In front of the four of them in the carriage, there is a small chest. Finley is bounced out of his thinking when Julian reaches forward to open it. The four look inside, seeing four plain masquerade masks. It makes sense, for Gillian people can be mean. If they come to the KSDL gates and see someone they recognize, they will make it their goal to make them as uncomfortable as possible. They will send threats in the mail, dangerous gifts, and even weird and obsessive letters. Ever since the council noticed it beginning to be a problem, a disguise rule was put in place. More safety precautions. But these precautions can also be a bit dangerous themselves. The masks are not the most “subtle” and they can easily tell people that the KSDL carriages have arrived.

The gravel under the coach shakes the friends inside it, and they can see how dirty the air is with the amount of dust that flies in the sky. "I haven't seen Gillian in a long time...." Ella mumbles, eyes wide and a little nervous. But she has a right to be.

Her mother lives in Gillian, as well as her father. They are not nice people, and it is very likely that she will see them at least once. Ella came to the KSDL when she was just four years old. She had run away on her own, as shocking as it sounds. She was beaten bloody when she ran up to the gates, and a Universe Dragon had immediately flown over it to pick her up to safety. She was immediately sent to the care center, where the doctors and council found she had been running on a broken leg, too high off adrenaline to even feel the pain. She stayed in the hospital for weeks until her nanny came in to get her for the first time.  

Nanny Madeleine can be an extremely strict and sometimes scary nanny, but Ella does indeed adore her, and her nanny does treat her with love and care. Ella knows Lady Madeleine’s strict rules are around just to keep her safe. She knows her mother is still traumatized by the image of her little girl with bloodied bandages all over her body. So, Ella listens to give her peace of mind.

Julian is a different story. His widow of a mother could not take care of him anymore. She brought him to the gates when he was only six, desperate for him to have some warm food. She comes to visit three times a year. Christmas, his birthday, and Thanksgiving. 

And then that leaves Cailin and Finley. They are not considered orphans, because nobody is sure whether their parents are alive or not. But for now, both kids are completely fine without knowing. They love their nannies and cannot think of anyone better than them.

The coach slowly comes to a stop on their first marker, and Ella excitedly looks out the window. "It's a teenager!" She says excitedly, turning to look at the others as they all begin to put on their masks. 

Ella opens the right-hand side door, and the young boy lifts his head up rapidly when he hears them. Cailin quickly closes the door behind them, and the four of them glance up and down the road, but it looks to be mostly deserted. 

The young boy looks to be about 13, their age. He does not seem to be hurt, just dirty. His brown hair is matted and long to his shoulders, clothes scratched up and look to be a bit small on him. He does not seem to be frightened by the four friends that stand a little way in front of him. He is just shocked, and his attention seems to be on the horses, if anything.

"Hello," Finley begins nicely, feeling his wand tucked behind him, poking the middle of his back. 

He does not know how to use it yet, and if it is as powerful as everyone keeps saying it is, it can be quite dangerous. It could lead to some unwanted attention. Finley hopes he does not have to use it.

Ella keeps watch on one end of the street, and Julian at the other. Cailin and Finley keep their attention on the boy, whose brown eyes turn to look at Finley. He does not say anything. 

"My name's Finley, and this is Cailin, Julian, and Ella," he introduces and the boy glances at all of them, still not speaking. "Do you know who we are in general?" The blonde asks again, and the boy stares at him before nodding slowly.

Finley smiles. "Oh good, then this should be easy. You should come with us, we could give you a nice place to stay, some new clothes?"

The boy still does not say anything. He only shakes his head again. Finley frowns, Cailin fidgeting next to him. "Why not?" He asks simply, and the boy stands. 

The brunette gets in front of Finley protectively, and the younger boy tries not to roll his eyes. Ella and Julian are now keeping an eye on the silent kid, suspicious, as they watch him head down the alleyway. 

Finley looks over at the coachman, who nods once. The blonde walks around Cailin and begins to follow the young boy without hesitation. “Fin. What are you doing?!" Cailin shouts quietly, and Finley beckons them to follow.

"He wants to show us something," he responds, making it the other students’ turn to hesitate. They glance warily at each other for a few moments before Cailin, Ella, and Julian run after the blonde who has caught up with the young man.

The boy does not speak, keeping his eyes forward. Cailin watches closely for anybody who might be following, while Finley does not seem to mind the sketchiness of what is going on here. With a bit of grumbling, Cailin decides to trust him.