oh, gosh, it¡¯s here again! What is that thing?¡± I asked, pointing at the same black thing flitting overhead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. At least it can¡¯t see us!¡± she said.


    ¡°Seriously, what is that?¡± I said.


    ¡°Probably a drone,¡± she replied.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Wait, then who sent it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Probably the school. Who knows?"


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t make sense, since it¡¯s Saturday, and we don¡¯t have school this early,¡±I said.


    ¡°Oh, or probably Ms. Octopus?¡±she said.


    ¡°Seriously? Probably not her. She doesn¡¯t even know where I am. Besides, I thought she¡¯s not so good at technology, being a writing teacher after all,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really? I thought she saw you!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Then, I don¡¯t really know. Let¡¯s not worry about it right now,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Oh, I wonder what Earth looks like,¡± she said, looking at the sky.


    ¡°Hey, why are you suddenly talking about Earth?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just... never been there.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going,¡± I said, throwing my trash in my backpack, and taking out my hiking stick.


    ¡°Wait, Maddie? Where are you leading me?¡±I asked, as the forest turned darker and darker.


    Suddenly, she turned around and grinned. ¡°Well, dear Lillianna, you just trust me so much! Well, that¡¯s a bad thing, cause I never trusted you. Now, I¡¯m leading you toward the hideout, towards Ms.Octopus and her fellow workers. Oh, and guess what? I¡¯m the Worker Number 2. Surprise!¡± she said, with an evil grin on her face.


    ¡°OMG, Maddie! What happened to you? Oh, right. You¡¯re probably brainwashed by Ms.Octopus, cause, you know, she can brainwash people,¡± I said, crossing my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m not! You students are just sooo annoying!¡± she said, dragging me away.


    ¡°¡®You students?¡¯ What are you talking about?¡± I asked, pulling away.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not 16 years old like you all. I¡¯m actually 21 years old, pretending to be a student.¡±


    ¡°Then, why do you look like a 13 year old?¡±


    ¡°Cause you know I excel at making potions, and I made a youth potion.¡±


    ¡°Youth potion? I guess it worked a little too well,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Not so fast. You two are not going anywhere!¡± said a familiar voice that I thought I''d never hear again.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°You! Vivian! What are you doing here?¡± thundered Maddie.


    ¡°And, Lillianna, you are coming with me,¡± said Vivian, completely ignoring Maddie¡¯s question.


    ¡°Do I have to?¡±I moaned


    ¡°Yes, unless you wanna be taken away from that traitor,¡± said Vivian, like a police officer.


    ¡°I do!¡± I snarled.


    ¡°You don''t!¡± she replied.


    ¡°I do!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Well, you still won¡¯t if you really do go with  her!¡± she said


    ¡°Come on, Lillianna! I¡¯m waiting for you!¡± yelled Maddie.


    ¡°YOU! LILLIANNA! COME WITH ME RIGHT NOW, OR ELSE I¡¯M TELLING THE SCHOOL! YOU CAN EITHER GO WITH MADDIE AND GET HUNTED DOWN BY THE MAGIC HUNTERS AND GET MORE PUNISHMENTS OR COME WITH ME AND NOT GET NOTICED!¡± yelled Vivian.


    ¡°Oh, really? Vivian, you don¡¯t even know how to do proper dark magic, while me and Lillianna do. She can even control illusions, you know. Oh, and too late. My reinforcements are here,¡± said Maddie wickedly.


    ¡°Lillianna, come here right now!¡± snapped Vivian, pulling me towards the cliff! We jumped straight down...If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Vivian! What on earth are you doing!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Shut up and let me concentrate on teleporting unless you want us to fall to our deaths!¡± she shouted back, and poof! We appeared back in her dorm room.


    ¡°What did you do to me!¡± I screamed, running to open the door. Vivian reached out her hand and slammed the door shut. Oh, yeah, Vivian can teleport and has super flexibility.


    ¡°Oh, you never knew that Maddie had a dark path from her family? Her parents are serious criminals! You remember the great flood 20 years ago that we all heard about? You remember the great earthquake and fire? Well, that was all caused by her parents. So, Maddie walked her parent¡¯s path, causing chaos everywhere. For example, you remember the school¡¯s history, the strange tornado in the school about 10 years ago? She was able to do that because she has fake IDs and she created a potion that is able to change her appearance,¡± she said.


