After the rollercoaster of traitorous accusations and confirmations of trust, Alois was not sure what he should think of his current mentor and headmaster, Osmond. The cryptic message he had sent only made Alois more suspicious.

Rather than meeting him at the vacant school or his office in the palace, Osmond directed him to the old maze on the school grounds. He even promised answers, something he had made clear to Alois he did not give easily. As always Alois was to tell no one where he was going or what he was doing.

The labyrinth was exactly the same as always, but the man standing in front of it couldn’t have looked more different. Osmond was pale and visibly shake as if taken by a terror beyond Alois’s understanding. He did not even speak a word, beckoning for him to follow. While his mentor was always a little odd, this put Alois on edge.

Osmond led him through the tall stone pathways far away from the center of the maze. Had something been hidden in one of the dead ends? That would explain why the center had always been so easy to reach. Not this one, or the next one.

Just when Alois was beginning to doubt his theory Osmond stopped in front of a rough section of wall eaten away by vines. Rather than the dead end he had been expecting it was the inner wall of a loop. On closer inspection, Alois could feel some kind of magical enchantment on it.

“Where are we going?” Alois asked, bothered by the continuous silence.

“The Hall of Headmasters,” Osmond answered finally as he tugged one of the vines aside to reveal a keyhole, “Today you will learn our secret.”

“I’ve barely been your apprentice for a year,” Alois protested in shock. Something about the words ‘our secret’ gave him an intense feeling of danger. “I don’t even want to be-”

“Time is running out,” Osmond interrupted, “I chose you because I believe you have what it takes to put an end to the curse.”

He didn’t give Alois a chance to answer as he inserted and turned a key with a soft click. The wall vanished and the key clattered to the ground. The other three walls remained, surrounding the ominous entrance to a dark tunnel. It seemed wherever they were going was underground.

Alois felt his eyepatch absentmindedly as an uncanny sense of familiarity came over him. Was he to be sacrificed by the headmaster this time? Would he at least get the promised answer first? Oddly enough, Alois’s curiosity outweighed his fear of death even when the wall reappeared behind him trapping him inside.

“Can we talk now?” Alois pressed, “Or were your promises of answers all a lie?”

“Follow me and I will tell you what I can,” Osmond promised as he entered the tunnel, “I am sure you are familiar with the founding legend of Tethia. How the six pillars banded together to create a nation of unity and magic after being abandoned by the land. While this is true, there is a shameful side the succession of pillars has kept hidden from the public.”

He wasn’t waiting at all, forcing Alois to rush to catch up as his voice began to echo and fade. The tunnel, which should have been dark, had the same sort of glow that Maximus had mentioned in the mines of Dyment. The natural earthen walls morphed into smooth bricks and opened into a wide hall resembling a museum.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“In reality there were only two founding pillars,” Osmond continued, “The rest were their loyal followers along for the ride. I am sure you can guess which two I am referring to.”

“The archmage,” Alois guessed without hesitation, “Tethia wouldn’t exist without his magic. The other must be Alvis. The first headmaster.”

“Correct,” Osmond confirmed, “Alvis is the reason behind everything I am about to tell you. It all began on the day he vanished with no warning.”

Osmond had stopped in front of a portrait of the second headmaster. Alois remained silent and waited for him to continue but his thoughts were running wild. Alvis had always made him uncomfortable, but what did his disappearance have to do with a curse? In the brief silence, the second headmaster stared down at them with cold eyes.

“With his mentor gone, no one could warn him of the danger of dreams,” Osmond said, placing his hand on the frame, “That is when he appeared, an evil being drawn to fear and weakness. He appeared in a dream and offered a deal. Information at a price.”

“What kind of information?” Alois asked, trying not to imagine what kind of price an evil being from a dream would ask for.

“The truth about the two true founders,” Osmond answered, “That truth is not something I can tell you. Learning it will only expose you to the curse. However, I can tell you about the cost.”

Just hearing the knowledge was enough to spread the curse? No wonder Osmond was so shaken. But why now? He must have had this curse since he became headmaster.

“Once the knowledge is used in any way, your body will become a vessel he can freely possess,” Osmond explained, “The more who know of him, the stronger he becomes, but I am reaching my limit. I can no longer hold him back.”

That sounded just like possession. Possession was a forbidden form of summoning magic. While it would reliably summon more powerful forces, it was deemed too dangerous. After making use of your body once, what was to stop them from doing so again?

“What does that have to do with Alvis?” Alois asked, fearing the answer. He wasn’t a user, or worse a creator, of forbidden magic was he?

“His interest in us headmasters was beginning to fade,” Osmond replied, “My predecessor managed to avoid being possessed at all. However, a few days ago, when that man entered Tethia, I felt him stirring. I don’t know why, but Alvis’s return has awoken the sleeping nightmare.”

Alois tried to ignore the chills running through his veins. Everything had begun with Alvis leaving and was growing worse because he returned. “Why are you telling me this?” Alois demanded, “Now that I know about this nightmare his power has grown, and I can’t do anything about Alvis either.”

“Someone has to know,” Osmond told him and moved the frame to the side to reveal a safe behind it, “Someone who can kill me when he takes control. Alois, if you kill me with this dagger, he and I will die together. You can put an end to this curse forever.”

Osmond turned and presented Alois with a dagger that not only bore a mystical appearance but had the strong magical presence of an artifact. Once again, that sense of familiarity struck Alois. Not just because of the situation. For some reason, he was certain he had seen this dagger before.

“Gaia,” he whispered as realization hit him, “You took this from Gaia.”

“That’s right,” Osmond replied, “Alois, you are a smart young man. You have heard of my dealings with Gaia. Loyalty to Tethia means little when the world is at stake. This dagger is our only hope, and I have done everything to prepare for this day. Take it.”

Alois jerked back. “No,” he refused, “I can’t carry around such a dangerous thing.”

“I cannot have access to it when he takes control,” Osmond insisted, “If you refuse to kill me with your own hands then at least keep it safe.”

With great reluctance, Alois touched the hilt of the ominous dagger and felt an immediate reaction from the Eye. Hunger. Greed. That’s right. Where else would be safer to store such a dangerous object than in the embodiment of greed itself? Alois carefully removed his eyepatch, temporarily unsealing the artifact embedded in his eye.

Judging by his lack of surprise, Osmond had known after all.