Rin stirred at the sound of faint voices drifting through her dreams.

  “Mmm… what…” she mumbled, still wrapped in sleep.

  “RIN! WAKE UP! IT’S STARTING!!!” Chippy’s voice shrieked, punctuated by her hands shaking Rin like a maraca.

  “Chippy…?” Rin groaned, eyes half-closed.

  “LOOK!!!”

  Before Rin could protest, Chippy grabbed her head, yanking it toward the window. Rin’s face smacked against the cold glass, and she squealed at the shock.

  “Wha—hey!” She shoved Chippy off, rubbing her cheek. “What the heck?!”

  “Look!!!” Chippy squealed again, hopping in place as she pointed frantically outside.

  Rin pressed closer to the window despite herself, and her jaw dropped.

  The entire campus had transformed overnight. Pumpkins the size of boulders lined the walkways, each carved with glowing faces that grinned, laughed, or howled at passing students. Their light wasn’t just orange—it shimmered in shifting hues, flickering from eerie green to ghostly blue.

  Bats—real and conjured—swooped in perfect formations above, their wings scattering trails of harmless sparks that fizzled like tiny fireworks. Ghostly silhouettes drifted lazily through the air, translucent figures carrying baskets that rained down wrapped candies onto squealing students.

  Even the great trees that surrounded the grounds had joined in: their leaves had turned pitch black and deep crimson, curling into skeletal shapes as they whispered in the autumn wind. From their branches hung glowing lanterns that pulsed like beating hearts.

  And at the far end of the courtyard, the academy’s fountain no longer gushed water—it spilled molten streams of liquid light that spiraled upward, twisting into the shape of a towering scarecrow made of flame and shadow.

  The air itself smelled of roasted pumpkin and caramel sugar, mingling with the crisp bite of October

  “We’re so close to Halloween!!!” Chippy squealed, practically bouncing in place.

  “Mmm…” Rin rubbed her eyes. “You’ve been telling me about this for two months now… what’s so special about it, anyway?”

  “Special? Oh, I don’t know—only that you get to dress up as whatever you want and nobody judges you for it! Or that you can go trick-or-treating and score unlimited free candy! Or—or—this is the best time to watch horror movies with your friends and get totally spooked out of your mind!!!”

  Rin blinked. “…Well, maybe the candy part. Otherwise, it sounds… bad.”

  “Bad?!” Chippy stomped in outrage, arms crossed. “Ugh! What kind of even says that? No—scratch that. What says that? Who hates Halloween?!”

  “Is… is that why you woke me up at six in the morning?” Rin muttered.

  “Girl? Shut up and freshen up. We gotta meet Eddie downstairs. Come on!”

  Rin groaned and facepalmed, grabbing her brush and soap. She dragged her feet toward the girls’ restroom, while Chippy practically skipped down the hall.

  As Rin brushed her teeth, she couldn’t help but think about how far she’d come. Two months ago she was just a girl who barely understood magic, barely understood about her studies. And before that… she was nothing but a lost child in the desert.

  She rinsed her mouth, didn’t even bother brushing her hair, and slipped on the thin hoodie Uncle Remmy had bought her during their last checkup. With a quiet sigh, she padded downstairs to her house’s lobby.

  Only one kid was waiting there. Eddie.

  “Hey, Rin!” He waved the moment he spotted her.

  She smiled, trying to wave back, but a yawn hijacked her hand mid-motion and forced it to cover her mouth instead.

  Chippy was already perched next to him, notebook in hand. She gestured frantically for Rin to hurry over.

  “Okay, so here’s the plan,” Chippy declared. “Once we anchor into New York, we’ll get out, grab costumes, and hit every block. And I mean ”

  “Not that I have anything against your plan, Chippy,” Eddie said, raising a cautious hand, “but… won’t we only have three hours of roaming privileges? I don’t think we can cover that much ground.”

  “Pft! So what. You got a better idea, smart pants?”

  “Actually…” Eddie pulled out his favorite pencil and a map of New York, pointing to where the suburbs began. “If we want to maximize our candy haul, we should go here. Separate houses like these usually give out the most candy—and sometimes even the full-sized bars.”

  “Full… sized… bars!?” Chippy repeated, her voice rising with every word.

