A Bright light enveloped the area as Jack and Charlie shielded their eyes.

"What's that light?" He asked as soon as it was gone.

"Hm? Whoa, Deuce! The anemone on your head's gone!" Ace gaped.

Deuce frantically touched the top of his head. "Huh?! You're right!"

"Same for me and Ace!" Grim smiled.

Charlie cheered, "WooHoo! I knew they could do it!"

The twins stopped at her words. "What did you say?" "Whatcha mean by that, Koebi-Chan?"

Grim smirked in retaliation. "We made a bargain with Leona to get him to help us out with our little scheme!"

"Whaaa~? That bum's always lazing around! Sleeping just like a sea lion! Like he'd help you!" Floyd snorted.

"As a dorm leader, he'd never think about backstabbing Azul. How exactly did you convince him to help?" Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Simple, really. We told him that we'd be outta his hair by the final day if he cooperated with me and getting the Ramshackle Dorm back to who it really belongs to. Or else we'd keep him up every night as long as we were here!" Charlie put it.

"And to prove that, we gave an example of how loud we were last night! And cause of that, We stayed up all night screaming our heads off. And didn't sleep a second..." Grim yawned as proof.

Charlie snickered remembering last night. At one point, she remembered singing, "It's a Small World" and Leona looked about ready to murder her. If she wasn't born a female.

"So that explains why his throat was as rough as sandpaper." Deuce nods.

Floyd looked skeptically at the female. "Isn't that more of a threat than a deal?"

Jack cracked his knuckles. "An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." He recited.

Charlie shrugged, "Besides, I've stayed up late before. Nothing unusual. Note to self: never stay up until 4am on the disco channel after drinking RedBull, that shit can mess you up!"

"Now's about time for some payback! I've got my wind spells back!" Ace grabbed his pen.

"Come forth, cauldron!" The clatter of a familiar object sounded. And Deuce smiled, "Yes! I knew it!"

"Fggya! I'm the one who can't be sure since we're still underwater!" Grim frowned.

Ace brushed it off. "Nah, s'okay. We're better off without your flimsy lil flame."

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Jade whispered, "Let's get back Floyd. The anemones disappearing can only mean one thing...."

"Yea, you're right...." His twin agreed. It before they could move,

"Hold it right there, you! We're just getting started!" Deuce points.

Ace followed, "Yea, you ain't going nowhere! Why dont'cha play some more, chickens?"

Floyd suddenly grew angered and said in a low voice, "These little brats...you won't fare long..."

"Floyd, there's no time! Ugh, so be it."

Then they launched into their fight.

Charlie, however, grasped the stone tightly. She looked around the area, noticing that this may be her chance. Looking down at the object in her hand, she smiled.

"The Artemis Stone? Well, let's see what Artemis can do!" She felt the stone glow brightly in her hand as the current suddenly started to drift around her, forming a cyclone of water around her, spinning faster and faster and faster until it became a blur around her body.

She strained to hold it until the right moment. She felt her veins filling with adrenaline. Slowly, her hair flashed and bright turquoise highlights striped along her hair, her bangs and ponytail.

Her eyes creased.

"Now!" She threw her hand forward, the moonstone shining it's equilibrium. The cyclone followed and shot forward in a flurry of razor-sharp waves, barreling right towards the twins.

Ace gasped as he screamed and flew out of the way. The others ducked too. But the twins were not so lucky as the they screamed being hit by the sudden force, hurling away from the others.

They regained their bearings, dizzy at what happened.

She smiled. She was leveling up, reveling at her growing power.

"Whoa! Koebi-Chan may be small but she's strong!"

"It seems we were wrong about her...."

"But those rascals...they're such a pain!"

"We must leave! There's no guarantee we'll be there to see what's wrong with Azul." Jade forced his brother to turn back.

"Tch....fine." Floyd agreed and they swam off fast.

Grim jumped and flipped. "Yes! We drove them away!"

Charlie flashed a thumbs up, joining the others. "Bel lavoro, guys!"

"We should get back as well! Let's show Azul he was wrong about us and celebrate this win!" Jack smiled in triumph.

Charlie moaned in pain, the familiar feeling was back. Her eyes grew milky white as She held her head seeing what the third eye had. The vision were acting up just as before.

Tentacles.

Streams of magic fading.

