Beatrice barely got any sleep by the time Beau woke her up with the escalating threat of a scream. Or rather, Nova woke Beatrice up, because of her mandrake getting louder and louder. She had never heard a mandrake scream before, but whatever noise it was making while the earth witch slept, the tech witch did not like it one bit.

"Bee!" The taller witch said, shaking her roommate hard. "Wake up! Deal with your mandrake before it breaks all my screens! How can't you hear this?" Nova practically screamed, Beau was so loud.

Groggily blinking the sand out of her eyes, Beatrice threw her hand out and reached for the dropper on her bedside table. She had taken to just leaving the filled dropper beside the mandrake's plant pot so that she wouldn't forget or misplace it. Nova saw what Beatrice was reaching for, so she snatched it ahead and emptied the entire contents of the dropper into the mandrake's wide-open mouth, hoping to cut off the single, agonizingly long and loud screech that it had been holding for a few minutes now. Once the contents of the dropper fell into Beau's mouth, it closed its mouth and made a motion similar to licking lips. The mandrake simply wiggled deeper into its soil and went back to sleep. Nova couldn't believe her eyes. And all through the ordeal, Beatrice still hadn't woken up fully.

The tech witch sat heavily on her roommate's bed beside the bundle of blankets that was Beatrice. With a soft, private smile, she stroked Beatrice's hair. "Hey, Bee. It's time to get up." She said, to no response. "We really put you through some hell last night, huh? But you beat all four of us to the ground without breaking a sweat. And Hanan got so frustrated that she broke out her fire familiar and channelled flame magic through it too, but she still couldn’t burn through your plants? Professor Arcturus would be so proud of you if he saw our practice duels. Four opponents one after another with no break? I bet the professor would even say that your father would be proud of you or something, or that you remind him of your dad when they were your age... Some old man sentiments I guess, but... Bee..."

Nova leaned over, her voice soft and gentle. "I am so proud of you, you have no idea... Well, I can say what I really want to right now, right? You're asleep, you won't remember it..."

The tech witch lightly chuckled, rubbing at her cheek in an attempt to dissipate the blush she could feel warming her skin before Beatrice could wake up. "Anyway, you do have to get up soon. Don't want to be late for today's Games. The one-on-one duels are today, remember? Today's the duel with Circe."

Suddenly, Beatrice shot up in a wide-eyed panic, startling Nova so badly that even the tech witch's sheep-shaped familiar jumped. "Today's the duel!" she yelled, launching herself out of bed. The young druid immediately flew into a flurry of panic as she ran to and fro inside hers and Nova's dormitory, throwing earth-toned dresses, blouses, skirts, and flats all around the place. A slipper somehow landed on Fleece's fleece. "I completely forgot!"

"Bee, calm down!" Nova said, hands out in a placating gesture, but she didn't dare approach the whirlwind of panic and anxiety that was Beatrice. "It's today, but it's not this second! You still have time! At least have breakfast first."

"Oh gods, what time is it?" Beatrice wheezed, sitting heavily on her bed and pulling on a blouse. She hurriedly buttoned it, noticed that she had buttoned it incorrectly only once she was done, undid the whole thing, and buttoned it again. It was still wrong, and this one task was beginning to frustrate her so much that Nova noticed and approached. The tech witch gently took Beatrice's hands and laid them down on her lap, and she took over buttoning the stubborn blouse.

"It's still early, around nine in the morning," Nova said in a level voice, hoping that no signs of hysterics and urgency would help ground the earth witch. "The one-on-one duels don't start till the afternoon, but I figured knowing you you'd want to get some food and practice in before the big match."

"You're right," Beatrice said slowly, realizing that yes, under normal circumstances that didn't involve waking up in a panic, she would indeed go through the routine of eating breakfast and studying a bit. "Tea?"

"Yeah, let's get you some tea." Nova smiled as she smoothed down Beatrice's blouse, no properly buttoned. "Pancakes with the same honey that you put in your tea, right? Bee, why are you looking at me like that?"

Beatrice's heart leaped, and she stared a moment at Nova's face with a bewildered, almost shocked expression. "You...You remembered? How I like my breakfast?"

"Bee!" Nova chuckled. The tech witch said beside her roommate. "How many times have we had breakfast together? Okay, most of the time you wake up ahead, but those times that both of us wake up early, you always get the same thing, and have your tea the same way."

"I know, but I just didn't think you'd notice."

"Well, I did. We've been living together for a few months now." Nova trailed off and awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, was that weird? Now that I think about it, it's weird and creepy."

"No! No, not at all." Beatrice's smile was soft and sweet. "I find it really nice. You're so thoughtful."

The blush was returning to Nova's cheeks, but she laughed it off. "It helps that you stick to habits so much. Let's get going and have breakfast, I'm hungry. That is if you're ready?"

Beatrice cast one last look at her now messy half of the room, feeling mortified that she had let it get so unkempt in a needless panic. But Beau was satisfied and asleep, there was no harm done, and most importantly, Nova was with her. With a nod, she took the tech witch's hand in hers and the two roommates headed out to the castle grounds.