  Rin blinked, caught off guard. For once, the two of them were actually… communicating.

  “ALRIGHT!” Chippy slammed her notebook shut. “That’s what we’ll do! Smaller homes, full-sized bars!”

  “Yeah!” Eddie pumped his fist in the air.

  “Yippee…” Rin added weakly, her words swallowed by another yawn.

  “You know, Edward? I honestly thought you’d bail on us,” Chippy said, arms crossed with a teasing grin.

  “Bail on you? Over Halloween? No way!” Eddie laughed. “We’re gonna go out today, shop for costumes, come back and try them on, then watch horror movies together. Rinse and repeat tomorrow, get through one week of school, then —Halloween! I wouldn’t miss that for anything!”

  “Oh, ?” Chippy smirked, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “Wh-What? What’s with that look…” Eddie leaned back, inching away from her.

  “Oh, nothing… I was just thinking… maybe you leave Rin and me to it, disappear until Halloween, and maybe——I’ll let you meet my brother.”

  “What?! No! No way! That’s—that’s totally unfair!” Eddie whined.

  Chippy burst out laughing.

  “…Chippy! Let him join us!” Rin said, tugging gently at her shoulder.

  “Aww, do I to?”

  “Yes! He’s our friend.” Rin’s tone turned serious, her eyes firm.

  “Fineee,” Chippy groaned dramatically. “Only because you said it. Otherwise? He’s

  annoying.”

  “He did help you figure out the best way to get the most candy… what was it called again?” Rin tilted her head.

  “Trick-or-treating!” Eddie and Chippy chorused in unison.

  “Oh… right…” Rin nodded sheepishly.

  “Wait. I already said—we don’t anchor into New York until Wednesday. How would we go shopping?” Chippy asked, confused.

  “Chippy! Come on, how do you not know about the mall on this island?” Eddie grinned wide.

  Rin blinked.

  “Oh, uh… I knew that. I was just checking if Rin knew!” Chippy said quickly, pointing a sly finger at her roommate.

  “I didn’t…” Rin admitted softly.

  “Hehe… then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Eddie cheered.

  “Yeah!!!” Chippy echoed, pumping her fist.

  “Now???” Rin groaned.

  “We can beat the other kids to it! It’s a long walk—it’s way over by the Eastern House—so let’s get moving!” Eddie said, grabbing Rin’s hand and tugging her out of the building. Chippy eagerly trailed behind, her ponytail bouncing, while Rin stumbled a few times, just barely saving herself from tripping.

  #

  Later that night, the three of them sat tucked in the corner of their house lobby, gathered around a large study table by the window with cushioned benches. Each clutched their own bag, costumes hidden inside.

  “Alright,” Eddie said, leaning back. “I’ll stay here—you two go get dressed.”

  “Okay, sounds like a plan!” Chippy chirped. She sprang up and yanked Rin by the arm, hauling her upstairs.

  Once in their room, Chippy ripped open her bag without hesitation, already shimmying into her costume.

  “Rin! Come on! Hurry up and get dressed! I wanna see how you look!”

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  “I… I don’t know…” Rin mumbled, shame coloring her voice. She set her bag on her bed, peeking inside. No real costume. Just a creepy demon mask—complete with floppy bunny ears. She pulled it out and frowned, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

  “Chippy…? Maybe I could just wear my normal clothes?” she asked timidly—only to turn around and find Chippy standing over her, already masked.

  Rin yelped, stumbling back onto her bed.

  “Ha! Knew it’d be scary! Look at your face!” Chippy snickered, tugging her ghoul mask off.

  Rin exhaled, her shoulders slumping. “It’s… pretty scary, Chippy.”

  “I ! Am I great or what?” Chippy grinned, puffing out her chest.

  Rin glanced down at her own mask, turning it over warily in her hands. Chippy noticed instantly.

  “Hey, is that seriously all you’re gonna wear?”

  “Yeah… I couldn’t make a decision.”

  “But there were, like, ” Chippy groaned, flopping onto her bed.

  “I just… didn’t see any I liked. I’m sorry.”

  “Ugh, fine. Whatever. As long as you keep that thing on the whole time we’re trick-or-treating, I don’t care.”

