Like the rest of students, Magali Etienne woke up to the sound of the morning bell that echoed through the grounds of Scuola di Conoscenze. Magali prayed that the bell didn't ring on weekends. No book could have possibly prepared her for this, some things she had to adjust to herself. For instance, Magali had been running late for most of her classes during her first week. The way around the school grounds required a map and following the stream of students hadn't always been to her advantage.

"Miss Etienne, you're late, again." Mr Meragio, her history teacher, said.

"Pardonnez moi monsieur." Magali bowed her head in shame as she made her way to the back of the class. What would her father say? Magali was struggling to adapt to her new environment.

"Did you get lost again?" Said a girl with stringy hair and a flowery headband attached. Magali recognized her from many of her classes, too bad they didn't share the same dormitories. If that was the case Magali would have tailed her around campus every morning.

"Just give it some time, I'm sure you'll find your way around eventually."

Magali nodded politely, appreciating the girl's kindness. Maybe that is exactly what she needed, a friend showing her the ropes. With a tight grammer Magali attempted to communicate. "Does the bell ring on weekends?" She asked.

"Pardon?" The girl frowned.

Magali leaned in for the girl to hear. "The bell, does it ring in the morning on weekends as well?"

"God no." The girl gushed. "What a nightmare that would be."

"Magali Etienne." She smiled and stretched out a hand for the girl to greet.

"Mia, Mia Casillas"

******

In the shadows underneath a tree, Charles and Luca lay on their backs basking in their hungover ambience. Charles used the sleeve of his blazer to cover his eyes like a blindfold, preventing the blinding sunlight from worsening his headache. The sound of a thousand footsteps surrounded them as students passed them by on their way to classes this morning.

Charles hadn't been as keen on getting bottled up on a school night like his friend had been. However, he had longed for a chance to leave the premises ever since he had gotten off of the bus last week, this had been his chance, he should have expected the outcome.

"Rough night?"

Behind the blinds of his sleeve Charles sensed the presence of a third party. Luca grunted beside him. "Go away. Play the piano or something."

Anthoine snorted. Charles and Luca resembled two dead flies on a windowsill.

"How did you get to town?" He asked, not bothering to join them on the cool grass, not wanting to stain his uniform.

"Mr Mandore's Chrysler." Charles mumbled from below.

"Mr Mandore just gave you two imbeciles the keys to his car?"

Charles forced a laugh. He instantly regretted it by the way it painfully rang through his head.

"Who do you think bought him the car in the first place?" Luca snorted.

Anthoine didn't bother to respond. Charles peeked to see him gazing at his watch. "I'm late for class." He sighed. "I'll see you two gentlemen at lunch."

Charles and Luca continued to bathe in the glory of their intoxication, failing to attend a single class that day, even skipping lunch. It was towards the afternoon that they were able to lean their bodies against the trunk of the tree. By then movement around campus had slowed down.

Luca exhaled. "I've got to get to the pool."

"You're going to practice?" Charles chuckled.

"You heard what Franco said..." Luca stood, supporting himself against the trunk of the tree. ".....It's all I'm good for." He brushed the dirt off his stained pantalons before stretching out a hand, helping Charles to his feet. "You should get to the clubhouse." He said, ushering Charles from out the shadows.

"Nah, I think I'll head to the library, catch up on some reading or something."

"Did you really mean what you said yesterday?" Luca asked unsure.

"What did I say?"

"That you're really done with it all, the council and the crimson cadets?"

Charles recalled the night's conversations as he looked to his hands, only this morning did he realize that he was missing his ring. He had lost the most precious possession of a crimson legacy on his drunken adventures into town and he hadn't even noticed. Maybe he hadn't really cared.

"If I was drunk when I said it I guess I really meant it. In Vino Veritas"

Luca nodded understanding. "You're up for a row with the council then, that is, if you decide to act on it."

"I know." Charles said, still gazing at his hands. They felt naked without the emblem ring. He had been advised never to take it off and for some reason he never had.

"You could just hold on, just for this year?"

Charles let his hands fall onto his sides as he looked at his friend. Luca's eyes had gray bags under them. "You really believe that we stop being Crimson brothers just because we leave this school?"

"I dunno? Some of us do," He shrugged.

"Well lucky you, because I've been haunted by the crimson brotherhood ever since I was a kid and by the way my grandfather lived I know I'll be haunted by them until the day I die."

"You really think that the Crimson brotherhood had to do something with your grandfather's death, don't you?"

Charles felt the pulse in his throbbing head return as he clenched his teeth, freezing his jaw.

"Like I told you yesterday, all of this goes beyond these walls. We were stupid to think that they were as massive as they look."

"We were kids Charles, we didn't know what we were getting into when we pledged."

"Yeah, but I'm not a kid anymore."

Charles and Luca walked along the concrete snaking its way through campus, until their paths separated them.

"See you at the Clubhouse."

*******

Making a friend helped, Magali thought. Of course there was the occasional language barrier, nevertheless, Magali understood what Mia meant when she told her to follow the signs from now on. She had managed to be on time for all of her classes for the day, which was a small victory for man. Although she didn't need to follow the signs in order to get to the library. She had been shown the way before.

"Bonsoir, Magali."

"Bonsoir Mr Macron."

She was already acquainted with the school's librarian by now, a retired archaeologist in his seventies. He had shown her the way to the history aisle where she had spent all afternoon yesterday. History seemed to be the subject that Magali would be tossling with this semester. To study someone else's history felt like reading a king's biography. All Magali could be was critical of all the one sided stories of the people she was forced to study. Nevertheless, she was determined to translate all of her scriptures for this year's history course. Her teacher, Mr Meragio, made it clear that he wouldn't go easy on her just because Italian wasn't her first langues. Good, Magali thought. Never in her life had she asked anyone to go easy on her.

