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2014 (again x5), Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, Upstate New York, USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Henry walked out along the vast bright green lawn spread out from the main University building and headed south through the Sea towards the large barrier of bushes. He thought one of the few redeeming values of repeating timelines was that he knew exactly where to find Eliot. Arriving at the foliage, Henry sat on the nearby bench and waited for his future student to emerge. He heard the rustle over his right shoulder, then saw the young man struggle and exit, swatting the branches out of the way. “It’s no use to fight the barrier. The bushes are enchanted; they will just lead you back to the school.”
Panting, Eliot glanced at the man on the bench before heading back into the bushes. He thought he had heard car horns the last time; he was so close to leaving. Pushing deeper in, the plant became thicker and more challenging to get through, but between their dark leaves, he thought he saw an alleyway and felt the cool, crisp breeze of autumn. Eliot partially closed his eyes to protect them from the thick twigs and forced his way out. Emerging, he couldn’t believe what he saw, blinking under the harsh summer sun.
“Are you finished with your Sisyphean task? There is much for us to discuss.” Henry rose from the bench and carefully approached the terrified young man. He did not want to trigger- “Damn it!” He let out an exacerbated sigh as Eliot ran off. Now, he would have to search for the man in a new location.
2014 (again x20), Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, Upstate New York, USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Henry slowly walked up to Eliot. The young man was pressed against a large, thick tree, peeking around to watch some Brakebills students practicing their magic on the grass. He saw a couple of newer Nature students following the directions in their textbook, careful with the positions of their fingers. The woodless sapling they created was struggling to stay upright, and an older Knowledge student was trying to suggest another spell they should do. But Henry stopped and noticed whom Eliot was looking at – Physical students levitating and juggling various-sized rocks between them. “What do you think?”
Eliot tensed at being found, whirling around to face the Dean. The older man came closer, and Eliot backed away, arm and hand extended in defense. “Don’t touch me.”
Henry stopped his advance, extending arms and hands to the side in what he hoped was a clear indication of peaceful intent. “I am not going to hurt you.”
“You said ….”
“I said what was needed during the exam to test you. I am very sorry about having to do that.” Henry allowed his arms to drop back to his side.
Eliot felt his heart racing and his mind screaming to run, but instead, he carefully lowered his arm. Trying to escape the school grounds hadn’t worked; he just kept being returned. “So … you’re not going to send me back … there?”
“No,” Henry rumbled.
“I’m sorry,” Eliot confessed, his eyes darting about, scanning for others who might try to grab him. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“You didn’t. Everyone is unharmed. Surprised, but still in one piece.”
“The woman who told me to stop ....”
“Yes, Eliza.” Henry chuckled, “she simply was trying to see if you could stop it yourself. You seemed slightly distracted.”
Eliot barely shook his head. “It just happened. It always just … happens.”
“Then perhaps we can go to my office and talk about you, magic, and how Brakebills can help you master your abilities.”
“I keep thinking this is a dream or a hallucination. But it’s not, is it?”
“This is reality this time, for whatever that might be worth to you. The question you have to ask yourself is: do you want this to be your reality?”
Eliot turned to glance back at the students he had been watching, seeing a few textbooks had been added to the rocks in the air. The other students who had been using those books were jumping up, trying to grab them back, but the textbooks rose just high enough to be out of reach.
“In case you were wondering-”
Eliot jerked away from the deep voice, not realizing the Dean had gotten that close.
“They are like you,” Henry continued. “They can move objects with their mind, without the need for spoken spells or tutting. Eliot, you would not be alone or different here."
2014 (again x34), Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, Upstate New York, USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
“So those globes,” Eliot uttered, pointing to the nearest one, “they show when someone has gotten magic?”
Sitting at his desk, Henry had been explaining the selection process when, across the desk, Eliot had jumped out of the chair and backed away. “Yes,” he confirmed.
“Then why did it take so long to bring me here?”
“Eliot-”
Eliot began to pace the room. “Years, Henry. Years. And where was this school? Where were you?”
“I am sorry-”
“Sorry?”
“But we cannot take students who are not old enough.”
Eliot dropped back into the chair across from the desk. “I was a kid. Learning control would have been ….” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t tell Henry what he had done, not when he had tried so hard to forget.
Henry sighed. He knew what was haunting Eliot, and he was very sorry about not being able to help the young man earlier in his life, but that was not what Jane had wanted when she designed her time loops. He was stuck in the loop, as much as everyone else was. “We can help now; there is still time and much to learn. I promise you, Eliot, you will heal.”
