It's been a while, hasn't it? In your world, that is…

We have finally left the room of Forgotten Dreams and entered the grand corridor of Hidden Realities. Realities… There are many undiscovered truths here... just don't step ahead of yourself and think you have everything figured out.

For the Fragmented Library shifts and changes with no end, causing realities to be forgotten and dreams to awake.

This specific story revolves around an unpopular spell... Did this really happen? I don't know. It is up to you to decide. But perhaps...

Pacify

Black skies above me, shrouded by a thin layer of menacing, grey clouds. A narrow, cobblestone path stretches under my boots, slithering among withered plants and blocks of stone. Hazy mist hugs my ankles, twirling ever so slightly in response to the waving of my cloak. My hands clench tight a stack of papers, scribbled to the brim with carefully ordered notes, necessary to write the monthly edition of the Ravenwood Bulletin.

A single question rises above all others as my pace diminishes until my walk comes to an abrupt stop.

Where am I?

Indeed, the place doesn't look familiar. Not a hint of recognition sparks within my eyes as my gaze glosses over the broken tombstones, lingering for mere moments over the ancient engravings, written in ancient languages which I do not understand.

How did I end up here?

The second question comes only a few instants later and it quickly takes priority. I remember that I was making my way to the dormitory when I found myself here. I turn back to retrace my steps, finding only flat rocky surface to greet me. The cliff stretches in all its height towards the sky, so high that I can't see the top.

I move the stack of papers under my armpit and fish in my robe's pocket for my wand. Soon it is in my hand, ready for use.

Silence breaks as I mutter spell after spell, words flowing through in the stagnant air searching for clues. A soft glimmer reveals the cause of my predicament: a simple magic circle is chalked on the floor. My understanding of runes is enough to find out that it is a one-way teleportation to this place.

No matter how you look at it, the entire situation is…

I notice the flutter of white wings in the corner of my vision, and I quickly turn towards it. The bird must have disappeared before I could have taken a good look at it as I see nothing but tombstones.

I sigh and shake my head, relieving any tension that had built up in my body.

It must be a prank.

Pranks are very common between Ravenwood students, and usually, necromancer's ones tend to be rather creepy.

There is no immediate threat and even if there is, I can definitely deal with it: my spell repertoire is vast, and my Storm Magic is very powerful. Besides, even if the prank takes a dangerous turn I can always teleport back to the Commons. It will be a welcome diversion from the enormous pile of homework that is waiting for me back in my room.

I advance down the cobblestone road, mist parting away to let me pass, almost beckoning me forward. Two buildings emerge from the darkness as my eyes adjust to the shadows.

A tower, bends in a weird angle on the right side of the path, the ominous drawing of a skull is engraved over the door. On the left, surrounded by tombstones, stands a low building. It is built in sturdy grey stone and it has partly sunk into the ground. The walls show visible cracks, proof of great damage caused by a strong force, perhaps an earthquake. The remains of a stone arc, which must have once connected it to the tower, branches aimlessly from atop the entrance door, making it look like a pitiful attempt at reaching out for the world. Close to the building, a tree devoid of leaves rises up to greet the sky, an unmoving face carved on its bark.

I gasp in shock at the sight: there is no doubt that the building is the Death School, which had mysteriously disappeared from Ravenwood overnight more than a year ago. Soft light barely filters through the windows, heavily guarded by black curtains that seem put in place to shut out the outside world. I almost break into a run, my curiosity begging to be satisfied.

Why is the Death School here? Is someone already inside? Just… what happened to it?

The soft flutter of white wings in the corner of my eye distracts me from my thoughts. I stop my walk and turn towards the source of the movement. A lonely white dove flies above the mist, zigzagging between the branches of Mortis, the Death Tree, and disappearing from sight.

A sudden calm fills me whole. My excitement dims as I breath in and out. A funny smell, akin to rotten meat, fills my lungs. I do not mind it, remembering all too well how the very same smell seemed to propagate from the Death School when it was still firmly standing between Fire and Myth's classroom.

Suddenly the prospect of rushing to the school loses all of its appeal. I can always go there later and talk to the tree first. It would be rather rude to just ignore him, magical trees were well-respected entities after all… Maybe Mortis knows something about the Death School's predicament.

As I approach the tree, something else catches my eye: two figures stand in the shadow of the tree, one brandishing a shovel, rhythmically digging what appears to be a rather big hole, while the other watches from the sidelines. A pile of dirt on the side of the hole makes me think that they had been at it for a while.