    ¡°Vivian, how did you know all this?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Oh, you know that I¡¯m an awesome hacker! I hacked into the school. There¡¯s nothing in the security cameras, though the school itself is a big machine, made a long long time ago! The only person that¡¯s able to hack into it is actually my who-knows-how-long-ago grandmother. Our family blood is able to activate the super secret security camera that can see up to 100 years ago. So¡­, I found out the truth about her, and what she really is!¡± she said.


    "Wow!¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s actually a criminal. Oh, and she invented a super strong killing potion that is so strong that if you got 1 drop on your body, you can be killed instantly!¡± she said, scrolling through her super large and high tech computer until she reached a photo of a purple shaded potion in a small glass.


    ¡°Wow, how did you get that picture?¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Duh! There are secret security cameras in every room. However, no one seems to know that ¨C except for probably me and my family. That is probably the only time I did that, cause it¡¯s super hard and complicated to hack into those cameras,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then is there a cure to the potion?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Well, yeah. It belongs to the head student in the school, you know: Belladonna Nightshade, who can control poison and flowers. She is also Maddie¡¯s enemy. Maddie mostly excels at making dark potions, which are more offensive, while Belladonna never makes dark potions. She makes light potions, which can heal and cure some stuff,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then¡­ which is stronger? Light or dark?¡±I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! You know I failed chemistry and alchemy,¡± she replied, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Well, you failed it because you ditched almost every one of those classes, didn¡¯t you? Oh, and I thought Belladonna could control poison, right? But she makes light potions!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°No. Poison is neither light nor dark,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°How come you know all of this?¡±


    ¡°I told you! I am excellent at researching and computer stuff,¡± she said, annoyed.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I said. A few awkward minutes passed.


    ¡°Wait! What is that thing?¡± I gasped, pointing at a ball of fur and another clump of spikes.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. That''s my guinea pig, Fluffy, and my pet porcupine, Spikey,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°What do you need a porcupine and guinea pig for?¡± I asked, laughing.


    ¡°Porcupine spikes are good for hacking, and guinea pigs are good for helping me calm down,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, spikes are good for hacking!?" I exclaimed, not believing what she said.


    ¡°Yeah. You guys probably don¡¯t understand,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh well. We will probably need more people on our side to fight those bad people. So, we should go convince somebody to help us,¡± I said.


    ¡°First things first. We still need to find out where they are hiding,¡± she said, going through some security cameras.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard. How about we go to one of the telepaths in the school? They can sense thoughts and stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°Or the Spirit Travelers, since they can see everything that¡¯s happening in places they are close to. They can probably see the whole school,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go find one of them tomorrow, since tomorrow is Monday, during lunch break,¡± I said.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Well, you go back to your dorm. I¡¯ll do some research here. Oh, and remember to put up some security. And, let¡¯s hope the teachers didn¡¯t notice your absence,¡± she said, and I walked out.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Lillianna! It¡¯s time to wake up!¡± screamed Vivian, pounding on my door.


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to wake everyone up! And besides, it¡¯s 5 in the morning,¡± I said, pulling her into my dorm.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go prepare to persuade people to be on our side,¡± she said, sitting on my bed.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that hard, will it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah! It will! Besides, we¡¯re going to Belladonna Nightshade¡¯s sister, Brianna Nightshade, and she¡¯s the leader of the Student Council, right?¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re going to her? Why not just a random student with telepathy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to her: she¡¯s a telepath and she is also a spirit traveler, and those powers are really powerful, so yeah,¡± she said.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Hey, Brianna!¡± I called out to her.


    ¡°What, Lillianna?¡± she said, annoyed.


    ¡°Well, we need your help,¡± said Vivian.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Ohhh, what happened? Why are you two suddenly friends? Seriously, where¡¯s Maddie?¡± she teased.


    ¡°Brianna, come to my dorm, and we will explain everything!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she said. She followed us to my dorm, and we told her everything.


    ¨C


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, so can you help us? Oh and also try to get your sister Belladonna to our side, please???¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Of course! I will do anything to fight Maddie. You know I hate her too!¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait! You do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes! How about I also try to get my friends on our side?¡± she offered.


    ¡°Sure, but can you try to see what¡¯s around us? I¡¯m dying to find the hideout!¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll try at night time, cause my powers are greatest during night time,¡± she said, leaving my dorm.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t tell other people except the ones you trust. And don¡¯t even tell the teacher,¡± I added.


    ¡°Of course!!!¡± she said, slamming the door.


