Warwick Academy, the finest private school in the entirety of the United Kingdom. Navy and Gold banners adorned the pristine academy's magnificent walls, despite the fact that the sky looked as though it might shed tears. Even under the threat of foul weather, the school looked just as impressive as it did when Alois attended it himself! The path he walked on was swept and devoid of debris, and the water that streamed from the fountains was clear. The griffin statue in the middle of the campus was just as well-kept as ever. Alois couldn't help but smile at it.

He was fond of this place, despite the rambunctious behaviour he exhibited during his time here. It was the most "normal" he had ever felt. Going to school, making friends, and even becoming reasonably popular! It was like a dream. His delinquent behaviour somewhat embarrassed him now, but he knew he simply needed to do some growing up at the time. Warwick was a whole new world to him when he was new, after all. There were so many people in fancy clothes with flair like he had never seen before, and now he was suddenly their equal with no catch. There were no lies or special conditions. Even though he wasn't human, he was just like every other student there. The feeling made the menace want to act out and be the class clown. He loved the attention, and knows that this is all it was now.

This is why he felt nostalgic for this place. It made him feel "ordinary". Simultaneously, it resurfaced memories of "better" times. There were seven members of the sensational seven, and there was no falling out or internal conflict. There was a boy named "Preston Omid" who was timid, but kind, and he had a marvelous smile. He was excited about science fiction and gadgets, and wouldn't hurt a fly. He was always the first to be the voice of reason for a course of action, now driven mad by isolation, illness, and maltreatment. How such a teen could grow up into an angry man like this is beyond Alois.

Then there was the other one, Daniel Westley. His contact with the group has been minimal since his falling out with their mutual friend, Kristopherson. Always the life of the party, now slowly fading away. Last Alois heard, the Westley had been making new friends at uni, which is a normal thing, one could suppose, but it still hurt all the same. The remaining few wondered if they'll ever know what exactly happened in his head to drive him away.

Here, however, time stood still as Alois wandered the campus with his hands in his pockets. He shuddered at the cold, but still looked around at the buildings and recalled fond memories. The inside wasn't much better. The heat wasn't on, and the memories just kept coming. There in the commons area was the large chair where Audrey would sit and dispense information for the right price. He did that for a living, now. There was the ramp that kids would push each other down in rolling chairs from the computer lab. They were meant for wheelchairs, but that never stopped anyone. The science lab where his sweetheart and he had to dissect frogs. There was the counselor's office, where he drove that poor woman mad with his obvious lies about his past. There was the library where he made his first contract. All of it was there.

Alois almost forgot he was in a world of dreams and nightmares for a moment as he got swept up in it for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he heard the sound of jingling behind him. Having an idea of who it was, he turned around and wasn't surprised. Another dog. This time, a greyhound.

"Why are you just wandering about?" it asked, its voice that of a woman's this time. The blonde was actually surprised for a moment and blinked at the sound of it. This time it was Integra's voice. "Don't let this place distract you with nostalgia."

"Ah. You changed again." Alois said aloud, recognizing the guide. "What's wrong with that, though? I kinda wanna see the place."

"This place hasn't changed since you left. It's made up of your memories." The dog warned. "Like I said, don't get distracted. Nostalgia is a liar."

"At least I finally have something to be nostalgic about." Retorted the blonde. "So, how do I get out this time? Do I click my heels together three times?"

"Hardly." Answered the canine. "This isn't going to be easy. Haven't you been paying attention? It's not going to be a pleasant trip down memory lane, if that's what you were hoping for. While there are certainly things here that you're fond of, you must also admit that there are memories that are painful, yes?"

"Like the time I jumped out of the window in math class?"

"Not quite. Think harder."

Furrowing his brow, the menace folded his arms and concentrated, trying to recall things that were upsetting from his days at Warwick. At most, he could only think of things that are only embarrassing now. The hijinks he pulled were in the past, however. He's a much more well-rounded adult than he was a teen.

"All I can think of is stuff relating to now." Stated the menace. "Like… Like Preston and Daniel… Even Kristopherson. There's stuff I feel guilty about… That's not pleasant at all…"

"Is that what you think about while here?" questioned the greyhound.

"Well, I think about how simpler things were. Then we all grew up and… Things happened…" Alois said, looking down while he crossed his arms. "Everyone got along and there wasn't any of this complicated crap. Nobody thought that Dan would be a jerk or Preston would be… so angry… and violent… It wasn't possible back then…"

"Sure it was, but things do happen in life, don't they? You still have your memories of them, don't you? Do you feel guilty?"

