The False man

A teacher in a bright blue cloak stood in front of his class. He had his wand in hand, and he watched the student keenly as he spoke.

There's a blackboard behind him on an alabaster wall. The whole room was white except for the floor, it was covered with brown wood.

The students sat on three rows of wooden seats arranged on an ascending set of broad steps that curved around the room and drew everyone's attention to the teacher in the center.

"Now," the teacher said, "who can tell me the name of the wizard or witch, that created the spell that turned the ireburn plant from poison to an antidote for pixie bites

There were no hands raised but one. The wizard looked around the class, hoping for something else, but it was just him stretching his hands to answer. The teacher's face drops in a bit of disappointment, he points at the boy

"Yes, Mr. Skarsgard, do you?"– the teacher stopped for a moment, realizing he'd just made a big mistake – "sorry, William, do you know who it might be?"

William stood up; he had a confident smile on his face; his bright blue eyes peered out of the white flowing flocks of hair the wind pushed over his face.

"It's the great Wizard Abbott Skarsgard"

"Yes, yes, I gave you a bit of a hint didn't I when I called you by last name, he is your great grandfather after all"

William frowned at this, he put his focus down on his books knowing everyone would be looking at him,

The teacher carried on teaching; the lesson felt dull to William; he already knew all of this, one of the few cons of being far ahead of the whole call. He was ahead of everyone except one person, of course, but he wasn't here today.

William had been constantly looking and checking on his nemesis, but he wasn't in school and it was increasingly seeming like he wouldn't be coming.

If he's not in school, then what could he be doing, he thought. He could be learning from the great wizards themselves or practicing better spells than mine; the thoughts constantly trouble him. He couldn't focus on class. It had only been two days since the ceremony where the great wizard Skarsgard had chosen his successor from his very class.

He had to watch as his own great-grandfather walked past him and picked the boy by his side, passing on his grimoire to his bitter rival. William couldn't stand it, it took all of his inner strength to hold himself back.

When he heard his great-grandfather bless his rival with one of the most sacred words, words he'd always dreamed of hearing from him, he finally lost it. He slapped the grimoire away and grabbed the great wizard by the cloak, yelling cursing words at him. The crowd gasped and went dead silent

As he looked into the soft eye of his great-grandfather then, he slowly came to his senses; he looked around the room and saw everyone staring back at him, everyone but his own father, who had buried his face in his hands in disappointment.

He let go of the cloak, but he was still heaving with temper, he felt so angry and ashamed at what he'd done, that tears began welling in his eyes, then he drew out his wand, and the crowd gasped again, expecting him to attack the old wizard but he waved his wand down the wand and disappeared leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke.

Not wanting to ruin his perfect record, he had gone through the effort of sneaking into school with an invisibility spell, which he held up for over an hour until lessons started, all to avoid detection and embarrassment. He had overheard more than a few banter about him over the course of an hour, he was the talk of the town and the mockery of the school.

But still, he had gotten up to answer the question because no one else could, and he thought his nemesis was in school.

He began doodling on his book to pass the time. The teacher's voice faded to the background of his mind, and the look of his great-grandfather took its place. He looked at me with pity, he thought, like I was a lost cat or something.

He let out a deep exhale and focused on his doodling, then on the back of his neck he felt a pressure settling in, the hairs on his body stood on end and a wave of energy pushed past him, he felt it twist and tumble his soul, and he felt like he was out of his body for a second.

It was a jarring experience, he instantly turned back to see what it was, he had a mixture of fear and shock on his face,

The kids behind him laughed

"What is the chosen one?"

"Don't make that face at us, daddy's boy, we hate it"

"Didn't you guys feel that," William said.

"What are you talking about? wanna feel my boot in your face?"

He didn't respond. He was too worried he felt something had gone wrong, so wrong, somewhere. He looked around the classroom in a deeply worried, then the teacher said

"Who can tell me who crafted the spell that turned the ireburn-poisoned plant into an antidote for pixie venom."

William was barely paying attention but the words, ireburn poisoned plant got his full attention

We've passed this, his thought. "I've already answered this question." What's going on?

