The bell rings, ending magic history class, and beginning brunch.

Without waiting for Akko, Lotte, or Sucy, I pack up my materials and walk out of class.

I stroll down the hallway, and lead myself down the stairwell, sitting at one of the empty tables, unaccompanied.

After recent events, a bit of alone time is just what I need.

Sucy was acting like a jerk, and deserves a bit of silent treatment, perhaps more.

Wait, what am I saying?

She had no idea what she was talking about, how hurtful she was really being. But, she was still hurtful. Honestly, I'm not sure what to think. I haven't been in my best mindset nowadays.

Whatever, that's not the here and now. The here and now right now is my break. So, let's take a break.

I pull a book out of my satchel titled 'The Brink of Salvation'.

Apparently, Mr. Brink, the guy that's going to be teaching us in a few days, wrote a book. After reading the introduction, I peek my eyes over the top of the book, watching Akko's table.

Sure enough, all three are laughing and having a great time…without me.

I grumble at this, turning my gaze back towards the book, and begin reading the first chapter.

'Hi, I'm Lord Brink. I enjoy attending Trump rallies, and lynching Communistic Atheists, who are aligned with Allah, also known as the average European. I believe that we should stop sending foreign aid to Europe, and all of their states. We should start a coup to take out the King and Prince of Europe (TrigglyPuff and Michael Moore). I recently invested myself in the teacher exchange program, with the hopes of being called to Europe. But, why would I want to go to such an inhospitable place? I hope to teach those uncivilized Europeans in the art, the culture, and the correctness of Americanism.'

Just what kind of book is this?

The bell rings, starting my least favorite class, flying with the kind and courteous Volare.

I place the confusing book back into my satchel, getting up and walking down the hall, towards the tower.

After a few feet I make a sharp turn, seeing Lotte and-

I collide face first into her companion.

The witch falls down, a hand covering her face.

In a familiar voice, I hear her moan out,

"Owww…"

Wait, is that…

The mystery girl uncovers her face, revealing…Akko.

Her face is strained in pain, accompanied by a bloodshot eye.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Akko."

She takes my hand, as I pull her to her feet.

"Jeez Ted, I think your nose jabbed me in the eye." She mutters weakly, rubbing her injured eye.

Ignoring this microaggression, I ask

"Were you two on your way to broom riding class?"

"You betcha! Me and Lotte were." She exclaims, pointing to our mutual friend.

Lotte lightly waves at me, greeting me with a

"Hello Theodore, I hope you had a nice night."

I wave back.

"You too, Lotte."

"Now if you two are done, can we get a move on?" Akko urges.

"I didn't take you for a school girl, Akko." I comment.

"Me? A school girl? Yeah right! I just don't want to be late every day. I want to pass, ya know?"

Don't we all.

All three of us walk down the hallway, and enter the tower.

Not much has changed. The statue of Jennifer the Witch is still standing, the students are still grumbling, and Volare is still irritating.

"Alright, I hope during the break ya managed to put down your CS:GO, and practiced your broom ridin'! For today…we're havin' a flying test! Now let's get a move on!"

No further information is needed, as we all follow her to the top of the tower, where Akko had her ugly wipe out.

Hopefully she'll do better this time.

As we stand in a line facing the open sky, Volare further instructs us.

"Now I'll randomly call out ya names. Once called, I want ya to fly around the tower, and make your way back here. Got it?!"

A few students answer affirmatively, while most grunt out something incoherent.

I quietly thank Bruno for showing me how to fly before his last day. But with this cast on, how can I hope to touch the sky?

Volare scans the crowd, calling out the name of her first test taker.

"Alright…Da Hubba Hubba!"

Da Hubba Hubba? What kind of name is that?

A slightly nervous witch, with snow white hair steps up.

She gives a weak nod before taking flight. After a smooth glide around the tower, she's back on the balcony.

Why was she so nervous? She did fine.

"Very nice." Volare comments.

"Now…..Soprano!"

I facepalm myself.

"It's Sempronia." I inform her.