Breakfast went by without incident, and Beatrice thanked her lucky stars. The line at the cafeteria was short, and she got her pancakes and tea hot with a good serving of honey on the side. While she and Nova sat down for their breakfast, with the tech witch having a sandwich as she didn't stick to one single comfort food order every morning, Beatrice noticed something was amiss.

"Okay," Nova said between bites of her sandwich. "What's bugging you this time? You've been moving the same triangle of pancake around your plate with your fork for the past few minutes."

"It's quiet."

"Yeah, it is. Isn't that great?"

"No, it's too quiet."

Nova took one more bite of her sandwich but quieted down and actually looked around. It was true, the usually bustling dining hall was normally so packed full of students and so loud that it was hard to focus on table-side conversations. Now, there were barely any people.

The tech witch checked her phone. "Huh. It's still around nine-thirty; we usually see crowds around this time."

"Yeah, we do," Beatrice muttered, puzzled and distracted. She took a sip of her tea. "Where did everybody go?"

"The Games are on," answered a tired-sounding male voice. It was Lee, and he carried with him a tray with a hamburger and juice on it. "Do you mind if I sit with you guys?"

"Lee!" Beatrice beamed. "Yes, please, pull up a seat! How have you been?"

"I'm alright, thanks," Lee said slowly, not taking his eyes off Beatrice. Still staring at the earth witch, he leaned over the table, leaning closer and closer to Beatrice.

"Uh, I think that's enough, Lee," Nova said, her brows furrowed. It was strange behavior indeed, and Nova was growing weary. The fact that he was a werewolf, even if it was daytime, didn't escape her.

Lee leaned in as close as he could and sniffed Beatrice. The young druid couldn’t believe it; he actually sniffed her. But whatever it was he smelled on her, it seemed to satisfy whatever odd curiosity gripped him, and he sat back down on the other side of the table.

"Lee, what—" Beatrice started, but Lee held up a hand.

"I know, sorry. But I wanted to be sure." The third-year werewolf took a cautious glance at the people and tables around them. "I saw two of you in the hallway the other day."

"You saw the other me!" Beatrice said, hurriedly lowering her voice to a whisper at Nova's urgent shushing. "So you saw it too!"

Lee nodded. "I did, and I smelled something off. So, sorry, I had to give you a sniff to be sure it’s the real you."

"You smelled something?" Nova raised a brow. "Like what?"

Lee cast a nervous glance around them again and leaned in closer to the two witches. "It smelled like rotting meat. I'm a werewolf, I know what all kinds of meat smell like, and I am sure of what I smelled."

"Rotting meat?" Beatrice repeated, confused.

"I'm sure of it!" Lee repeated with more force. "That other Beatrice smelled like rotting meat. It was faint, so I guess that's why no one else raised an alarm about it, but it didn't get passed me."

"So not only do we have an impostor problem, now it turns out this impostor reeks." Nova took a sip of her drink. "Reeks, but subtly."

"Rotting meat..." Beatrice mused, lost in thought. The image of the strange off-white of the unmasked impostor's face and hands came to the forefront of her mind, and chills went down her spine.

"Bee?"

"I have a suspicion of what the impostors are, and I don't like it." The earth witch muttered. She resumed eating her pancake even though it had gone cold and she lost her appetite. "But that's something we'll have to deal with after the duel with Circe. That has to come first, get it out of the way."

"That is if you can keep your focus." Nova leaned forward, propped up with her elbows on the table. "Alright, I'll make a deal with you today, Bee. You focus exclusively on your duel with Circe, okay? I'll deal with the impostor if they show up within today. Okay? Ah, ah, no 'buts,' I will handle it. You focus." The tech witch reached over to squish Beatrice's cheeks to emphasize her point. Meanwhile, Lee chuckled at their antics.

"Alright, alright!" Beatrice giggled. "You have a deal, Nova. Only focus on the duel, I promise."

Satisfied with that answer but not believing the earth witch one bit, Nova sat back in her chair and finished her drink. "Glad that's settled. So, Lee, where is everyone? What Games are on?"

"It's the first-year races right now." Lee chuckled. "I saw some first year trying to carry on the legacy of the shopping cart, but he crashed into a tree and mangled the cart during warm-ups. Maybe he'll get it again next year."

"Oh, the races! Let's finish breakfast and go watch!"

"Sounds good, Bee. But Lee, why aren't you over at the field too?"

"Breakfast, and pre-contest jitters." Lee smiled as he took a bite of his burger. "I entered the third-year division of the races but I always get nervous just before the match start. Even watching the other years gets me all self-conscious."

"Well when it's your turn, we'll be there cheering you on!" Beatrice beamed. "What do you ride when you race?"

"Just a boring old broom, got to be honest. I'm fairly good at enchanting objects with flight, but I just have better control when riding a broom. If it wasn't for a tournament or anything, I could just use a flying carpet. I've managed everything from a carpet to a whole sofa, but of course, they have different aerodynamics and acceleration..."