  “Alright…” Rin lifted the mask closer. It looked cursed, like slipping it on would let something crawl into her head. She shook off the thought and pulled it over her face.

  “Um… how do I look?”

  Chippy leaned back, hand to her chin. “Whoa… yeah. Still cute. Not that scary.”

  “Cute? That’s good…”

  “What? No! Not good! You’re supposed to be scary!”

  “But… what if I don’t like scary?” Rin asked softly.

  “Girl! Just shut up and let’s get downstairs already!” Chippy huffed, tucking her mask under her arm and gesturing for Rin to follow.

  Rin tugged her own mask up over her head and trailed after her. Once they returned to the lobby, Chippy gave Eddie a thumbs-up. He immediately bolted upstairs to the boys’ side of the Southern House to change.

  After a little while of waiting, Eddie stormed back downstairs—nearly tripping over the last step in his hurry. Both girls froze at the sight.

  He wore a shaggy white wig and long white Enforcer robes, complete with a red “A” stitched proudly onto the pointed collar. The sleeves hung too long, covering half his palms, though his white gloves still peeked through. Beneath the robes, a black padded shirt squeezed his skinny frame, comically puffing out his chest and abs in an overinflated, cartoonish way.

  But none of that stopped Eddie from grinning ear-to-ear, fists planted on his hips like a superhero posing for the cover of a comic.

  “Sooo? What do you guys think?!” he declared with booming pride.

  “…Seriously?” Chippy deadpanned, chin propped on her palm.

  “I think it’s pretty cool, Eddie!” Rin said honestly, though her voice wavered, faintly defeated. “Much better than mine…”

  “Ha! I knew it!” Eddie puffed out his padded chest even further. “Come on, take a guess—who am I supposed to be?”

  “I don’t… know?” Rin admitted with a nervous grin.

  “Oh yeah, I who it could be,” Chippy shot back, dripping with sarcasm.

  “Come on! It’s so cool! I literally saved all year for this!” Eddie protested, puffing out his padded chest.

  “Dude! We were supposed to be

  Instead, I’ve got a Yaxon wannabe and… Rin.”

  Eddie turned to Rin, finally noticing the mask perched on her head. His brow shot up.

  “I think Rin scary!”

  “I am?!” Rin shrank back, her voice trembling.

  “No, no—like in a good way! Like… Halloween scary!” Eddie clarified quickly.

  “Oh…” Rin relaxed, though her mask still felt heavy in her hands.

  Chippy groaned, dragging her palm down her face. “Look, as long as we don’t end up watching some

  movie, I’ll survive. Let’s go watch horror already!”

  “Right!” Eddie shouted, bolting upstairs again to grab his stash of films.

  Rin lingered, feet dragging, nerves bubbling in her chest. But between Chippy’s relentless energy and Eddie’s boyish excitement, she couldn’t stop herself from being pulled along—out of her comfort zone, and into their little world.

  #

  “Stark! For the love of God, why do you refuse to disclose to me?!” General Haas bellowed over the buzzing engines of their EMV as it soared through the night sky.

  Milo didn’t respond. He just stared out the window at the glowing city drawing closer beneath them.

  “STAAARRKK!!!” Haas roared.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “EXPLAIN!!!”

  “The intruder was informative.”

  “Yeah, I know! just aren’t!”

  “My apologies, sir.”

  “Okay, great—actually? Care to explain why you evacuated a fourteen-block radius of Times Square and ordered Public Safety to hold a perimeter all the way from 11th to 59th Street?!”

  “There may be a possibility of another attack,” Milo said calmly. “As the intruder suggested.”

  “And exactly how do you plan to stop it?”

  “That’s the thing, sir.” Milo’s eyes narrowed on the skyline. “The attack has already been stopped.”

  “What?!” Haas wheezed, leaning forward.

  “You may want to keep your wand ready…” Milo murmured.

  “Oh, for fu—fine!” Haas scrambled, fumbling around his pudgy frame to draw his wand.

  Milo raised his own, grip firm, eyes sharpened. “General.”

  “What, Stark?”

  “The enemy… is nothing like the GNL. I fear beating him will be easy… but besting him… not so much.”

  “What?!” Haas sputtered. “I’m going to have a serious word with the Majestry about your —”

  Milo turned to face him. Haas’s eyes widened.

