Mana, the modern term for magical energy, was something the body produced as naturally as Carbon Dioxide. Harnessing that energy enabled the casting of spells. It also passively protected the person from outside energy. Like white blood cells going after anything and everything it deemed dangerous. Part of this defense mechanism was increasing mana production whenever the person was hurt or distressed.

For the non-cursed population that was how it worked.

Not me though.

According to the copy of Mana, Magic, and Mysteries we had in Dragon Tower blocking that flow could have all kinds of side effects.

But honestly who knew what anything was in terms to my condition?

The only way to know was to see how I felt after the curse was gone and my body was allowed to do what it was always supposed to.

I had taken the gloves off after sitting down with the book and kept staring at my scars and the mark they revealed.

Annoying.

"I'm so proud of you."

I looked up to see Celica sitting across from me with the most prideful grin on her face I had seen since meeting her.

"What are we talking about?"

"A duel. With Representative Anubis," she started to laugh as she spoke, "I'm so proud."

"Don't be proud. I just stood there panicking."

"You accepted out of panic?" She stopped laughing to raise an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I tried to say no. She refused to let me. So now Fethris has to do it because I literally can't."

"Do you think he'll win?"

I threw my hands up, the book in my lap fell onto the cushions between the two of us. "I have no idea. Does he seem like the type to you?"

"Are you asking seriously or are you joking? Because I cannot tell."

"Mostly serious?"

"Who knows to be honest? Either way this will be highly entertaining."

"Well you guys have fun with it."

"What are you not even going to be there?" She demanded.

"I'm busy. Vivian Hearth is helping me deal with this," I gestured to the curse.

Why did no one understand?

I really needed to get some control of my life back.

Celica held out her hands gently, "Okay. Okay calm down."

I took a slow breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's fine."

"I just…I just wanted to go to school, learn magic and find out what I want to do with the rest of my life. It's been a lot so far and I didn't ask for any of this."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"And yet here we are," Celica gestured up towards the stained glass next to us.

Dragon Tower.

I leaned my head to the side and felt the somehow warm glass against my forehead, "I don't think I'd change this part. Except for the spiders. I could have gone without those."

Celica snorted, "Don't tell Fethris. I think he might like spiders."

My Towermates, talking to spiders and congratulating me on accepting a duel with someone three years older.

What is my life anymore?

I opened my eyes and tried to shake off the bad thoughts.

"He can have the spiders. As long as I don't have to see or hear them we're good."

Then again, there was a 'no pets' policy in the school.

Unless they are made of paper.

And no one told Professor Hearth.

I picked up Mana, Magic and Mysteries and stood up to go put it back in the workroom.

Celica remained where she was as I left.

Russel was in the workroom and again with a skull that looked like it came from a person. Except for the glass eyes in its sockets.

One of these days I was going to ask about that.

Not tonight though.

I was still done with the world for the day.

I put my book back on its shelf and hoped that tomorrow would be quieter.

I left the room when I noticed that Russel's skull was starting to glow orange.

Nope.

Do not want.

But it turns out what was waiting for me outside the room wasn't any better.

There was a very loud and wet sounding thud right at the start of the hallway.

I saw nothing, even as a shout of pain rippled in the air.

Then the handprints appeared.

Smudged and hazy but a shade of red that could only mean one thing.

Blood.

But why wasn't it glowing like other echoes?

There was blood on the floor too.

An alarmingly fast pool of blood was forming.

Then another thud. Softer this time.

That's when she came into view.

Glowing that familiar blue and still in her Dragon uniform. Red.

I stood in front of her and knelt down to get a look at her face.

There was a lot of blood. If she didn't get treatment soon…

A gloved hand reached out towards me.

"Serafina? Holy gods!" Fethris' voice came from behind me.

I didn't turn around. I couldn't move.

Red's breathing was heavy and labored.

Was she dying?

Some kind of instinct made me lean just a bit closer.

Red grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me even closer. She held me in a way that I couldn't see her face but my ear was right next to her lips.

"Find the Echo Chamber."

And then both her and her blood were gone.

I stumbled backwards onto my hands and backside.

"Did you hear that?" I asked as I turned to Fethris who was suddenly next to me.

"She grabbed you," Fethris said. "I didn't know they could do that."

"Find the Echo Chamber," I repeated to myself. "What in the hells is the Echo Chamber?"

"I'm a little more worried about all that blood. There's no way she survived that," Celica had joined us at some point while I was distracted.

That was a lot of blood.

Was Red actually dead? Was she a real ghost haunting this Tower?

No. That was impossible.

But there was also no way she survived that.

Worse still was her ability to interact with us.

The other Echoes couldn't do that. I was fairly sure.

"How about we don't mention this to Professor Hearth?" I suggested to both of them. "This could just have been a fluke. I'm sure there's a perfectly fine explanation. And we don't even know when this happened. It could have been centuries ago."

Except she was wearing the modern uniform.

And could see, touch, and interact with us.

I thought back to the first time I had seen Red. She had sounded surprised that I could see her.

None of this made any sense to me.

"If we tell Professor Vivian Hearth that you got grabbed by something in here we all go back to our previous Towers. Student safety is probably where she draws lines," Russel was leaning against the door frame to the workroom.

"We shouldn't tell anyone else either," I added. "If someone like Angelina finds out she'll tell every staff member until we get moved."

Celica nodded, "I am not going back to Kraken Tower."

I shook my head, "No. I have zero desire to go back to Pixie. I'm staying here. And we don't have any evidence that Red means harm. Are we all in agreement then? We're going to keep this quiet?"

For now at least.

"What's this about an Echo Chamber?" Jarec, either by hearing commotion or somebody telling him via group chat joined us.

"I have no idea. She said find it."

"But there aren't any more doors here," Celica commented. "The attic is empty and the other rooms are all normal."

Echo Chamber…

"I'll have to add it to the mystery pile for now. I think I'm just going to go to bed. I've had more than enough excitement for one day."

Whatever tomorrow had in store for me couldn't be any worse than this.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well that night.

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