Just Before Sunrise - Nick, Sorin, & Tanek
Neculai had gone as a cat with the help of Sasha who had done his face painting. He'd mostly stuck around his friends, all of which came to a grand total of Sasha and Brendan. When not with his friends, since he didn't want to be clingy, he was on his own around some of the noisiest parts of the Halloween events.
The sound and the people were a comfort to him. He avoided Pegasus House, having no desire to run into Sorin or Sorin's friends who would be there chatting with him. With Sorin's friends occupied, it left him free to wander without worrying about stepping on anyone's toes.
All in all, it had been a good night.
He came back to the castle to wash off his smeared cat face paint in the sink, still a little bit tipsy from spending the last few hours at the Ladon bonfire. Nick would have gone to Pegasus to wash up and head to his room, but it wasn't quite dawn yet and Sorin would still be lurking around. Better to be safe.
He moved through the empty dark halls of the castle until he reached the boys' room. It was eerily quiet, and to Nick who had spent a long set of years locked in absolute solitude, it bothered him. He determined to make this quick and stopped at the first sink in front of the mirror.
Neculai turned the water on and leaned over to splash his face. The cold water was a shock that helped sober him up and he scrubbed the face makeup off his skin. When he thought he was satisfied, having no reflection of his own to be able to see for himself if he got it all, he twisted the tap off and straightened to reach for a towel.
The reflection in the mirror of himself startled Nick and he jumped and whirled around. There was no reflection, but Sorin stood there in his ethereal form, staring at him with that calm expression Neculai had yet to master.
"Sorry for to scare you, Neculai." The spirit spoke with that same Romanian accent that had not carried over to Nick. "But I need your help."
----
Sorin led Neculai into the woods and there, inside the witch's circle, they found Tanek. Nick wanted to turn around and go back before Tanek saw him, but Sorin shook his head.
On silent ghostly feet, Sorin approached the boy and spoke. "Tanek, you did not come."