My feet bring me towards them on their own accord, my every movement closely followed by Mortis's judgemental stare. One of the figures turns to look at me: it's a girl, seemingly of fourteen years of age, clothed in black wizard robes with red trimmings. Atop her head, she wears a matching black beret, and in her hand, she wields a rusty dagger. A cascade of raven black hair descends all the way from her head to her elbows, and mischievous black eyes watch me with a glint of amusement.

"Good evening, fellow mortal, are you lost?" she says, a smile brightening up her face.

"uh...um…" Somehow I'm unable to reply. There is something about her that draws me in. Perhaps it's her smile… it lures me in like a warm candle in the middle of a dark maze. Yet, it also sends shivers down my spine, making me feel as if I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, a small push away from falling down.

The girl rolls her eyes at my mumbling and says, "Yes, you definitely are lost… Anyhow, I welcome you to Nightside, the place where dreams fade and magic comes to die."

The dove flies above us, circling into the air in slow, hypnotic patterns, almost as if it waited for the girl to talk first. I'm distracted by it once again, my gaze irresistibly attracted to its pure, untainted feathers, my mind going completely blank as peace washes over me.

I am completely relaxed, inhaling the smell of death and decay as if it was nothing more than the scent of flowers. I would linger more, but I know I can't. This place is weird… there is something that gnaws at the back of my mind… a silent warning…

I try to shake myself from my stupor, my reactions are slower than usual, shrouded in a lethargy that I gladly welcome. For too long have I been working hard: Studying Storm Magic, traveling to other words on the headmaster's behalf, and devoting all of my free time to work on the Ravenwood Bulletin.

For the first time since I enrolled in the magic school, I find myself wishing for a break. A long break, where problems won't bother me for a very long while. A long break in a place where I won't just find myself teleported to random places because of someone else's dumb prank.

But is it really a prank? The more I look into it, the less it seems so. The Death School and Mortis… They are the real deal… I'm sure they are…

Questions, questions, questions. They are bothersome things that prevent my tired mind from just shutting down completely. Is it really necessary to ask more about this place? About the Death School and Mortis? Wouldn't it be better to just sit on the dead grass and take a nap?

Maybe I should ask, just to be sure… so I can be completely at ease…

I take a deep breath, an action which seems like a pointless waste of energy, and ask the girl a couple of questions. It is a miracle that my words don't convey how little I care about the answers I seek. "Why is the Death School here? and… where exactly is… here?"

"I already told you, this is Nightside." My face must have conveyed my utter confusion because the girl continued, giving an explanation. "Rumors say that sometimes, when no one is watching, buildings disappear from Wizard City, sometimes people too. Nobody questions it, nobody truly believes that they really disappear."

The girl's smile widens as she talks, her tone growing amused, almost mocking. "But what if it is true? Where do things that disappear end up to? Well, they sink under the ground, all the way to the other side of the world, never to be seen again. All the way to Nightside."

I am not sure that I understand everything she tells me. A hazy mist seems to settle in front of my vision, and for all the blinking, I can't seem to get rid of it. Regardless, I would feel like an idiot if she discovered that I can't seem to get a sense of her words. She was talking about myths, right? I remember reading something about Nightside once… What was it? I can't remember…

"You… what are you two doing here... in this place?" my unenthusiastic question leaves my mouth begrudgingly. The unease at the back of my mind not giving me a break. Silence, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the shovel digging into the earth follows for a few seconds.

"I guess we really look shady, don't we, Marla? mean... two girls, all alone in Nightside digging under Mortis… It's certainly the stuff of nightmares!" she giggles, and the other girl offers a half-hearted groan as she proceeds in her efforts to dig deeper.

The girl approaches and pats me gently on the shoulder. "Relax, we come from Ravenwood too, you know? It's just that we stopped here to try out an itty-bitty experiment."

I nod stupidly, unsure on how to respond. It makes sense, I guess… the girl strikes me as a Death Wizard, perhaps an adept… the best place to carry out experiments is definitely under Mortis's supervision. Although… something doesn't add up. "Shouldn't you tell the headmaster about this place… before trying out experiments?"

"Of course, as soon as we're done here we will tell him... unless you want to go ahead and make your way to his office before us? It's quite easy and I can show you the path out of here."