"Always with the negatives are we, Soprano? Just fly!"

"Well, normally I would, but I can't. It's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm unable." I say, holding my cast out for all to see.

"Well, I hope ya got those injuries practicing. Anyway, ya got lucky this time. So, I'll choose….Kagari!"

She points her gloved finger at the witch.

As Akko's eyes widen, her skin grows pale.

Fear visibly consumes the young witch, as she begins to shake.

Looks like she could use a helping hand.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine." I tell her. "And afterwards if you're still feeling down, I'll tutor you."

"He's right, Akko. It's time you face your fears." Lotte chimes in.

Akko chokes down a heavy gulp, muttering out,

"Y-you're right, both of you. I just need to remember what Shiny Chariot said. 'A believing heart is your magic.' I can do anything if I just believe. Right?"

"Mm hmm, you have to believe in yourself." I advise.

"Theodore's right. You can have all the skill in the world, but it won't matter if you don't trust in your own abilities." Lotte recommends.

"A-alright. I trust you two. Thanks."

Impatiently, Volare demands

"Are you three done, or is Kagari going to fail…again?!"

This arouses a few chuckles from the other students.

Facing humiliation from her peers, Akko gains sudden courage.

"You're wrong Volare! All of you! Now that I believe in myself I can do anything! Just like Chariot taught me!"

"Chariot again?" A student mutters.

Akko strongly stomps towards the open platform, each step full of determination.

She puts her broom into position, and pushes off.

As soon as Akko leaves the safety of the balcony, she choppily grinds through the air. Despite her subpar maneuvers, Akko never looked so happy.

She triumphantly throws her hands in the air, crying out,

"I did it! I-"

Without holding onto the broom, Akko quickly loses control. She drops like a stone, kicking and screaming all the way down.

She's going to be fine, right? Yeah, she'll be-

My train of thought is cut off, as a loud crack is heard from down below.

Dreadfully, I jerk my head towards the grass ground.

Akko lies there face down, an occasional jerk coming from her leg.

God, I really hope that sound came from her broom.

I stand there, mouth agape, as does every student, all of us, even the teacher is completely unaware of how to respond.

Lotte snaps her head at me, her eyes burning through me, even through her thick glasses.

"How could you let this happen!" She cries at at me, balling up her firsts as her face grows fiery red. "If you hadn't talked Akko into flying, this would've never happened!"

I'm speechless, my mouth hands open, but no words come out.

This wasn't my intention at all, and Lotte also encouraged her. Why would she-

"This is your fault, Ted." Sucy nods with Lotte, her eyes, normally lifeless, now sparkling with wet tears. "Akko wouldn't of gotten hurt if it wasn't for you."

I'm speechless, totally speechless.

What they say is true…

If it wasn't for my constant egging on, Akko might not have flown on her broom, she wouldn't of gotten hurt, just like with Bruno and John Diehl…

I awake with a start, heart pounding to the point of pain.

Shaking and trembling in a cold sweat, I swiftly dart my head around, taking in my surroundings.

I give out a sigh of relief, as I realize my location.

My bedroom.

So, it was just a dream? But, what kind of dream was that?! No, it was no dream, but a nightmare. A nightmare about my friend in pain.

Just thinking about it sends deep chills up my spine.

I examine my clock, 1:23 AM. School will be starting in about six hours. I lay back down, closing my eyes, trying to fall back asleep. Akko's fall flashes in my mind. The overwhelming feeling of dread, the look of despair and anger in Lotte's tear soaked eyes all spiral into one ugly image.

I reopen my eyes, and just like that, the images have disappeared. Disappeared, but not gone.

That's the second night in a row I've had horrible dreams.

First a dream about Mendacius, Bruno, and John Diehl, now a dream about a close friend's accident, and if I go to sleep again, what dream will await me next? Diana suffering a terrible fate?! No, I won't allow myself to dream of such things.

I just…I just need to stay awake.

At least for now.

Six long hours have passed since that horrifying nightmare, and for six long hours I have successfully avoided sleep.

However, I am now beginning to feel the negative impacts of sleep deprivation.

