–––

Scouts were tossed through the hallways of the library as another walked up to the two females. Amity and Willow glared at him, the scout casting a spell as his peers were wrapped in vines, attached to the walls.

A large boulder in shape of a coven scout approached the two, Willow staring it down along with Amity as she cast a spell aimed at the ground.

"I got this," She placed her hand on the ground, a vine appearing.

"No, I got this!" Amity frowned, casting an abomination spell as an abomination appeared.

Unfortunately, the clash of spells caused the vines to slice through the abomination, the creature collapsing as the boulder-statue drew closer.

It eventually barreled through both the spells, the two girls crying out as they narrowly missed being crushed as they dashed out of the way just in time. They both leaned against the walls, the illusion warping as the boulder went through the wall of the illusion, crashing elsewhere.

"What are you doing?!" Willow hissed, glaring at Amity.

"I just got you back as a friend," Amity frowned. "Let me protect you!"

A shadow soon towered over the two, Amity seeing a giant bookshelf statue with a small coven scout mask on top. It soon began to collapse, the Blight's eyes widening before Willow shoved her out of the way, vines wrapping around it.

Another vine dashed around the bookshelf, lifting the coven scout up before slamming him into the wall. Willow groaned, holding the bookshelf up while using one arm to support herself, Amity watching her in awe. 

"I don't want your protection!" She frowned, vines lifting the bookshelf. "I want you to see who I really am!"

Amity watched with wide eyes as Willow's eyes glowed a neon green, the plant witch tossing the bookshelf aside.

Suddenly from behind her, the illusion fading as it revealed Emira, Edric, and the Head Illusion teacher parting the illusion.

"Come quick!" Bump called out.

He waved his hand over to the two, Willow grunting as she gripped her arm, running over to the teachers. Amity frowned, following her friend's example.

She truly hoped that she hadn't ruined anything.

–––

Gus, Hunter and Georgia walked through the illusion of a tree, Gus gasping as his eyes were wide, the two seeing the halls of Hexide before them.

"Is this real?" Hunter raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Gus walked over to a water fountain, tapping on its side as a piece of chewed gum stuck onto his hand, the illusionist grimacing.

"Blegh," He frowned before grinning. "Yes! Yeah, we made it through the illusion! High five!"

He held his arm out, looking at Hunter expectantly as Hunter glanced at his hand in confusion. He held his own hand out for a second, Gus slapping it as Hunter winced. Georgia grinned, patting Hunter's shoulder as the blonde held his hand gently.

A gasp from not far before them rang out, the trio spotting Willow as Gus grinned.

"Willow!" He grinned, running over to the girl. "You're okay!"

Hunter blushed lightly, seeing the plant-coven witch. He failed to notice Georgia's smile drop slightly.

She hoped she was seeing things.

Was she?

"Augustus!" Willow grinned, holding Gus' shoulders. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Her smile dropped as soon as she saw Hunter, backing away as she released Gus' shoulders. She clenched her fists, Georgia appearing behind Hunter.

"Woah, what is he doing here?" She glared at Hunter.

"Oh, don't worry," Gus grinned. "It's cool. He helped me escape from Graye. I think he ran away from the Emperor's Coven. Also, he hasn't showered... in a while. Be nice."

Hunter swept the dust off his shoulder, Georgia eyeing his action before brushing it off as nothing, walking over to Willow.

"Interesting," Willow squinted before gasping, seeing Georgia. "Georgia! You're okay too!"

The brunette smiled a little, but it dropped as soon as Willow asked about her voice.

"Is your voice okay? Usually you'd say something," Willow shrugged.

"She lost her voice, remember–" Gus replied before being cut off, feeling Georgia's hand on her shoulder.

She smiled sweetly, tilting her head at Gus as Willow's mouth formed an 'o', her eyes widening.

"Right, right," She nodded. "Anyway, let's find the others before these illusions get any more..."

Willow pretended to shiver, Hunter looking at her in confusion. His eyes narrowed as Gus looked over to Georgia, feeling a slight tension on her shoulder. He looked up at the girl, seeing narrowed her eyes at her friend.

