A cold sweat clings to my clothing, as I stumble my way through the forest, my hand still suffering from burns, as multiple cuts and bruises are scattered across my body and face. The adrenaline that once fueled my actions has long been burned up, and replaced with an aching soreness. My arms, legs, and face are all sore, throbbing from my recent engagement.

Where will I go now?

My first guess was to go back to the school, maybe seeking the nurse, or shutting myself in my room for a few days. But, can I even approach the school in my current state? What will my friends, and teachers think? Will they think I'm crazy, or believe me?

Hell, I don't even believe what just happened!

What was supposed to be a simple solitary study session, turned into an absolute nightmare.

But, at least it's over now, at least now I can try to calm myself. I'll feel better once I get far away from those caves.

I just need to keep moving. Don't look back, just keep walking.

"So, Ms. Finnalin, may I inquire as to why you asked me to come to your classroom?"

"Yes, Diana. I called you into my classroom to ask for assistance. You see, I've run short on Saint John's Wort, and I'm too busy grading the recent test to restock. Perhaps, you could journey into the forest, and find some?"

Well, it's certainly better than listening to Hannah and Barbara gossip all day.

"Why of course, Ms. Finnalin. Anything for a great teacher."

She smiles at my compliment.

"Oh Diana, always such a charmer." Finnalin says, handing me an empty bag she pulled out of her desk. "All I need is ten samples of Saint John's Wort. Now, I would offer you extra credit as a reward, but seeing as how you already have an A plus, I find that unnecessary."

"Oh please, being generous is its own reward."

"Whoever you marry is sure to be a lucky man, Diana."

Ms. Finnalin looks back down at her papers.

I spot Akko's test on top, unsurprisingly revealing a D.

What an unfortunate girl she is.

"Well, I best be off." I say, turning around to leave.

"Wait Diana, did you notice anything strange last night?" She asks.

I stare at her, confused.

"What do you mean strange?" I ask.

"Well, it's the weirdest thing. I heard a dog whining and thunder. Why, it wasn't even raining."

Well, thunder and rain isn't the most uncommon thing in England, but thunder without rain?

Hmm, didn't Theodore have a lightning spell that he's quite fond of?

That still doesn't explain the dog noise.

"Diana, are you okay?" She asks, concerned by my lack of response.

I give a fake smile, accompanied by a chuckle.

"Oh yes, Ms. Finnalin. I'm quite alright. Well, I'll let you get back to your grading. When you see me again, I'll have ten Saint John's Worts." I say, walking out of the room.

"Thank you again, and please do shut the door on your way out." She requests.

I oblige, slowly closing the door, the last thing I hear from her being,

"Such a good student."

I trip on a stick, landing hard on the forest floor.

"Theodore, you clumsy fool." I mutter to myself.

I get back on my feet, wincing as my scorched hand makes contact with earth.

I continue to hobble my way through the forest.

I've made up my mind.

If I can make my way to the tower where Volare teaches her classes, I can hide there until nightfall. Then, I can quietly make my way to my room, and clean myself up.

My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven't eaten, or in fact slept, since I met Bruno.

Oh Bruno, he didn't deserve what he got, neither did John Diehl.

Both of them were victims of a mad god's plans, and I nearly joined them.

However, their acts of valor and selflessness kept me alive, thus putting an end to Mendacius's plot.

I continue to walk towards Luna Nova, hoping to whatever gods are left that I don't get spotted.

I eye my bag, which I have filled with Saint John's Wort, as to Ms. Finnalin's request. Looking inside, I count eight, leaving only two to fill my quota.

I kneel back down, and pick the final two from the bush.

Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I let out a happy sigh.

With all the stress of keeping classroom appearances, I forgot the beauty of nature.

The crisp leaves of fall crunch under my feet, as a cool breeze brushes against my face. Perhaps I'll take a little walk to fully enjoy the autumn weather.

I begin my stroll, walking by countless numbers of trees, each one looking more unique than the last. I look down admiring the assorted colors of the leaves.

Suddenly, a shadow stretches out towards me, catching my gaze. I look up, wondering who or what it is. It's definitely a person, someone who is walking with a slight stumble. Perhaps a fellow student, or maybe even someone from the nearby town. But that still doesn't explain the limp.

I soon catch up to this limping and stumbling individual, doing my best to remain unnoticed.

With the person in closer view, I'm able to see the figure better, a figure clad in a torn and dirtied Luna Nova school uniform.

Hmm, a Luna Nova student, sounds of thunder, and dog whines. None of this is adding up. I doubt Theodore fought off a dog last night, and this was the result.

No I need answers, I need clarity.

