No sooner had they agreed than Alvis personally set everything into motion. He was incredibly efficient at gathering the others, though Keane seemed to be under the impression they were being held captive. His suspicions only seemed to be confirmed when they explained the situation. Cassandra was surprised when he immediately stood up to Alvis.

  “You’ve placed all the blame on Cassandra when you are the one who started things,” he accused, “Both now and in the past, you hold yourself beyond blame.”

  “On the contrary, I always blame myself first,” Alvis corrected, “but those who share that blame must be told or they will never learn. I already knew well that my actions change the fates of those around me.”

  “So you conveniently appear when things go bad to ease your conscience?” Alois surmised, “At least that explains why you are helping us.”

  “Do we even have the option to refuse this help?” Maximus demanded, “Who knows what kind of demands you will make once everything is over.”

  Alvis seemed unbothered by their suspicion. “Demands? I suppose I do have demands, but I think you will find them to be reasonable. First, why don’t I tell you all a tale? Not some vague recording of history, but the reason why I hold Tethia dear and why I had to leave.”

  Wayde pulled out a stack of papers and his favorite magic quill. “Go ahead, but I will be making a record of your words.”

  “Do as you will,” Alvis told him, then began his tale, “Yuki and I are outcasts, forever cursed to wander the various realms as ours no longer exists. When we first arrived here, I found it to be little different from any other world. A backwards place lacking in both cultural and magical development. That is when I came up with an idea. A challenge of sorts. If I influenced a world so young, perhaps I could create a new home for myself. A place I would truly belong.”

  Cassandra watched for Yuki’s reaction as Alvis spoke, but he wasn’t even mentioned after the first sentence. Then again, maybe that was just natural if he was always sleeping. It was odd to think of an immortal searching for a place to belong, but then again maybe it was stranger for someone who could never age or die to fit in effortlessly. A nation of magic would definitely be more open to such an idea.

  “I searched the lands of this world to see if there was a kingdom I could influence. There were a few that worked for some time, but it always ended unfavorably,” Alvis continued, “”So I gathered the outcasts of each kingdom to create my own nation. The creation of a new kingdom is long and dull so I shall not bore you with that. It is after Tethia was established that this tale begins.”

  “When you abandoned Tethia?” Alois guessed.

  “Are you going to tell us the truth?” Caleb pressed.

  “The truth is a dangerous thing, but yet,” Alvis confirmed, “I will explain all of those things I am sure you are curious about. Why I left Tethia, and why you are here.”

  “You mean you know why we were brought here?” Autumn asked, a bit timidly.

  “Of course I do,” Alvis answered with his usual smugness, “I brought you here myself.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Those words sent a shock through the group, though some dealt with it better than others. Wayde made a large ink splotch on his papers, Autumn knocked over a trinket on a nearby shelf, and Keane tensed, reaching for something hidden on his person. For some reason, neither Alois or Maximus seemed surprised by the news. Cassandra had to admit that she had her own suspicions as well.

  With no more interruptions for the moment, Alvis continued his tale. “Once I founded Tethia, the nation of my dreams, one I had foolishly considered an ally became upset. He called me a traitor and swore to destroy everything I held dear.I assumed he was throwing a fit, as he was often overdramatic, and ignored his words. That is the first time Tethia fell.”

  “The first time?” Caleb demanded, “You don’t mean to say you altered time. That’s-”

  “Dangerous? Forbidden?” Alvis interrupted, “Indeed it is. I am the one who forbade it. Time magic has a price, like any other magic. It should never be used lightly, especially on an entire world.”

  “How many times have you reversed it so far?” Keane asked with a frown.

  “This is my seventh and final attempt,” Alvis replied, “Any more would do more harm than good. As it is, I have weakened the barriers that separate this world from others. That is why the ordinary citizen of Tethia can perform miracle level magic like summoning. It is no easy feat to safely transport a living being past the barriers of normal worlds.”

  “What about us?” Cassandra asked, bending to her own curiosity, “Why would you summon us out of anyone else?”

  “Originally, I only intended to summon one,” Alvis explained, “You, Cassandra, were my first. The hero I carefully selected to save this world. Your love of magic and hard working nature took you to the highest point of Tethia, but it was already too late. The enemy was prepared, and Tethia fell. Gaia, Kalorvia, Beraud. All of these nations have destroyed us in the past.”

  “Is that why you became that prince’s butler?” Maximus asked.

  “I was originally his tutor, but yes,” Alvis confirmed, “But we are skipping ahead. I quickly realized that the farther away I stayed from Tethia, the safer it would be. The moment I return, things begin to happen. That is true for this time as well, I am sure.”

  Alois suddenly let out a breath. “That is why Osmond suddenly lost control. That thing knew you returned to Tethia. There is no point in destroying Tethia unless you both care about it and are here to see it fall.”

  “Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. Even without me here, he influenced the other nations to covet and look down on Tethia,” Alvis corrected, “However, this time the attempts are weaker, and I have decided I shall face them head on. It is up to you whether you will assist me.”

  “You said Cassandra was the first,” Caleb began, “What about the rest of us?”

  “Ah yes. You and Keane were next. That time, we almost succeeded, but everything fell apart when one of you died,” Alvis told him, “One this, my final attempt, I decided there was no use for being stingy just for the sake of it. I brought one with knowledge of future events to guide you, and three who had experienced one of the pasts where I failed to save this world.”

  “That explains a lot,” Alois muttered, “Will it be enough?”

  “There is one more card I never expected to be in play,” Alvis admitted, “Yuki has never once gotten involved before. He remembers every single timeline just as I do, so I wonder how long he has been watching you, Cassandra.”

  Yuki lifted his head to glare at Alvis, all but confirming their words. It was definitely good to have Yuki on their side, but things were still dire. If Osmond’s plan of killing him really wouldn’t work, then how would they deal with the threat that lived within him?

  “How are we meant to stop him now, if we have failed so many times before?” Cassandra asked.

  “For now, you must learn and grow,” Alvis told them, “None of you are anywhere near ready for this fight, but neither is he. As for the issue of possession, I suspect he has abandoned your headmaster completely the moment the curse took hold. He has always been a coward.”