  “Wait. WAIT! AH—”

  BOOM!

  The EMV erupted into a stunning fireball, the explosion rolling across the sky like a firework gone mad.

  “Well, I don’t have the button…” Britlex said smoothly, twirling his wand atop a rooftop. “But if I did? That was ”

  Britlex pulled out his communicator and rang up Chase.

  “Chase. What’s new?”

  “My lord, they don’t suspect a thing. I’ll begin speaking with the highest-ranking professors for further information. We may be able to track more than just residuals, it seems.”

  “I see. Keep me updated the moment anything useful comes up. As for that blasted Stark? He is no longer a threat. Completely taken care of.”

  “Taken… care of? You killed him, sir?”

  “Absolutely. Fool set up a perimeter through half of Manhattan when he should’ve been worried about himself. His approach was as predictable as it gets.”

  “I… I see, sir. That is certainly good news.”

  “Indeed. I’ll be making my way to the academy now.”

  “Yes, sir. Be careful.”

  “Oh, and Chase?” Britlex’s eyes flicked over his shoulder, scanning the rooftop. Empty. “Prepare an armor for me. If you locate the dragon, it may not be as simple as besting it in battle. Beasts are… filthy, after all.”

  “Yes, sir. Will do.”

  The communicator clicked shut. Britlex smirked, rolling it in his palm as he admired the night sky.

  “Things are going smoother than expected. Fate is on my side.”

  He turned—and froze.

  A man stood behind him. Wand drawn. Head bowed.

  Britlex gave a slow, mocking nod and turned back toward the city.

  Then his head snapped around, eyes widening as recognition slammed into him.

  “Oh yeah,” Milo said, his voice low and edged. “You look like the kind of man who ”

  Britlex let out a wry laugh, boots scraping as he edged a half-step back.

  “You must be the famous Milo Stark, I presume?”

  Milo advanced, slow and deliberate, wand at his side.

  “Do you perform in circuses? What’s your act?”

  “Ha! Just asking all the right questions, aren’t we?” Britlex smirked.

  Milo didn’t waste another word. His wand snapped up, and a volley of compressed yellow orbs ripped through the air, scattering like a shotgun blast.

  Britlex’s grin faltered—he hurled himself backward off the rooftop. Wind roared at his command, forming a slick under his boots that caught his fall. He skated across the skyline, whipping down the glass face of a skyscraper like a surfer riding a wave of air.

  Milo gave chase without hesitation. His boots hammered against the vertical glass, his speed so fierce it blurred his outline. From the street below, it would have looked like he was flying.

  “Hey! Can’t we

  about this?!” Britlex shouted over his shoulder, voice ragged in the rushing wind.

  He flicked his wand backhanded, loosing a jagged bolt of purple curse-fire. It screeched like metal against glass, but Milo’s wand snapped to the side, swatting it away with casual precision. Sparks rained down, fizzling as they hissed against the night air.

  “Your desecration,” Milo said flatly, never slowing, “will not be allowed.”

  His wand snapped, scatteri ng another barrage of yellow orbs across the skyline. Each blast struck glass and steel with thunderous cracks—windows burst, metal screamed, sparks rained down into the streets below.

  Britlex swerved hard right, wind shrieking under his boots to carry him out of the volley. Milo cut upward, closing the gap in a blur. His wand shimmered, blade-shaped, glowing blue. He swung down in a brutal arc.

  Britlex barely conjured a barrier in time—emerald veins of cursed energy flaring around him. The impact split the night with a . Glass exploded outward, the barrier shattered, and a searing cut traced itself across Britlex’s cheek.

  “Gah—!” Britlex twisted mid-air, spinning on his heel. His leg whipped down in an axe kick aimed for Milo’s skull.

  Milo caught it on his arm, unmoving, but the force still knocked him spinning off course.

  “Finally—” Britlex hissed, trying to buy ground. “Look! There’s been a misunderstanding! I wanted to kill the General, not you! Spare me!”

  Milo steadied himself, hovering above, gaze cold. “What makes that any better?” His voice echoed like steel dragged on stone.

  Panic flared. Britlex slammed his wand into the ground below. The asphalt buckled, earth spearing upward into a jagged dome around him. With a crackle of warped air, he vanished—reappearing seven blocks down, rolling to his feet.

