Theo decide to ponder on that on another day before he start to doubt himself.

"I wonder what the Oracle was thinking." Breanne said, tapping her fingers against her lip. "Giving you that mute."

Theo was about to brush the topic off, try to avoid it all cost and come up with another one when he stilled. He turned and gawked at the three. His mind felt blank and it took him three blinks for him to snap out of it.

"Oracle?" He asked. "Mute?"

The three stared at him as if he said something that was obvious, something that was right in front of him yet he was too blind to see it.

"Oracle." Hugo repeated. "Put you in our cabin, the box head did." Theo widened his eyes and then nodded, getting it. So that's what that man's name was.

"Don't be fooled by that name though." Breanne said, giggling. "I heard he wanted to call himself that because it sounded cool to him."

"Why am I not surprised?" Theo said with a smile. In all honesty, he found it both amusing and terrifying that he could imagine the box headed man thinking that way. Now that that problem was solved, onto the next.

"Mute?" Theo repeated, taking a sly glance at the Scabbard in the corner before looking back at the three again.

"Yea, that klank is a mute." Xellos said. "Never heard him say a word to anyone ever since he joined Arcadia four years ago. He seemed to hear just fine though, but never makes an effort to communicate with anyone. Just ignores us as if he was some king on a pedestal."

Theo frowned, shocked and confused with that Xellos stated. He would have sworn Psyche had spoken to him in the forest last night. He wasn't in a chatty mood, Theo would admit that, but he heard him talk. In fact, he can still remember Psyche's voice clear as day.

Then again, had his sleepy mind tricked him to believe that he did talk?

As he mulled on it, he felt the bell in his right pocket started to grow warmer and ticklish. It startled him at first, but something about it made Theo certain that it was not a dream and that Psyche did speak. He wasn't a mute. Perhaps he just doesn't like to talk to people.

But then, why did he talk to him? Because he was ordered to? Does that mean he would never talk to him again?

Speaking of mute, Joshua was mute too wasn't he? Theo frowned as he remembered that boy, still unsure what to make of him. Throughout his childhood, he has memories of him being there, but there are no traces of his existence at all. Yet, the boy seemed so real.

Like for one thing, he knew Joshua was around his age, wore glasses and was mute. He was born without a voice, he couldn't even make any sound. He relied on sign language to convey his messages across. Even then, Theo knew sign language thanks to that boy teaching him, once again confusing him whether Joshua existed or not.

After all, if he didn't exist, how had Theo, along with Drake, learnt to do sign language? Who was Joshua? Had he really made that boy up? Was he so alone, he fabricated a person so real that the line between illusion and reality gotten blurred?

But, Joshua couldn't be really. Like Drake, Theo hadn't seen the boy since he was about nine years old. So he must be an imaginary friend, but there was that issue on where Theo learnt how to speak the language of the deaf and mute.

"He wasn't that bad." Breanne said, cutting through Theo's thoughts, surprising him. Even the other guys reflected his expression.

"I mean, not until that incident, he was very shy and timid remember? Those girls used to tease him to death."

"Oh yea." Xellos said, his eyes glazed over as if he was reminiscing something long ago.

"They did, didn't they?" Hugo agreed, looking more and more perplexed. Theo almost wanted to laugh out loud to find that even Breanne and Xellos was having a hard time categorizing Psyche when he caught on to something else in Breanne's sentence.

"Incident?" Theo asked, gulping. "Those girls?"

Before either of the three could answer, the classroom door opened and in came the teacher. Theo turned his attention to the front, but felt all the blood drained out of his system and fear rising in his throat when he saw the most nonsensical teacher ever.

It was a fish, well part of the teacher was. It had the head of the slimy, green fish but a body of a normal human being. Its fingers are webbed and a tail was popping out at the back of its trouser. It also wore a curly grey wig that judges used to wear in courts. Why, he did not know.

One look and Theo forgot everything he was asking and felt like throwing up right then and there.

