House of Anubis: House of Pasts

House of Files/House of Information

"Did you talk to Poppy?" Fabian asked as Jerome let him into his house.

"I saw her actually," Jerome admitted.

"That's great."

"Not really. She yelled at me that she hated me and stormed off."

"Try calling her again?" Fabian suggested.

"Like she'd pick up." Jerome heard his phone ring and took it out his pocket. "It's Poppy."

"Answer it."

Jerome hesitated but answered it. "Poppy-"

"-save it, Gerbil. I'm just calling to say...I regret what I did back there. I realized it's been years since we've spoken, and I suppose that wasn't the best reaction. Still, you are my brother, and I don't really hate you. I love you. So, call me again, yeah? And let's meet again some time soon."

"Yeah-yes, Poppy. Yes."

Jerome could hear Poppy's awkward laugh over the phone. "Well, bye Jerome."

"Bye, Poppy."

"Well?" Fabian asked after Jerome hung up. "What'd she say? Actually don't say. Your smile says enough."

Fabian noticed Jerome's ecstatic expression in which case that could mean only one thing.

~~~~~
Back at Joy's apartment, she planned to head over to Nina's place. As she exited her apartment, Erik came out of his as well when he heard her leaving.

"You spend an awful lot amount of time out your apartment," Erik said.

"Well, you know me," Joy replied. "Busy body."

"Yes, but I'm extremely worried. Either you're at work way too much or your keeping secrets."

"How do you know I'm not grocery shopping?"

"Really, Joy? I don't think anyone needs groceries that much. And I just want to ensure you're ok, you know, being your boyfriend and all."

"Yeah," Joy told him. "I'm ok. Just friends and things."

"Well, can I come with?"

"I don't know how'd they feel about that. I mean, it's really a tight, conservative group."

"Yeah, of course," Erik uttered, seeming a bit depressed. "See you when you get back then?"

"As always."

Erik gave Joy a kiss on the cheek. Joy headed out to Nina's place, shaking off that uncomfortable moment. Even though she loved Erik didn't mean she was ready to him about Sibuna.

~~~~~
Eddie, Patricia, Joy, and Alfie ended up being the ones who showed up for Sibuna that day. During that moment, Nina and Eddie took the time to tell them about their dream. Nina also updated them on Amber, who was still in her room at the time, including revealing that Amber had lied.

"Someone will be walking home tonight," Patricia grinned.

Eddie dropped his head.

Nina didn't question it. She continued, "I still don't know what the real secret was because it's still being kept from me." She glanced over at William who was sitting silently. "But nevermind that right now. We should take this time to use the portal." Nina opened the portal with her locket.

"Awesome,"'Alfie commented. "I actually woke up today, eager to time travel."

The five of them stepped through the portal, and it closed behind them.

They ended up in Anubis house, near the stairs. They were unclear why they were there, as they were always unclear why they ended up anywhere they did when time traveling. For what they could tell, the house was empty. They looked around and noticed Joy wasn't amongst them.

"Joy?!" Nina called out.

"Up here!" Joy yelled back from the caretaker's office. "You guys want to see this."

Eddie, Patricia, Nina, and Alfie hurried upstairs to the office, which reminded them distinctly of Victor. Upon entering the room, they saw the familiar Corbiere.

"Well," Eddie observed, "Victor's been here."

Corbiere wasn't what mainly caught their eyes. It was the files on Victor's desk. He had a file of every Anubis House resident that'd been there back in their own high school years, except they were pictures of them as babies. There were even pictures of Nina, Eddie, and KT, the Americans that ended up coming.

"I was such a cute baby," Alfie marveled.

"That's not important," Patricia scolded. "Look. It has our names, our date of birth, our social securities, our parents, our siblings, the year we'd attend, and we're already assigned to Anubis house. This was when we were babies."

"How did Victor get all this information?" Eddie asked.

"That's what we're all wondering, I'm sure," Joy answered. "It's creepy. Really creepy. And look here. It lists on Nina's file that she's the Chosen One. But on mine it says potential Chosen One. Did he think there could be two Chosen Ones?"

"Well, you two were born on the same day of the same month. Maybe he didn't know it had to be seven a.m., and just assumed," Eddie figured.

"Ok, I was a tad bit off with my theory," Alfie admitted. "Still, not all wrong."

"Congratulations Alfie, but that's not the most important thing right now," Nina sighed. "Look, Eddie's also says he's the Osirion. How would Victor even get all this information, this early on in our lives?"

"Well, we do know some of us came here because our predecessors were with the Frobisher-Smythes during their expedition," Patricia pointed out. "Then again, it's not like that would ensure he'd know our births considering it was such a long time ago."

"Maybe he kept up with our families?" Joy suggested.

"Sounds creepy," Alfie said. "Victor probably did."

Nina suddenly remembered something. She opened the right drawer in the desk and fished through until she found what she was looking for.

"He had them made already," Nina muttered.

"What?" Eddie looked over at bronze-colored discs with names on them. "What're those?"

"You weren't there that term," Patricia explained. "But he was tipping the scales of life for eternal life."

Nina put them back in the drawer.

"I still have a question," Nina claimed. "How did he keep up with my family? I don't know if they were involved in that expedition."

"Doesn't mean they weren't," Alfie admitted. "Or, he could've remembered you from the past, and must've discovered your existence. Look at Alfie Lewis still popping out the ideas!"

They heard the front door to the house being unlocked.

"Guys, someone's coming!" Joy yell-whispered.

They all hurried out Victor's office, slipping in behind the door that separated the hall from the girls' rooms. Alfie asked, "Come on, does that idea not deserve any cred?" He shrugged and followed them.

"Elixir of life?" The five of them heard a voice ask this.

"Is that-my dad?" Eddie questioned.

"Yes, yes, you'll be offered it," Victor persuaded, "only if you join."

"I'll join the Secret Society, only to protect Edison. Not for your elixir, Victor."

"Fair enough."

~~~~~
End of the chapter here! Hope you enjoyed, as always!

It's creepy how Victor has all that information, isn't it?