"Of course I do… If it wasn't for me and all of this supernatural shit, they everybody might still be together…" The menace said, looking up. "Kris and Preston would still be human, and Daniel would still hang out with us!"

"Is looking back going to fix it, though?" inquired the dog, looking up at the man, causing him to blink. He paused to think for a moment before answering.

"Probably not…"

"Then go on." Spoke the canine. "Go find something that moved you forward!"

"That move me forward?"

"You or someone else."

Furrowing his brow and closing his eyes, Alois thought and thought hard. Something that moved them forward? An object? A moment? What was that? If there was something that moved him forward, what was it?

Opening his eyes again, he looked around, plotting his next move. "I think I know where to go." He said, turning his head back toward the dog. "It's this wa—"

The dog was gone, as it did before. The animal seemed to have a nasty habit of disappearing. Shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips, the man shrugged.

"Do I need to get you a leash?" Alois asked the air with a roll of his eyes. "I hate that weird, creepy, cryptic shit."

Regardless, he carried on, following what he thought might be a lead. One time, he yelled at a friend through the bathroom door before breaking it off of its hinges. The lad was being bullied for his choice in attire, but that boy was and still is the most fashion-savvy person he knows. He later got in trouble for that. At the time, Kristopherson had a bit of a crush on him. It was the first time he had confessed to someone, and he was turned down. Now, they're the best of friends, and the feeling no longer persists. Still, it was the first time he and the lad had a "moment" together. All it took was the breaking of a door and a payment for damages.

He made his way to the right building and to the right bathroom. He walked quickly, but he made it. Reaching for the handle, the jitters made him hesitate. A tremor ran through the blonde's hand, forcing it to shake against his will as cold sweat collected at his brow. Naturally, he was worried about what he would find. Sucking in a deep breath, the man took a moment in order to build up his courage, and with that, he gripped the handle, turned it, opened the door, and stepped inside the bathroom.

Everything seemed in order. It was certainly a bathroom of a private school. There was graffiti on the walls, but it merely looked as though it hadn't been scrubbed away yet. It was reasonably clean, however. It wasn't a complete pigsty. All of the cubicles were open and in working order, except for one, and that's where Alois' blood ran cold.

Crying. He could hear crying. It was the sniffling of a boy, or at least he hoped so, since it was the boys' bathroom. Quietly, he reached back and opened the entrance to the bathroom again and closed it loudly, giving the impression that he had left. Then Alois proceeded to tip-toe closer to the locked door, keeping his pace slow but sure. In absolute silence, he stopped and listened closely. The sobbing grew louder as opposed to the stifled attempts from before. It was as though the boy thought he was now alone.

Alois listened hard, trying to remember what exactly Kristopherson's voice sounded like back then. The other's voice had deepened over the years, and his manner of speaking had changed slightly as well. Was this Kristopherson? Or was it someone else? He got his answer as the door swung open.

With a violent jolt, Alois' attention was immediately directed upward as a deafening roar rang in his ears. The man's eyes were wide and he took several steps back at the imposing and horrific figure. It certainly was Kristopherson, but he was distorted and warped in a way that was in no doubt painful. Parts of his body were disproportionate with each other and the skin strained to cover the muscle and bone. A good two-thirds of his face was warped as well and his hair was a mess. He looked lupine in the way his mouth protruded. His teeth stuck out in an ugly manner as his lips were stretched at their fully capacity, unable to conceal them. Veins protruded from his skin and patches of fur appeared on his person, particularly in natural human fashions, but also in others. It was uneven; thick in some places, sparse in others, and nonexistent in the rest. Kristopherson's eyes were aflame with a bright red. They were vacant like they were coloured headlights. Drool dribbled down his chin as he stood there, staring down at Alois with tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked sad. He was obviously hurt and in pain. At the same time, however, he looked absolutely enraged. Kristopherson looked as though he was in the middle of a transformation when it suddenly stopped, trapping him in this grotesque form.

Alois didn't have time to think as he was grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air. The back of his head and shoulders hit the ceiling and now he was forced to look down at his friend. His friend was trying to strangle the life out of him and crush his windpipe.

"Y-you're…" Alois gasped. "Not real!"

A speck of spit landed on his cheek as the beast roared again. This time, Kristopherson sounded more human. There was despair in that voice. Anger. Sadness. Suffering. Tears collected in Alois' eyes now, and he scrunched them shut, not wishing to see any more.

"I-I'm… I'm sorry…" he choked, a tear rolling down his cheek and onto the beast's hand. And then, Alois woke up.