This is awful, considering we're learning something new in Alchemy class.

I swear, the only thing keeping me awake is the fact that we aren't provided with any chairs.

The constant standing really limits my options for comfort.

Thankfully, despite my lack of sleep, I can still pick up on what Ms. Finnalin is saying, as she introduces today's lesson.

"Good morning class. Before we begin I would like to inform you all that tomorrow is Samhain. It has come to the staff's attention that a large number of students here are unsurprisingly Pagan, or of similar religious backgrounds. Because of these current statistics, tomorrow's school day will be cancelled. Use this day as you please. Spend time studying, revere your ancestors, or simply enjoy it as most others will: Halloween."

Well, I know how I'll be spending that day.

I turn my gaze to Lotte who is standing attentively with Akko and Sucy, who are both not standing attentively.

Is Lotte really Bruno's daughter?

It all fits together. The L, the O, and the T spell out the first letters of her name. Plus, she did tell me that her dad died.

But how can I be sure that she is the one? I mean, everyone's dad dies eventually, and I'm sure someone else at this school shares the same first three letters of her name.

I guess the only real way would be to ask her. But how would that even be brought up?

I just can't walk up to her, and ask if her dead dad's name was Cooper, can I?

Additionally, I won't be surprised if she didn't believe me if I told her that her dad lived his final years in the body of a dog, and fought against a Roman god.

I let out a tired yawn.

Oh well, I'll think of something. I better pay attention to Ms. Finnalin. Sounds important.

"Today class, we will learn one of the most important alchemical knowledges to witch kind: Magicus Synthesis. That is, the ability to create synthetic magic."

Hearing this sends the class into a collective murmur.

Most discuss what they think it is, and how to perform it such magic. Sucy however, is practically bursting with excitement. While it's not so easy to tell from her face, as it's in her normal bored state, her eyes tell all.

Opened as wide as a Filipino can muster, they sparkle with delight, and shine like rainbows. Yeah, Sucy seems pretty happy.

But synthetic magic? This goes against what Bruno taught me.

I raise my hand in question, awaiting the teacher's response.

"Yes, Theodore?" The teacher asks.

"Why do we need to learn Magicus Synthesis? I thought you create your own magic from your brain."

"Well-"

"Ms. Finnalin…" Diana interrupts "…If you don't mind, may I answer his question?"

The teacher nods, not at all surprised by the blonde's participation, and really, so aren't we.

Given the okay, Diana walks into the center of the room, allowing all to hear.

"What you say Theodore is true. Magic can be created in the brain, but not all witches and wizards possess this skill. Only those who have great magical talent, as well as full control over their own mind may perform this. To supplement this loss of magic, both The Sorcerer's Stone and Magicus Synthesis were created."

Ms. Finnalin smiles at her well worded answer.

"Well done, Diana."

"Oh please, it was nothing." Diana exclaims, returning to her table.

So, only the highest level mages can tap into their inner magic?

I wonder if I can do that. No doubt Diana can.

The teacher continues with her lesson.

"As Diana stated, Magicus Synthesis is used for those who cannot fully embrace the magic inside of them, and are out of range of The Sorcerer's Stone, or other magical emitting items. Magicus Synthesis is a potion that once drunk, replenishes your magical energy-"

"It's like some crappy Skyrim knockoff." I hear Sucy joke.

A few classmates stifle their laughter, as others let it out freely.

Ms. Finnalin clears her throat, regaining the classroom's attention.

"However, Magicus Synthesis cannot be created alone. It can only be made by a group of witches or wizards whose hearts are all aligned in one common goal. They attain this mutual understanding by offering items they hold dear. One for each participant. The offering may be a family heirloom or a childhood drawing, as long as there is a connection."

There's no way I'm chucking my pugio into some vat of bubbling brew for school credit.

"Now, the day after Samhain, we will attempt to create Magicus Synthesis. I want all of you to bring something near and dear to your heart."

As she finishes, the bell rings, ending the period.

As the class makes their way out the door, and to their next class, I find it hard to really walk at all.