Lee continued to talk about the viability of different household furniture to be used as methods of flying transportation, and Beatrice couldn't help but smile as she listened. When she first met Lee, he was protecting and comforting the crying first-years. He seemed so tired and withdrawn then, buried under troubles and the threat of possibly getting thrown out of Ravensburl. But here he was, openly talking about his passion with her and Nova. The two roommates weren't exactly close friends with the werewolf, but it warmed the earth witch's heart to see him sitting at breakfast with them and being excited about magic and flight.

The more that Beatrice watched and listened, the more she hardened her heart with resolve. Lee and the werewolves, Sascha, and whoever else was hiding in Ravensburl as their safe refuge, they must all be protected and comforted. They all had the right to learn about what interested them, to be passionate about magic and whatever else captured their fancy, and most important of all, to be safe and have friends. Beatrice took on a serious expression, with drawn lips and furrowed brow, as she stared off into the middle distance thinking about the upcoming duel and what might be at stake.

Lee quietly stopped and was about to voice his concern about Beatrice, when Nova subtly prompted him to continue talking about the races. The tech witch glanced pointedly over to her roommate, and the werewolf understood. She had a lot on her mind, and it was best to just let her be for a while.

Breakfast was finished quickly and it left the two witches in a good mood. Lee opted to jog around the castle grounds for a while after breakfast to work the jitters out before he goes to the race arena later for the third-year races. Beatrice, brimming with energy and determination, took Nova by the hand and pulled her along to their destination: the west field where the Skeet-Shooting arena had been erected. With all the school's focus currently being on the races, the other arena would be empty and available for some quick practice of stunning spells on magic targets. As the two turned the corner from the main hall and into the west hall, Beatrice stopped in her tracks.

"Headmistress Cassandra!" She said, surprised. The Headmistress was standing in front of the Necromancy classroom again, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

"Oh, Beatrice and Nova, a surprise to see you both here and so early!" The Headmistress smiled and waved the two over.

The earth witch took one step before she hesitated, her other foot already raised to take another step. Beside her, Nova hadn't moved. The tech witch only stared at the Headmistress through narrowed eyes.

Beatrice followed the line of Nova's gaze and stepped back as well. Standing alone in the classroom hallway, this time in front of the locked Necromancy classroom? The Abjuration class case was directly behind her. The two young witches shared a suspicious look, and both reached for their satchel and pocket respectively.

Instead of being on guard, insulted, or surprised, the Headmistress only smiled and nodded. "Good, very good." She spoke softly, and subtly gestured with her finger towards the small mounted raven statue that watched from its post above the hall's entryway. The stone bird's beady eyes were angled eerily at the three of them, and it squawked softly at the Headmistress's gesture.

"You're the real one," Beatrice whispered with relief, putting her hand down. She was so ready to cast very spell of entrapping vines at the school's headmistress! The relief she felt that she didn't need to do that was immense.

"I am, yes. And it occurs to me that we are going to need some way to identify each other properly from here on out." The Headmistress beckoned the two witches closer and lowered her voice. "Everyone may be preoccupied with the Games, including the staff, so both knowledge and resources are limited."

"Headmistress, why are you staring at the Necromancy classroom?" Nova said plainly, even rudely. The show with the stone raven didn't convince the tech witch one bit.

The Headmistress lowered her voice further. "Since the two of you seem to find trouble every day, and Miss Gaia is rather adamant at jumping into the fray whenever it happens, I might as well tell you. You both are mature young ladies, and quite powerful as I've seen recently."

"What do you mean, Headmistress?"

"Why, Nova winning the Skeet-Shooting competition? Congratulations, my dear! For a first-year of your background to win that competition on the first try with only the few months of training you've had is incredibly impressive. You have quite the talent, Nova."

The tech witch awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. "Thanks, Headmistress."

"And you, Miss Gaia, your practice duels with your friends were in full view of the east fountain raven. You all were there for hours!"

Beatrice chuckled and nodded. "They wouldn't let up until I beat all of them. Nova and The Witches Three are really the best!"

"Indeed they are. It's wonderful to have the depth of support your friends show you." The Headmistress smiled. "And what I did see during those practice duels is that you're quite the powerful witch yourself, Miss Gaia. Don't think yourself only a healer due to your family; you are so much more than that."

The earth witch's eyes widened as she heard the Headmistress's words. She never really thought of it like that. "Thank you, Headmistress. I'll try to live up to the family name—"

"Yes, but don't forget to make a name for yourself." The older witch's smile was kind and knowing. Beatrice couldn't help but wonder if she knew or saw something more, perhaps through the all-seeing eyes of her stone ravens.

Nova cleared her throat. "Thank you for your words, Headmistress, but the classroom?"

"Nothing gets passed you, Nova." The Headmistress smiled, but now the mirth didn't reach her eyes. "I'll be plain with you. I believe someone is attempting to break into and steal knowledge from the Necromancy classroom."