I clear my throat, showing whoever it was that they are not alone. The mystery student stiffens, before slowly turning around, revealing their identity.

You know when people say that you can be so surprised that you can't even scream?

They were right.

Before me is an absolutely ragged Theodore, with several cuts on his face, and bags underneath his bloodshot eyes, making him look more like a mangled ghoul, than the person I know.

He stares at me with unfocused eyes for several seconds, ending only when his brown eyes begin to well up with tears.

Without warning, he sprints towards me, and hugs me.

His silent tears turn into weeping, as he buries his head in my shoulder.

I am completely caught off guard by his actions.

Theodore, the person who shed not one tear, or let out a single whimper during the whole dragon fiasco, is now shuddering and trembling in my arms.

This is a situation that I have not prepared for.

"Um, there there. It's alright." I say slightly nervous, patting his head.

He continues to weep, turning my stiff collar soft with tears.

"Okay, okay. Let's sit down." I say, leading him to a nearby log.

As we sit, I look myself over.

Thankfully, none of the dirt smeared on me. However, my shirt is wrinkled and wet.

I gaze my eyes back to him.

He holds his knees, so tightly that his knuckles turn white. While staring at the ground, an occasional tear drips from his face, followed by short and silent breaths.

My eyes flicker at his attire.

"You look amess." I comment.

He lets out a pained, and obviously fake, laugh, more like a sharp exhale.

"That's...the least of my problems." He quietly says.

"Well then, what happened?" I ask softly, as to not startle him.

He shrinks down, his whole body quivering.

I press the issue.

"Theodore, please tell me I can't help you, if you don't tell me what happened."

After a few moments of silence, save for my nervously beating heart, and an occasional sniffle from Theodore, he whispers out

"W-well, the day after the slumber party w-we had with Akko, I went into the forest to p-practice my magic. I was approached by a dog named B-Bruno."

He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"He…he told me that he was sent by…Mendacius."

The Roman god of deception and lies? I remember scanning over his name while reading a book on Roman gods.

But, why on Earth would he want Theodore?

"Bruno brought me to a place in the forest, The Big Caves. Then I met M-Mendacius, he told me that I killed one of his followers, a Cyclops in the labyrinth. He would forgive me, if I brought him John Diehl, a man whose ancestors trapped the god in stone. So, I went to his house, and after a while of discussing, John agreed to go to The Big Caves."

The more Theodore talks, the more he loses his stutter. It seems as though reflecting on the past helps him better able to accept it.

"And just like that, John gave himself up…to save a stranger?"

"Yeah…just like that."

It grows quiet again, perhaps as a moment of silence to John, before he continues his story.

"Mendacius wanted revenge on John, so he possessed him, and made me an offer. If I joined him, he would make me powerful. He would restore my family, he would make me immortal. But the more I listened, the more I became aware of his true self. He wanted to control the world, and would kill anyone who stood in his way. I refused, and then…"

His voice trails off, as the memory becomes too painful for him. He conceals his face in his hand, I note that it's covered in burn marks.

"Theodore, it's fine. You don't have to continue." I try to reassure him.

"No, no. I need to vent." He says.

He wipes his eyes with his sleeve, all the while I'm trying to process this information.

To think, while I was studying and enjoying my break, Theodore was living in an absolute nightmare. But, what did he mean by restoring his family?

After I ask him this, he gives a little sigh.

"Ah, that's right, I never told you. Do you remember when we first met, and you asked what I was doing here?"

"Yes, you gave me a vague answer, and left it at that."

"What I did not tell you is that my family used to rule over ancient Rome. Once their reign fell, their prestige followed. During The Burning Times, my family stopped the practice of magic, to avoid anyone from dying. I came here to learn magic, and hopefully start our recovery back to greatness."

After that, silence envelops us, save for the natural sounds of the forest. Now it all makes sense. Mendacius saw who Theodore was, what he wanted, and how dearly he wanted it. He knew how to use it to his advantage. He manipulated Theodore, promising him that he would restore the Sempronia family.

Although I never had the opportunity to meet these two, for saving someone that I've come to know, I thank them.

"It sounds like they were both good people." I comment, referring to his two companions.

"John was a kind hearted old man. He and Bruno were both honorable men."

Were?

"What happened to them? John and Bruno?"

His eyes water a bit, before he croaks out,

"They died…saving my life."

He said it so full of guilt, as if he blames himself for their deaths. The weight of guilt sits heavy on him.

Even if my shame can't compare to his own, I can relate.

"Look Theodore, I understand what you're-"

"How could you possibly understand?!" He yells, his sudden anger catching me off guard.

He continues his rant, his voice rising with every word.