Bright icy eyes staring at her, full of suffering, delusion, and anger.

She gasped as her eyes flew open. "Crap....something's wrong!!" She shrilled as she swam faster for the portal, as the guys struggled to keep up with her frantic movements.

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The sky became dark, the waters were opaque and not as crystal clear as before. And everything was on edge.

"Lightning powers, and athleticism! I want it all?!" Azul's screeched. The student screams as he felt his magic become drained. He fell limp like a dead body against the concrete.

Ruggie was tense. "What exactly is he taking from everyone?! Bodies are falling one after another!" He looked around the area seeing various students have passed out.

"It seems that he can take everything from someone with his unique magic if there's no contract in place. My guess: the contract acts as a check and balance for his magic." Leona nods grimly.

"Wha?! That's so fucking terrifying!"

"Yea. That forbidden class of magic will build up an excessive amount of blot in an instant."

The sound of running footsteps was audible as Charlie, ADeuce, Grim, Jack and the Leech brothers saw the damage. The Leech twins were in their human forms and Charlie's uniform was in place of her swimwear. But her teal highlights stayed for the time being.

"Azul! What are you doing?" Jade demanded.

"Eh? What's going on?" Floyd looked worried.

"This is fucking crazy!" Ace trembled.

"He's gone insane!" Deuce nods.

"And he's draining the student's abilities like nnothing!" Jack's eyebrows folded down.

"Eeek! Leona! It's because you picked on him didn't you?!" Grim shouted at the third year.

"How's this my fault? You told me to destroy the contract like you said." He rebuttled.

"Yet we didn't say pick on him, you fuckin' moron!" She punched him in the chest.

"Jade! Floyd! Ahh! You're back...finally!" Azul sighed. He eyes the Savana duo. "Those rat bastards went and destroyed my contracts all together! Your powers...I need it...I WANT IT!"

"Stop this this instant! You're aware you can't control your unique magic properly without a contract to stabilize it. You're out of control! If you keep going like this, you know what will happen!" Jade tried to persuade him, but it fell on deaf ears.

"It's all gone, you know. Everything...aHahaha....AHAHAHAHA!!! I don't want to go back to who I used to be...." Azul's sounded like a frightened child.

"Uuhh, Y'know, you're way lamer now than who you were before..." Floyd said bluntly.

Azul looks at him like a fox towards its prey, his voice becoming shakier and demented with every word. "So you say...? I'm just an idiotic and clumsy being that can't get anything done by himself. So I'll just keep stealing until I'm the best version of myself that I can be! A wonderful voice, powerful

Magic, everything and anything is all mine! GIVE IT NOW!!!" He threw his hands up towards the sky as streams of purple light flew off in every direction, and streams of magic flying from all over. Pained voice cried for help, shaking Charlie, as the black cloud started to grow bigger and bigger.

Floyd started to get freaked out, "What is that?! There's black goo spewing from him. That's....that's not ink..."

Jade was equally, if not more, worried than his brother. "His powers are out of control! He's absorbing magic at high levels. He'll overblot at this rate!"

Azul started to chuckle. He breathed in an let out a psychotic laugh.

As Charlie's vision faded, there was Azul. Tentacles for legs, turning his skin purple and black as night. A collar much like Riddle's wrapped behind his neck as inky blobs floated off his shoulders. Webbing of ink lined his forehead. Eyes had become a bright icy blue, purple flame alight on his left eye. A gold shell hung on chain around his neck.

Grim hid behind her shoulder. "Ffggna! He's got tentacles!"

"This is his true form when underwater." Jade answered.

"A-and what's that shadow behind him?! I can't squeeze something like that." Charlie stared behind Azul to see the shadow blot incarnation behind him, wielding Triton's trident.

Leona twirled his staff. "Right now, we gotta get him back to his senses!"

Ruggie prepared to fight as well. "Or we can say hello to anemones on us!"

Charlie bit her lip as she racked her mind for an answer. 'Wait...that's it! I remember.....'

~~

Charlie sat in the library quietly as she scanned her grimoire. She had meant to go back and memorize what Ophelia had taught her from that day's lesson. But instead, had come across a little extra note when she had found the same spell Ophelia cast on Riddle.

