Alia was so excited today. She was tired of the hot, dry deserts of Krokotopia. She was tired of sand getting into her boots and eyes. Today, Alia would move on to Marleybone.
Sabrina kept on getting defeated by Krokopatra. No matter how many times she hired level 20 Myth henchmen, she would soon be back in the Oasis before she could say, "No!" Alia, being a Life student, was absolutely perfect for that long, hard battle. After about 10 rounds of both healing and attacking, Krokopatra was long gone, and Sabrina had ran out of Crowns. Oops.
As soon as Alia received the key, she was eager to test it out. She twisted the giant, black key with all of her might. The door opened. Alia was almost blinded by the bright light that came from within the spiral door. As Alia stepped out, for the first time in many months, she felt a cool breeze.
In Wolfminister Abbey, Alia was enchanted by the glowing candles. Yet it made Alia realize, this place would be quite spooky. When Alia saw the graveyard, she grew uncomfortable. Thinking about what was soon to happen was too painful. Alia felt as if she were about to cry every time she thought about it.
Professor Ambrose- DYING? It was a heartbreaking thought. Worst of all, Professor Ambrose didn't believe her!
Alia gloomily went off to do quests.
"What? Excuse me, where are the sidewalks?" Alia asked Lady Desane, one of the dogs in Hyde Park. "Do all other worlds of the Spiral have sidewalks?" she said, shaking her head. "There are NO sidewalks."
Alia hated Marleybone after that.
Alia was going to teleport home after a long hour in Marleybone. She was very bruised from being sucked into many hard battles. Remembering her Secret School lesson, she teleported to Wizard City instead.
Instantly, Alia ran to the Secret School.
"Great, you're here!" Professor Ambrose said
Alia sighed, setting down her books. She knew something was not right.
"You're now back on track for spell order! So, we need to have a practice lesson. This spell is called, 'Super Armor'," he said, then showing Alia the card. "Casting this 2-pip spell will cause everyone on the caster's team to gain a blade that adds 20% damage, and everyone on the other team will gain a trap that adds 30% damage."
Alia couldn't think at all. Something was bugging her, and Alia felt something bad was about to happen. "Now," Professor Ambrose started. "in our practice lessons, you will try 3 times to cast a spell, then you're off the first time you cast it. Or, if you use up all 3 tries. Go ahead, try it!"
Alia got up. She swirled and traced... Traced and swirled... And Fizzled.
And again.
Then, at her last chance, she Fizzled once more.
Professor Ambrose then asked her, "Why? You usually have always succeeded the 2nd or 3rd time. Why?"
"Professor, something bad is about to happen!"
"What?" Alia's confused Headmaster asked.
"The worst thing imaginable..." Alia said. "I think Malistaire is coming!"
"I'll have it under control!" Professor Ambrose remarked. "Now, go off and do your quests and things."
Alia stepped onto the land, and went to the place she knew Malistaire was likely to hit; the Commons. Thousands of wizards would see him then.
As she stepped out of the tunnel to the Commons, she heard thousands of screams. A large, black cloud was in the sky, lighting bolts flashing inside of it. The sky had also turned an alarming bright red. Sabrina happened to be standing there, screaming her guts off. "We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! I'll chat over to Alia, she'll know what to do!"
"Alia! Teleport here quick! IT'S THE END OF-"
"I'm behind you Sabrina."
Sabrina slowly turned around. "ALIA! Oh, Alia, HELP US! You know black clouds only form when Malistaire is here!"
"That's right, puny wizard!" a booming loud voice exclaimed. Sabrina shrieked at the top of her lungs. Many people screamed, "MALISTAIRE!"
"You again!" Alia said. "Last time I saw you, my Headmaster was teaching me how to battle. Those Draconians were not very tough now, were they?" "Aww. You are so brave, puny Thuergist. So brave, I must kill you!" he screamed.
"DO(she zapped him) NOT(she zapped him again) INSULT (and again) THE (and again) MAGIC (again) OF (she zapped him once more) LIFE!" Alia yelled. She had zapped him lastly at, "LIFE," but Malistaire blocked it. "Prepare to meet your doom..." Malistaire whispered to Alia.
"Don't you dare touch her!" someone yelled in the distance. They ran up and kicked Malistaire off of his cloud. "Sean!" Alia exclaimed, running up to hug her brother. "Now is the time. The time I explain to you that we are going to kill Malistaire!"
"Weak Thuergist!" Malistaire yelled. His eyes grew the scary red color they were in the vision. They perfectly matched the sky. "WHY?" Alia yelled to him. "Why are you insulting the school that your wife taught?" Malistaire's face grew angrier. "DO NOT SPEAK OF HER!" he yelled, about to zap Alia so hard, she would die.
Professor Ambrose had just ran in to the Commons.
Alia then zapped Malistaire's staff out of his hand.
"You insult me like it's a bad thing!" Alia screamed. "You loved Sylvia just the same, even though she was Life! At least don't insult my school, if you do you're insulting Sylvia!"
"GRRRR..." Malistaire growled. He summoned up a Wraith, took its axe, and shooed it away. "Off with your head!"
Then, someone ran up and held the axe up with their wooden staff. "You're not killing Alia!" they yelled. The staff snapped in half. Alia gasped as she saw the brave person who tried to save her. "Cody! Why are you-"
"Someday I will be a hero." he said. "I think that time is now. I'll trust you on this."
Alia nodded. She yelled to the crowd, "TODAY WE DEFEAT THE GREATEST THREAT OF ALL!" The crowd cheered.
Professor Ambrose clapped. As soon as Malistaire realized his enemy's presence, he smiled. Alia, Cody, Sabrina, and Sean were about to begin the duel. Then Alia heard screams from the crowd. Realizing what was happening, Alia couldn't believe it. Her vision would come true today.
Malistaire was battling Professor Ambrose.
Alia couldn't look. Malistaire was luring the surprised Headmaster towards a cliff.
Malistaire finally lured him over to the cliff. Still gripping onto his staff, Professor Ambrose fell. Malistaire grabbed onto his staff, with Professor Ambrose dangling from it.
"Goodbye, old man," Malistaire said.
Professor Ambrose then lost his grip. Everything happened in a split second, his life flashing before his eyes.
Professor Ambrose was gone.
Alia finally looked, gasping. Sabrina was wiping away the tears from her eyes. Cody stood there, almost paralyzed. Sean was looking angrily at Malistaire.
"When I finish redecorating your Headmaster's office," Malistaire yelled. "I'll be back! As your new ruler, of course. I am your new Headmaster!" He cackled loudly, and disappeared, along with the cloud and blood red sky.
"Hey, where's Alia?" someone yelled from the crowd. It was Mary! "Yeah, where is Alia?" Sean yelled.
"Alia?"
"ALIA! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Where is Alia?"
Cody was shouting for her, when he finally saw her, kneeling by the cliff area their Headmaster had fallen off of.
He walked to where she was. She was sobbing. "Alia?" Cody said. Alia turned around and saw him. "Oh. You," Alia said.
"It'll be okay, I'm sure that EVERYTHING isn't gone," Cody said.
"Yes it is!" Alia sobbed. "My Headmaster, my hope, even I'll be gone soon!"
"What do you mean?"
"Forget it," Alia said. She stood up, and teleported home.
That night, Alia didn't talk at all. Alia didn't sleep at all, either. All Alia wanted was for that day to be a dream. Then, she realized a thought that was bugging her:
What about the Secret School? | 
