When she got home, Winter barely made it to the bed before collapsing. She felt a slight twinge of pain in her left leg and recalled the events of that day. Her eyes sparkled with the memory of the library and she smiled thoughtfully before pulling Sam's book out from her bag. She opened it to the front page and lightly ran her fingers over the words, "Stories Untold." She was too drained to go through it in that moment so she hid it in her bookshelf and sagged into her pink beanbag chair. Winter glanced at her leg and her hand traveled along the new scar. Injuries on her body never hurt for long. The doctors her mother had taken her to always said something about abnormal wound healing. She was blessed because showing weakness was a luxury she could not afford. Jumbled theories and ideas darted around in her mind. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain. Winter often got migraines as a result of neurological exertion. She paused, and attempted to organize her ideas slowly.
Winter had no need for her alarm the next morning as she was awake before it could make itself useful. She put on her uniform and got to school early so she could explore campus before class started. The first place Winter went to scout was the west wing, where Jax had told her the headmaster's quarters were. There were extensive security parameters set up. She remembered to stay eleven feet away at all times to avoid triggering the alarm. Winter noted cameras, guards, an alarm system, and a biotech locked door. She groaned and moved on to her next location. She scourged almost half the campus for the dungeon before students started coming out of their dorms. Still Winter scanned the area, intent on finding the entrance to the dungeon, "Maybe there are tunnels."
Before she could go further, she heard her friends calling her, "Winter!" She winced and turned around. Mandy waved her down enthusiastically prior to clomping her. Layla smiled, half surprised, "You got here early." "Yeah well, you know what they say. 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'" Mandy furrowed her eyebrows, "Who says that?" Winter giggled, "Benjamin Franklin." Layla shook her head, amused, "That translates to 'the earlier I get here the sooner I'll find answers.'" Mandy clung on to Layla, displaying her agreement with the statement, "Winter, if you need help just ask us alright?" Winter mulled over the idea for a moment, "Actually, have you guys ever gotten into trouble before?" Mandy and Layla looked at each other and then back at her. Winter waved her hand, clarifying herself, "I mean have you guys even visited the detention dungeon?" They shivered in unison. "The detention dungeon? Of course we've never been down there." Winter smirked, devilishly, "Time to go looking for trouble."