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“Hey, I think I got us a new case.” Crystal announces as she barges into the office.
Everything had sort of gone back to normal after the whole torturing-slash-kidnapping-slash-Niko-almost-dying thing—but they were working on it.
“What d'ya got for us, Crys?” Charles asks as he hops down from where he was sitting on top of the desk.
She holds her phone out in front of her. “Look. There've been some articles about this woman who people think is a witch. They say she's a time-traveller.”
“Time-traveller?” Edwin asks, peering closer at the screen.
“Apparently. Some journalists are claiming she knows things about the future.”
Charles moves to stand behind Edwin. “Are we sure she can actually time-travel?” He asks when Edwin gives him a confused look.
“That's the thing,” Crystal says as she begins digging through her bag, then places a stack of books on the desk. “She's in the history books, too.”
Edwin raises an eyebrow. “How have we never come across her before?”
Crystal shrugs. “No idea. Maybe she's not originally from this time.”
“That might be possible…” Edwin whispers to himself, beginning to write something in his notebook.
“We should check it out, mate. See if it's legit.” Charles says as he leans closer to Edwin, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and speaking into his ear.
Edwin shivers. “Alright then. We shall look into it, Crystal.”
Charles pats him softly on the shoulder, but doesn't remove his hand.
⏱︎⏱︎⏱︎
“Have either of you seen Niko?” Edwin asks as they're walking to the destination.
“Yeah,” Crystal replies, not looking up from her phone map. “She said she'll meet us there.”
“Oh, alright then.” Edwin sighs.
“Okay, it should be up here a little ways.” Crystal continues, not really acknowledging the question.
Charles stops Edwin with a hand on his arm. “Hey, hold up a tick, mate.” He checks to see if Crystal is still walking—she is. “What's going on?”
Edwin raises an eyebrow and shoves his anxious hands in his pockets. “What do you mean?”
“I don't know, you just seem off.”
“Off how?”
Charles scoffs. “I don't know, mate. I can just tell, I guess.”
“Well, I assure you, Charles, I am quite alright.” Edwin says as he flattens his jacket with his hands, clearing his throat right after. “Crystal, wait up!” He yells as he begins walking again, leaving a confused Charles in his thoughts.
“Oi! Wait for me!” Charles shouts, chasing after them.
⏱︎⏱︎⏱︎
They arrive at the witch's house shortly after, Niko already waiting with a smile on her face.
“Niko!” Crystal shouts when she sees her, running up to give her a big hug.
The two had gotten quite close whilst Niko was recovering—Crystal refused to leave her side and continuously found ways to keep her mind off of the pain. She had even became such a regular at the hospital that the staff knew her by her first name.
“How are you feeling?” Crystal asks as she pulls back from the hug, rubbing Niko's arms as she does so.
Niko chuckles. “Better now that you're here.”
Charles clears his throat, causing the two to jump back, blushes on their faces. “Let's get a move on, yeah?”
They nod, then begin to walk up to the house, the boys trailing closely behind.
“I don't believe she is home.” Edwin whispers after listening to the door.
Charles nods. “Yeah, but we should still be careful. She can't know we were here.”
All agreeing, the boys pass through the door, then unlocking it, so the girls can come inside as well.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Niko asks Crystal, grabbing her hand in anxiousness.
“Apparently she's a time-traveller, so we're gonna try to see how she does it, I guess. Or at least find as much out about her as we can.”
“Oi, I think I found something up here.” Charles calls from the top of the staircase. Crystal and Niko head up to him, but Edwin is stopped by a faint whispering saying his name.
Edwin. Come over here, Edwin.
He debates whether to ignore it, but after it says his name again, he decides to check it. Creeping up to the closet door, a soft white light shines through the cracks.
“Hello?” He asks hesitantly. “Is someone there?”
Edwin. Come in here, Edwin.
The light starts to grow brighter as the voice gets louder.
He opens the door.
⏱︎⏱︎⏱︎
Edwin gasps for a deep breath. He's face-first on a wooden floor. He opens his eyes and discovers he's back at the boarding school—back in 1916.
He sits up and looks around frantically, not understanding what is happening. Suddenly, he hears a voice behind him.
“So this is where it happened, huh?”
He whips around and comes face-to-face with the very witch they had been looking into.
“What is going on?!” Edwin cries out.
The witch stands slowly from where she had been crouched on the floor. “Can't you see? We're back where you died.”
“Why are we back here?!”
“You were somewhere you weren't supposed to be, so I thought, maybe I could just get rid of you—somewhere that little boyfriend of yours couldn't find you.”
He gasps. “What have you done to Charles?”
The witch chuckles. “Oh, don't you worry, dear. No harm will come to him. He was way off anyway… I knew going through my great-grandmother's attic was a good idea.”
Edwin raises an eyebrow in absolute confusion.
She snorts. “He thinks he found my clothes as proof I time-travelled. Please, I am much too careful to leave something like that lying around for anyone to find.”
“How did you know we were coming?”
“You're forgetting I am a witch, darling. I know a lot of things.”
He scoffs. “Yeah? Well, why did we have to come all the way here to talk?”
“I thought I'd give you a second chance. I know what it's like to have a second chance at life, so why shouldn't you? You're here, you're alive, and you have the opportunity to try again. So take it!”
“And what if I don't want to?” He asks angrily, fists balling at his side. “What if I am happy with how my life has turned out?”
The witch narrows her eyes. “What life? You died as a teenager. You've been dead longer than you've been alive.”
“But being dead has had so many more opportunities than being alive ever gave me.”
“Are you talking about your little boyfriend?”
“He's-!” He begins to shout, but stops. He’s not my boyfriend.
She smirks and raises an eyebrow.
“Listen here, lady. Take me back right now. I want to go back.” He stands, hands on his hips in demand.
“What's in it for me?” She asks snarkily.
“We'll stay out of your business. I'll tell them it was all made up.”
“And?”
“And as long as you stop causing problems for us, you will never have to see us again.”
She thinks for a moment—a long, painful moment—until deciding to agree.
“Fine.” She shakes his hand and the room starts to glow.
⏱︎⏱︎⏱︎
The first thing he hears when he gets back to that closet is Charles yelling his name.
“Edwin?!” He cries out. “Edwin, where are you?!”
He exits the closet, rubbing the dust off his jacket. Charles spots him almost immediately.
“Edwin! Oh my god, mate. Where have you been?” He runs up and pulls him into a tight hug.
“It's not important. I am here with you now.” Edwin whispers into Charles’ ear.
“Wha-” Charles begins to push further, but is cut off by Edwin pulling him in for a desperate kiss.
“I want to be here with you, Charles. For as long as we are able to be.” He whispers, forehead pressed to Charles’.
The boy smiles. “I think I can handle that.” He says as he pulls him in for another kiss.
⏱︎⏱︎⏱︎
They're sitting on the roof later that night, side-by-side and hand-in-hand.
It's completely silent, until Charles sighs.
“What's wrong?” Edwin asks softly.
Charles shifts, looking to stare up at the sky.
“You know, I've always regretted not being able to say goodbye to my mum.” He turns to look at Edwin with sadness in his eyes. “Do you have any regrets?”
Edwin smiles softly, thinking of everything they have gone through together. Thinking of almost having a second chance at life. He wishes he could have given the chance to Charles…
But he knows him. Charles would have chosen to stay with Edwin as well.
Taking a deep breath and gazing into Charles’ eyes, Edwin whispers, “Not at all.”