Tony clung to the cell gate, his fingers wrapped tightly around the bars. His eyes met Elsie's—and her heart sank. Seeing her big brother like this broke her. She cried softly. It wasn't much, but it was real.
"What happened?" Elsie asked through trembling lips.
"It's a long story… but I'm innocent," Tony cried out. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked straight at her, filled with helplessness.
Another figure stood behind Elsie. It was Skyler.
"Who's that?" Tony asked in a whisper.
"The maid," Elsie replied.
Tony leaned closer to the bars and whispered again, "Give her a message. For Yamin. On my behalf."
"What message?" Elsie asked.
"I want to write it," Tony said.
Skyler nodded, understanding. She turned and headed back to the cellkeeper downstairs.
"I need a quill and parchment," she requested.
"Here," the cellkeeper said, handing them over.
Skyler returned and passed the items to Tony.
This is what he wrote:
From Tony,
I write to you with a plea. Please, let me out of this place, and Gabby as well. I'm innocent;not sure she is .
Also… about what happened earlier.
I'm sorry. Truly.
—Tony
He folded the note carefully and handed it to Elsie.
"Give it to Mela. She'll take it to Yamin," he said.
Elsie nodded, clutching the message tightly as her brother watched her with hope clinging to his every breath."Where would she be by now?" Elsie asked.
"Probably in the judgment hall," Mela replied.
As they arrived, Mela approached the gate.
"I'm with them. One of the two requested us," she explained. The guards gave a brief nod and let them in.
Elsie and Skyler waited near the council leaders' room while Mela walked to Yamin's private chamber. She would be staying there overnight. Mela clapped gently at the door
—knocking was considered rude when addressing someone of Yamin's status. She waited patiently.
Inside, Yamin was occupied, as usual, with her books—studying ancient magic and unraveling deeper secrets. Minutes later, she called out:
"Who's there?"
"It's Mela," she answered.
"Where have you been? I wanted you to deliver a message for me."
"I'm here now, aren't I?" Mela responded calmly.
Yamin stepped out with a folded note in hand.
"Take this to Tony. His cell code is attached."
But before Mela could leave, she spoke again.
"He already sent me a message," she said, handing over Tony's note to Yamin.
Yamin took it silently, her expression unreadable.
"You can go now," she said—not harshly, but firm enough to end the conversation.
Back in the council room, Mela shared everything with Elsie and Skyler.
"What if Yamin turns it down?" Elsie asked, worried.
"Then everything falls apart," Skyler said grimly.
They left the room, bypassing the guards quietly. No one spoke. Each was lost in their own thoughts… until something clicked in Skylar's mind.
"Wait. I've got an idea," she said suddenly. "Let's go to Z-12. He might help us."
The three girls—Skyler, Elsie, and Mela—hurried to the old laboratory room where Z-12 worked.
What would happen there?
Would Yamin give in and help Tony and Gabby escape? Or would things take a darker turn?
Just as they reached the lab—
"Ohhh—what's that?!"
Mela and Elsie screamed in unison.
Something strange on the table inside the dim, flickering lab…