】〓〓〓〓【

Tearing, horrible tearing. The sound of ripping fills my mind and ears. Space around me screeches and twists as it shatters. The distant sounds of others’ screams echo inside my skull. My vision is covered in white light that slowly is consumed by patches of black. The darkness spiderwebs out from the void, covering over everything. It doesn’t take long for the cracks to totally devour the white. All that's left is the screaming.

】〓〓〓〓【

Iota

】〓〓〓〓【

I wake with a scream, face drenched in a cold sweat. The sweat becomes bitter against my skin as the comforting cold from within freezes it. Looking around, I try to remember where I am. The room isn’t mine but it's still very fancy.

After the adrenaline, and my cold, drains out of my system, I remember where I am. Father’s spare home in the capital, for when he’s summoned by the king. It’s not nearly as large as our actual home, but it’s just as intimidating. Just as I start to relax in bed, I hear loud thumping from the hall. I jump out of bed, drawing some spirits into me.

The loud thumps and slams continue, so I decide to send Alpha into the hall. He quickly returns and gives me a thumbs up. I throw on clothes and open the door.

In the hall is the large shape of Father, slamming his fist on a door frame. I walk towards him and notice Zenith on the other side of him. She has tears in her eyes.

Getting closer I see the window behind her has been forced open, the lock hanging from the sill. I run up to Father and grab his arm.

“Father, what happened?” I glance at his expression, one I’ve never seen. His face is twisted in fury, tears being barely held back. Before looking at me he breathes deeply and calms his expression.

“Iota, Zenith is gone. He can’t wake up, either.”

I stare blankly at Father, slowly digesting the words. Slowly, I look into the room and see the crying Zenith, remembering the other time I had seen her cry. Putting everything together I feel fury welling up in my chest.

I grab Father’s robe hard. “Father, let me look for him!”

The Count shakes his head without hesitation. “I already have one missing kid, I don’t need seven.” He slams his fist against the doorframe again. A few droplets of blood fall from his clenched hand.

“Father, I don’t rely on magic, and I’m awake. I’m the best one to look for him right now!” I look at Zenith sadly. “She can’t do anything right now with what she’s dealing with and you’re a ruling noble. I’m the only one who can go out!” My expression hardened by determination, I stare at Father.

He answers without even looking at me. “Fine, go.” He says the two words through gritted teeth. Not giving him time to change his mind, I run outside.

The wind outside nips against my ears, comforting me a bit. Glancing around the small garden behind the estate, I see a sleeping Hack. If someone had come this way, Hack would’ve flipped. Seeing no physical evidence of trespassing, I draw the cold out of my heart.

The seeping chill is much more brutal than normal. Instead of a comforting cold its snapping frost mirrors my anger. I think about the unconscious Zenith and feel the temperature drop around me, my breath beginning to show. A layer of frost covers the surface of my skin before I feel something strange. Instead of the familiar cold from within, I feel an unfamiliar cold from around me.

Focusing on the new sensation, I try to pull it towards me. Mist swirls around me, seeping out of the ground. The miniature tornado of freezing air grows larger before slowing to a stop. Once the air settles, the blobby forms of at least twenty people stand around me. Looking closer at the spirits, I notice a small trail of mist coming off each of them. The small trails wind out of the yard, each going in a different direction. These must be spirits bound to places nearby. Quickly summoning Alpha from within, I ask him to translate for me. I stare out over the misty group.

“Thank you all for coming to my call, I need your help. I need to find where my brother went, he disappeared in the night.” I give Alpha a look. “Can you tell them what he looks like?” The ghostly child gives me a nod, so I continue. “If you help me, I will be very grateful.” I try to use the formal speech that my teachers have drilled into me.

Stolen story; please report.

The misty forms seem to look at each other, as if discussing what I had said. After not too long they all look at me again. Alpha gives me a quick nod. Looking over them all, I give them a bow.

“Thank you.”

With my thanks, the translucent forms all blow away, going in every direction.

【〓〓〓〓】

It’s been about an hour when a trail of mist slithers up to Alpha. A spirit quickly materializes in front of the two of us before disappearing just as quickly. Alpha looks towards me and nods.

Doors flash past me as I run back to the second floor. I arrive at Zenith’s room, gasping for breath.

