Ms Reprics expression froze as she leaned further forward and narrowed her eyes on me.

She had grabbed the sheets in front of her with trembling fingers; waves of rage and disbelief seemed to pass in waves through her body constantly. She arose quietly before her sharp voice would cut the air in front of her in half.

"What?!"

"I...I... I didn't... I..." I gasped for air while searching for the right words, though it seemed that no matter what I'd say Ms Reprics would get it wrong. No matter if it was right; as soon as I had spoken it would have been wrong.

Koschei had stopped smiling and turned his gaze towards mine slowly.

"Oh Theta" he sighed and shook his head "my little innocent Theta..."

I bursted into tears as soon as I'd heard Koschei's words and bit my lower lip to keep me from sobbing and sniffing.

"I beg your pardon?" Ms Reprics harsh voice repeated for the second time. I faced her starry-eyed and swallowed.

I wouldn't let her see me cry. My father had never cried in front of me; he had been too proud to let me see him crying; crying was shameful. And Ms Reprics knew as well as I that I had lost as soon as I would have started crying or begging for mercy.

I was determined not to beg for anything.

And Ms Reprics begging for pardon was the closest she'd get to begging for anything.

Well, either way it would have been inappropriate. 'Mercy', 'compassion', 'sympathy' and 'pity' were terms and virtues which had been invented long after Ms Reprics' years of education at the academy.

Though pity was a foreign word to her she seemed to be capable of showing emotions like 'commiseration'. But it left a stale aftertaste nonetheless.

Ms Reprics had slapped Koschei's face as soon as he had started smiling again.

He simply shook his head and snapped at her fingers as she tried to raise her hand against him for a second time.

"You intended to say something" Ms Reprics tried to calm down and overact that she had been quite irritated by a student snapping at her. Her head had turned towards me without me even noticing it. She moved and ran like clockwork. Heartless. Lifeless. Cold.

"Oh, I guess you intended to intend Theta-Sigma to be a witness" smiled Koschei and popped his head to one side after I had searched and met his gaze. Ms Reprics snorted and separated several sheets of paper from the pile on her writing desk and adjusted them in the proper order. Though shortly afterwards she'd do nothing but hitting Koschei over the head with it.

"Stow it!" hissed Ms Reprics as she widened her livid eyes at me. I took a step backwards, looking forth and back between Ms Reprics and Koschei.

Both looked equally mad.

Regardless of the cause; both were mad, either owing to madness or fury. Back then it made no difference to me.

I blushed inevitably and stared down at my feet to evade Ms Reprics' piercing glare.

"I'm sorry, Miss" I whispered quietly.

"Speak up!" she commanded and grabbed me by the shoulders, pushing them backwards in order to straighten me up.

I nodded though it was hardly noticeable. "Yes Miss."

Ms Reprics narrowed her eyes again in order to give the impression of seriousness graveness.

"The books... or, to be more specific, that's what had been left of it had been discovered in Koschei's chaos..." she breathed out deeply while turning towards Koschei, probably secretly hoping that she'd be able to burn him with the hot breath blowing out of her nostrils. Koschei remained unmoved. "...which used to be a neat and tidy room as far as I'm concerned."

"You dare to invade my privacy?" asked Koschei and chuckled. I grasped his hands inevitably and our fingers touched only to get separated by Ms Reprics cane again. Koschei raised his right hand and pressed his index finger against his lips, tasting the blood that emerged from the laceration on it and sucking it out slowly.

I didn't know if Koschei didn't actually know that he was bugging Ms Reprics or if he didn't care if he did so. Either way I felt obliged to keep him from getting seriously injured by her.

Ms Reprics snorted and narrowed her sallow eyes on me again. "Theta-Sigma, if you dare to touch his hand once more without being properly requested to do so, you'll regret letting yourself ever get touched by your colleague." I lifted my head a bit to stare her in the eyes innocently.

But Ms Reprics retorted nothing, not even a glare.

"You invaded my privacy first by ruthlessly ripping the book into pieces and stealing the pages only to store them in your room."

"Two wrongs never make a right" replied Koschei calmly and grinned.

"It's a pity, though" sighed Ms Reprics, "it would be ideal. Two wrong making a right...the two wrongs whose bodies seem to be too shameful for the ground just to swallow them up... those wrongs that should actually just crawl under a rock" she stared down at us and I lowered my head again after seeing her lips forming the words "and die!" quietly.

I could hardly suppress the tears welling up in my eyes again.

