What is going on 2

A short while later, Aven had brought her Sky back to her rooms. As he opened the door, the scent of cream, fried eggs, and salty bacon wafted to her, filling her nose and mouth. She saw that there were two small, brown boxes sitting neatly on the beat-up coffee table, silverware resting on napkins beside them.

"Breakfast." Aven said gesturing to them. "Unless you want something else." He gave her a dark look. Sky didn't even notice. She had raced over to the nearest of the boxes and greedily begun devouring the food inside it. Aven smiled to himself then joined her.

After they finished eating, Aven asked again if she wanted something else. This confused Sky because the breakfast was both hearty and rich. She couldn't possibly eat anymore and said so. Aven almost looked disappointed as he nodded and stood. He gave Sky strict orders not to leave the room, saying it wasn't safe her to leave. Then he departed; she was alone.

Sky thought for a long time about what he'd meant by "it wasn't safe" and came to the conclusion that he merely meant that the other students would try to hurt her if she left. This was nothing new and her studies were more important, so she decided to go back to class.

She grabbed her bag with her books, she'd finally manage to fit all of them inside, and tried to leave. The door was locked. Aven had locked her in. With nothing else to do she sat down and began studying the next sections in her books.

By the time Aven returned with lunch, Sky was too hungry for more than a few words of thanks. Then, as soon as he had finished eating, Aven got up and left. He didn't even wait for her to finish.

He returned again at 5:30 for a hurried meal and then explained, in response to her question, that she wasn't staying in her room for her own safety. It was for everyone else's. He left again.

And so it went for Sky for several days. Aven, her only companion, would come by at mealtimes and eat with her. Then he would quickly leave again. Sometimes he would bring her books to read, sometimes he brought her nothing but food. Apart from those brief, hurried meals, Sky spent all her time alone. By the end of one week she couldn't stand it anymore. Whenever she asked him why he was keeping her here Aven simply said it wasn't safe and the Magical Oversight Committee was investigating. That was all she got.

Week 4 Day 3 Ruken

"Please, Aven, I need to get out of here, even for just an hour." Sky pleaded. It had been over a week; she'd been locked in her room for nine days. While it wasn't a broom closet, it wasn't spacious either. Just the sight of these too familiar, white-washed walls was making her want to break something. Sky thought she'd die it if she couldn't get outside soon.

"I'm sorry, but I brought you these." Aven said offering her the two thick books under his arm. Sky barely even looked at them. Aven frowned and set them on the coffee table. "Well let's eat." His voice held a false cheerfulness that brought bitter bile to Sky's mouth. Swallowing, she tried again.

"Look, just let me out and I'll leave. You'll never have to see me again." Her voice quivered. She had realized that being free and on the run was better than being a prisoner. Aven grimaced. "For the Gods' sake, Aven!" Her anger and frustration clogged her throat as her eyes burned.

"I can't. As a representative of the school, it would be-"

"Get out." Sky said softly as she turned her back on him. Aven's eyes widened and a look of hurt that she didn't see flitted across his face. Crossing to her bed, Sky laid down facing the wall, knees pulled into her chest. She heard the door click shut as the first tears slipped out.

Then she was lost to them.

***

When Sky became sensible again, she looked around her room and realized it must be pretty late. The room had darkened considerably. She would have to unshield the crystals soon. Anyone who could afford them, used crystals to light their rooms.

Pulling her bag out from under her and scooching back on her bed until she was sitting against the headboard, Sky opened her book, Advanced Spoken Magic, one of the extra ones Vaeryn had picked out. She began rifling through the index. She was tired of being locked in here and was looking for a spell that would get her out.

She found a couple that sounded likely but when she read their descriptions, Sky discovered that they were for other things completely. Then she came across one whose name she didn't recognize at all, Portal. She flipped to the page and began reading.

The spell Portal connected two physical spaces together by opening a doorway or portal between them. As she read an image popped into Sky's mind of what this doorway would look like. It wouldn't look like a regular doorway because you had to create space for it in the existing place. The space the portal was connecting to would therefore be pushed outward and bulge while the space that the portal was being cast from would shrink to fit into the bulge. This sounded like what she wanted.

She was just beginning to work out the pronunciation for the spell when she became aware of a rumble of noise coming from outside. Closing her book, she got up and took a look out the window.

Gathered in front of the building appeared to be most of the school. Sky heard a female's voice scream, "help me" through both the window and faintly through the walls.

"Jump already." She heard a male yell in response. Throwing the window open, Sky leaned out to see what was going on.

The air was cool and a stream of something dark and amorphous rushed out passed her. There was a loud crash from within the building and a high-pitched scream came from her right. The crowd of students cheered. Sky watched the screaming female hit the ground with a sickening spray of blood. Sky quickly leaned back in her rooms, trying to figure out what was going on.

Bang!