"Oi, Lillin. You sure you okay?" Hugo asked, this time his concern growing to worry. Theo wanted to answer but his brain couldn't spare an answer. He had planned to carry his secret to his grave, but seeing that his teacher was the living and walking embodiment of his nightmares, Theo began to confess.

"Hugo, I am the idiot."

"Huh?" The elf said, getting more and more confused. "The what?"

"The idiot. I am the idiot. I am the idiot you want to bash his brain in, Hugo."

"What in the klank are you sa-

"Is there a problem, glob?" The voice seemed to pipe out of nowhere but all attention was fixed on them. Theo blanched when the fish teacher was looking straight at him, as if staring at his soul and started feeling the hazy fog settling him over again.

He knew that the voice belonged to the fish teacher and he was supposed to answer it, but Theo could not bring himself up to the straightforward task. He was growing restless and more agitated and he wouldn't be surprised if he started yelling like an insane maniac escaped out of an asylum and made a beeline out the door right then.

Just as he was starting to see the idea appealing, Theo felt the warm, tingling sensation in his right hand grow. He turned to look at his pocket that was glowing. It rushed through his arm, to his shoulder before accumulating at his chest, making it fuzzy and ticklish. Theo was somewhat perturbed by the phenomenon but relaxed when he was sure that it was harmless, comforting even.

Just a minute ago, Theo was having a nervous fit but then, it was as if all his fears melted away from the magical sensation. Hugo must have sensed the change too as he stared at Theo with large golden eyes, ears quivering beneath his beanie hat.

Thoughtful, Theo glanced up at where Psyche is he has the most connection with the bell. He half expected the boy to be doing something, anything, but he just sat there in the same pose as the last time he glanced at him. Strange.

"I said are there any problems, glob?" The fish teacher asked, snapping Theo from his thoughts.

"A-Ah no." Theo managed to answer, surprised at himself how calm he sounded. Whatever the bell was doing, it did the trick by helping Theo cope with his fear of fishes, and he had Psyche to thank for whether that boy liked it or not.

The fish teacher stared at Theo for a few seconds -Theo was shocked that he could stare back without looking away in fear- before it shrugged it shoulders and started to search something in his coat pocket. Meanwhile, Hugo was giving him a look that Theo tried to ignore, but failed.

"What in the actual klank happened?" Hugo whispered. Theo hushed him as he scratched his cheek.

"I'll tell you later."

A second later, there was a loud sound of metal hitting a surface and Theo's attention returned back to class. This time, a bucket seemed to have materialized right in front of the fish teacher. Then, to Theo's amusement and horror, the teacher then took out a large fishing pole out of his coat as if it was charmed, pulled it back and zapped it in the empty bucket.

It was the most ridiculous thing he ever witnessed. A fish fishing for something in a bucket.

Theo wondered what in the world the fish teacher would achieve when the fishing pole started tugging in sharp jerks. The fish teacher struggled back, letting himself get hit by the fishing pole several times before he started pulling the line.

There was a silent wave of laughter passing through the classroom and just when Theo thought the fish teacher was going to fail, with one last pull, something burst out of the bucket with gold dust spurting out everywhere.

Then, with a snap of its webbed fingers, the bucket and the fishing pole disappeared and Theo watched in amazement as the fish teacher leaned down and picked whatever the thing he fished out of the bucket. Concentrating, Theo managed to distinguish the object out as some sort of large metal tag.

"Today's lesson shall be, glob..." The fish teacher said and Theo was starting to think that glob was another meaningless word. Nevertheless, the fish teacher took his time reading the metal tag, as if he could not understand it.

'I wonder if the rumour of fish having horrible eye sight is true...' Theo wondered. Then after a long while, the fish teacher bellowed.

"The Golden Child, glob!" The power of its voice was so strong, it startled Theo as it spread across the room. Silence filled the air and then, a bundle of papers emerged on their tables. Theo stared at it in awe, his mind buzzing in excitement at how it happened and realized that these papers must be the notes Hugo had mentioned earlier.