He shook it off, looking back at Willow with a smile.

"Okay," Gus grinned. "Let's get moving."

Georgia looked back at Hunter, sending him a look as though to say 'Something tells me that's not Willow', and he nodded back hesitantly.

Willow placed a hand on Gus' back, Hunter pulling out his staff before he teleported before the two. His staff was pointed at the girl as he glared at her.

Willow walked back slightly, something poking her back. She looked behind her to see Georgia's glare, the brunette cracking her neck slightly as Willow's eyes widened, seeing a palisman to her back.

"Who are you?" He hissed, shoving the staff closer to her. 

"What are you doing?" Gus looked at Hunter incredulously, holding his arms out in front of Willow defensively. 

"Willow's on our side!"

"That's not the captain," Hunter glared, the two friends looking at one another wearily. 

"You're scaring me, Hunter," Willow flinched, backing away behind Gus. "I thought we were friends, Georgia!"

"Have you ever seen her play Flyer Derby?" Hunter raised an eyebrow at Willow's comment. "There's no way she'd be afraid of me."

Gus turned around, looking at Willow in disbelief as he walked away slightly, Willow backing away as Georgia walking to Willow's side.

"Oh! AGAIN?!" A voice called out in anger. "CUT!"

Willow's eyes shut in frustration, Willow's figure shifting into a coven scout's as Georgia's eyes widened in horror, holding her staff out again in defense.

"Severine!" The voice hissed, the scout jumping as she squeaked.

She looked behind her, spotting a very frustrated Adrian as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You had your chance and you blew it!" He hissed. "Not that I'm surprised."

"But I– I... I–" She stuttered. "I followed all your notes!"

"Well, they were both still able to see through your shoddy performance," He shrugged, walking towards her. "So maybe, you should've figured out the note inside the note."

He smiled with frustration, Severine lowering her head in sadness as she walked off, whining.

"And you three," Adrian frowned. "Are making my job very difficult."

Adrian turned, walking towards the three. Hunter grabbed Gus' arm again, running off as his staff transformed back into Flapjack, the palisman flying off. The three were panting as they ran, but Hunter halted as the figure of Belos rounded the corner.

The two blue, glowing eyes stared down at the three, Hunter gasping as his eyes widened in fear, Georgia's breathing picking up as Hunter muttered a name.

"Belos..."

Their fear was interrupted by a swift kick to Hunter's head. The Head Witch then grabbed the girl's hood, slamming her into the locker as hard as he could as she winced, a dent present on the locker. 

Graye grabbed onto Gus' arms and slammed his foot into Hunter's back, the figure of Belos watching from the shadows.

He held onto the three, one arm on Gus' arms, the other on Georgia's arms as her nose bled, vision a little blurry, smirking down at Hunter as he snapped his fingers. The blonde boy looked up, seeing the figure of Belos collapse into two coven scouts.

The two scouts began to near Hunter, the boy glaring before hissing at the two scouts.

"I command you to stop!" He hissed, the two guards halting slightly.

"Technically, he is our superior," The first scout shrugged. 

"Well, right now, he's just a runaway," Graye smiled. "And our dearest Emperor wants him back, so tie him up."

The two scouts picked Hunter up, Georgia's eyes wide as she thrashed around, kicking Graye's shin as he winced, throwing the girl in a locker again as she felt a little more liquid drip out of her nose. Graye kicked the back of her knees, the girl wincing as she landed on her knees, glaring weakly.

Hunter kicked the first scout with a glare, then slamming his head into the second, who held his arms aside.

"Oh, just put him–" The second scout glared.

"Out of his misery?" The first scout cut in. "Got it."

The first scout walked closer to the boy, casting a glowing white spell as he held it close to the boy's face, Hunter going still as he watched the spell in horror.

"To sleep, dude! To sleep!" The second scout hissed, the first scout halting.

"Oh, yeah, right, right."

The first guard then cast another spell, the first disappearing as a small flute appeared. He began playing it, a sleeping smoke drifted over the blonde, his eyes drooping shut as he closed his eyes to the sight of his beat-up girlfriend, a grinning Adrian, and a worried Gus.

And then he blacked out.