Left or right?

"Left or right?" William said. They stood at the end of the passage, at a crossroads. "Ever been here before?"

"Many times"

"Why?" said, visibly shocked.

"You've never been called to the dean's office before?"

"No, I'm an honor student."

And I knocked someone's teeth out, so I guess we're equally great

"You did what!?"

"Lower your voice"

"You did what? " he said in a whisper. He reduced the tone but he made sure to keep the drama.

She chuckled and said, "Yes, and if I remember correctly, it was this way; it was a lot neater back then."

But why?

"I guessed they swept a lot back then,"

"No, I meant the teeth"

"So a few strength enhancement spells and a right swing across the chin, and you get a pair of bloody molars on the grass"

Willaim couldn't imagine her in a fistfight; she looked so frail and demure.

They walked toward the left as she said, and the closer they got, the more unsettling pressure sunk on them; it didn't feel like the wave energy from before. This one felt like they were walking toward a meat grinder, towards danger.

Sweat seeped into her clothes; Ruby had forgotten much of her nauseousness; she tugged at the turtle neck of her sweater as they walked closer and closer to the door, regretting her decision to wear one on this exceptionally cold day.

William got in front of her; it all didn't feel right, and he would rather not have her in harm's way.

He grabbed the rusty black handle of the door. Through a gap in the door, a stench of something rotten rushed at them like the wind, it felt hot and dry and when it died out it came back again much like breathing

William looked at her, and she gave him an urging look; he pulled the handle down and felt the door bulge. He opened the door slowly and met a deep blackness, as he stared into it, he heard a slight growl and what sounded like something heavy being dragged against the floor.

His hands froze for a second; he didn't know where to go, back or forward; he took a deep breath and resolved to open the door.

Close that door! A thundering voice cried. Are you mad! They turned back instantly

Dad!

Close the door and come over here. William quickly closed the door, and as he did, he heard another growl. They walked up to him and as they did he said

"Shouldn't you both be in class?"

"Well we just had to see you, Sir, William said, he looked at his son not holding much affection in his eyes then he turned to Ruby

"And who might you be?"

She gasped a bit and said in a lower voice, "I'm Ruby sir"

"I've never seen you two together before, what's this new arrangement?"

"It's very serious"

"How so?" William looks at Ruby, and she nods, the old man watched both of them, finding their behavior a bit odd

"Dad, sorry, I mean sir"

"It's alright,"he said

William felt a bit scared, he knew his father, he would never let him call him that. He paused for a moment

"Are you alright, son?" William saw in his eyes a difference, a slight warmth to his often cold nature; he was affected too, he thought. He placed his hand on his shoulder and William had chills.

"Are you alright son?" he said again.

William shook his head; he turned to Ruby and back to his dad, "Do you remember the ceremony?

His eyes lit up, "yes!" He said, how could I forget—William's face went cold— "the day you became the successor." A lightness beamed on his father's face as he spoke, it was all so foreign to him, he felt a weight on his heart and to lessen it he said,

"Dad!" he shook his head, "I am not the successor." His dad chuckled as he looked into his eyes and saw that his son was, in fact, serious. "Don't be so modest son, you've earned it"

"That's not it, that's not what I meant, I wasn't mad about the successor, it was Blackzad

Blackzad?

"Yes, great-grandfather gave him his grimoire"

What? He looked at Ruby and she seemed sombre and reserved. "What's just up with you two? Abbott has been dead for fifty years; Baltasar made you his successor; what is all this rubbish?"

That's just it; I need you to believe me, Dad, it wasn't me; it was Blackzad. Someone messed with something, someone's changed things. I don't know how but I remember, I remember Abbott, I knew him. Now everyone's telling me he's been dead for fifty years, I don't understand what's happening.

"Son, are you sure you're alright, this could all just be some dream or a hallucination, you know. It could all just be in your head."

"No, Dad, I need you to believe me right now, she!"— he points at Ruby— "she remembers!"

He looks at Ruby, can you vouch for what he is saying? She nods, "I can remember it all too; my memories are conflicting like it's two different pasts at once.

He looked into her eyes as she spoke; a bit of chill ran through him, and his face went pale. He looked around without making eye contact with them, he was thinking it over. He looked deeply troubled, they could see he believed them now.

"I don't remember it any differently," he said without looking at them. "Why don't I?" he ran his finger through his hair, racking his brain

"What should I do?"He said in a whisper. He stopped and looked at them

"You must tell me everything you remember, every significant thing. What else has changed? What else have you noticed?"

Ruby was about to speak, but William gave him a look; he knew what she wanted to say and didn't want his father to hear it.

"Well, Baltasar the Great doesn't work here, right? He's not in his regular post as we remember it."

"What? Really?" He said, with a bit of glee in his face. "So what was post, in your memories"

He shared a glance with Ruby, then said he was the headmaster. His father burst out laughing, and said, "Baltasar working under me" — he shared an uncomfortable look with Ruby — "I thought I'd never see the day, well thinking about it now, I guess I won't be seeing it, my we've really got to fix this."

He put his hand on his chin and thought about it for a while

"We're going to the ministry," he said. "If anyone's going to know what's going on, I'll be them. Let me get something in my office, then we'll be on our way.

They walked towards his office, ruby leaned in and whispered to William

"Why?"

"He mustn't know; I can't ruin this for him; this is his dream."