Curious, he flipped through the pages, skimming through random parts regarding about the Golden Child. A small spark lighted in the dim dark corners of his mind, as if the topic had some relation to his previous life.

"Now students, glob." The fish teacher started, its voice turning that onto a more professional tone. "What do you know about the Golden Child, glob?"

"A child who turns everything to gold by his or hers touch?" One student suggested. She looked like a witch with that pointy hat of hers.

"No no, glob." The fish teacher said with a voice filled with disappointment. It was almost funny to hear it speak that way. "Try again, glob."

"A golden statue that looks like a child?" Another student said, this one looking a lot like a fairy with pointed ears and butterfly wings. However, the fish teacher shook its head, or well, at least it tried to. It looked like it was cocking its head side to side than shaking its head.

"Someone who brings back the dead to living?" Another tried. Theo felt his eyes widened that the one who answered had the figure of a wolf, sitting like a normal human being. Perhaps animals who walk and talk like humans are common in Arcadia.

"No no! Glob." The fish teacher sighed. "The Golden Child students, is a child of pure heart that is blessed during the Silver Moon, glob."

Theo jerked up, the spark at the corner of his mind lighting brighter. He had heard of this before, somewhere when he was Alazne. His mind started to overflow with images but all of them were foggy.

Maybe he had read about the Golden Child back at the castle in Terabithia? He didn't know, but he could feel that the deepest part of his soul having a somewhat strong reaction towards that name.

"This child is then immune to all kinds of magic, glob." The fish teacher continued. "Their touch can nullify simple enchantments and their tears can be used to restore or remove magic, glob."

Theo felt Hugo stiffened beside him but he relaxed about a second later, making him wonder if he imagined it.

"Now the Silver Moon can occurs once in a million aeons, glob." The fish teacher said. "So far, there is only one such child known to history. In the outskirts of a village where everyone is immortal, the child was born under a golden apple tree while cursed with the fate of death, glob."

Theo felt himself stiffen as well. Now the foggy images were getting clearer and he could make out the shape of a young, brown haired girl. She was wearing a simple white dress with pink, silk ribbons. Over it, she wore a brown cloak and the girl held a basket filled with what looked like pies. Her smile was the brightest smile he had ever seen.

However, the next second, her smile was replaced with tears of despair and a look of horror. The image shocked him as he now saw the girl in a white loose fitting dress, several marks on tattooed on her body, tainting her pretty figure.

The whole scenery had changed from white to heavy rain with withering clouds covering up the sky. A rope bound the girl from shoulder down and faceless adults who ignored her cries pulled her away.

A raw of anger filled inside which surprised him. Perhaps, this girl was someone precious and dear to him back then? Even if she was not, those faceless adults were being too cruel to her and Theo half suspected that they were not even human.

"The child was discriminated and avoided by the villages for they believed that she was a cursed demon who would be the village's downfall, glob." The fish teacher continued.

Theo perked up at this sentence, for a moment returning back to reality when more images flashed in his mind. This induced a sharp and powerful headache to float around his skill. Theo almost groaned in agony when it sent continuous powerful pulses, forcing him to clutch it in an effort to suppress the pain.

"Lillin, look too well right now, you really don't." Hugo's voice spoke. It was so soft; Theo would have missed it if the headache were any stronger. Even so, forgetting about his pain for a fraction of a second, Theo turned to see a very stern but worried elf beside him.

"Want to go to the infirmary or to the cabin, do you?" Hugo asked. "Don't lie, I know you haven't been right since we walked to school. Somethings klanking with you, isn't there?"

Theo was about to shrug it off but thought better of it. He couldn't lie to the elf anymore and he was not feeling better anyway. Ever since he saw Arcadia School's appearance, it just hasn't been his day.

As the fish teacher continued to babble away, Theo was about to consider going back to the cabin when right then, he remembered. He remembered the village, bustling with people walking back and forth, almost making him jump out of his skin. Even the elf flinched at his sudden reaction. Theo stilled, dazed as the headache dimmed down and was replaced with voices and visions.