A guy from his far left raised his hand. "Yes, Mr Eddie! " the teacher said with bright excitement.

The boy got up; William wasn't paying any mind to it anymore; what's this teacher doing, asking the same questions over and over again? Is he trying to shame me or something?

"It was Baltasar Devor, he crafted the pixie venom antidote."

William raised his head and looked at the boy, confused at his answer. What are you? An idiot, I just answered this a while ago.

"Yes you're correct!" the teacher said, beaming with joy.

William turned to the teacher and almost lost it. "What!" He screamed at the top of his voice. "What's going on!" He felt so troubled, he could feel something wasn't right.

"Mr Skarsgard, don't raise your voice in class."

"What's this? Are you all making fun of me or something? What's all this business about?"

"What are you talking about, William?"

He chuckled and looked around the classroom, their eyes were trained on him, most of which looked at him with contempt.

"Oh come on, cut it out, what's all this about the pixie venom, I already answered that question a few minutes ago"

"What?" The teacher said, "I had only just asked it now,"

"No," he wagged his finger. "You asked it about five minutes ago, no one here knew the answer. Eddie here" – he pointed at him – "didn't either! I said it was my grandfather, Abbott Skarsgard, and you gave me bullshit for it! But I was right and now you're asking it again and now he's saying it's Baltasar, but it's not Baltasar it's Skarsgard, Abbott Skarsgard and you know it is, so why lie"

"But it is Baltasar." his eyes looked genuine, and William could but see that they were.

"What?" He said staring deep into those genuine eyes. "It's not; it's Skarsgard!" he shook his head as he spoke. "What's wrong with you? Something's wrong with all of you, something wrong somewhere, I feel, I don't know what it, but something, somethings not right"

"Calm down William."

He looked around the class, "stop looking at me like that, he screamed. "Something's wrong with all of you! Can't you remember? Five minutes ago, I answered it."

"Calm down, William!" The teacher screamed at the top of his lungs

William looked at him, he was breathing heavily. "You're having a panic attack, William, you have to go see the nurse."

"No, no I have to go see him, I have to see my grandfather"

"Your great grandfather?"

"Yes"

"Abbott Skarsgard?" The teacher said he spoke slowly to make his words clear to him.

"Yes, yes my great grandfather," he screamed, "what don't you understand!"

"William! William, listen to men! Abbott Skarsgard has been dead for fifty years"

His eyes welled in tears, and he shook his head sideways, from left to right, "what are you talking about?"

"It's the truth, you know this, you've known this your whole life."

"What are you talking about? He was there at the ceremony. I made a fool of myself, remember!?" he looked around the class, but no one seemed to follow him. "Come on, I grabbed his cloak, remember? I was mad he made Blackzad his successor!"

"Blackzad?"

Yes, you remember, don't you, he turned to look for Blackzad again, but he wasn't there.

"William, it was you, not Blackzad, that was made the successor."

"What?"

"Baltasar made you his successor and Blackzad took it so badly he hasn't been seen since."

"I don't understand; I don't know what's going on," he grabbed the back of his head and pulled it, lowering it towards the desk, "I don't know what I remember anymore," then a thought struck him, and he raised his head again.

"It was the energy; didn't anyone feel it?" he looked around the room, and everyone looked at him like he was a freak. He just stood there breathing heavily.

"What's happening to me?" he said in a whisper.

The teacher walked up to his seat and touched him on the shoulder. "William, it's best you go see the nurse." He led him by the shoulder down the step to the door. He turned back to the class and said "Would anyone like to take him to the nurse?" Immediately a black haired girl raised her hand

"Ruby! Yes, come down." She hurriedly ran down the classroom

"Are you alright?" the teacher asked. "You don't look well yourself"

"I'm fine, just feeling a bit nauseous that's all"

William was looking away from them with a pure look of dread on his face

"Alright, take him along," she nodded and grabbed him by the hand. Then he turned and looked at her; she looked about as scared as him.

"Let's go," she said, she pulled him along, he didn't put up a fight, he seemed so out of it, so focused on his worries, and as they left the site of the class she leaned into him and said in a low voice

"I felt it too, I felt the energy."