Something dark has become of Riddle Rosehearts, and dread—no, terror comes to me as I see the pale figure floating. He's—there's this black goop behind him, on him, woven through his form.

bLike the monster/b.

He's as pale as death. His eyes a blood red. A strange heart mark woven on his face, I think—and one eye produces a magical flame. Black weaves like a circlet around his forehead. The crown is now dripping with black goop. His dorm uniform is gone, and now he wears a torn black-and-red version of what it once was—torn, with around his waist black-covered white roses. A—a collar behind his neck of spikes. A torn collar of white. A collar of goop with a heart in the center. And the fabric is frayed, torn—he's—there's such a darkness around. I feel something heavy pressing against my chest.

His boots drip black goop as he floats in the air. The red of his clothing looks like blood.

What is this? What happened?

The dripping ink forms, and behind him is a creature like the monster before—a big, large one, wearing a black and red dress—with a crown on top of the bottle for a head it possesses. I'm reminded of the Queen of Hearts, I think.

Is it her spirit that's taken over him? A left-behind monster that's infected? A curse?

iI am RIGHT! I have to be right! There's no other option!/i

My eyes are filled with tears again, the voice is in my mind but I know this voice. It isn't the voice of the monster from before—it isn't the strange words of something I didn't know. No, no—instead, this is the voice of someone I've come to know. Maybe not well, but well enough to hear words echoing in my mind and it's…

It's Riddle.

It's Riddle.

"—Riddle? What's happening?" My voice squeaks out. Terror's seized my heart.

A deep, sinister laugh comes from Heartslabyul's Housewarden. But behind his laugh is someone else's.

And that tells me, that tells me in one horrible moment that the painful feeling in my chest, the tears I'm shedding, and the pressure—that negative pressure is all Riddle's own. And I once heard the final words of a monster consumed by this. The pieces are right there: this transformation creates monsters out of people and if we don't stop Riddle here and now he's going to be just like the creature in the Dwarfs' Mine.

"I do not need anyone who defies me in this world. I am the absolute ruler. My world will submit to me." He, and the creature behind him, declares.

We can't let that happen. We can't let this happen. How can we fix this? He can't become this thing. That's such a cruel fate—how can we—how can we leave someone we know to that fate? How can we win this? How can we solve this?

"I will not tolerate an answer that is not, iYes, Riddle/i." The possessed declares.

Everyone is struck by terror, I think.

"Anyone that defies me… it's off with their heads." And Riddle descends back into mad laughter.

"How did this happen? How could I let a student go into Overblot?!" Crowley declares in despair.

"What is Overblot?!" Grim's confused, and as scared as I am. "He—he looks—he feels evil!"

"Overblot is a horrible situation, something that every sorcerer should avoid. Rosehearts is consumed by negative energy—he's lost control over his emotions and magic." Crowley explains.

"I don't get it." Grim…

"Me neither." Deuce...

i I always wanted to try one of those tarts with the bright-red strawberries./i

It's Riddle's voice in my head.

So last time… it was the monster's, too.

Oh God.

I barely catch Cater, "In other words—he's in evil, villain, berserk mode!"

How do we stop this?

"If this continues, Riddle's life will be in danger." I already know this, Trey. That monster… there was no one—just the creature left.

"His life?!" Grim's terror almost echoes.

Riddle's creature, the monster he's forming—it keeps getting bigger.

"I must go protect the other students! I will help them evacuate!" What, Crowley!? "Rosehearts must come to his senses before his magic consumes him. Losing his life is the absolute worst case scenario. But what's worse… All of you need to get the rest of the staff and dorm leaders to help stop him!"

"How—where are they? Can we even get there in time?" Ah—terror. Terror and dread grip my heart.

iThe local cake shop had them in the window. They shined to me like forbidden jewels./i

Riddle's voice is stronger. The one I'm hearing in my mind. I don't know what this means.

I don't know what he's talking about.

"TAKE THIS!" Ace shouts, slinging a wind spell at Riddle.

There's shouts of confusion, but considering how Ace did face a monster a few days ago—maybe I shouldn't be surprised at his behavior.

"Ace!" I call out. If they're going to attack, because there's no way Deuce is going to sit it out, we NEED a plan!

"I SUMMON, CAULDRON!" Right on time, Deuce.

Grim lets out a yell and launches a flame.

Riddle takes the blows, glaring at the three. "You little ideviants/i! What do you think you're doing?!"

"W-wait! What are you three trying to do!?" Cater sounds—properly scared.

"His life might be forfeit if we don't do anything!" I am very proud of Grim in this moment.

"I don't want him to go like that, but…" Deuce starts.

Ace finishes, "I need to hear him say, bIt's all my fault, I'm sorry/b to me!"

These three will be trouble until they die, won't they?