He could almost hear the people shouting out prices of their goods, several buyers arguing at each other, birds chirping at the distance, and a drunk guy walking in unsteady footsteps only to crash in the middle of the market road.

His consciousness frowned when at the corner; he heard a timid but confident voice of a young girl.

"Hello! Would you like golden fruit pies? They are very delicious! So how about some?"

When he looked, he wasn't surprised to see that it was the same girl, but younger and full of life as she tried to sell her pastries. Theo stared at her as she tried but failed to get the attention of passerby villagers. Instead, the whole village seemed to be pretending that she didn't exist, shunning her without her knowing, taking her for a fool.

However, Theo knew that she was no fool because beneath that bright smile, was a girl who was refusing to give up. She knew that the villagers were turning a blind eye, she knew that her voice was going to deaf ears, she knew, yet she was pressing on, determined to prove that her pies were delicious. She was smart, perhaps too optimistic and naïve, but she was not a fool.

In fact, the fools are the villagers who passed her by.

'But... who is that girl...' Theo wondered, his body trembling in shock and excitement. Though, deep down, he knew, he knew that girl. He had always known.

'Her name... her name is...'

"And according to all the sources, glob, that child's name is-

"Caitriona..." A voice interrupted the teacher, and it took Theo a while to realize it was his own.

He blinked and shrunk back in his chair when dozens pairs of eyes landed on him for the umpteenth time that day. Hugo gawked at him with his golden eyes so wide, Theo would have guffawed if he wasn't in such an awkward situation.

He had no idea what came over him, why he interrupted and most of all, how he knew the Golden Child's name at that precise moment, but it happened anyway. Theo let out a nervous laugh, a feeble attempt to get them to look elsewhere. He wanted to stab himself and die there when that didn't work.

"Hmmm." The fish teacher said. Theo wondered if lack of 'glob' from the peculiar teacher's sentence was a good or bad thing.

"How old was the Golden Child when a stranger accepted her offering?"

"Nine." Theo answered, surprised how it came to him within seconds. "I mean-

"Who was her love interest?" The fish teacher asked again, throwing Theo off guard but somehow, he answered this one within seconds too.

"She didn't have any. She regarded everyone as family. Wait. Wha-

"And who are her, 'family'?"

"Random people who hated their current lifestyle, got lost in the woods and happen to stumble across her home. Then there is that witch who had been taking care of her since she was a baby when her mother abandoned her in the meadows." Theo answered with ease before blinking in shock.

He could sense the other classmates staring at him as if he grew another head. He didn't blame them because he would have done the same if he was in their shoes. Theo clamped his hand over his mouth, trying to stop it from spouting random answers as his cheeks flamed in embarrassment.

Once again, he wondered how he had responded to the teacher. It was as if at that moment, he lost some control over his own body and someone else took over. He couldn't have known all that, he just couldn't, but he did anyway. Where had all of these knowledge come from? Why did he knew of this in the first place?

Then, a terrifying thought cut through his mind.

Could it be, Alazne still lived inside of him? Could it be that she possessed him without him noticing?

'...Nah. Can't be.' Theo thought with a sweat bead trailing down from his temple. 'Paranoia is getting the best of me again.'

"Hmmm... you answered all of them correctly." The fish teacher said, snapping Theo out of his thoughts.

"I... I did?"

"With such speed too." The fish teacher said, nodding. "I am impressed. How did you know all of these answers?"

Theo knew he was in a tight spot. One thing he was sure was that all of that knowledge was not random guessing. He knew those answers, knew them as if he saw it in real life, which, was close to proof that those knowledge must have been from his previous life as Alazne.

The picture of the brown haired girl flashed in his mind again and by then, Theo recognized that girl as the Golden Child. So Alazne had met the Golden Child back in that time. Why it decided to reveal this bit of information to him right then stumped him, but he would think about it later. Right now, his first priority is to prevent his second identity from being exposed.