Father looks down at me, surprise in his eyes. “Did you give up, boy? I need to get you working out as well, I see.”

Ignoring Father’s nagging, I spit out what happened. My brief story brings the smile back to his eyes. “So you actually found him? Great job, lad!” He gives me a slap on the back. The gesture of affection makes a horrid crunching sound, white powder exploding off my shirt. Father quickly withdraws his appendage, shaking his hand.

“What in the hell? You’re covered in ice!” He looks at his hand with worry. “It feels like I got frostbite just from touching you, how are you okay?” His concern shifts from his digits to me. I give him a huge shrug. A scream cuts the air in the room.

Zenith jumps out of bed, no longer crying. Her eyes frenzied, she looks at Father and I. “I woke up!” Her eyes glaze ever so slightly before she speaks again. “I’m in a cell, underground. It’s dark, I’m bound with something that glows.” Her eyes unfocus again. “I can’t use magic.” She starts to panic when Father puts his briefly frozen hand on her shoulder.

“C’mon, girl, we can find ya! Iota here found where you are, apparently.”

Zenith stares at me with an intense look. “Lead the way, Iota.”

】〓〓〓〓【

Zenith

】〓〓〓〓【

While I follow Iota, I also look around the dingy space I’m trapped in. The ground is packed dirt, the only sign of humans ever being here is the metal cell door in front of me. Pushing against the bars bears no fruit. I drop to the ground, crossing my legs. I look at the strange bindings twisted around my wrists.

Instead of something typical like rope, there’s what looks like a living snake made of silver twisted around my arms. The snake has glowing runes running along its back, with only a few I recognize. Occasionally the snake’s head appears from within the writhing mass, but it always quickly dives under itself again.

My curiosity about the bindings is interrupted by the sounds of footsteps. The dim silhouette of a person appears in the darkness behind the cell bars. Silence fills the air until a bright light shines out. The sudden light blinds me, causing me to gasp. I hear an infuriating chuckle from outside the cell.

My eyes finally readjusted, I see a elderly person in a white coat. The coat is dirty and tattered, with unfamiliar letters on it. Their hand is holding a strange-looking lantern.

They cough roughly before speaking in a voice of broken glass and gravel. “Damn place has nothing to smoke. Fuckin’ hellhole.” They stare at me with a slight smile. “Hello there, fellow wanderer.” Their grin has hate behind it. “So, where are you from?”

I stare at the strange person, and their gnarled finger that’s pointed at me. There’s no reason to lie, I suppose. “I’m from Wornsbirth.” Pain radiates out from my wrists as electricity arcs through me.

“Why must you lie, boy? I’m not talking about this damn place. Where did you really come from?” The anger in their voice confuses me. How do they know I’m not from Wornsbirth? What do I say? I don’t know where I came from before that. Taking another look at the shabby figure, I get the feeling I shouldn’t show them weakness.

I give a shrug. “Why do you want to know, dinosaur?” The stranger’s eyes fill with fury, and I soon feel more shocks going through me.

“You little shit, I’ll have you know that I’m thirty-two.” The person is clearly at least sixty. “As much as I’d like to drag answers out of you, boy, I have neither the means nor the time.” The possible grandparent looks at the ceiling of the cave. “Your friends have arrived.” Looking back at me, they tap their lantern twice.

A different pain spikes in my wrist. The metal snake has its fangs embedded into my skin. After a few seconds it lets go and slithers off towards the kidnapper. The second the snake drops to the floor I jump up. I fire off some flames at them — at least that’s what I try to do. None of the expected flames manifest in front of me. I try again with other spells, but none of them fire.

The elderly person chuckles. “You really thought I’d just let you have your magic back? I’m not stupid, boy.” The snake winds itself around their left arm. “That venom should keep your magic gone for at least a few hours, so ta-ta!”

I click my tongue in frustration as I see the person’s back slowly fade into the darkness. The others and I arrive on the upper floors of the building, and are looking for an entrance to where I am when the figure completely disappears. When the others and I finally find me, an hour has passed. Frustrated, I give myself a hug.

On the walk back to the house, no one speaks. The silence complements the cool night air. When I look at the other two members of my family, I realize that Iota’s hair is a mass of frozen spikes.

“Why are you covered in ice?”