He had gotten the idea from Park just a few hours before, and as it happens with every big thought, it had boiled inside his head till it burst into action, an experiment, and the curiosity of the “what if” as he drew the lines over his body while watching Kiki fought Him in the backyard.

The theory was simple, if a Sympathetic Link worked “commanding” a rune effect through a Hex, expelling or sealing energy through the runes like the Strength one, then, what stopped him from commanding that same rune into his body? Arwan had briefly explained a limited number of runes in his comprehensive guide, including the strength rune, which he had described as “aim to provide, manipulate and suppress energy in its many forms”. In many ways, and especially after talking with Park, Oliver had felt that his understanding of Sympathy had been boxed within a case-study framework. The science, of which the Ardeen’s student had talked so lightly, and in which Sympathy consisted, more than a mere mathematical mix between occultism and arcane traditions, seemed to be more similar to an art, a language, or a craft of which one could make something of its own, much in the same way someone could paint a frame, or write a poem. It was like a frame, in which rules, formulas, and systems like the one from Arwan could take a part.

That sole thought, that ‘inspired idea’ was the one that led Oliver to draw a new Hex, thinking that maybe if it was possible to make an energy wave come to be through a Hex, to reinforce an object through the same principle would it be too, in such a way that either if his body was ghostly, conceptual or whatever those terms implied, to infuse it with the properties of the rune could be possible. The outcome was the very way in which he was able to stand again to run after Kiki, while she fiercely chased Him inside the darkness as he flew under the umbrella of leaves provided by the woods.

— Be on your feet! —

She screamed as Him skated through the dirt with both feet and hands, recovering its stability in a beastly manner.

— This ends now —

Him said, inhaling deeply, as his chest inflated itself as a ballon, before whaling a shockwave that struck the trees around in a grunt that was heard from every corner of Hollow Creek.

After a “Hold on tight” command from Kiki that Oliver had been barely able to hear, taking cover behind a tree that tilted dangerously close to fall and crush him, the blond went out to find himself under a clear sky. That was the magnitude of Him's power, one that could make a clear into the woods just with one growl, Oliver thought, throwing carefully his look into the creature that now stood in the middle, where his old body had been before.

— W-what is that? —

— I presume, it's a mirage of its true form —

— A mirage? —

Kiki looked at him, concerned.

— A foreshadowing of what we’ll face if he gets free, now it’s easier to know who he is… —

Standing, in front of them, was now a half-human, half-demon creature. Ram hooves, black scruffy hair, and goatly head, crowned by two ringed horns twisted in an obnoxious way that framed a face dominated by a bloody mouth, and a pair of golden eyes.

— He’s a Faust, the spring of a sorcerer and a pagan god, and the all-time patron of Witchcraft —

Oliver stared at her without knowing what to answer.

— Basically, we’re in trouble, I've never fought a demi-god before —

Right there, at that moment, Oliver fixed his eye on the alien creature, this time becoming aware of its nature, far beyond its strange appearance, his eyes before clouded in an untouchable, almost indescribable fog, saw clearly the outline of its oddness and unlike before, he felt fear. Fear of its newly acquired fangs, fear of the menacing stand of its strangely elongated body, and fear of its death-seeking eyes. When Kiki saw him, falling under the creature’s allure, Oliver’s face had already turned white.

— Hey! —

She screamed, shaking him by the arm, it took her two attempts to pull him out of the Faenician mist. Oliver was barely able to talk.

— What… what is happening to me? —

He said with his lips shivering, staring at her eyes.

— It’s his Allure, you’re falling under his blood thirst —

— Allure? —

Oliver asked.

— It’s another Faenician Art, like the Sympathy… it allows you to influence others emotions —

Oliver shook his head.

— Focus on my eyes —

Then he did it so

— I’m here with you —

She said, getting so close that Oliver was able to feel her breath on his lips. He swallowed almost thrilled.

— You should be ok now —

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Quickly turning her face to Him, still holding his shoulders, she said. Oliver felt himself lighter than before.

— W-what have you done? —

Kiki turned herself again, biting her lips as she talked.

— I’ve put you under my own Allure, you’ll feel weird for a bit, but it should be enough to keep you from him’s —

Oliver remained blank for a second, and then nodded, noticing the smell of her sweat from close.