Eliot looked down at the floor, refusing to think or respond to that last comment.
Henry thought about the dual impressions he was getting from the young man. On the one hand, Eliot seemed like he wanted to be here and learn magic. He knew from the previous timelines that Eliot was exceptionally gifted with understanding and working with magic. On the other, he seemed resistant to being associated with magic. “Has anyone ever approached you about magic before?”
Eliot flicked his eyes up to Henry, then dropped them down again.
“How old were you?”
Eliot remembered that day with Logan and the school bus. Then, a few days later, when the bus driver approached him, screaming he knew what Eliot was, exactly what Eliot had done, how Eliot had ruined his life, and what he was going to do for revenge. “A kid,” he finally answered.
“Who was it?”
“I don’t remember. I didn’t know his name.”
Henry thought through all the magical creatures and entities who might have been interested in a young, traumatized magic user. “Can you remember anything unique about him?”
Eliot let out a ragged breath. He didn’t want to remember this, to relive this. “He had tattoos on his forearm. Like a line of stars.”
“Like this?” Henry had doodled onto a piece of paper and held it up for Eliot to see. The young man began to tremble, and the panic was evident in his hazel eyes. Henry flicked his finger, and the paper ignited and burned up. “Hedge witches.”
“There is more than one of them?”
“Yes, out there. Not within the school grounds. We encourage Brakebills students to not speak or interact with such individuals for their own safety.”
They sat silently for a long while as he let Eliot decide what he wanted to do. A single nod was all Henry needed. He pulled out and handed over the congratulatory letter, officially welcoming Eliot to Brakebills. Next to be pulled out and handed over was the partially filled-out enrolment agreement and adjudication waiver form to sign, followed by the form for credentials for the wards and shields. Then the-
“This isn’t my name.”
Henry paused in handing over the pen for Eliot to use. “What?”
Eliot handled back the forms. “This isn’t my name.”
Henry glanced at Eliot’s forms. He let out a short breath; he had been very clear with the secretary about what surname to use on these forms. He needed to get a different assistant, and soon. “I am sorry,” Henry apologized while he ignited the incorrect papers. “I will have correct ones drawn up. After those are signed, I can notify friends and family members-”
“There is no need to,” Eliot interrupted.
“But some may wonder where you are,” Henry responded.
“There is no one.”
Henry nodded in acceptance, covering his surprise. Usually, he informs Eliot’s mother, but something different must have happened in this timeline.
2014 (again x39), Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy, Upstate New York, USA > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Eliot was walking to the dorms, following the campus map Henry had given him. Since he had nowhere else to be, and returning to the apartment he was crashing at with the others he got high with didn’t appeal to him, he opted to move onto campus immediately. He didn’t even have any belongings, at least nothing that wasn’t replaceable, so he turned down Henry’s offer to go with him to collect his belongings. Eliot did not want the Dean to see how he had been living. He glanced again at the map, making sure he was headed in the right direction.
“Oh, Eliot.”
Eliot stopped and glanced up in surprise. He didn’t know anyone here. Shame washed over him when he recognized the woman approaching.
“I am so glad to run into you.”
“I’m sorry-”
“Oh, pish posh. Water under the bridge, as they say. I am sorry we had to test you like that.” She held out her hand. “My name is Eliza.”
Eliot hesitantly shook her hand. “But you said-”
“Part of the test. But I am so pleased you have decided to enroll.”
He nodded, not knowing what else to say. She was so chipper and at odds with how he thought she should react to having been restrained by him with a table.
“I just know you will be great here,” Eliza continued. “On that note, I am teaching a class; once you get the basic courses out of the way and pass the … never mind. You will do fine. But I am selecting some for this course, it is by invitation only, of students I feel will have the mind be able to understand the material. Oh, please say you will take the class.”
“Okay. What is the-”
“Marvelous!” Eliza exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I so look forward to it.”
“-class called?” Eliot finished.
“Horomancy.”
“Horror movies?” Eliot was quite confused at this point.
“No, dear. Now, I hate to go, but I am running out of time, and I still need to find Margo for this class and check on my volunteer tomato. So much to do. I will see you in class.”
Eliot watched in continued confusion as the woman walked away from him down the path. But she seemed nice and wasn’t angry with him for what had been done earlier during the exam. He genuinely hoped she enjoyed her gardening and continued to the dorms.