It took Alex a minute to realize that both girls had stopped walking. "C'mon, guys!" he said impatiently.

Juliette looked at him, eyes wide. "Alex, stop!"

Alex blinked. "No! We need to keep going." Something was in here, something important.

"It's dangerous!" Penny said.

"No, it's—" Alex paused. Why did they need to keep going? They were going to get caught, and who knew what was in these woods.

"I think this is a trap, Alex," Juliette said.

Alex nodded, and he could see surprise on their faces. "I think you're right. It was like I was under a spell to make me want to go into the woods."

Penny paled. "Mind-meddling," she whispered. "Whenever everyone forgot about Juliette, Mr. Magister said it was a 'mind-meddler.' Probably from the Malum!"

"We need to get our of here," Juliette said.

Alex walked back towards them, but noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The mist seemed to be solidifying, darkening.

The girls had seen it too. "Alex, don't open your mouth!" Juliette shrieked.  The darkness was rising up around them, and in watching it Alex took too long to register what she was saying.

He opened his mouth to reply, and the darkness flooded in.

***

Alex opened his eyes. Penny and Juliette were still standing there, staring at him with wide eyes. "Alex—" Penny began.

Alex smiled at her. Inside, the darkness coiled, filling him with power. And hatred. How had he been friends with them? They were both weak, and cruel, and cared nothing about him. Staring at Penny, his lip curled. Her? I liked her? "I'm fine, Penny."

She relaxed. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were possessed or—"

Alex's smile widened. "I'm more fine than I've ever been before." Before she could figure out what he meant, Alex shape-shifted into dragon form.

Blue magic swirled around him, tinted with darkness. This time, no voice tried to take over his head. I'm already more powerful.

And he felt powerful. Instead of blue green, his dragon shape was now solid black throughout, muscular and armed with scales. The two girls were cowering.

Alex growled, sweeping his tail under them. Both girls fell to the ground. Penny's head brushed the hard trunk of a tree, and she let out a cry before falling unconscious. Juliette frantically knelt by her.

Something twinged inside Alex. Pity? A moment later, it was replaced with something else. Distaste for this weak child. Hatred for her.

Power was flooding him, coursing in his veins. Alex was more powerful than either of them, his Fabulosa abilities strengthened with the dark magic of the Malum.

Without warning, a memory flashed unbidden into Alex's mind. In Mr. Magister's office, having the illusion of their worst nightmares. At the time, Alex's had been joining the Malum.

Now he remembered what he had thought of the Malum then.

Monsters.

He laughed derisively, and Juliette recoiled. Right, he was dragon. Dragons probably didn't usually laugh.

They weren't monsters! They were powerful.

Alex studied the two on the ground. What should he do with them?

The question was answered when someone approached out of the trees.

Mrs. Proditor.

Alex couldn't help but be taken by surprise, as was Juliette. She stumbled backwards.

The teacher smiled, an expression Alex had seen many times in class, but was unnerving now. "Well done, Alex! This is even better than I expected."

Alex smiled back and shifted back to human form. "Thank you. I don't k ow that you—"

Juliette stood back up, interrupting him. "Mrs. Proditor? You—" Her voice broke.

Mrs. Proditor's smile changed to an expression of sympathy. "Yes, dear. I'm part of the Malum."

Eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, Juliette held up her hot dog skewer. "Don't— you can't do this!"

On the ground, Penny stirred. Mrs. Proditor spoke again. "Do what, exactly?"

"Posses Alex with your dark magic, and try to kill us!"

Alex snickered slightly as Mrs. Proditor responded. "This 'dark magic' of the Malum has granted me much stronger magic than my own natural power. That was what allowed me to lure you into the forest— and to erase the school's memories of Juliette."

"That was you?" Juliette yelped.

"Yes, and think how powerful you, the Fabulosa, would be if you joined us. I don't want to kill any of you— I want you to come with me." She smiled at Alex, and he smiled back. "Alex has already joined us."

"No, he hasn't!" Juliette insisted, making Alex sigh. She really isn't as smart as she thinks she is. "He's, like, possessed or something! His eyes are solid black! This black magic mist stuff took him over." Juliette pointed her skewer at Mrs. Proditor.

The teacher sighed, showing annoyance for the first time. "Alex, are you possessed?"

"No, of course not." The idea was laughable. Wait. I have black eyes?

That's awesome.

"Well, obviously he's going to say that you aren't possessing him if you are! You probably made him say that!"

Penny sat up suddenly. "Alex? Mrs.— Mrs. Proditor?"

Mrs. Proditor ignored her. "Juliette, Juliette," she tsked. "The black magic may have gone inside him, but it only awoke him to his potential, the darkness already inside of him. His power. Why hasn't the darkness 'possessed', as you say, you or Penny? You too aren't ready yet. Alex us always had the potential to become one of us."

Penny looked at Alex. "No. You are still in there, I know."

"Of course I am." Alex sighed. He was getting tired of these two not understanding. "I'm the same person. I'm not hypnotized, and I know what I'm doing. I just know the truth now."

"What truth?" Juliette stared him in the eye, her hot dog skewer swiveling to point at him.

Alex smiled. "That the darkness is right. That the power is better than anything."

A new voice spoke, someone approaching from behind Juliette. "You're wrong."

It was Justin.

MUAHAHAHAHA *evil cackling continues*

Congratulations to Alanariddle07 and NightSkyTheFanwing, who both called it! Have some apple cider and cookies. Mrs. Proditor is evil.

That was planned from the start. You know those hints I was dropping about how the teachers' names had meanings in Latin? Proditor is traitor in Latin.

Did anyone else see that coming? What do you think of her betrayal? What is Justin going to do? Will Alex overcome the darkness?

Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out by Saturday, and you'll be able to find out. XP

And more apple cider to whoever guesses the POV of the next chapter!