Black paradise:Killing every mage till i reset the timeline

"We'll start by finding Ivan Blackzad"

"William," Mr Lorde said. "Isn't that your classmate?"

Sebastian turned and looked at him, their eyes met and William felt a little pressure on him. "Yes, he's in our class,," he says, drawing their attention to Ruby as well to lessen the pressure on him. "But we haven't seen him since the ceremony."

"What ceremony?" Sebastian said.

"The succession ceremony," Ruby replied. Without giving it a moment Sebastian said, "So what happened at this ceremony."

"Well William was made the successor," Ruby said. William looked at him; her eyes were bloodshot, and they moved erratically. No, William said to her in a low voice; she looked away from him.

"So what do you really remember," Sebastian said. William turned to him and said, "I wasn't made the successor. It was Black, he got my great grandfather's grimoire."

"And with him and Archer gone, the succession is left to Baltasar, and I suppose he saw something in you that your great-grandfather didn't."

"I suppose so," William said. He had his eyes on the ground; Sebastian turned to Baltasar and said," Just what did you see in him, our friend Blackzad."

"I'm not sure; my memories, they're in disarray; they're conflicting." the wizard looked away from him.

"Just try, please we need as much information as we can get."

He looked out, staring at nothing like he was stargazing; his eyes twitched, and he remembered a couple of things here and there, feelings and past thoughts and words that would usually drown in the vastness of time,but here he was reliving it all.

His eyes fell on a painting on the wall; it was a painting of him, but it took him out of his trance; it used to be of Archer, and that reminded him of him.

"Well my impression of the kid was nothing too faltering, i found his many curiosity about the darker art too alarming."

"How so?"

"It was much too soon for his age, but he showed such immense talent that he even outshined older wizards.

Baltasar massaged his forehead as he spoke. "If my memories are true, Skarsgard loved him for that. He seemed a very ominous child, too good to be true, but he wanted to believe; it all made me suspicious; I just couldn't trust him with my life's work."

"Well it's your choice in the end but Skarsgard trusted him enough to give him the rule book"

"They loved each other dearly, you know, that little boy hung on his every word; he followed him around, emulated him, they crafted spells together, I was never close to the lad. That could be why I never trusted him."

"Well, I trust your better judgment; I'd like to find him; does anyone know where he lives?"

"Yes," Ruby said, William seemed surprised. "He lives in an old shack not far from the school"

"Alright," Sebastian said. "Sir, with your permission I'd like to borrow these kids."

"Why?"Mr Lorde said while Sebastian looked him In the eyes. "Well, they seem to remember things as they were, and the two of you have your duties to attend to."

"I suppose you're right."

"It's best we act as if things were normal"

"You will have me play minister?"

"Well, you've been doing it for twenty years already," Sebastian said with a smile; Baltasar retained his frown, not finding his joke the least bit amusing. "Don't worry I'll all be fixed in no time."

"I'd like to ask how you're all able to move through time like this, it's not a trick we've quite yet developed."

"Well, I'd love to tell you how and even tell stories, too, but it's a well-guarded secret; we'll give up our lives to see it stay that way. It's not that we don't trust you, but it's simply the rules."

"I suppose so, Mr. Lorde said, I could see the danger in it."

"Yes," Sebastian said; he got on his feet and looked Baltasar in the eye, "for all our sake, I hope this is the last time we meet."

I hope so as well. Sebastian smiled and turned to William and Ruby. "Now take me to the Blackzad."

As they were about to exit the room, a feeling struck Baltasar, he remembered something.

Mr Sebastian, he said, he stooped and turned around. What happened to the rule book, I don't know where it is.

William realized it, too; he thought about it; if it didn't go to Blackza,d then who has it now?

"I don't know either, in my time it's still yet to resurface but that's an anomaly we will reconcile, it's too powerful to be left in the wrong hands"

"Alright, you can go now." Sebastian gave a farewell nod and the six of them left the office while Baltasar stared at the painting on the wall.

It was a bumpy carriage ride through the worst parts of town; they had all been quiet so far. William had been stealing glances at the traveler who sat opposite them. Stockwell was looking out the window, Pride was looking up at the black roof, and Sebastian was looking dead on at Ruby. It made her uncomfortable, but she could tell from his eyes he wasn't really looking; he was too deep in his thoughts to see her.

"So what is the future like? " Mr. Lorde asked, Pride looked at him, her short blonde hair swaying like curtains in front of her deep blue eyes. She chuckled and said

"It's pretty much the same. Bright on the outside, hollow on the inside, external progress, internal degradation." The spark in her eyes became dimmer the more she spoke. She let out a weary exhale, like she was tired but it seemed more like she was in a hopeless situation and was breathing a sigh of relief born out of its acceptance.