    ¡°Weird,¡± said Vivian, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Huh. I hope we¡¯ll get recruits soon,¡± I said, ¡±I miss my parents.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do some research,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°You do some tech stuff, while I¡¯ll investigate,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure. Be careful. And watch your phone. I¡¯ll call you if I find some interesting stuff,¡± she said.


    I closed the door and went to find some stuff around the school.


    ¡°Hey, Lillianna. I got some people on our side!¡± said a voice. I jumped, only to find Brianna standing behind me.


    ¡°Really? Who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Adelaide, who can charmspeak and has the powers of telekinesis, my sister, and Adrianna, who can control fire and heat,¡± she said proudly.


    ¡°Cool! Thanks! Also, try to get some information, okay?¡± I said happily.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe investigate? Look in the library for some information about the school?¡± I said.

 Chapter 9

    "Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°Uhh, and try not to cause a lot of attention, and don¡¯t get in trouble. And, watch out for Ms. Octopus,¡± I added.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she said again.


    ¡°Brianna, can you say something else except for ¡®Okay!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± she said, grinning. She rushed out the room and slammed the door.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± sighed Vivian.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s go get more recruits,¡± I said.


    ¡°But who?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Probably one of the best students?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°No, because they might even be harder to persuade."


    "Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, they might be even closer to the teachers, meaning Ms.Octopus and the others, and what if Ms.Shark knows what¡¯s going on? We will get detention for the rest of this semester, or even this whole year!¡± she said.


    ¡°Then¡­ how about some strong students?¡± I asked.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Sure, that would be good, but who? I thought those students were all really close with the teachers!¡± she said.


    ¡°No, maybe Bianca, who used to be Maddie¡¯s BFF, who now hates her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, who?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? The one who Maddie hates now!¡±


    ¡°Uhh, I thought she hated a lot of people!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but she hates Bianca more than anything. She¡¯s like her nemesis or something like that,¡±I said.


    ¡°Oh, that person. Oh, and I kinda forgot ¨C what are her powers?¡± she said.


    ¡°Her powers are ice and frost and some other icy stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. How about her sister Beatrix?¡± Vivian suggested.


    ¡°Sure! Weather and temperature might be useful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay. However, we don¡¯t really know who is on Octopus¡¯s side,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh well. There¡¯s Maddie,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know! But there must be more!¡± she said, ¡±Remember that Octopus called someone, who might be Maddie, worker number 2? That means that there must be a worker number 1! And you said you saw a lot of cloaked figures kidnapping your parents: that means there must be even more people!¡±


    "Oh, good point.¡±


    ¡°So, I have a feeling one might be Octopus¡¯s sister,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait! Octopus has a sister?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°How do you know? I wonder if she¡¯s called Squid or Calamari?¡±


    ¡°NO! Lillianna, use your brain. You know that Octopus¡¯s is their family last name, right? So her sister is also called Octopus,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh. What¡¯s their first names?¡±I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay. Then let¡¯s go get Bianca and Beatrix,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, Lillianna. I¡¯ll go check their schedule to see where they might be soon,¡± said Vivian, darting to her room.

 Chapter 10

    ¨C


    ¡°So, Bianca will have English next period, and Beatrix will have art class,¡± she said, rushing back.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go find them after our PE class.¡± I said.


    ¡°Good idea!¡± she replied.


    ¨C


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Bianca first,¡± I said, pulling Vivian along.


    ¡°Oh! There she is!¡± said Vivian, pointing at a girl exiting the English classroom.


    ¡°Bianca! Wait up!¡± I yelled at her. She whipped her head around and glared at me.


    ¡°What? Wait, you¡¯re Lillianna, right? And  you¡¯re Vivian,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes. I know that you know who we are. And we need to ask you something,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    ¡°Come to my room right now,¡± I ordered. She followed us back to my room.


    ¡°Why are you pulling me into your room?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, turns out Ms.Octopus and Maddie are bad guys,¡± Vivian began.


    ¡°Really!?¡± said Bianca, suddenly interested.


    ¡°Yes, and we will need your help defeating them!¡± I said.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Suddenly, Bianca turned really pale.