I think about it: maybe I really should. I would get praised by the teachers if I do… relaying such important information would surely get me extra credits… but when I think about it… it's bothersome even to focus enough to teleport, let alone make all the way out on foot. I am too tired for that… this place is too peaceful, perfect for a break…

The papers which had been safely tucked under my armpit feel heavy. My arm loosens up and drops them, scattering them on the floor like dead leaves in autumn. I try to gather them up, but the girl stops me. "You are tired, just sit here and relax for a little bit. Marla and I are almost done."

I do as I'm told, and I instantly feel relieved, content to bask in the humid mist, which slowly seeps through my clothes. The girl doesn't seem to care enough about my papers to try and gather them up, going back to her friend and looking down into the hole with satisfaction. Truthfully, I don't care about the papers all that much either, I'll just gather them up later.

The digging continues, Marla still going strong without uttering a single word. She stubbornly digs a bigger hole, with no excessive movements and without stopping, almost like a drone. Her black robes are dirty and tattered, hands pale as she keeps her grip on the shovel.

"Doesn't she get tired?" I ask addressing the other girl.

"Nope, she is really good at digging holes. Definitely can manage to dig one on her own." Marla seems to agree, with a groan and a nod, quickly going back to her job without delay.

I slowly nod in understanding, my gaze lingering on the tombstones behind Mortis. Now that I am seated, I feel like the mist in my mind has slightly dispersed. "Why are you digging that close to Mortis?"

"That's because we are trying to help him. You see… he isn't feeling all that well, so we need to help him out. Even trees need to get some extra energy from time to time."

"Oh, right…"

"Want to help us out? We will finish faster with the help of an upperclassman. Mortis will be glad to get a taste of more powerful magic."

I look at Mortis, whose expression hasn't changed all throughout my talk with the girl. His grey eyes crackle with unspeakable power and observe me with indifference.

"I'll help," I say. "I might be a Magus Diviner, but I sure had a bit of experience with Death Magic."

"Wonderful!" The girl offers me her hand and I take it. Her hand is wet and sticky, perhaps covered in sweat because of nervousness. A metallic scent tickles my nostrils as I get up; it is sweet, a kind of sweetness that somehow ties my stomach into a knot.

Marla stops digging as we approach her and casts the shovel aside. I look into the hole: Inside, there is nothing but cold dirt and the aimless writhing of earthworms. Marla points to me, then to the hole, and grumbles something I don't understand. I can't see her expression very well in the dark, and unlike her friend, she doesn't approach me.

"Oh, my! I've never seen Marla so eager to do something!" the girl exclaims in delight. Marla slowly nods to her friend and steps into the hole.

"Do I… have to step in too?"

"Indeed. You actually need to lie down in it. You'll understand why when we start the magic." The girl blinks and grins.

My eyes linger on hers, almost drowning in those black pits of mischief. The soft flutter of white wings fill my ears and I smile back. I feel safe, I feel… at peace. I find myself stepping into the hole. It has a weird shape: it isn't too deep and large, but it is just big enough for both, Marla and I, to lie down comfortably.

"Good job, think of it as a bed… or a grave," the girl giggles. I chuckle at her joke and Marla joins in too with one of her inaudible grumbles.

The nauseating smell of decayed flesh fills my lungs and I welcome it. It brings with it peace and quiet. The peace and quiet that I always yearned and never achieved, an eternal tranquility that I can not do without.

"I will do a bit of my magic now, just relax," the girl says, taking up the shovel.

I turn towards Marla, who is lying down beside me, eyes closed and body completely still like a lifeless doll. I raise my hand to my face and look at it. The palm is covered in sticky blood, proof of a life that once was and is no more. Finally, my brain, swimming in the unforgiving seas of lethargy, makes the connection.

"Ah…" I murmur, my hand moves to Marla's hat and I take it off, revealing her misshapen head, cracked inward by a violent hit. Coagulated blood sticks to her black hair like gel and vermin swim in it, eating her alive. I inhale deeply once more, reveling in the overpowering scent of the dead and smile. "She has already found peace."

I slowly turn back towards the other girl, who is busy covering us with soil, performing her own magic without casting spells, using only strength and hard work. The shovel goes in and out, in and out, adding layer upon layer of Nightside's humid ground on top of our still bodies.

Eventually, my lungs fill with earth and my eyes close. I don't mind the coldness that seeps into my bones, I don't mind the weak spasms of protest as I slowly suffocate, and I don't mind the panic gnawing at the back of my mind, screaming for me to cast even one simple spell to save myself.

All is an afterthought as I gaze upwards to the dove that graciously flies in circles above me.

I am finally at peace...