— You have to explain this later —

Kiki shrunk her face in funny doubt while wielding her katana again.

— First, we have to survive this, you know? —

Oliver nodded again, throwing his eye to the creature again, reluctant.

— But… how? —

— I’ll go first —

Said a third voice, coming from behind. When they both turned around, from the shadows of the woods, Park’s silhouette emerged, dressed in the Academy’s black uniform.

— Thank you for holding on, and sorry for the delay —

Kiki exhaled partly relief, partly mad with him.

— You’re always late —

She said.

— I see the thing has gone through an awakening —

Oliver stared at him, while Park incorporated himself to his left.

— What do you think? —

Said Kiki to his right.

Suddenly, the three of them were standing in line in front of the creature.

— I know him —

Said Park, calmly. Kiki raised an eyebrow.

— Its name is Schram, the Pagan god of Fear adored by witches —

— … —

— Although that’s neither its true name nor its real god, it matches the text description —

— Spit it once and for all —

Insisted Kiki.

— Well, we have good news and bad news, the good ones are that we already know its weakness, Scharam hasn’t completely crossed to this plane, and we should be able to exorcize it as long as it doesn’t reach full awakening… —

— The bad ones? —

— We’re fighting against a Sympathy-resistant being, so most of my techniques won’t be useful… we need to outwit him through good old ass-kicking —

—Then we’re screwed —

Said Kiki, snapping her tongue.

— I can’t cut him, it’s like I was cutting air —

Park stared at her weirded out, as he got rid of his jacket, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

— Air? —

Then, a second growl that raised a shock wave slightly weaker than the first one reached them, making them shake above the ground.

— Anyways! we need to knock him out! —

— Got it! —

Kiki said, right before both of them looked at Oliver, barely able to hold himself to a branch. The boy raised a thumb in a sign of approval.

— Y-yeah, totally got it! —

When the wave stopped, both Park and Kiki jumped sideways, framing Scharam in a triangle formation. Park raised a hand, gave the two of them a look, and then jumped from his place so fast that Oliver couldn’t follow him with his sight.

— ¡Now! —

Screamed the black-haired student, suddenly under the creature, holding the horns of the creature with his bare hands, both covered in hexes.

— Oliver! —

Following him, with eyes like plates, Kiki voiced while swinging her katana in the middle of a leap, so strongly that when she struck the creature, it threw it against Oliver with a disgusting sound.

When Oliver saw the creature’s body coming with his eyes fixed on him, he felt panic. The next thing he knew was that he had raised his Hexed hand against it, throwing Him barely strong enough to make it twist in the air before it landed heavily on a nearby tree. The creature smiled with his blood-thirsty snout.

— S-sorry! —

Said Oliver distressed, he didn't have time to think about it, he felt like he had wasted Park and Kiki's chained attacks, giving Him the opportunity to breathe. He was having more problems following them than he thought he would.

— Don’t mind it —

Said Kiki Park landing nearby, Olliver turned aside and saw his hands filled with scratches, and felt worse about it.

— That’s a strength rune, right? —

Park asked, making Oliver deviate his sight.

— Something like that —

— That’s both smart and convenient —

Oliver asked with his eyes

— I mean, I’m using a similar trick through my witch mark —

Pointed Park, while raising his right hand, covered till the forearm with strangely familiar tattoos —

— Those are…? —

— You should be able to hold him just like I did before —

Oliver swallowed just by facing the idea

— You think you can do it? —

He looked at Kiki, who wield her katana up-front between the creature and them

— I will —

Said Oliver, filled with determination.

— Right on time —

Said Park, fixing with his eyes the creature, as it started to crawl unnaturally throughout the tree, till it reached its top. Kiki looked back at them.

— Enough? I’m afraid he tries to escape —

— He won’t —

Said Park, sure as he advanced

— He has the upper hand, and every right to kill us —

Kiki remained silent.

— I think I know how would you be able to cut it —

Kiki turned suddenly back to then

— But you would have to trust me —

Both their eyes meet one inch from the other. Kiki thought about it for a second.

— Not even death —

Park laughed, handpicking a memory from his mind.