"You, you're perfect. The star student, the prized pupil. Everyone is jealous of you. Everyone wants to be you. How could you understand the pain I'm going through?!"

"Because, I've made a mistake too. A big mistake that ate at me, and destroyed my self respect. But, I got over it, and you can too!"

"What? You got a 29 out of 30 on your alchemy test?" He mocks.

"No, I-I was the one who released the dragon!" I blurt out.

This silences him.

He stares at me, with his mouth open, in utter disbelief.

"I've never told anyone that." I confess. "I was afraid, afraid of what others might think of me. For so long I bottled it up. I…I guess I thought that if I kept it a secret, no one would know. But I knew, and I was reminded of it every day I saw Akko. How she was the one who saved everyone, and how I was just left in the corner, with nothing but my own regrets. I-"

He drifts his gaze to me, now bearing a mix of anger and empathy.

"But no one was really hurt by it…" He tells me, tears still fresh in his eyes, his tone much calmer but still shaken. "Sure, a few cuts and bruises, but that's all. I...those two, Bruno and John...they're gone, and it's because of me. I was the one who brought John to Mendacius, I was the one who...who…"

His voice trails off, himself placing a hand to his mouth as he lets out a quiet sob.

"No, you're not." I whisper to him.

I lightly wrap a hand around his, Theodore letting out a surprised breath, but relaxing, myself lightly squeezing his hand.

"Theodore, I must say, you are unlike most of Luna Nova, and not just because you're a male. In our limited interactions, I feel like you are one of the few people I can honestly talk to. Akko and her friends dislike me, I know they do, and Hannah and Barbara, they blindly agree with everything I say if they think it'll please me. But you, when I talk with you, interact with you, I feel only a real connection, something I don't have with most others."

To emphasis my point, I pull on his arm, drawing him closer to me as I wrap my arms around him in a hug, rubbing his back.

"Oh Diana, why are you treating me like this?" He asks, voice still stifled and pained. "I just...I just yelled, screamed, ranted and raved at you, and all you were doing was trying to help me."

I hug him a little tighter, saying,

"I feel like we could both use some comfort."

Exhausted, I drop my wand.

Sweat pours from my face, as a wave of pain and throb adorns every part of my body.

Clutching at my knees, I gasp for breath, as I stare at the scene in front of me.

No more Mendacius, no more John Diehl, I am alone now.

What was once my enemy is now a smoldering pile of ash, a faint line of black smoke coming off.

In my short trip of rage, I did what I thought I'd never do.

It was quick, too quick for any second thoughts.

All I saw was my own red rage, and a ball of fire and lightning, and then, the room was silent, and it still is.

I breathe heavily, my heart throbbing, noticing that a few breaths seem out of place.

Before I start to breath, I already hear an exhale.

Confused, I stop and listen, and sure enough, ragged breathing can be heard coming from behind me.

Bruno!

I rush towards him, kneeling over him, as I take in the scene.

He's lying on his back, battered and badly injured. His breaths are quick and full of pain, occasionally letting out a yelp.

In comfort, I grab his paw, and give it a little squeeze, before saying,

"It's going to be fine, Bruno. I have a friend who can make a potion that'll fix you up like nothing."

"Mendacius may be a lie." He mutters, each word full of agony. "But he's right, the funeral will begin soon…"

"No!" I cry out in defeat.

I can already feel my eyes start to water.

Bruno places his paw on my cheek, much like a human would do.

"L-listen…" He grunts out. "…The reason for my resurrection isn't as black and white as it seems. Y-you see…I-I have a daughter, she goes to your school, Luna Nova, and…and I just missed her so much. I just wanted to see her…one last time."

The sudden news shocks me.

Bruno has a daughter who goes to Luna Nova?!

"Okay, Bruno. Tell me who it is, and I'll tell her what you did, how you saved my life." I say softly.

He chokes, weakly blinking his eyes, as he murmurs out

"H-her…he name is…L-Lo…Lot…"

And just like that, he passes away in my arms.

Tears shine brightly, as they stream down my face, as I mourn my fallen friend.

I've never known anyone who's died before.

I hold him in my arms for what feels like eternity, his body slowly growing cold, as the sun slowly begins to set.

I have to leave now, even if it pains me to do so.

"C'è nessun addio, basta vedere più tardi." I say, placing him carefully on the stone floor, before turning away from my friend, the exit to the cave in sight.

There's nothing left here for me, nothing but these painful memories.

As I walk out of the cave, my body numb to the pain, a single thought flows into my mind.

In three days it's going to be Halloween, or what us magic users call Samhain, the night when the veil between the living and the spirit world is at its thinnest, allowing for easy communication with the dead.

I know what I must do.