Rachael struggles to keep up with Professor Swan as they sprinted down the hallway. "What was that?"

"Come on. We can't afford to linger here. It might not be safe. Too many shadows." Swan grumbles.

She followed Swan down every twist and turn of the halls until she finally stopped at a door with her name on it opening it and ushering Rachael inside quickly.

Rachael looked around at the office full of strange knick-knacks as Swan leads her to the chair in front of her desk and sat down in the chair behind it herself.

"I looks like your still in one piece, aside from a few bruises. Good. I'd never hear the end of it if you weren't." Professor Swan sighs. "Oh, I'm Professor Swan, in case you didn't already know that. I teach the Sun and Moon Atts at Penderghast. Can I get you anything? A cup of tea or perhaps you need something stronger..."

"Professor, I'm not really sure-" Rachael says, getting quickly interrupted.

"No wait, you're a student! Tea it is." Swan says mostly to herself.

"How about we have tea tea after you explain." Rachael says. "I keep getting attacked and something tells me you know why."

"Why do you think that I-" Swan gasps like she just got caught in a lie.

"Professor, you showed up right after that monster attacked me. You have to know something." Rachael says. "Please... tell me. Because all of this is starting to make me lose my mind."

Swan sighed, before looking at her calmly. "Yes, of course, you must have a great many questions. Naturally. But tea first."

She levitated a tea kettle over to her and pressed her hand against it warming the liquid inside, before pouring it into two tea cups. One of the cups floated over to Rachael.

"Uh...Thanks." Rachael says taking it out of the air, taking comfort in the warmth it sent though her when she sipped it. "Now can we talk about what just happened?"

"Right, of course. What do you want to know?" Swan asks, uncomfortably.

"I want to know why you had a baby picture of me." Rachael says, thinking back to the picture she found when she was chasing after her, with Beckett the other day.

"Wh-What? A picture of you? I've never had a picture of you in my life!" Swan stutters.

"I followed you into that hidden room. The picture was in a bag of weird stuff, just sitting in the middle of the floor. It wasn't pushed up against the wall like everything else, and you were the only other person around. It must have belonged to you." Rachael glares at her.

"A bag? Oh that must be...I mean, I don't know anything about a bag, or a picture, not at all. Why would I?" Swan says obviously lying, she jumped up quickly. "I just realized, I need to check that hall again. That monster should have left behind some kind of trace after i destroyed it.

Rachael thought about the rock in her bag, but stayed silent about it. "There wasn't anything left in the hallway. I checked. And if you don't want to tell me the truth about that photo, then fine."

Professor Swan hesitantly retook her seat with a sigh. "I am telling you the truth...I'm sure it was a coincidence. All sorts of stuff ends up in that list and found. Whether we intend it to or not..."

"Okay, then answer me this. What was that creature that attacked me?" Rachael asks.

"I honestly don't know. It's evidently some kind of shadow creature, and it must want something from you." Swan says.

"Me? But what could I have that it wants?" Rachael says.

"Normally magickal creatures only attack if they're cornered or defending their territory, but this is definitely different. It's really quite fascinating." Swan says. "Whatever it is seemed to have locked on to you."

"How did you stop it?" Rachael asks.

"I used a sun spell. Creatures of shadows are weak to the sun, since it damages their physical form, which takes time to recover." Swan explains.

"Wait! So that thing could come back and attack me again?" Rachael asks.

"No. At least, I don't think so. Once a creature has dissolved like that, it would take a truly powerful force to bring it back." Swan says. "You can think of it like this... If you cut a tree down, you wouldn't expect the tree to rise again from its stump- Oh sorry. I went straight into teaching mode. There won't be a quiz on this later. I promise."

"Also I've seen you watching me. How do I know it's not you who's trying to hurt me?" Rachael asks.

