Colossus and Warhead had returned to Xavier's Genius Academy, and on the way, they were confused by the way Wade and Vanessa looked at them as they were leaving.
As if they were looking at fools.
Wade was already unusual enough, so Colossus didn't think much of it.
But why was Vanessa acting the same way?
And who were they talking about, Alaric?
"Professor."
"You're back. How did it go?"
Charles still had hair and looked healthy and calm as he smiled.
"Wade will need more time to calm down and to guide him properly."
Colossus shook his head.
"That's fine. Just keep up the good work, as long as you don't give up."
Charles smiled warmly.
"I won't give up on Wade." Colossus nodded seriously.
"Take a rest, both of you, you've been through a lot today."
"Alright, Professor. Let's go."
Colossus and Warhead were about to leave, but when they reached the door, Colossus suddenly stopped.
"Professor…"
"What's wrong?"
Colossus could no longer hold back his doubts and told Charles everything that had seemed strange to him.
Charles fell silent in thought.
The situation seemed as if someone had erased part of their memory.
But only from Colossus and Warhead, while Wade and Vanessa remembered everything.
That created a gap between them, confusion, a sense that something was missing.
As one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, Charles immediately recognized the problem.
"Colossus, do you mind if I check your memory?"
Charles asked gently. In the Academy, he never used his powers without consent.
"Of course, Professor."
Colossus had complete trust in him.
Charles closed his eyes and entered his mind. Soon, he realized something was off.
The memories were fragmented, like a tape that had been cut and reattached.
Wade was speaking to someone in those memories, but from Colossus's perspective, he was talking to empty air.
It was clear that someone had erased their own existence from his mind.
The person who did it was clearly not an experienced telepath. They erased only the image of their existence but didn't fix the gap it created, the traces remained, and Charles could feel them.
A telepath? A mutant with similar abilities?
And they didn't want to be discovered…
But why only Colossus and Warhead? Why not Wade and Vanessa? Maybe because they knew them personally?
If Colossus hadn't noticed the emotional emptiness, Charles might never have found out.
So, this person was hiding even from the X-Men.
"Professor?"
Seeing that Charles was silent, Colossus looked at him uncertainly.
"Your memory has indeed been erased," Charles finally said. "But don't worry, I don't sense any malice from the other side."
"Erased!? So that person is a telepath?" Colossus was shocked.
"Very likely. But it seems he himself isn't aware of how developed his powers really are."
"Should we try to find him?"
"Not yet. Just keep an eye on Wade. If that person is close to him, he'll show up again."
Charles didn't want to risk a confrontation.
If someone went so far as to erase their existence from another's mind, they likely had a good reason to remain unnoticed.
Many mutants simply wanted peace, and Charles respected that.
If he searched for them now without need, he might lose their trust or accidentally push them to the other side.
That would go against everything the X-Men stood for.
"I understand." Colossus nodded and quietly left the room.
Charles remained alone, deep in thought.
"Telepathic abilities… what is his true power?"
He stared thoughtfully out the window.
---
In the following days, Alaric stayed in the temple, reading magical books and catching up on knowledge of the magical world. He rarely went outside.
When he finally finished the last book on the shelf, boredom overtook him once more.
"What can I do now?"
Alaric was half-lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling and mumbling to himself.
As he wondered if there was anything he hadn't done yet, a thought suddenly struck him.
He remembered that he had once planned to create a forbidden demon realm inside the temple and set up a magical protection array that would prevent the use of portals.
"The books on magical arrays should be in Kamar-Taj," he muttered. "If I remember correctly, there should also be a guide on creating a protection array that prevents invasions from other dimensions."
He remembered how, the last time he opened a dimensional gate into the Eternal Night World, Kamar-Taj reacted as if it were an invasion. They almost captured him, and he barely managed to escape.
"In that case, I'd better return to Kamar-Taj and take a look. I haven't been back in a while anyway."
He stood up and floated toward the first floor, toward the magical doors.
Ever since he had gotten his levitation cloak, Alaric had become too lazy to walk. He would now simply float through the temple rooms.
Fortunately, no one was there to see him, especially at night. If someone had appeared and seen him floating, they probably would've been scared to death.
Alaric passed through the magical doors and returned to Kamar-Taj, hovering all the way to the main magical hall.
"Alaric?"
"Alaric is really here!"
"Quick! Notify Master Mordo, Master Daniel, and Master Wong that Master Alaric has returned!"
Alaric: ???