And then there was a moment of silence as I allowed the reality of the situation to sink in. My head swam. I needed to start figuring out how to undo this spell — or rather this curse — and fast.

"Anyways," Jasen was saying, "Let me know if you figure anything out."

"Okay," I said, but I hadn't really heard what he said. My mind was still reeling. I turned and watched his figure as he walked down the hall, casually.

Then it hit me: a slight stirring in my head and chest, as if my air had begun to escape me. Almost queasy. He'd walked maybe 20 feet down the hall before stopping, slowly turning to look back at me.

"Right," he said, flicking a finger in my direction. He walked back over to me. "I can't do that anymore."

"No, apparently not." I let out a frustrated sigh, my hands loose in the pockets of my hoodie. There, my fingers could fidget without prying eyes. "I guess we have to pretend to be friends for a while."

"Pretend?" He asked, eyeing me. "It's really that hard for you to believe we could actually be friends?" He said it with that same, infuriating tone. Almost teasing — no, almost challenging. As if this was just another thing I'd fail at. And even worse, it was as if he wanted me to fail.

I glared up at him, "Yes, pretend. Like I said, I'd literally rather die."

He propped a hand on his hip, letting out a dry laugh, "So do it. Go lock yourself in your dorm, and I'll walk to mine. The spell will take care of you."

I scowled, "You know what I meant." But then something he'd said clicked in my mind with a serene sharpness. Our dorms. "Where is your dorm?"

"Building B," and he gestured vaguely to the left. All I could see was hallway, but I knew he meant past the courtyard outside. I could almost feel my knees buckle beneath me.

"...I'm in building A." It was on the complete opposite side of the campus; because of course, we couldn't have gotten lucky enough to live in the same building, or even on the same floor. There was no way we could go to our dorms separately after class — this damn curse would kill us both at that distance.

He reached out a hand with a smirk, "So what do you say, Cade? Pretend friends, or death?"

I didn't take his hand, but he already knew my answer. He may have been having fun picking on me, but this was even worse than a nightmare. This was hell. And soon enough, he'd realise that, too.

I didn't give him the satisfaction of a humiliating response. Instead, I scoffed, "The first thing I need to do is go check the library and see if they have any spell books that could help me."

He shrugged, "Lucky for you, I've got no plans for the evening." Then, with a sly wink, he added, "I'm all yours." As if he just couldn't resist rubbing it in my face.

"Let's go, then." My words were taut, sharp. The opposite of friendly. I was determined to not get used to him; if I was lucky, I could end this tonight and we could sleep in our own, separate dorms. And if I was unlucky, then we'd have to put up with each other for a few days. Since I was naturally gifted with magic, I didn't expect it to take any longer than that. I was a quick learner, a prodigy of sorts. My talent would be key to breaking this curse.

So let him laugh all he wants, I thought with distaste. It'll be me that fixes this.

We walked down the university's hall, passing dozens of doors to classrooms, and eventually made it to the stairwell. Down the spire we went, Jasen taking the lead while I trailed behind him a good few feet. I could feel the spell at work, urging me to walk beside him; but I bit my tongue, refusing to let it encourage me. Any space I could keep between us was good news.

The library was likely the largest room in the expanse of the building; it was a massive hall lined with bookshelves nearly two stories high. Every shelf was dark wood, carved with intricate, old designs — the books just as magnificent, bound in leather and gold writing of various hues and colours.

I always enjoyed the library; it was my sort of sanctuary away from home, where I could go for peaceful evenings to be away from the crowds. But now, it felt more like a prison; if the answer wasn't in one of these books, then I would be stuck figuring out how to undo this curse all by myself.

The librarian at the counter greeted me as we entered.

"Ah! Cade!" She paused, eyeing the person beside me. "...And Jasen?" She shook her head a little, as if trying to see clearer. But then she fixed her glasses upon her petite nose, composing herself, and continued, "I have several new books in that I think you would like, Cade. I've saved them for you."

The older woman had always been a friend to me; officially, she was Mrs. Smith, but to me, she was just Cherry. She had more or less taken me under her wing, and although she was human, she knew all about the history of magic. Growing up, every library visit became an interesting history lesson. She leaned under the desk, pulling up a stack of 5 or so thick books, plopping them down on the rustic wood countertop with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you, Cherry," I smiled in her direction. "But I'm actually looking for something specific today, and it's not a history book."