"But then why would I have jumped in and rescued you? If I had wanted you gone, I would have just let the creature do it's job." Swan gasps. "Or I could kill you right here and now. It wouldn't be hard. Not that would kill you. Just that I could...Oh no, that still sounds bad, doesn't it?"

Rachael shook her head trying to process all of this. "I-I just don't understand...this is the second monster that's attacked me.

"I don't think that's a random coincidence. It's like a target has been placed on your back, drawing there monsters in." Swans says.

"So you're saying I'm being hunted? What am I-" Rachael sighs her voice breaking, as she set her tea cup down and rested her head in her hands.

"Rachael, I'm working on figuring out who is coming after you. But in the meantime, we need to be cautious." Swan says softly. "It'd probably be best for you to not tell anyone what happened. We don't know who we can trust."

"I don't even trust you, why would I keep this a secret from the only ones who really seem to want to help me, my friends..." Rachael mumbles under her breath, before speaking up. "What happens if another monster comes after me?"

"Let me worry about that. It's a professor's job to look after their students and ensure they have a safe environment to learn in." Swan says. "At least that's what our brochure says."

"I can't just sit around waiting to get attacked and hoping you'll be around to rescue me!" Rachael huffs.

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm just telling you to be careful." Swan sighs.

"I think I should go, my friends are probably wondering where I am." Rachael lies standing up. "But please, try to keep those creatures away from me. I'd be happy to never see another one again."

"Don't worry, Rachael. I've got a good handle on the situation." Swan responds with a nod.

"Sure you do..." Rachael mumbles.

"Even though I still haven't figured out how they're getting through the wards, or if they're coming through then at all- But that's my problem, not yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get back to my research."

Rachael rolled her eyes at her and headed out of the Professors Office, quickly heading down to the dinning hall. She looked around for her friends, finding them all seated at one of the tables by the wall.

"Rachael, where have you been? You missed me shoving a whole piece of fizzleberry pie in my mouth!" Zeph laughs, as she walked over to them.

"I wouldn't say you missed anything. It was disgusting." Shreya grimaces.

"Hey, Rach. You came in here in a hurry. Is everything alright?" Griffin asks concerned.

"I've been better. You won't believe what happened to me. But we shouldn't talk here. I don't want the whole school to know about it-" Rachael says, quickly sliding into the empty seat at the table.

"You don't want the whole school to know about what?" Beckett says butting in, as he leans his chair back from a nearby table, to look at her.

"You're like, everywhere. Do you just follow us around and eavesdrop?" Zeph scoffs.

"You're the ones who are always talking so loudly." Beckett grumbles, pretending to go back to the book he had been reading.

"We can't talk here. There's too many people. We need to go somewhere off the grid, somewhere secret." Rachael says, whispering this time.

"I think I've got just the place. Come on. Let's get out of here." Griffin smiles, as everyone stood up.

Rachael looked over at Beckett sitting all alone at a table reading his book, she sighed at him. She stood up and sat on the back of her chair looking at him expectantly like she was waiting for him. "Well? Are you coming?"

"Wait. Are you talking to me?" Beckett gasps looking up from his book.

"No, I was talking to your friend there." Rachael teases, pointing at the air. "Yes. I was talking to you."

"Hang on, he's coming with us? Are you sure he should know about...Well, all of it?" Shreya asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he's coming with us. He's my friend, he's also something nice to look at while I talk." Rachael shrugs.

Beckett turned a dark shade of red, stuttering for a moment. "W-What? You've got to be joking."

"See look at him! Adorable." Rachael flirts, with a warm smile.

"Rachael, if you like nerds, just let me introduce you to some of my company's alchemical scientists. You'd love them." Shreya says.

"So, are you coming or not?" Rachael rolled her eyes at Shreya, looking down at Beckett.

"Of course I'm coming. Naturally. That was my intention all along." Beckett says, trying to stay cool, though his eyes revealed just how excited he was to have friends.

"Sure, it was." Rachael smiles, as he gathered his things and they all headed out of the dining hall.