chap 1

It was supposed to be a normal school trip.

That was the first mistake.

Dan Xarek stood in the courtyard of an ancient medieval castle, wearing his usual black clothes and looking as bored as a man attending a three-hour lecture about the history of spoons.

Beside him stood his best friend, Nelson Rim, a tall, slim blonde boy with blue eyes and the physical abilities of an Olympic athlete.

"Dan," Nelson said, "please try to behave yourself for once."

"Nelson, I'm offended."

"Good."

"I'm not that boring."

Nelson stared at him.

"Name one school trip where you haven't caused trouble."

Dan thought for a moment.

"Define trouble."

"Exactly."

Meanwhile, their classmates were listening to the tour guide explain the castle's history.

"Many centuries ago," the guide announced, pointing toward an enormous old cannon, "this weapon was used to defend the castle against enemy forces."

Dan's eyes suddenly lit up.

For the first time that morning, something had successfully attracted his attention.

"A cannon," he whispered. "Finally. Something at this school with a real chance of firing me up."

Nelson slowly turned toward him.

"No."

"I haven't even done anything!"

"Your face has already committed three crimes."

Dan approached the cannon. He noticed a small lever beside it and grinned.

The cannon was pointing directly at the neighbouring tower, which was currently covered in wooden scaffolding because it was undergoing renovations.

Perfect.

Well, not perfect.

But Dan wasn't exactly famous for thinking things through.

"Imagine," he said, "if I pretended to fire this thing. Everyone would jump, the teacher would scream, and I'd become a legend."

"Or you'd become the reason we never go on school trips again."

"Nelson, history remembers the brave."

"History also remembers the stupid."

"Good. I'll make both lists."

Dan reached for the lever.

He had absolutely no idea that the cannon was still loaded.

CLUNK.

A strange mechanical sound echoed through the courtyard.

Dan froze.

Nelson's smile disappeared.

"Dan… what did you just do?"

Dan slowly turned his head toward his best friend.

"Funny story."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The cannon fired.

A real cannonball shot across the courtyard, heading straight toward the neighbouring tower.

For one beautiful, terrible second, everyone stood completely still.

Then the tour guide dropped his clipboard.

A teacher screamed.

Someone shouted, "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

And Dan, watching the cannonball fly through the air, managed to say the least useful sentence in human history:

"Oh."

Nelson grabbed him by the shoulders.

"OH?! THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"

Dan blinked.

"Well, I could say 'oops', but I feel like we've gone beyond oops."

The cannonball hurtled toward the scaffolding.

CRAAAAAAAAAASH!

A cloud of dust swallowed the neighbouring tower.

Wooden planks tumbled everywhere. Stones shook loose. The entire castle courtyard fell silent.

Dan stared at the destruction.

Nelson stared at Dan.

Dan slowly raised one finger.

"In my defence…"

"YOU HAVE A DEFENCE?!"

"Technically, I thought the cannon was empty."

Nelson closed his eyes.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Dan swallowed.

"On the bright side, the renovations are going much faster now."

"DAN XAREK!" roared their teacher.

Dan sighed.

"And there goes my perfect attendance record."

But neither of them noticed something strange.

Deep inside the damaged tower, beneath the fallen scaffolding and ancient stones, a mysterious blue light had just awakened.

And whatever was sleeping down there…

It had heard the cannon.