Chapter 18

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the academy grounds as Alex and William walked side by side, the sound of their shoes tapping against the stone pathway.

“So, you ever think about home?” William asked casually, tossing a glance toward his friend. “Like, what it was like before all of this? Before you got pulled into the whole magic and academy life?”

Alex’s expression shifted, just a flicker of something behind his eyes. He paused for a moment, then shrugged, trying to act like the question wasn’t as loaded as it felt.

“Home?” Alex repeated, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah. I guess. It was just… normal, you know? I had my mom, my friends. Nothing crazy. Pretty boring, actually.” He laughed lightly, though the sound was hollow, lacking the usual warmth.

“Normal sounds good,” William said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. “What about your friends? You miss ‘em?”

“Yeah, I do. Kinda hard not to, right?” Alex gave him a weak smile, though his mind was already drifting elsewhere. He could almost picture it—the small house with his mom always making sure the bills were paid, their family dinners where they joked about everything and nothing at all. It felt like a lifetime ago.

But then, as his thoughts wandered, it hit him. He hadn’t thought about home like this in a while—not like he should have.

Alex stopped walking suddenly, his gaze blank as the memories hit him all at once. His mom’s face—the way she’d looked at him when she sent him away. The panic in her eyes, the urgency of her voice.

William noticed the change in his friend immediately. “Alex? You alright?”

“I—” Alex's voice faltered, and for a second, it felt like the ground was slipping out from under him. His stomach turned, and a knot twisted in his chest. “I forgot about her. I was just thinking about home, and… I forgot about her. How the hell could I forget?”

“Forget who?” William’s brow furrowed, sensing the sudden tension in Alex’s posture.

“My mom,” Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper, like the words were choking him. “I was so wrapped up in everything here—this place, the trials, everything I’ve had to learn—that I… I forgot about her. I forgot how scared she was when she sent me away. I forgot about how she told me to run, and I just… kept going, like I didn’t care. Like she was nothing.”

William’s eyes widened as the weight of Alex’s words settled in. He opened his mouth to say something, but Alex was already spiraling, the guilt flooding over him like a wave he couldn’t escape.

“I should’ve stayed. I should’ve fought back. I should’ve done something to stop it. But I didn’t,” Alex continued, the frustration building in his voice. “I ran. I just ran, and now she’s out there, God knows where, and I’m here—pretending everything’s fine. How could I do that?”

“Alex, you’re not the one who caused this,” William said, stepping closer, his hand hovering, unsure if he should reach out or not. “You didn’t know. You didn’t—”

“No!” Alex snapped, cutting him off, his anger rising. “I did know. I knew something was wrong. I saw it in her eyes. I felt it in the way she rushed me out of there. She didn’t want me to leave her, but I left. I left her alone to deal with whatever those people wanted from her. And now I’m here, acting like it’s all just… a bad memory. But it’s not. It’s real.”

William stepped forward, grabbing Alex by the shoulder, forcing him to face him. “Alex, stop. You didn’t abandon her. You didn’t choose to leave her. She made you go for a reason. She made sure you were safe. That’s what matters.”

Alex shook his head violently, trying to shake off the guilt that gnawed at him. “You don’t get it. She was trying to protect me. And I—I left her. I don’t even know what’s happening to her now, and I’m just sitting here like everything’s fine, like I don’t even care enough to do something about it.”

“Alex—”

“I’m supposed to be strong. I’m supposed to be the one who protects the people I love. But instead, I’m here, and she’s out there, probably—” His voice cracked, but he forced the words out anyway. “Probably in danger because of me. And I just—”

William’s heart ached for his friend, who seemed to be unraveling before his eyes. He reached out this time, placing a firm hand on Alex’s arm. “You’re not responsible for this, alright? You’re not to blame for what happened. You’re here, and you’re safe, and that’s what your mom wanted for you. She wouldn’t want you to carry all this by yourself.”

“But I don’t have anyone else,” Alex muttered, his voice low, almost too quiet to hear. “I don’t have anyone else to blame but me.”

William squeezed his arm. “You have me, man. You’re not alone in this.”

Alex’s breath hitched, and for a brief second, he looked like he might break. The weight of everything—his mother’s disappearance, his own guilt, the overwhelming sense of responsibility—was too much to bear. “I don’t know what to do,” he whispered.

“You don’t have to know everything right now. One step at a time,” William said, his voice steady, offering his friend the support he needed. “You’ve got a long road ahead of you, but you don’t have to walk it by yourself.”

Alex exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping as the tension finally began to ease, if only a little. “I don’t know, Will. I keep thinking I’m doing the right thing, but… maybe I’m not.”

“You’re trying, that’s what counts,” William replied with a small smile. “And that’s more than most people ever do.”

The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation still heavy in the air. Finally, Alex looked up at William, his expression more composed now, but still heavy with the burden of what he was facing.

“I have to go to Headmistress Vincent,” Alex said suddenly, his voice steady now. “I have to know what’s going on. I can’t keep sitting around waiting for answers to fall into my lap.”

William hesitated, worry flickering across his face. “Alex, are you sure? You don’t know what she might say—”

“I have to,” Alex cut him off, his tone unwavering. “I need to understand why all of this is happening. Why they took my mom, why I’m here. I need to know what I’m up against.”

“Alright,” William said, his voice soft but supportive. “But be careful. You don’t know what she’s got planned.”

Alex gave him a quick nod before turning to head off in the direction of the headmistress’s office. William watched him go, his heart heavy with worry, knowing that this conversation, as painful as it was, was just the beginning for Alex.

And he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answers his friend was about to find.