Cassandra and Alois immediately began planning for their trip to the Pavilion. Normally it would have been difficult to reach, but Osmond had recently given Alois full access to summoning the gateway. Keane seemed torn about whether or not to join them, but came to the conclusion it was best he stay behind in case something went wrong.

Considering they were doing this behind the headmaster’s back,there was a high chance of something going wrong. There was no avoiding Yuki knowing what was going on since he was there the whole time, but they unanimously agreed that the less who knew the better. That meant that they would not even tell the others about their plan. At least not until it was over.

Autumn definitely noticed since Keane rarely kept secrets from him. It seemed like Maximus caught on too, but neither of them said anything. Nero and Alvis, who they were most concerned about, seemed to be keeping each other busy. With this in mind, Alois decided that there was no better time to act.

“Are you sure about this?” Cassandra checked, “They are sure to notice if we suddenly disappear during the day like this.”

“Time works differently in the Pavilion,” Alois assured, “With any luck, we will have the answers we need by the time we leave. We can explain everything then.”

Alois used his new permissions to open the gate to the Pavilion of Eternal Dusk. It was silent and smooth, unlike the show Osmon had put on for their entrance ceremony. Inside was peaceful and still, filling Cassandra with relief. She had half expected Osmond to be waiting for them there, though Alois didn’t relax until the gate was closed behind them.

“Michelle,” he called, using the magic of the Pavilion to enhance his summoning power.

The magic seemed slow and reluctant, almost like a stutter, but it was working. This must be the drawback of trying to summon someone else’s summon. Michelle finally appeared to them after a few tense minutes, but she looked far different from before. For starters, the Michelle they knew was a young woman, but the one who stood before them had graying hair and wrinkles. Her clothes were still more cozy than fashionable, and though she held a cane she stood tall.

“Michelle?” Cassandra asked with uncertainty. Had they messed up after all?

“Cassandra, dear? It’s been so long,” she greeted with a smile, “Call me Mickey like you always do. You always tell me such wonderful stories.”

Did that mean everything Michelle, no Mickey, knew was something Cassandra would one day tell her? Not only was that a lot of pressure, she was terrible at summoning magic. EvenYuki probably came to her on his own rather than actually being summoned.

“It’s lovely to see you, Mickey,” she said instead.

“Have we told you any stories about Alvis?” Alois pressed, eager to fulfill their goal.

“Oh, dear, I know you miss him,” Mickey said as if consoling, “Even though you would constantly complain, he was a dear mentor and friend. However, even the immortal don’t live forever.”

That was far from what Cassandra had expected to hear. Alvis was going to die? No, they couldn’t focus on that. Dwelling on the future was dangerous. They needed to focus on the past. “Actually we were wondering about the founding of Tethia,” she told her.

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Mickey looked between them and took a deep breath. “So it’s today,” she muttered, “Very well, I will tell you what I can. Our time is limited so try not to interrupt.”

Cassandra bit back any questions about what her comment of ‘today’ meant and nodded. Alois did the same with a grim frown. It seemed neither of them liked the implications of today being memorable enough for her to instantly recall.

“The founding of Tethia isn’t too different from the legends,” Mickey began, “The founding pillars were each being oppressed in their respective nations and situations and banded together to create a new country where they could all live together in peace. The one who brought all of those talented people together was Alvis. He taught them knowledge and gave them each artifacts to enhance their power. Then once everything was stable, he disappeared.”

That sounded exactly like what Alvis had said, but these were all things Cassandra told her at some point. How would she find these things out in the future? Or was this some sort of bizarre time loop caused by the disconnected times of both summoning and the Pavilion?

“After Alvis left, a dark being targeted Tethia, seeking to destroy it,” Mickey continued. Cassandra noticed Alois lean forward. This must be the part he had been waiting for. “This being fixated on the headmaster, Alvis’s heir, with whispered lies and promises in order to make a deal. I’m afraid I don’t know much more about this being as knowing would give him power, but I do know the curse of the headmasters is real and very dangerous. He won’t stop at just destroying Tethia.”

“It was all the truth,” Alois whispered with a grimace, “Thank you, Mickey. Do you know how to defeat him? Do I really have to kill Osmond while he is possessed?”

Mickey opened her mouth to answer the question, but stopped when an ominous feeling swept over the Pavilion. Yuki immediately began to growl and jumped off of Cassandra’s shoulders as the cause of the feeling approached. It was Osmond, but something felt distinctly wrong. The predatory way he walked and the cruel smile that he wore were things Cassandra would never be able to imagine Osmond doing.

Not only that, there was something off putting about his face. As he came closer, Cassandra was able to pinpoint what it was. His eyes had changed colors. She couldn’t remember what color they had been before, but there was no mistaking that smooth black iris with a glowing red pupil. Even amongst fantasy beings in stories she recalled and magical races here pupils changed shape but never color. If anything it reminded her of tacky Halloween decor, but it was actually frightening in a living person’s face.

“Why not answer him, Mickey?” he prompted in a chilling voice that also bore a distinct difference from Osmond’s own, “Are you going to tell my own apprentice to kill me? After everything we have been through together? Don’t you remember our promise?”

Cassandra stepped protectively in front of Mickey before she could think about what she was doing. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t Osmond and it was trying to threaten their precious guest. “Stand back!” she ordered.

“Who is this? Oh, Yuki’s new pet. He is my favorite Nightmare, you know. Even after he escaped from my realm he brings horrors to the dreams of every world he touches. Isn’t he remarkable?” the imposter gushed. It was even more disgusting because he meant every word without a hint of mockery.

“You must not engage him,” Mickey warned from behind, “Remember, you cannot learn more about who and what he is-”

“Shut up,” the imposter growled, effortlessly throwing Cassandra aside as he reached for Mickey’s throat.

“No!” Cassandra screamed, but she was almost immediately blinded by a flash of white that seemed to fill the entire Pavilion.

Once her eyes cleared enough to see in the usual dim lighting, Mickey was gone, as was the possessed Osmond. Standing where they had once stood was a young boy with white hair, fox ears, and a very familiar bushy tail. He tugged on the hem of his oversized pajamas and looked at Cassandra nervously.

“Did I do good?” he asked.

“I…” Cassandra began, but she wasn’t sure what to say, “What did you do?”