She faltered, as if disappointed, "Oh, I see! Well, what are you looking for?"

I fiddled with my hands in my pockets, "It's for a project I'm doing... about how to rewrite spells that have already been cast."

She narrowed her eyes, as if she could sense my unease. But then she lit up, "Ah! You'll want to head down to section K and look for an author called Killian."

"Killian. Thank you, got it!"

She nodded affirmatively, and I walked across the carpet through the aisles. The ceiling was painted with age-old murals; the walls taller than the rest of the university itself. This library was one of the things that made this college so esteemed; the vast collection of books here could not be found anywhere else in the world. Centuries of knowledge, all in one location, convenient to gifted students for the right price.

I only then turned to glance at Jasen. He stared with wide eyes at the cathedral-style room, as if he'd not once stepped foot in the library at his very own university. Still, it was odd seeing him here. He seemed out of his element, as if someone had just cut him out and glued him onto the wrong page. And for as comforting as this library's solitude had been to me, I felt uneasy with the wolf trailing behind me. It felt unusual to have company, and even more so for my company to be Jasen himself.

The vast, intricate bookshelves eventually parted to a clearing with tables and seats. Only one other student was there, sitting and reading with earbuds in. They didn't look up when we approached.

I began to scan the shelves, walking down farther and taking a left to another aisle. Jasen was slow to follow me, his eyes casted up at the ceiling and the paintings of Gods which had been there for decades.

"Have you never been here before?" I asked him, keeping my voice low; the library was utterly silent, except for the gentle hum from Mrs. Smith at the counter and the occasional shift of a page being turned.

Jasen glanced at me, shaking his head, "Believe it or not, I don't spend a lot of time reading."

"Oh, I believe it," I scoffed. He probably didn't know a single thing about the history of magic; about how the Gods had given the gift of controlling interdimensional matter to humans, all in an attempt to earn their respect. When it didn't work, the Gods slaughtered most of the humans — creating Witches in their place. Leaders of the new world, guiding what remained of humanity with a careful, wise hand.

But as the Witches gained power and capability, the Gods sought to humble them — creating Werewolves, the natural-born enemy to anyone who bore magic. Werewolves kept Witches in check, and in favour (or perhaps out of pity), Witches allowed Werewolves to live.

That wasn't the way of the world anymore — Witches and Werewolves and Humans had all co-existed for ages, as equals.

But now, I felt anything but Jasen's equal. He felt beneath me, and I couldn't wait to get him out of my hair. He was uneducated, all brawn and no brain — exactly the type of person I wasn't, and that's what had made me hate him so much. Because he somehow continued to defeat me in competitions, whenever my intellect could usually save me.

Against the force of brute strength and smug determination that he was, I continued to fail. And that first competition had been the first time I'd ever failed at anything. I still remembered the look on my father's face whenever he found out. I still remembered the anger in his voice, barely contained, as he screamed at me for hours afterwards.

I couldn't bear to fail again.

"You okay?"

Jasen's voice snapped me back to the present, and I realised I'd been standing and staring blankly for far too long.

I shook my head, "Just fine," and then continued to walk. This time, I focused in on spines of the neatly lined books; K names passed, and eventually, I reached a shelf of Killian books.

Cherry had never steered me wrong before. I pulled one off the shelf — this one titled Casting and Uncasting — and quickly flipped through the pages, skimming over the words and images and diagrams that were there.

"I think it could be in this one," I said, but I felt a bit of a sinking feeling as I didn't see a single note on proximity spells. It was generalised information — how to kill a tree you'd grown, how to reverse basic creation spells. Nothing relating to mind-altering spells, like the one that I had casted upon us. And definitely nothing about curses.

Still, I could try some of the tricks that dear Killian had written nearly 80 years prior, and hope to God that one of them worked on a mind-altering spell as well.

"Glad I wasn't born a Witch," Jasen said abruptly. I fwipped the book closed, turning only to glare at him. "It seems like a lot of reading."

"It is," I hissed.

He raised his hands as if feigning innocence, "Don't be so angry, Cade. Remember, we're supposed to be friends." It was the way he said it, still lording it over my head, just out of reach. A familiar game I'd played with him a dozen times before — only this time, I had no escape.

I had to break this spell.

I walked down the aisle, and with haste, Jasen followed me.