"And how did you dirty your hands?" asked Ms Reprics in a low voice, her head clicking into the place to face me directly "What offence did you commit?"

I bit hard down on my lower lip.

"I stole the book" I whispered quietly. Ms Reprics waited unmoved; she didn't even seem to breathe.

"I stole the book" I repeated slightly louder and cleared my throat as the hot tears burnt in my eyes. There was no turning back, no going back now. "The book is shrouded in legends and somehow I couldn't resist... I know that it wasn't meant for my eyes for I'm unworthy to catch a glimpse of its pure wisdom and therefore I offer my sincere apologies. But I was eager for knowledge..."

Ms Reprics cane in my ribs cut me off in mid sentence and I pressed my hands against my ribcage, falling silent.

Koschei snorted. I felt his burning eyes on my back as Ms Reprics raised her cane again to place it on my right shoulder.

"Knowledge?" she repeated in a low voice, the greyish streaks in her eyes twisting and turning, "You were eager for knowledge?"

I nodded quietly and sealed my lips by pressing them against each other firmly.

"Then why didn't you steal "Of Future and Past"?" asked Ms Reprics and forced me down onto my knees by smashing the cane against my shoulder. I flinched and collapsed onto the ground.

Koschei watched Ms Reprics with quiet fascination. He wasn't going to help me, I knew.

Koschei was no help. And I hadn't him expected to be of help. But somehow I was shocked to see his lifeless eyes staring down at me. He wouldn't move. He didn't wince as he heard me painfully struggling for air.

He simply stood there. Ignoring or enjoying my punishment; either way I felt betrayed.

Though, actually I had been stupid. What did I expect him to do?

To defend me? To raise his voice against Ms Reprics? To push her away? To sooth me by telling me that everything was going to be alright?

I was ignorant back then.

But there sure had been another reason why I had longed for any signs of Koschei's affection for me. Though I had been too ignorant to realise it back then, too...

"Neakahla's book isn't part of the secret library because it's of no value; it's not even worth the paper it's been written on. It's kept locked away because it is pure nonsense and no one should have the opportunity to read it. It's kept away from those too ignorant to understand its true meaning; I tried to keep it out of reach of those who'd be endangered to believe what he'd written." I was still looking down on the ground and wouldn't dare to raise my head. "Neakahla was a fraud, an imposter and nothing more. He didn't even deserve to receive a doctorate. He was no doctor. He was a fool."

I felt tears running down my cheeks after I had looked Ms Reprics directly in the eye and replied a whispered "No!"

"You can't even defend yourself" countered Ms Reprics "What makes you think that you can defend an imbecile's honour?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes, squeezing more and more hot tears out of the corner of my shut eyes.

"You know why you didn't take "Of Future and Past"? asked Ms Reprics quietly and the thud of her cane hitting the floor echoed in her room. I wouldn't dare to move.

"Because you didn't steal Dr. Neakahla's script. Though I have reason to believe that you were uneducated enough to enjoy it. I know that Koschei took it. And you shouldn't lie for him."

I clenched my fists and looked sideways to recognise Koschei's watchful expression on his face. We exchanged glances quietly before he started smiling again.

You can't keep it to yourself, can you?

Koschei's voice inside my head made me jump back to my feet again. I pressed my hands on my forehead and shook my head.

Koschei, get out of my head!, I yelled in my mind, I told you to get out of here!

Koschei chuckled and met my gaze.

I like it in here, really.

I looked back and forth between Ms Reprics, who cocked a doubting eyebrow at me, and Koschei who wouldn't stop smiling as his burning eyes met mine.

But I told you to leave. You said you'd spare my mind if you'd have my body.

I always cheat. And I thought you knew that.

"Koschei!" I snapped and was about to go for his throat as Ms Reprics's cane stopped me halfway, primary by being smashed against my shins.

"Kneel down and keep your mouth shut!" ordered Ms Reprics and pushed the handle of the cane into my ribcage again. I yelped and fell down to my knees.

I hate you, Koschei!, I yelled in thought.

I sniffed quietly and buried my face in my hands. Ms Reprics placed her cane on one of Koschei's feet and pressed it down with increasing force. Koschei didn't even wince.

My sobbing was barely audible as I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

I trusted you, Koschei!, I screamed in my mind, I trusted you!

You should have known better. You definitely should have known better, Theta. And I should definitely ask Ms Reprics to remove her cane, shan't I?

Thanks again for all the reviews :) I'm always excited to read them.