After their narrow escape from the haunted dormitory, the Order met in their hideout—an abandoned classroom behind the art block, guarded by enchanted lockers that only opened if you answered riddles in Pidgin English.
Zina unrolled the scroll pieces on the floor. Two fragments now glowed softly, fitting together like puzzle pieces.
"We're halfway there," she said. "Three more fragments remain."
"Assuming no one eats us, explodes us, or throws us into another haunted corridor," Timi muttered, hugging a flask of hot cocoa like it owed him money.
But before they could plan the next move, something strange happened.
The bell rang.
Once.
Then stopped.
Everything froze.
Literally.
The air stilled. The lights paused mid-flicker. Dust stopped in mid-air.
Only Zina was moving.
She looked around in confusion. "What in the Harry Potter is this?"
From the hallway, someone walked in—slowly, calmly, like he owned the air.
It was Yusuf Bello.
Except this time, he wasn't wearing the usual uniform. His clothes shimmered like moving shadow. His eyes glowed silver. Time bent around him like silk.
"You're impressive, Zina," he said. "Few can resist time freeze."
Zina stood ready. "What do you want, Bello?"
"I want you to stop," he said simply. "Stop looking for the scroll. Stop building your little Order. Before you find something… you regret."
She raised her wand. "Or what?"
"Or I unfreeze time and let the rest of this school see what you really are."
He waved his hand.
Suddenly, Zina was standing in the middle of the dining hall. Everyone was frozen—except her. And at her feet was a floating vision.
A memory.
Her memory.
A younger Zina, standing in the middle of a burning room. Eyes glowing. Screaming. Uncontrolled power bursting out.
Timi, Adaora, and Desmond—were all there. Hurt. Crying.
The scene flickered and vanished.
"What… what was that?" she stammered.
"A future," Yusuf said, stepping closer. "One possible path. Unless you let me protect the scroll."
Zina clenched her fists. "You don't want to protect it. You want to use it."
Yusuf smiled, and for a moment, Zina thought she saw something behind that smile. Regret? Pain?
But then he said, "Time's up."
And everything snapped back.
Timi dropped his cocoa.
Adaora gasped. "Did anyone else just black out for like… ten seconds?"
Zina didn't answer.
She just stared out the window, where Yusuf stood under a tree, watching her.
Far away, in a locked Ministry archive, Inspector Banza whispered to a group of hooded figures:
"She's awakening. Her power is accelerating. If she finds the scroll's heart, we may not be able to control her."
One hooded figure replied: "Then we'll do what we must."
Another said, "Send in the dreamcatcher."