  “Safe—”

  A ripple of dread rushed through him.

  From above, a violet crescent scythe carved the night sky. Milo’s attack screamed downward, slicing lamp posts in half, shearing cars open like tin, and ripping a perfect line of ruin through the street as it barreled toward him.

  Britlex threw himself flat, rolling hard, the scythe’s edge hissing past close enough to scorch the ground.

  “God damn it!” he spat, scrambling up. Blood trickled from his cheek, his robes torn. “I thought fate was on my side! What the hell?!”

  Britlex scrambled backward on hands and knees—only to freeze when a boot slammed down inches from his fingers. Milo stood over him, wand glowing with restrained fury.

  “Why did you attack Fort Carven?” Milo’s voice cut like a blade. “What do you want with the egg?”

  Before Britlex could answer, another voice thundered behind him.

  “And how many of you are there?!” Haas bellowed, wand leveled, its tip pulsing with red energy. He had Britlex boxed in.

  “Oh, perfect.” Britlex sneered, sweat dripping from his temple. “Even the pumpkin bastard survived.”

  Haas growled, the orb at his wand’s tip swelling. Milo’s hands lit, a searing sphere of solar fire swelling between his palms.

  “You’re not answering me,” Milo said, stepping closer.

  “Listen, tough nut,” Britlex wheezed as he forced himself upright. “What I do is none of your concern. All I wanted was the world’s biggest omelet. And the world’s biggest egg just happened to be in that—”

  He snapped his arm low and sideways, releasing a gale-force blast. The wind struck Haas square, sending him tumbling head over heels across the asphalt.

  “—FORT!”

  Britlex whirled back, summoning a jagged barrier of cursed and divine energy. But Milo’s solar beam hit like a cannon, splintering the shield instantly. The blast hurled Britlex backward, his body crushing the roof of a parked car, metal shrieking beneath him.

  “Ghh—!” He staggered up, clutching his ribs. His makeup was smeared clean away, leaving his pale, sweat-streaked face bare. His once-styled hair hung in wet, dirty strands over his eyes. Every breath came shallow and ragged.

  Across the ruined street, Milo advanced—unhurried, inexorable—his hand still cradling a second sphere of blazing solar fire, larger than before, humming with lethal promise.

  “Milo—wait!” Britlex coughed, forcing a grin through bloodied lips. “How do you like your eggs?”

  “You still haven’t answered me.”

  “I like them scrambled!” Britlex barked with manic laughter.

  “Shut up and start talking.” Milo snapped, his voice flaring like the fire in his hand.

  “No more chances,” Milo warned, his solar fire blazing brighter. “Answer my questions.”

  “Right… right…” Britlex muttered, nodding with mock compliance. His fingers twitched. Wand raised.

  Behind him, the air warped. A deep blue cloud spiraled open, spinning faster and faster until it twisted into a vortex.

  Britlex turned his head, one brow arched. “What the—?”

  The vortex lunged, pulling at him with crushing force. His boots skidded on the pavement as it yanked him backward.

  Before Milo could close the gap, the cloud swallowed Britlex whole. With a hollow snap, it collapsed in on itself—gone without a trace. No light. No residue. Not even a whisper of magic.

  Milo rushed forward, scanning the cracked asphalt. Nothing.

  “Milo!” Haas wheezed, waddling up behind him. His wand arm shook, eyes darting across the street. “The hell was that? Where did he go?!”

  Milo’s face was stone, but his silence screamed louder than words. Finally, flatly, he answered:

  “I… don’t know, sir.”

  Haas studied him, chest heaving. He’d worked with Milo long enough to see past the mask. This wasn’t detachment. This was confusion. Frustration. The kind Stark rarely let slip.

  “We can’t stand around here, Lieutenant… we need to get moving. ” Haas barked, sweat still dripping down his face.

  “Yes, sir.” Milo’s reply was calm, but distant.

  Haas waved frantically at the sky until another EMV descended, engines roaring as it landed in the middle of Times Square. Soldiers poured out to secure the perimeter, lights flashing against the ruined street.

  But Milo didn’t move right away. His gaze lingered on the cracked asphalt where Britlex had vanished, the faint scorch marks already cooling in the night air.