"I got it—I can overwrite Riddle's magic for a little time." Trey's in on this. We might not have time to get others. We have to do this together. "When I start, I leave it up to all of you! Headmaster, please take the rest to safety!"

But what plan?

iI was studying every subject possible, and scheduled down to the minute. When I didn't understand, the lesson continued until I did./i

Is he trying to tell me something with these thoughts? Why am I hearing this?

"All of you, stop! This is dangerous!" Crowley calls to us.

"We know!" I reply.

"He's right! What are you doing, Trey?! There's no way you can defeat Riddle!" Cater. Really? Low on my list.

"It sucks to lose a challenge—it's not cool." Ace starts.

"It's not cool at all!" Grim continues.

"This is the only way to bring him back to his senses." Deuce finishes.

"Yes. I can't lose him let… I—there's something I need to tell him." Trey's in this, too.

"We need to work together to stop him! Ace, Deuce, Grim—like the monster in Dwarfs' Mine!" Hopefully—I think. I think I have a plan.

"Damn it! Fine, I get it! There's—no other way, is there?" Cater might be giving in, good. We need everyone we can get.

iThat was my bnormal/b./i

"Then—then yes. I will come back as soon as I escort the others' to safety—please, please stay safe until then, all of you!" Crowley starts to head off towards the students, ushering them away.

"Grim—Deuce, Ace, Cater—I need you to circle him, and first—Deuce-crush the creature behind him with your cauldrons! Ace, Grim, send the fire tornados at the two of them—Cater, I need you on his other side and hit him with WHATEVER you have! Keep spread out, and dodge if Trey's overwriting runs out! We have to be quick, throw EVERYTHING you have!"

"Every single one of you will NOT succeed! I will take away that confidence! OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!" Riddle's corrupt self cries.

"Riddle's body won't last much longer. We have to stop him now or else." Trey's magic stops us from this first wave of that magic.

I move back.

I see a vision—a-a memory. A child. A child that goes off to play. But it's distorted and black—ruins.

iI had the best time of my life playing with Trey and Chenya. We did so many things I had never done before./i

iThey taught me so much I didn't know./i

iAfter that, I snuck out of my room every day to play with them during independent study time./i

I keeps seeing blurry visions behind my eyes of things I don't know. Are these Riddle's memories?

Magic flings. The monster is many times Riddle's size. The first cauldron comes, Grim and Ace launch fire and wind together to consume and block the creatures blows. It holds a tree, and tries to smack at Deuce. "LEFT!" I call.

It misses.

iA bright-red strawberry tart on a white plate. To me, it shined brighter than any gem ever could./i

iThe first bite was so sweet, it tasted like nothing I've ever eaten before in my whole life./i

iWith each bite, I became more and more entranced… and I lost track of time./i

A child is crying. A mother scolds. I don't know what this is, but I feel a deep ache in me. A long, throbbing, old pain.

"RIGHT, CATER!" I yell—he's split into five selves, and they're all sending spells. Riddle's screaming in rage and confusion at so many moving around. He's distracted from the other three.

Deuce launches a cauldron that is flung into the monster by Ace and Grim's flaming tornado. The monster staggers back, as does Riddle.

iBecause I broke the rules my favorite part of the day was taken away from me. /i

iI vowed to never break my mother's rules again. After all, she was the most accomplished mother in the city, and thus, the most correct./i

iBut Mom… Why? Why does my heart hurt so much? I eat to eat a tart! It's my birthday! So why can't I have some just this once?/i

I can barely breathe with how hard my chest constricts.

I look at Trey, he's struggling.

"THROW ALL YOU CAN AT HIM! ALL AT ONCE! WE'VE GOT HIM ON THE ROPES!" The sounds of the wind and flames, the crashing of the cauldron, the tree that hits and smashes, destroying everything in its path. There's so much, I hope they can hear me.

iI want to play outside all day long! I want to make lots and lots of friends!/i

iTell me, Mom, please… What rules do I need to follow to make all of this pain go away?/i

All I can see behind my eyes is a child sobbing, alone.

They all strike at once, consuming the monster, and Riddle with it.

Oh, I pray it works.

The magic clears, and the sky disappates—there's a horrifying scream, and the black sludge oozes away, somewhere else. I can't tell—but what's left in a crumpled heap on the ground we see in the blinding light that's revealing to us the full extent of the destruction…

Riddle.

Normal, normal Riddle.

Trey staggers forward first. "Riddle!"

He's taking the collapsed form into his arms. The team of attackers stand there, breathing hard. I think everyone's in some state of shock.

Shaking him, Trey's distressed, and the worry we were too late hangs in the air.

The time drags. Is it seconds? Is it minutes? Time marches on its slow eternity.

A loud gasp comes from Riddle, his eyes fly open—he looks around, dazed and confused.

But he's alive.