My legs ache terribly, every step is heavy and awkward sending pounding pain to my…headache?

Where did this come from?

With difficulty, I manage to shuffle my way out of the room, and into the hallway. Surprisingly, awaiting my presence are Akko and Lotte.

Sucy is gone, probably on her way to her next class.

"Hey, Ted! It's about time you got here." Akko says, her cheerful voice feeling like knives in my head.

We begin walking to our mutual class, continuing the conversation.

To ease my pain I rub a hand against my head, pretending to be simply scratching.

"Uh huh." I grunt out.

Akko scans me over, looking up and down my person.

I can only imagine how I look.

A cast, facial bandages, and visible purple shadows under my eyes.

I must look like a war torn Tomoko.

Finally, Akko comes to a conclusion.

"You look awful." Her smile never leaving her face.

I feel awful.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just didn't get enough sleep last night."

"Whoa, really? Last night I had a dream that…"

Her words fade to nothing, as I lose interest.

As she continues her rambling, I drift off in thought.

Sucy.

I wouldn't be surprised if she completely forgot about last night.

I've more or less gotten over it, but I still can't help feeling a little apprehensive.

She hasn't even looked at me today, so that could be a sign that something is amiss.

But, that can be shrugged off by the fact that she was nose deep in a book titled 'Fundamentals of Spiritual Alchemy.'

Also she's, well, Sucy. Not the most social person.

"…and after the mayor congratulated me, I woke up!" Akko exclaims finishing her dream.

"That was very interesting, Akko. It was better than the…last fifty times you told me." Lotte says, trying to be as supportive as possible.

Walking into magic history class has never been so satisfying.

Finally, after my long march, I can sit down.

And I do just that, sitting in my front row seat.

I'd be jumping for joy right now, if I wasn't so tired. Did I mention I was tired?

No matter, once brunch begins, a nap will be very helpful.

As soon as I made contact with the chair, I just drop, slumping in place.

I must have been more tired than I thought.

It's one of those tired states where you feel sleepy, but you're too drained to care. It feels as though a storm cloud has covered my brain. What I'm saying is I'm very tired. Do you get it? I'm dead tired.

So tired that whatever Ms. Europa is saying comes out in incoherent pieces.

"…Crucible…John Proctor…Mary Warren…Poppet!"

I pick up my pencil, trying to copy down any notes that might come my way.

However, whatever I manage to write down comes out as broken small squiggles.

I drop my pencil, the whole room begins spinning.

I collapse, slamming my face against the hardwood desk.

The teacher's lesson becomes more distorted, more inaudible, as I slowly drift off into a deep sleep.

The first thing I notice are my surroundings, or rather, lack thereof.

An empty void, swirling with colors of blue, black, and purple, making it look like space, or perhaps a galaxy. The second thing I notice is how cold it is. White mist oozes out of my mouth with every breath, replicating that of a smoker. The third and final thing I notice is that I'm anything but alone.

Standing in front of me is the Roman god of deception and lies.

He smirks at me.

"Hello, boy. Come for a little visit?"

"Mendacius?!" I cry out, a mix of anger and terror audible in my voice. "Where am I?! What are you doing here?! What am I doing here?!"

He chuckles at my confusion.

"The one and only. Did you like that little dream I made for you? A unique creation in god's image. Although, it was rather unfortunate for your friend…"

My eyes widened at his confession.

He created the dream?! He scared me into staying up all night?!

"That was you? You made that awful dream?!"

He tilts his head to one side, smiling at my painful memory.

"Yes, and I might be the god of deception and lies, but trust me when I say there will be many more."

His threat replaces my fear with intense anger.

"I swear, I'll make you pay." I mutter.

"Oh? How do you plan on doing that?"

"I've beaten you once before, and I can do it again."

"Hehehe…boy, I'm omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. I know the past, present, and future. I am a god."

"You're also a liar."

He lets out a dry, little laugh, before giving out a satisfied sigh.

"You see, that's your problem right there."

"What's my problem?" I demand.