"I... uh... saw it on an article through the internet." Theo bumbled, his words running over each other. "It happened to catch my interest but I... uh... didn't think that it was true..."

"Hmmm... and here I thought you might be the reincarnated Golden Child from those aeons ago." The fish teacher said. Theo almost cursed out loud. His second identity wasn't exposed, but the teacher wasn't off the mark either.  

"Reincarnated?" Breanne asked aloud, dragging everyone's attention away from Theo. The blonde lad was relieved as she succeeded, he owed her twice now.

"Ah yes, reincarnated." The fish teacher said. "It happens very rarely. Those who died long ago can be reincarnated back millions of years later. However, the chances of bumping into them is almost zero and the chances of two reincarnated souls meeting together in the same timeline is impossible."

Then the fish teacher turned back to Theo again. Theo gulped.

"I wonder if you are one of those reincarnated souls..." Theo couldn't find any words to say anything back. The fuzzy feeling in his chest was now gone and the fear of fishes had returned. His heart was in his throat and he wanted nothing more than to bolt out the door like the time he had done the day before. It might become a daily thing but if it meant that he would go far, far away from this teacher, he was willing to do it.

Of course, Theo never got the chance when the elf beside him started guffawing.

All eyes turned to Hugo who was hugging his stomach, quivering over with tears forming at the corner of his eye. Then, after a while, Theo jumped when Hugo jabbed a thumb at his direction, missing his eye by half an inch.

"Him?" Hugo cried out between laughs. "The Golden Child? A girl? Make me laugh, don't! Ahahah!"

Even though Theo found it ironic that he was indeed, a reincarnation of a girl, he was thankful for Hugo when most of the classmates started whispering to each other, considering the elf's point. Hugo had driven all of their suspicion away from Theo, thus saving Theo's secret.

Sensing someone boring a hole at the side of his neck, Theo looked up and almost yelped to find Psyche staring at him. From the way his scarlet eyes were glowing and the way his eyebrows were scrunched up, Theo thought he looked dangerous, murderous even. However, looking at him in another angle, Theo wondered if Psyche was still suspicious of him, confused as well.

Once their eyes meet, Theo saw Psyche's eyes widened by a fraction before he pulled away, turning his attention back to the fish teacher again. Theo frowned and did the same. He would have to find a way to get Psyche to talk to him and hang out if he ever wanted to be on his Scabbard's good side.

Then, as he reeled his attention to his elf, Theo gulped when Hugo was giving him what looked like a stink eye of doom. He was not laughing anymore and the unfortunate lad wondered if Hugo had diverted all the attention away on purpose with the intentions of clearing up his suspicions himself alone.

"Explain. Here. Now." Hugo muttered, his voice clipped. Theo shuddered and made a mental note to never, ever, get on this elf's bad side as well.

"...I... feel better now?" Theo said, scratching his cheek. Hugo's eyes narrowed in suspicion before he let out an irritated sigh.

"Liar." Hugo muttered. Theo froze in horror when the elf grinned. "Well whatever. Just don't bottle it up so long like some klank I know, kay?" Theo stared for a good few seconds and then reflected his grin. He wasn't sure what Hugo was planning but one thing he was sure was that the elf was suspicious of him.

Theo had half a good mind to guess that the elf wasn't sure what he was suspicious about but he had a vague idea that Theo was no ordinary student, and he might try to uncover his secret by himself. That would mean he would have to be extra careful, but for the time being, there was no immediate danger.

"Hmm... that is indeed the case." The fish teacher said after a long while, grabbing everyone's attention again. "Well anyway, back on the lesson, glob."

Theo never felt happier to hear another 'glob' in his life than right then.

Author's note: Finally! Done! I hope you like this chapter! I give my thanks to my real life friend, Contrariwise for beta reading it and giving her feedback. I then dedicate this chapter to nashipo who recommended this book in her profile (still can't thank you enough for that! ^^) If you see any mistakes that my friend and I overlooked, please notify!

Updated on January 23rd 2016

Oh, and don't forget to vote!