February 21st, eighth day of the new year.
Also the last day of winter vacation.
Last year, by the time the 'last day' arrived, all members of dorm room 403 had been wandering around the school for over a week, and even completed a task from Gini Cottage, assisting Beta Town in resisting a small wave of the Black Tide.
This year, however, by afternoon, half of the dormitory's beds were still empty—Xin Fat Man wrote saying he was still in Venice on a field trip, trying to trace the origins of the 'Ravens'; Dylan was on the run.
In the literal sense of 'running away'.