    ¡°Bianca? What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°Uhh, I heard that Octopus¡¯s best friend is one of the greatest sorceresses in this realm, and she might be really hard to defeat. And¡­ it turns out the sorceress is my mom¡¯s step-sister!¡± she said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±I asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing. My family hates my mom¡¯s step-sister, so they might be okay with killing her or stuff like that. However, she is really really powerful, so defeating her might be hard...¡± Bianca replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can get more help from the students. That¡¯s why we need you on our side,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re sacrificing the students? They might die!¡± said Bianca angrily.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s better than us all being dead! If we don¡¯t fight them, then the world will be in danger! Remember what happened all those years ago? Like the great flood and earthquake in the school? If we have more people on our side, we will be stronger!¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll join you guys. At least you two have brains, unlike Maddie,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks. Then can you go convince your sister Beatrix to help us? We already have Adelaide, Adrianna, Belladonna, and her sister Brianna on our side,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Sure¡­ wait, what? You got Belladonna on your side? That¡¯s great!¡± said Bianca.


    ¡°Yeah. She will be great at fighting Maddie since her powers are the opposite of Maddie¡¯s,¡± I said proudly.


    ¡°Bye!¡± said Bianca, walking out happily.


    ¡°Wait! Bianca!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, turning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the other teachers know, okay? We can¡¯t risk having the teachers know! There might be more spies in the school, not only Octopus and Maddie!¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± said Bianca, walking out.


    ¡°So, we have got a few people on our side now. We have Belladonna, who has the powers of controlling poison and flowers, Brianna, who can spirit-travel and can read minds, Adelaide, who can levitate things with her mind and charmspeak, Adrianna, who can control fire and heat, and finally, Bianca, who can control cold stuff like ice and frost,¡± I said to Vivian.


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s not a lot¡­¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°So? At least that¡¯s better than just the two of us. Let¡¯s see, how about we get the whole Student Council to our side?¡± I suggested.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°No! There might be someone that¡¯s loyal to Ms.Shark. If word gets to her, then we¡¯re doomed,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then¡­ is there someone there that might not tell Ms.Shark? Or someone that likes to do sneaky stuff and sneak out after curfew?¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe. But we can¡¯t be sure who might tell Ms.Shark or who is on Ms.Octopus¡¯s side,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°But I can be sure that maybe Bianca¡¯s friends will trust her, since her whole clan basically hate Maddie a lot,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, sure. Can you call Bianca then?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°Do you really think that I will have her number? I¡¯ve rarely interacted with her before, cause she hates Maddie, and Maddie always sticks with me for some reasons,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, okay¡­ I guess we have to go find her then,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, why is there a note under my door?¡± I exclaimed, seeing a black note slid under my door.


    ¡°I dunno. Let¡¯s get it,¡± said Vivian.


    I picked up the note and gasped.


    ¡°Lillianna? What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°It¡¯s from the villains! They¡¯re treating my parents badly until I agree to join them. They told us to meet them under the school. According to them, the entrance to their hideout is in the broom closet in B4,¡± I whispered.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°What!! Why?¡± gasped Vivian.


    ¡°We should go to the hideout right now!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°No, Lillianna. We should go get the others and go after curfew. It¡¯s really bright outside, and we¡¯ll be caught going to weird places. Also, we won¡¯t want to put other students in danger,¡± said Vivian.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I pouted, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask Brianna to send a signal with her mind powers to our other recruits.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Okay, guys. Put this on,¡± I whispered, throwing them each a black coat.


    ¡°Um, why do we have to wear these? I mean, we can just vanish or melt into shadows,¡± asked Belladonna.


    ¡°Brianna and I can¡¯t waste our energy on helping you disappear. Black clothes are better than nothing. There might be a big battle later,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine. No offense, but this looks awful!¡± said Belladonna.


    ¡°Belladonna, don¡¯t say that,¡± scolded Brianna. Belladonna rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Uh, guys? It¡¯s already 11:55, five minutes from curfew. We have to leave right now!¡± pointed out Vivian.


    ¡°Alright!¡± grumbled Adelaide. She rushed out, her black cloak flying behind her. We all rushed out behind her.


    ¡°Lillianna, lead the way,¡± said Adrianna. I sighed and rushed towards the stairs.


    ¡°Wait, Lillianna, why don¡¯t we just use the elevator?¡± asked Bianca.


    ¡°Well, there are security cameras!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°But then Vivian can just stop or hack the cameras!¡± said Bianca.


    ¡°Again, don¡¯t waste energy. Also, guys, stop complaining! I made all these choices on purpose...¡± I said.


    ¡°Also, be quiet!¡± snapped Vivian.