So there she was, on a Thursday night, translating scriptures in the isolating aisles of the school library. Magali had yet signed up for any extracurriculars or clubs; the task of translating every scripture in her history book was her only chance to feel at level with the other students in her class and it would require time that she was willing to sacrifice.

"Reading something funny are you?"

Magali brought her hand to her mouth to smother her surprised shriek. She thought she had been alone. At one point during that evening Magali found herself laughing out loud at some of the ridiculous content in her history book. "Desolé, I didn't mean to disturb..."

For a second she didn't quite know who she was apologizing to, there was no one with her in the aisle. However, in the shadows where the light wouldn't go, a shape was seen moving towards her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Said a voice familiar to her ears. Charles stepped into the light with his hand lifted in defense.

"Charles putain!" She had already gathered her books in her embrace, by means to escape. His grin was infuriating.

"Who laughs out loud at a..." He picked up one of her books. "...A History book?" He frowned.

"If you must know..." She said, snatching the book out of his grip. "It's not just any history book. It's this school's history book." Magali was too embarrassed to resume her studies, Charles' sudden ambush had left her flustered.

"Come on, don't leave!" He called after her. "I said I was sorry."

"How long have you been sitting there in the dark, watching me study?" She hissed.

Charles' brows rose in surprise. He hadn't been watching anyone. Along with the dimmed lights and the soft carpet, Charles had simply fallen asleep where he had come to study amongst the bookshelves. It had been Magali's laughter that brought him out of his deep slumber.

"I wasn't watching you." He said, his voice drowsy.

"No? What were you doing then?" Magali noted Charles' rough state. The way his body weighed on one foot.

He yawned. "I'll tell you if you tell me what exactly you were laughing at."

This was their second encounter on the premises, she thought. Would there be more?

Magali sat back down reluctantly, re-spreading her books on top of the study table. Charles pulled up another velvet sofa, joining her. He grunted as he leaned back in the seat.

"Ca va?" Magali asked.

"Oui, ca va." He groaned. "Just read me the joke from the book."

"Well it wasn't really a joke." She said, whipping up a marked page in her history book. "It was these so-called gentlemen that I found amusing." Magali was glad to let her French accent flourish again, not worrying about her tight grammar. So far she could only do that with Charles...and her French teacher Madame Lombroso of course.

"What's so funny about them?" Charles said, rubbing the top of his stomach.

Magali hesitated, suspecting that Charles might be in pain. However, he waved for her to go on. "Well, there's this group of men that calls themselves "Gentlemen." These founders of some kind of secret society. I don't really know what it has to do with the history of this school, but it's really entertaining."

"How so?"

"Because it's hypocrisy." She laughed. "Why is the school allowing us to read such pride and prejudice of these so-called gentlemen? It's...it's..."

"Brainwashing?"

Magali looked up from her book and noticed Charles' piercing gaze. "Exactly." She gulped.

"I....I just think It's a bit too much, that's all."

"Wait until you've read The Book of The Cadets." He chuckled. "Talk about brainwashing."

"The book of what?"

Charles stopped and stared, his eyes searching her face. "I thought you said you've read all about this school? Don't tell me you haven't heard of The Crimson Cadets, the gentleman of this school?"

Magali shook her head "I have, I just didn't realize that you..." Her hands had begun to tremble. Charles wasn't being himself, then again, she didn't really know him. Some guy she met on the train, a familiar face to recognize in the hallways. Magali thought of ways to excuse herself.

"You know Magali..." Charles began. He let his hand rest flat on his thigh. "...I can make your life really easy at this school. Would you want that?"

Magali found herself shaking her head. The way he said her name, dark and lustful. "I'm doing fine on my own, thanks."

"Is that so?"

Magali found herself staring at his bloodvain hands. Something was missing.

"Magali?"

Somewhere in the distance someone called her name.

Charles' head jerked to the side, noticing the girl standing next to them.

"Mia?" Magali frowned. "What are you doing here, I didn't hear you coming."

Mia was hesitant to answer, appearing slightly taken back by the encountering scene.

"Mia?" Magali chuckled as her friend stood frozen. Charles on the other hand seemed to linger in his fury, fury of the sudden interruption.

"I was just...." Mia stuttered. "....the girls in your dorm said you would be here."

"Why, were you looking for me?"

Mia looked to Charles before answering, almost as if she was asking him for permission to speak. "Thought I'd introduce you to Signor Casquette, he's in his office now." She said, letting her gaze drop to the ground.

"Right." Magali nodded and rose to her feet, seeing as this was her chance to escape. "I guess I'll see you around Charles?" Quickly she gathered her things, ignoring the empty look on his face. Just as they were about to leave, Charles muttured, "Signor Casquette, are you going to see him?"

Magali, unsure of what to say, noded in response.

"Well, come see me later, then we'll have a laugh."

Magali and Mia left the library in silence, only when the oak ports were far away behind them, did they speak.

"Please tell me you don't know Charles Leclerc." Mia exhaled.

"I don't, I really don't." Magali said. "Why?"

"Then why were you talking to him, sitting so close?"

"I don't know, I don't know." Magali repeated, perhaps exhilarated from what had just happened. "He's just some guy I met on the train on the way here. He's shown me around the school a bit, but that's it!"

"Good." Mia nodded. She pinned Magali's back against the concrete wall. "Anything and anyone that has to do with the crimson cadets is bad news, do you hear me?"

"Bad news." Magali frowned. "Why?"

"Just trust me, avoid them at all costs."

With that, the two left the east wing. Magali would be introduced to Signor Casquette some other time, right now Mia would walk her back to the dormitories, hoping that Magali would take her advice.