Silas stood frozen. Blood covered the room, along with pieces of the flesh golem.
Malachar's laugh echoed in his head. "Incredible, right? I bet you've never seen a scythe this cool before. Maybe it's too much for a weak human like you to get, but this is the real deal."
"Who the fuck are you, anyway?" Silas asked.
"Malachar, the God of Death."
Now Silas was the one laughing. "Come on, seriously, who are you?"
"I'm telling you the truth. Lies are for stupid humans. Someone as evolved as me doesn't do that."
"Evolved as you? You're just a fucking necklace…"
"THE necklace, alright? And watch your mouth. In a few months, I can take control of your body again, and I might do some crazy things with it."
"I know you won't kill me," Silas said. "If you're willing to give me power and even bring my father back, it means you need me."
Malachar sneered. "You're not that stupid, but I can still make you a laughingstock. Maybe I'll take control and make you walk naked down the street. Or even hook up with a man. That would be…"
"Hey, shut up," Silas said. "I get it now. Are you really the God of Death? I've never even heard of you. You sound more like the God of trickery or something…"
"Trickery, that's funny, since I was the one who got tricked in the end… Look, kid, I have a lot to talk to you about, but first, let's get out of here."
"Get out of here? You know I'll be expelled from this magic academy, right?" Silas complained.
He figured it was only a matter of time anyway.
"Magic academy? Kiddo, we are inside a tomb. Open one of those caskets and you'll see some dead bodies."
"I saw it," Silas replied, "but we are actually inside a magic academy. They built it above this place. This is like underground. Are you really a God? You look stupid…"
"Shut up, human. I was trapped here, so how would I know how many years have passed since I died? Or that humans built a magic academy here? Anyway, it's better for you to get expelled. I assume they don't teach necromancy here, right?"
"Obviously not, that type of magic is forbidden, and frowned upon. I bet there are hidden places around the world where people practice it. But why are you saying this?"
Malachar laughed again. "You call me stupid, but you can't even guess what kind of magic the God of Death uses? Stupid human. I'll teach you necromancy—summoning the dead, death magic, blood magic, rituals, all the cool stuff."
"By cool stuff you mean stuff that the church will kill me if they know I practice it?"
"That's why we're leaving, and that's why we practice in secret, you moron. Just get out of this stupid magic academy, and then we can talk about your power and your system."
"System?"
"Yes, that's what I call it. The system will help you get stronger, and it'll make me stronger too. For Malachar's sake, just leave this place."
"I can't," Silas said, "the door to this place is locked, and I can't open it."
Silas wondered for a moment if Malachar might be able to open it.
"Maybe you can?" Silas asked.
Malachar stayed quiet, embarrassed to answer. Silas kept pressing until Malachar finally spoke up.
"I can't open the door, I am just a necklace now… Damn it."
Silas burst out laughing.
"I'll remember this, I WILL!" Malachar yelled inside his head.
*
All Silas could do was wait for someone to find him in the morning. He was relieved that the door he had opened—the one no one else could—had closed behind him, so no one would know he was the one who got into the tomb.
If anyone found out, there was a good chance they would demand answers from him, or even try to force the truth out of Silas.
So Silas waited by the door until morning, hoping the two students and Lily would come back and let him out. He slipped the necklace into his pocket to keep it hidden.
But the next morning, it was actually one of the teachers who found him. When the teacher opened the door and saw Silas asleep against the wall, he was shocked.
"What are you doing here?" the teacher yelled, "This is a prohibited area… Ah, poor you…"
Silas woke up when he heard the teacher. The teacher realized Silas was in serious trouble and might even get expelled from the academy. But Silas didn't care. After what happened with Lily, he actually wanted to leave.
The teacher wondered how Silas had managed to get inside.
"This door was protected by a spell. No one should have been able to get in. How did you do it?"
Silas smirked at the teacher. "I know I'm screwed, but maybe you are too since the spell didn't work. Did you forget to activate it?"
The teacher's face went pale.
"Yeah, I think I did. Well, we're both in trouble, but I'll just lose my monthly pay, maybe more. You, though? You're definitely getting kicked out of the academy."
"Like that's such a bad thing…"
The teacher was surprised by how calm Silas seemed. He hadn't expected the young man to react this way after hearing he'd be expelled.
The teacher and Silas left the dungeon. Before they went, the teacher made sure to activate the spell, worried that other students might try to get in while he was gone.
They climbed the stairs that led to the academy's courtyard.
"What did you find down there?" the teacher asked.
Silas didn't want to say much. "Nothing," he replied. "I just stayed by the door after I realized I was trapped."
The teacher didn't think that was odd. Staying by the door and calling for help was the safest thing to do.
"I see."
As they walked through the courtyard, a few guards spotted Silas and the teacher. The guards could tell something was wrong.
No students were awake. It was only 4 a.m., and classes didn't start until 8. Students weren't allowed to leave the dorms before 7 a.m.
"The principal is probably asleep, but since this is urgent, we might have to wake him," the teacher said.
Silas had met the principal a few times because the man kept trying to expel him. He just needed the right excuse, and now he finally had one.
Malachar saw everything. His soul was trapped in the necklace and now connected to Silas, so he could see and hear what Silas did.
"These mages are so weak. If I had even ten percent of my power, I could destroy this whole place…"
Silas answered in his mind, "Stop thinking about your glory days. Focus on your future."
Malachar looked surprised. "That's actually the first decent thing you've said since we met. I think my presence is already rubbing off on you."
The teacher led them through the academy and straight to the principal's office. It was more than just an office—it was where the principal usually slept.
The teacher knocked. A guard stood by the door.
"Is it urgent?" the guard asked. "The principal went to bed really late, so he might be angry if you wake him up…"
"I'm afraid it is urgent," the teacher replied.
After a moment, a middle-aged man opened the door.
"What do you want?" the principal asked.
When his gaze fell on Silas, he smiled.
"Look what we have here," the principal said, "did you finally do something for me to expel you?"
He was trying to scare Silas, but Silas stayed calm.
"I think so, yes," Silas said with a smile. "Can we just get this over with?"