    ¡°Fine!¡± said Brianna.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m leading a bunch of kindergarteners!¡± I whispered to Vivian.


    ¡°Be quiet too!¡± whisper-hissed Vivian. I shot her an annoyed look. She rolled her eyes.


    I almost jumped when a loud Bang! sounded on top of us.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Adrianna asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably just something falling,¡± I said, shrugging.


    ¡°What do you mean? I mean, normal students probably won¡¯t be out this late. Also, most of the ones that might sneak out won¡¯t be so clumsy and leave a mark where they went,¡± said Bianca.


    ¡°Oh well. We don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± said Vivian.


    We walked in silence as we climbed down the stairs. CREAKKKK! The steps below my foot cracked really loudly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why is this step creaking loudly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This school is really really old,¡± said Adelaide.


    ¡°Well, then why do our classrooms look really modern?¡±said Adrianna.


    ¡°Who knows? Let¡¯s get going,¡± suggested Vivian.


    ¡°Wait, what floor are we on now?¡± asked Belladonna.


    ¡°I think we are at B3 right now,¡± said Brianna.


    ¡°Come on! We can¡¯t keep our allies waiting,¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean enemies?¡± asked Vivian.


    ¡°Yeah. We have to pretend to be really friendly when we meet them, and when they let their guard down, we will attack!¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Adrianna.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re at B4 right now. Let¡¯s go find the broom closet. Oh, and be quiet,¡± said Vivian.


    ¨C


    ¡°I found it!¡± whispered Belladonna excitedly, pointing at a door in the wall with a sign saying, ¡°Broom closet. DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT PERMISSION.¡±


    ¡°I think they shouldn¡¯t write that. It will just attract more attention with those capitalized letters,¡± said Bianca, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Well, we put those words there on purpose,¡± said a familiar voice behind us. We turned around and found Maddie facing us. Bianca raised her arms, preparing to attack.


    ¡°Don¡¯t attack! Remember to act as their allies!¡± Brianna transmitted to us.


    We slightly nodded, careful not to let Maddie see that we were secretly communicating.


    ¡°Well, Lillianna, I see that you brought friends. And what is Vivian doing here? Well, I guess you became friends!¡± sneered Maddie.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I glared at her and said, ¡°Well, are you releasing my parents?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you agree to join our order,¡± snapped Maddie.


    ¡°Of course we are joining your order! What do you think we are doing here? You know that I won¡¯t do anything risky with your hands on my parents!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°Good acting,¡± transmitted Brianna.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true, Lillianna. But we need to trust you. Who knows when you might betray us?¡± said Maddie, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Again, Maddie. I already said that we¡¯ll join your order!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°Fine. Then say this: I agree to join your order. I swear that I won¡¯t betray them, and I will do what they say.¡± said Maddie, and held out a potion for us to drink. ¡°This potion ensures that you keep your promises. If you break your promises, you¡¯ll die a painful death!¡±


    We nodded, said what she told us to say, and each drank a swig of the potion.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know that we had to say that. I mean, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re a group that bosses people around,¡± transmitted Brianna.


    ¡°Yes they are definitely a group that bosses people around. They think that they¡¯re the best,¡± thought Adelaide.


    ¡°Oh well. But wait, we¡¯ll die if we betray her!¡± thought Bianca.


    ¡°Uh, guys? Remember my powers? I can control poison, and I can get the poison out of your systems before it kills you. Also, I can create a potion that will oppose Maddie¡¯s. I¡¯m much more powerful than her,¡± thought Belladonna.


    ¡°Are you sure you can do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah????¡± said Belladonna.


    ¡°You better be sure!¡± said Adrianna.


    ¡°Now, guys. Follow me to our hideout. You swore your lives, so we can probably trust you,¡± said Maddie, ¡±Now, you guys can come out.¡± She motioned toward the darkness, as 3 figures walked out. Ms. Octopus, Ms. Octopus¡¯s friend,  who is also Bianca¡¯s mom¡¯s step-sister, who¡¯s name is Azariah, and Ms.Octopus¡¯s sister Fisher.


    ¡°Cool. She¡¯s called ¡®Fisher Octopus¡¯?¡± transmitted Brianna.


    ¡°So let¡¯s see. Looks like my step-niece is joining my order,¡± sneered Azariah.


    ¡°Well, you sorta forced us to join!¡± snapped Bianca.