"It's the senseless match of time!" She said with a twisted excitement. "People die everywhere you go, even in the future."

She fell back on her seat and put her head on stockwells shoulder. Mr Lorde was unsatisfied with her answer but didn't care to ask anymore.

After a little while Mr. Lorde struck the floor of the carriage with his cane and it slowed to a halt. "this is where I leave you all, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere." he hopped out of the carriage then said to Williams, "take care of yourself son and you too ruby," he turned to the travelers.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all," he said. "It was all ours," Pride replied.

The men didn't bat an eye; Sebastian was still deep in thoughts, and Stockwell seemed like his mind was reminiscing on the street. Mr Lorde struck the side of the carriage and it rode off.

They rode on for a little while longer, and then Ruby said, "That's the place." William immediately yelled for the carriage to stop, and it slowed down to a halt.

Sebastian was out of his head now; he peered through the window to see the house, and they all joined him in unison.

The house looked tattered and faintly brown; the white paint was aging off and had taken on a brown tinge. They got out of the carriages, and Sebastian took a good look around; they saw a flight of stairs made of rusty iron by the side of the house.

"Where is the counter? Who do we ask,"

"Over there," William points at the end of a series of apartments where there was a man sitting behind a broken window with a newspaper in hand; they walked over to him.

"Good day, how do you do?" Sebastian said; the old man nodded without saying a word. "We're looking for a young man who stays in one of the apartments ."

"Many young men stay here, the plants are close and the brothels even closer."

"Yes," Sebastian said seeming mildly amused," but I'm not sure he's the sort"

"He goes the new school of magic," Ruby interjects

"Ahh," the man's eyes lit up, "you mean Ivan? "

"Yes," Ruby said

The man looked Sebastian in the eyes and said. "You should have led with that."

"Yes," Sebastian said with a phony smile on his face. "Maybe next time."

"Well, he's left town, saying he's going back home or something."

"Really! Are you sure? William says.

"What's this an interrogation?

"Sorry sir, it's just we dearly miss our friend," Sebastian said.

"Hey I miss him too, he's a bright lad always helps me out with his magic, he'd help clean the place and all"

Sebastian looked at William, "did he have a license?"

"No," William said.

"Sir, I suggest you keep that information to yourself. Not many will treat it so lightly. Now if you'd show us his apartment we'd really appreciate it"

"Are you sure you're his friend? I don't want any funny business."

"Yes, we are," Ruby said. The old man looked into her eyes and thought she looked a bit frightened; maybe she was worried about him, he thought.

"Alright, but I can't move an inch. I'm watching for the dogs."

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"Hooligans, trouble makers, plant sobs, the worst of the worst." The man spat out the words with a vile contempt."

"Yes, I see, so what's the number?"

"Four, five, one"

What, Sebastian looked confused. Are there that many apartments here

"No," the man said with a laugh, "it's the dogs we had to change the numbers around to stop them stealing. That way, they're confused; they're a stupid bunch, so it works just fine. Ivan stays in the fourth room from the stairs."

Sebastian turned and looked at the stairs; a dark gloom seemed to surround the rusty brown stairs; they looked very unstable.

"Thank you," he said and walked off

They stood before the rusty brown stairs, chips of its old red paint were still hanging on, hoping their marriage could still work out.

"Time will kill everything," Sebastian said. "So who's going first." They all remained silent. "Alright, I'll go."

He walked up the stairs and got to the landing, then turned back to them and said, "One at a time and five seconds apart. safety first"

He walked up the short flight of stairs leading to the top floor and walked past the apartment counting.

One

Two

Three

Four.

At fourth four, he turned and faced the red door; the paint was peeling off it, too; he looked in through the peephole; it was all dark. He heard them come up.

He grabbed the handle of the door and tried to push it open, but it didn't budge. He let out a sigh and then looked at the keyhole; putting all his focus into it, he tapped his finger lightly on the keyhole, and he heard it click open. He was sure it was open now so he waited for the other to arrive.

When they were all around him, he exhaled, took a glance at them, grabbed the handle, and pushed the door open again, but it didn't move an inch. He looked at the door feeling something ominous seeping out through the cracks

"Look Captain," Pride said, pointing to the floor. He squats down and just under the bottom of the door he could see what looked like blue crystals, he touches it

"It's blue salt," he said; the travelers all looked at each other, realizing what this would mean for their case.