“This is clearly a shoe-string gig,” the baritone voice continued. “But my dear Anguish has wanted me to perform here for so long.”

“W-w-what do you want?” Gemini asked nervously. The panic on his face betrayed the control he usually had over situations. Even Electra looked angrier from the sudden party crashing.

The voice chortled. “What would the mystery and intrigue be in simply telling you, foolish clown?”

The merriment in the voice ceased. “But let me tell you this: I am now conducting this castle like a famous concerto. I’m playing everyone here down to the very last note. And soon, once I find what I’m looking for tonight, I will not only control this castle, but the very world itself.”

The sinister voice gave a bellowing laugh as Tal ran to the center of the dance floor. He held out his hand, and it extended double the length, becoming a shadow sword “Show yourself, Phantom Lord! Face me and I will cut you with the same shadow blade you sliced my face with. I will stab you for every person of my tribe you killed; then you will feel my pain!”

There was a loud strum from a violin and Tal crashed into the fountain of beverages, toppling it over. “Fifth rate player!” the Phantom Orchestrator howled. “You think you can face me as you are now? I think not.”

Tal moaned as the colorful fruit juice poured on top of him. “I make my exit now,” the orchestrator said. “But I shall soon return for the final movement in my greatest masterwork!”

The tense, cold air dissipated and the blue torches flickered to red. Mena ran to Tal’s aid, helping him up. “Are you ok?” she asked.

Tal sighed. “It’s my honor that hurts most.”

The crowd grew increasingly upset as panic set in. Everyone looked to Gemini who had a mixture of horror and confusion on his face.

“Well,” Electra said, with her large hands placed firmly on their hips. “Aren’t you going to reassure them that everything’s okay? This your castle after all.”

Gemini’s eyes shifted around the room. Mena was aware he was still feeling the hurt from Stellaris turning him down for her mother, but the young witch knew he had to be strong. “Everyone,” Gemini said weakly. “A terrifying, impossibly strong terror from the Nightmare Void has infiltrated our humble school…Don’t panic……”

“Oh, I need some magic iodine…” he muttered, before collapsing.

Several of the girls screamed. Some of the boys did too. People started running for the exit, but Electra thundered at them in her booming voice. “For Patricia’s sake, sometimes it really takes a grown woman to wear the pants in this situation. Stellaris, Caligari, Carrie, Gaia, gather your students please.”

Much to Mena’s surprise, Caligari rose out of the shadows right by the exit to the ballroom. She barricaded the door with a shadowy void. “Everyone,” she said firmly. “Remain calm. Phantoms feed on the terror they inflict on people.”

Stellaris leaped to her side. “We’re going to place this school under magical lockdown. I’ll lead you to your rooms. Carrie and Gaia, work on evacuating the boys back to the Sunbeam School.”

“Gotcha!” Gaia said, beckoning the boys to come to with him and Carrie. “I wasn’t doing anything else tonight, honest.”

“My meaty morsel!” Leo shouted, and he grabbed May, scooping her in a lion hug. “It’s such a shame I must part with such a succulent dish.”

“I really hope he wasn’t planning on eating her later,” Janus said drolly.

“I guess this is goodbye,” Tal said, grabbing hold of Mena’s hand. “It was quite a night of adventure for both of us. If I cannot bring his end, I hope someone stops this monster. He cannot be allowed to run lose and take any more lives.”

“I’m going to miss you!” Mena said, as his warm hand slipped from her reach.

Tal looked back at her. There was a sorrowful look in his remaining eye. “Promise you’ll help me stop him,” he implored her.

Mena was not sure if she could fulfill Tal’s request, but the pain on his face made her feel even more motivated. “You got it, Prince Cutie!”

“Thanks, Miss Shiny Grin,” Tal said, the darkness leaving his face. ”Oh, and you might want to ask a Moonchild about the dreams you’ve been having. We had one in my village and they might be able to help you.”

The prince smiled as he left the room, and Mena knew she made the right choice by agreeing to help him. The Phantom Orchestrator’s voice echoed in her head. “Once I find what I’m looking for tonight.”

The young witch wondered if he meant the gilded door itself. She was certain that if she didn’t find it herself, someone even worse than Gaia could. She had to reach that Moonchild in the maze tonight.

“Come with me,” Caligari said, appearing before Mena. “Gather your friends and I’ll lead you back to your room.”

***

Caligari seemed to have lost all trace of the bashful, broken-hearted schoolgirl within her as she guided Mena, May and Janus through the corridors. Instead, her face was serious and determined. “I know what you’re thinking,” Caligari said as they reached the dining hall.

“What?” Mena asked.

“I know you want to deal with the Phantom Lord,” she said stolidly. “After all, Gemini selected you for that very job as a Rainborn, and you obviously want to make that boy of yours happy.”

Mena’s face turned bright pink. “Uh…”

“I wouldn’t recommend it, Mena,” Caligari said. “If you think I scare you, imagine what a full-blown phantom is like. They like to mortify people so badly that their eyes would pop out of their skulls if they could.”

“That sounds awesome!” Janus said, before everyone else glared at her. “I mean, awesomely terrible.”

“I know you think I’m hard on you,” Caligari said. “But at least I still have a conscience.”

Mena nodded her head.

“Let us handle things tonight,” Caligari said. “Gemini, Electra, Stella and I are highly trained in magical combat.”

“Got it,” Mena said, as they arrived at their room on the Cloud Wall. As Caligari bid them goodbye and headed back down the wall, the young witch uncrossed her fingers from behind her back.