" 'Liberato Magia.... translated to: the freedom of Magic....' despite its namesake, it is one of the most powerful enchantment spells in Seer existence. Those of Lyastra blood can cast this spell when the time calls for it. It can either free any stolen magic from people, true to its name, or moreso, set someone free from a state of corruption'."

~~

"I've read that not only is the Liberatio Magia spell used to free someone from from corruption, but it can also free captured magic in the vicinity! Maybe I can try...with the Artemis Stone!"

Azul begged, his voice sounding so broken.

"Yea, normally I'm cool with making deals....but at this moment, I don't think so!" "Agreed."

"Ophelia...do you trust me?" She says quietly, hoping she could hear her.

"Trust you with what?"

"Azul...he's gone beserk! I need to use Liberato Magia to save him and give the students back their powers!"

"What?! Charlotte, no! It's too dangerous! You're still in training!"

"Please! There's no time! If we don't hurry, he could die any second! Please Ophelia, just this once! Just this time, and I'll never use it again unless you tell me too!" She pleads.

Ophelia stayed silent. Then, heard her sigh. "Okay. But only once. And until you're good and ready, okay?"

"You have my word." Charlie nods. Holding the moonstone firmly in her hand. Her arms raised to either side of her body, and felt like floating on air.

"Now repeat after me..."

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The others saw light in the corners of their eyes. They turned back to find Charlotte floating on air. Her braid had become undone, dark locks afloating on the wind as she whispered...

"Powers of the sun,

the forces of the moon,

and the stars, far and wide, which imbue the sky!

Let my light shine in its eternal night!"

"Uh....what's she saying?" Ruggie looked a bit scared as he saw the light getting brighter. No one tried to answer him, as they were too fixated on the glowing aura.

"Show me thy appearance, with such shine.

With my aspect complete,

lend me thy power to leave no corner untouched!

So that I free the one from the shadows that restrain him!"

"I don't know what she's saying, but it won't end well!" Jack trembled.

Azul screeched as he drew his hand out, beckoning this newfound surge of power to come to him.

It never did. He tried again. The same results.

Suddenly her eyes opened, concealed in white light.

"I invoke you....Liberatio Magia!!"

"Look out!" Deuce screamed. Everyone ran for cover.

Several light spheres were unleashed, shooting like stars against an inky sky. Gaining more speed and velocity, glaring brighter and brighter.

Like a bomb, they blew up together in a wave of light. That same explosive light energy roared, making everyone cover their ears. It was too loud, Azul was never heard as he was consumed by the light. The wave shot out, stirring rough currents of water, sending everything into a frenzy.

Then, it became quiet. The seas were calm, the light has dimmed, and no one made a sound.

Charlie stood still, her body stiff as a statue. Save for her labored breathing. Her arms had dropped, her hair was stripped of its teal coloring, back to its dark chocolate brown shade.

The others looked over to see her standing before them, not moving an inch, afraid to disrupt her or scare her.

"Shit...." Ruggie breathes, not over the shock.

"Koebi-Chan...?" Floyd asked, scared.

"Charlie...?" Ace was timid.

She didn't answer their calls. She stared ahead in a trance-like state.

She felt....like she couldn't move her lips, her hands, feet, or anything. Only her eyes stayed blinking, her breathe quivering and harsh.

The last thing she saw as she fell forward, losing consciousness, was Jack running towards her, arms outstretched, and Azul's sad-stricken face.

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My eyes opened. I was back in the dreamscape. Or so I prefer to call it.

"I was only ever meant to stay inside an octopus pot." Azul's voice sounds.

I was in a small classroom of sorts. There were three figures in a part of the classroom. Two with tails and one with tentacles. The two with tails had snarky grins on their faces. The other looked so...helpless. Vulnerable.

"He-ey! It's Azul, the ink spitter!"

"Hurry! Run! He's got all those creepy legs!"

"P-please...Stop it! Why would y-you say that..." Child Azul stuttered, not looking them in the eye. But they never stopped their torments.

"Get away from him! Or you'll be inked!!"

"Hahahahahaha! He'll never catch us!" They swam away, the teasing remarks leaving stings in their wake.

Azul looked away, crying his heart out. He curled himself inwards into a ball, hoping he could disappear from this place, and into another.

I felt my heart clench, hearing his broken sobs. I knew that feeling all too well....being pushed around and laughed at for being the black sheep of the school.....