    ¡°Did I? You have your own choice. You chose to side with your little friend over there,¡± replied Azariah, studying her ridiculously long nails.


    ¡°Never mind that,¡± muttered Bianca.


    ¡°Enough of that. Let¡¯s get this started. Lillianna, follow me and let¡¯s go get your parents!¡± bossed Fisher, motioning to me to follow her.


    I followed her into the janitor''s closet, which leads to a long, dark hallway. Wow, this is not what I imagined it would be. In my imagination, I always thought that there would be creepy music playing, like in the movies.


    ¡°How old is this place?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Just curious.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Can you blame a teenager for asking questions? Well, I was wondering if this was built when the school was built. I mean, this hallway looks pretty old!¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Our group has been around here for centuries,¡± said Fisher.


    ¡°How old is the school?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Really old. You should study more history,¡± said Fisher.


    ¡°Really? So this group¡¯s founding member is from a long long time ago?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. We should walk faster. I¡¯ve already told you enough,¡± she said.


    Gee, thanks for telling me all that.


    We walked in silence until we reached a rickety old door. Fisher took out a silver key and stuck it in the keyhole. The door creaked loudly as it opened.


    ¡°MOM! DAD!¡± I screamed as two familiar figures exited.


    ¡°LILLIANNA!¡± they both screamed, throwing their arms around me.

 Chapter 13

    ¡°Well, sorry to ruin the reunion. We better get back,¡± said Fisher sharply, showing no hint of concern at all. When we got back, I found my friends waiting for me.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Lillianna¡¯s parents,¡± said Belladonna awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort her parents back to their houses, and erase their memories of what happened,¡± said Maddie, holding up a tube of milky white potion. She motioned my parents to leave.


    ¡°Really? So are you really just keeping my family hostage for me to join this order? Why do you want me? I¡¯m just a random teenager!¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re one of the greatest witches I¡¯ve ever met,¡± said Fisher.


    ¡°Uh, really? So what do you want me for? To destroy the world?¡± I asked, unconvinced.


    ¡°Actually, kind of. I want you because of your illusion power. I want you to make an illusion for us to sneak into the president¡¯s house and kill her,¡± replied Azriah, earning a glare from Ms.Octopus.


    ¡°Well, I guess they don¡¯t want us to know,¡± transmitted Brianna.


    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s interesting,¡± thought Adrianna.


    ¡°Come on, newbies. Let¡¯s take you to our hideout,¡± said Azariah. We followed her in the janitor closet, leading us to the hallway where Fisher took me a few minutes ago. Ms.Octopus pressed her fingers on a panel, and the door opened.


    ¡°Wow,¡± gasped Adelaide, earning herself a glare from me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just giving them compliments, so they will think we¡¯re genuine and really admire them,¡± explained Adelaide. We gave her a small nod.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Wait, I thought we normally can¡¯t transmit to each other without Brianna starting it. How come we can suddenly do that?¡± asked Bianca.


    ¡°Well, it seems like we have each other¡¯s ¡®contacts¡¯,¡± explained Brianna.


    ¡°Wait, does that mean that we can ask each other for answers during midterms and finals?¡± gasped Vivian.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s against the rule!¡± scolded Belladonna.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going. The others might think it¡¯s suspicious of us just not talking,¡± I transmitted, while talking out loud at the same time. ¡±Wow, this place is big!¡±


    We reached a large room with tables and sofas.


    ¡°This place reminds me of a living room,¡± said Belladonna.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. It¡¯s our meeting room,¡± said Fisher.


    ¡°Cool,¡± said Vivian, looking around.


    ¡°Girls, you can come here when you have time. Right now, you can relax here. We have a TV, PS5, and a Nintendo,¡± said Ms.Octopus.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t realize that a secret organization will have stuff like this,¡± said Bianca.


    ¡°Uh, are there snacks here? I¡¯m hungry,¡± said Adelaide.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the kitchenette,¡± said Fisher.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s also poisoned?¡± asked Adrianna suspiciously.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. They won¡¯t do that to us. They know that we can¡¯t  betray them. They won¡¯t want to harm their own teammates,¡± said Adelaide.¡±Besides, we have to act like we trust them.¡±


    -A few hours later-


    ¡°Sorry, we gotta go,¡± said Brianna, leading us out.


    We walked in silence as we reached our dorm.


    ¡°Go in. Quickly. We gotta get the poison out of our systems,¡± said Belladonna sharply.