"You always call me a liar, when you're no better. Claiming that our scuffle was nothing more than a little accident. Lying to your teachers, to your friends." A smile grows on his face. "Oh I believe I'm beginning to rub off on you."

He begins to walk towards me.

"But that's not the only lie you've told. You told me that you'd bring me John Diehl, that you would set me free. You had no idea what you were talking about, did you? You went along with my orders, hoping it would be alright in the end. And when the time came, did you take my offer? Did you seize the day? No…and when I told you I could restore your family's legacy, you rejected me."

He is now standing right in front of me.

"Do you know what my favorite part about this whole ordeal is? The fact that you don't know anything. You don't know if this is a dream, a vision into the future, or your current reality. For all you know, you died in The Big Caves and this is the Hell I've created for you."

"I know enough." I tell him, choosing not to ponder his words. "I know what this is, and what's going on. I know that this is not my dream, but your dream. A dream where I'm at your mercy, and you have the whole world under your boot. But I've seen just what you can do to others, this dream will not become a reality. Over my dead body." I state in a matter of fact kind of way.

"That's the idea…but enough talk, I must go now. Make no mistake Theodore Sempronia, you and I still have unfinished business."

"Like what?"

He thrusts his face mere inches from mine.

"Your soul!"

A shrill ring echoes throughout the darkness of this empty world.

My headache had lessened, but is still a noticeable handicap.

I blink my eyes a few times, coming back into reality.

I feel a wet stickiness on my cheek.

Looking down, I realize that I'm back in class.

With a sleeve, I brush the drool from my face.

Letting out a small yawn, I lean back into my chair.

Everybody is gathering their school supplies, and heading out the door, brunch has begun.

I stand up, albeit clumsily, and stretch my legs.

Slinging my satchel over a shoulder, I walk into the hallway.

Despite that…whatever that was, a dream maybe, I'm feeling much better now, still tired, but less than before.

Oh, why am I even lying to myself? I know full well that this was not a dream, but a vision. Mendacius is still out there, plotting and planning. I just hope that he won't rear his ugly head for a while.

Ah, none of this would've happened had I just joined a normal high school.

Life would've been boring, but at least not dangerous. But then again where else could I learn magic? Online? I already tried that, and it was a complete failure.

Never mind that, it's brunch now, and I should consider taking a quick nap.

But first, Lotte.

Samhain is tomorrow, so I'll need her on board. But to do that, I would need to tell her everything. It would be easier if we were both alone.

I've got an idea.

I walk down the stairs, and towards the trio of witches.

Surprisingly, the first person to acknowledge me is Sucy.

Once she spots me, she looks down, and seems to be at a loss of words.

"Look…um…Ted, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have meddled with your feelings, especially on such a touchy subject. Can you forgive me?"

I'm caught off guard by her sudden apology. This is unlike her.

Whatever, she's not my priority at the moment.

"Uh huh." I mutter, ignoring her.

I turn my attention to Lotte.

"Do you have any plans after school?"

She stares at me blankly.

"Um no, why?"

"I was wondering if you and I could hang out."

Akko decides to jump into our conversation.

"Ooh, that's a good idea! We could all hang out!"

I wave her suggestion away.

"I was thinking just Lotte and I."

"Oh…okay." Akko mutters, slightly saddened.

"So Lotte, what do you think?" I ask.

She puts a finger to her chin, thinking about my offer.

"Hmmm, after school I need to visit The Magic Items Café. But, after that, I don't see why not."

Magic Items Café? As long as I can talk to Lotte.

"Sure, that sounds fine. We can meet up after school, say the front gate?"

"That sounds fine."

Seeing as our conversation is over, in an uneasy voice, Sucy tries to repeat her apology.

"Are we good now-"

"Excuse my interruption, but I must speak with you, Theodore."

Turning around, I spot Diana, with Hannah-Barbara on either side.

Are those two ever not shadowing her?

"Yeah, so like, stop talking and get over here!" The brown haired one orders.

I know their names, but I have no idea which witch is which.

Honestly, who does? They're nothing more than Diana's shadows.

