The Third Reader - The School for Good and Evil

22) The End.

Evelynn was cut off from Tedros by a Never that suddenly jumped on him and started fighting him. She gathered he had it handled, and pushed through the crowd into an open space.

Evelynn grunted as a fist suddenly collided with her stomach, and she grabbed the culprit's arm, pushing him away from her.

"Hort?" She spluttered, clutching her stomach.

"Are you going to fight me or just stand there!?" Hort snapped, awkwardly shifting into a fight stance that seemed very unnatural for him.

She tried to push past him but he grabbed her dress, tearing across the bottom of the skirt and leaving a jagged hem.

Evelynn gripped his wrists in response and twisted his arms, using her foot to sweep his leg and send him to the floor. "Maybe another time Hort!" She yelled, as she ran further away from the group of Evers and Nevers.

Evelynn made a break through into the corridor, and slammed the door shut behind her, releasing a shaky breath as she leant against it. Her chest heaved up and down with panicked breaths, she was entirely clueless on what to do next. She was frightened, anxious, and felt like she was going insane. But despite all that was troubling her, she had an idea.

Evelynn sprinted down the empty corridor, listening to the muffled yells and grunts from the Ever Ballroom. She made it to the halfway bridge, her feet slamming down on the cobblestones as her torn dress billowed around her legs.

Evelynn shapeshifted into a bird and headed straight for the window in the School Master's turret, crashing through the glass and landing on a heap on the floor.

The School Master was before her, his hands were across his front, his hood low. He looked as if he'd suspected her there, as if he'd been waiting.

Evelynn dragged herself to her feet, glaring at his masked face. "Look," She panted, "I know you're not the Good School Master. Even though...good wins all the time, which doesn't make sense but- your students are killing each other down there. And if they're all destroyed, who's going to be in your future fairytales?? They'll be a gaping hole where you lost a generation of students. You need to stop them from fighting. There's no one else left."

There was a long pause, before the School Master released a patronising, slow laugh. "Do you think I care about those low lives down there? They're all stupid, they're all selfish. All the good ones think they're good, but they're not. They're no better than the Nevers. I'm sure you'd agree..."

Evelynn hesitated, staring with her mouth agape.

The School Master nodded, intertwining his gloved hands. "So, you do. All of your peers, your'friends' may as well be the same as you. Seeing how shallow the Evers are, and how soft the Nevers are. I thought it would be fun adding you in the mix Evelynn, because you don't belong of course...but you're no fun really, your good side keeps getting in the way."

Evelynn's gaze hardened. "This isn't about me though, is it. It's about everyone. We need Good and Evil in equal amounts for our world to be fair. And you keep messing it up."

"Do you think I want Good to win all the time? Do you think I wanted this to happen to my school?" He stepped closer, and Evelynn felt chills running across her bare skin. "Ever since my brother died evil has not won once. I'm being punished. The balance of Good to Evil has been ruined. However," He took a long breath, then sighed. "The result seems to be in my favour. Now that Good is weak a war has arisen within my school, before graduation, between Good and Evil. And why would I stop it? When Evil...are winning."

The School Master stepped closer, Evelynn started backing up towards the window she'd crashed in through. "This can't be it." She murmured, her eyes stinging with tears.