I turn back to the trio.

"I'll see you two later, and Lotte, I'll see you soon."

With that, I get up.

Once I reach the other trio, I notice Diana is bearing a stern look on her face, and has her arms crossed in disapproval.

What's going on?

"Hannah, Barbara, please leave us alone for a while." Diana commands.

Her words were couth, but her tone of voice was anything but that.

Honestly, what's going on?

Her two lackeys then break away from us, leaving me alone with a very disgruntled Diana.

"So Theodore, how was magic history? Learn anything new?" Her cold tone never fading.

I can face off against a Cyclops and never shed a tear, I can go toe to toe with a Roman god and come out on top, but keeping my cool in front of an angry Diana? Impossible.

"Uh…yeah, I learned a lot…a lot about…magic history." I answer rather nervously.

"Well, that's rather amusing, considering it appeared you were sleeping."

I'm too shocked to speak.

My mouth hangs open, as Diana continues.

"Theodore, that little lie may work on those three…"

She points behind me, in the direction of Akko, Lotte, and Sucy.

"…But you should know without a doubt that I'm far too intelligent to believe something like that. I remember full well what transpired two days ago, when you emerged from the forest in such a state. As a friend, I must ask you, are you developing nightmares as a result of that incident?"

Of course I am!

What kind of person wouldn't?! What happened still shakes me to the bone, and haunts me every day!

But, I can't tell her that. I need to be strong. I need to be brave.

"N-no, I just studied a bit too much last night."

She furrows her brow, obviously not believing my false claim.

"Theodore, if what happened that day is so bad that you've become an insomniac, then as a friend, I have no choice but to inform the principal of this development. Good day, Theodore."

With that, Diana turns her back to me, about to walk away.

No! What am I saying?! I need help!

"Diana, wait!" I cry out, grabbing her by her shoulder.

No more lies, no more holding back, I'm ready to tell her.

I trust her.

I let out a sigh, and with visible effort, and a stain in my voice, I tell her my honest feelings.

"I feel as if I should be angry with that dog, with Bruno. Or that I must not forgive myself for not recognizing the nature of my situation. For not being aware of what I was getting into, and especially since I went along without thinking. I could have told Bruno 'No, I'm not doing it. I don't want to go to The Big Caves.' But I didn't do that. I was just too curious. I also didn't realize that fate would take me somewhere I really didn't want to be. Because of this, because of how avoidable the whole situation was, I find it hard to forgive myself."

She turns around, an eyebrow raised, wanting and waiting for a deeper explanation.

"I'm responsible for both of their deaths, John Diehl and Bruno. Stuff like that can mess you up, you know? Cause nightmare. Bruno's final wish was to see his daughter one last time."

Her face and tone softens, now getting a better understanding of the situation.

"So, you feel not only responsible, but obligated to satisfy his request?"

I nod weakly.

She returns to her normal friendly manner of speaking to me.

"Although I condone the practice of Necromancy entirely, I have educated myself on the subject. Might I suggest a read of 'Forbidden Rites' by Richard Kieckhefer? I believe there is a copy located in the school's library. But be warned, Necromancy is a dangerous practice. So please, don't be careless. I hate careless people. That's why I like you."

She turns back around, walking towards her two waiting friends.

"Diana, thank you."

She stops, and without looking back says,

"You're quite welcome, Theodore. However, I suggest you simply let the dead be dead."

And with that, she walks back to Hannah and Barbara.

As those three disappear from view, I turn my attention to the other trio, specifically at Lotte.

So, today's the day I find out for sure.

Tomorrow is Samhain and a great amount of preparations need to be made. But how to spend the remainder of this break?

I was originally going to catch up on some much needed sleep, but given the nature of my recent dreams, I think not.

I eye the book stored in my satchel.

The book written by Mr. Brink, 'The Brink of Salvation.'

Yeah, something like that might work.

Author's Note: Well this chapter has been a grinder for me, but I'm pleased with the results, and I hope you were too. Please review! Emphasize on the please. I need your constant love and admiration.