As the black cloaked Shaded Berserker got back up, Phantom appeared right next to him and kicked him square in the stomach. This kick gave a sort of cracking sound, but Shaded Berserker just skidded back a bit. The Shade, or whatever he really was, remained on his feet however and attacked back. Phantom defended himself, but was also knocked back. He managed to remain on his feet as well, only skidding but with a bit more force.

From this already, it was clear the Shaded Berserker had more strength then Phantom did. And yet, the Phantom's attacks did phase him as well. This could very well end up being a battle of endurance, with it being decided based on who was able to go longer in the fight. And unfortunately, there was no guarentee that Phantom would be able to win.

The clashing of fists and other objects rained out, as the others tried to figure out what they could do. It was clear the target outclassed them currently, in fact in this fight both of the people in front of them outclassed them.

"I dont think even if we worked together, we could beat Phantom, let alone the Berserker".

"Yeah, I am feeling that too Ruu" Bell noted, as neither could get inbetween the intense fury happening before them. They wanted to help Phantom, but there were no openings they could take advantage of. In fact, several of the Berserker's attacks still flew their way, forcing them to dodge. Bell focused on all the planes instead.

"It seems like we are on the right one. My father...he is on this airplane, but its weird. Everyone seems to be frozen in place. Is this time magic?"

Toko looked through the window, before heading inside. Maze shot down a few projectiles that came their way, while Ruu cut down the rest. Bell headed inside with Toko, as the two examined the scene.

"It looks like they are all frozen, but they seem to have this shadowy aura around them. Some of them are highly concentrated even..."

"And those are...wait, dad?!"

Bell found his father, but there was a thick shadowy aura around him that prevented them from even getting close. There were only about six people in total like this, and it seemed random at first.

But Bell seriously doubted that.

"You think this guy targeted my father actually to get to me?"

"Your identity has been pretty well hidden and protected, so that shouldn't be possible...unless this group is from someone that doesn't associate with the rest of the supernatural community. Its possible some fringe groups and people got it, because they tend to have weird skills and information abilities beyond the norm due to their eccentricness or eldritch nature".

"It feels like a horror story....I hate those".

"You should read them though".

"Why?!"

"Because a lot of them are actually true accounts on things that actually happened, just with certain names and such changed, and some flavor added in here and there".

"...thats concerning for a variety of reasons".

As they investigated the shadows a bit more, Toko shook his head.

"Whatever this is, its only loosely related to time at most. Its not time magic, and I don't think I can undo it or fix it on my own. Given the shadows, that Berserker must be responsible, but...I have no idea how to deal with that guy".

For a moment, a weird feeling washed over them all, almost like a pulse wave of energy. Outside, ss the black cloaked Shaded Berserker got back up, Phantom appeared right next to him and kicked him square in the stomach. This kick gave a sort of cracking sound, but Shaded Berserker just skidded back a bit. The Shade, or whatever he really was, remained on his feet however and attacked back. Phantom defended himself, but was also knocked back. He managed to remain on his feet as well, only skidding but with a bit more force. They seemed to both be physical attackers mainly, but this was eerily dejavu.

Bell and Toko tried to help the others, but they couldn't move a single person on the plane either. They looked outside again in a panic, and saw the clash that was still going on. Berserker ripped off a part of the plane and threw it at Phantom, but Phantom caught it and then threw it right back. The scary part was that he barely made a sound as he did this too. Supposedly his name Phantom came from how he could seemingly get through any security system as if he could phase through walls, although this included the ability to actually break down those walls. Bell was not sure what Phantom was capable of, as no supernatural or magical abilities were ever observed. However, that did not mean that such was not in play either.

That was yet another reason he became known as Phantom. No one is even sure who he is, what he can do, and many question if he truly exists because the rumors around him are so outlandish. A rumor spread around by middle schoolers and elementary schoolers, by gossips and housewives/husbands. Something the police made up to encourage people to not linger outside at night. But Bell could clearly see, right here and right now, that the rumors were true. Phantom was truly that capable of everything that he was rumored to be. He did exist. And he might just be one of the strongest humans on earth.

Ruu meanwhile intercepted the debris, as Maze was investigating the plane itself.

"Alright, I think if you can keep me covered, I might be able to free the plane from the space. If we can grease the wheels so to speak, we should be able to dislodge the plane back into the real world".

The moment Maze said those words aloud, a flock of ravens made from Shadow flew out of the Shaded Berserker and flew right at Maze. Maze and Ruu defended themselves, as Bell caused spikes of ice to erupt from the ground to skewer some while he was inside the plane.

"He clearly does not like that plan. This sounds easy enough".

"Not really. We have to do this to at least five planes to make sure it works properly and develops a wide enough bubble, and also the planes are still physical which makes them a part of this one. In fact, get as many as you can, just to be safe" Maze replied to Ruu, causing Ruu to groan.

"I hate rituals!"

"This is far easier than a ritual".

"It is still pretty close I feel like!"

Maze shot down a few more, as a giant raven emerged and flew at them. Maze and Ruu quickly dodged it, as it was much faster and stronger than the others and clearly more hostile. At the same time, the shadowed creatures that were in the elevator shaft seemed to drop out of the black abyss of its wings, surrounding them. Maze quickly threw out a cube, that turned into cover for them as the giant raven seemed to fire several dozen black feathers at speeds that were blatantly supernatural, and they were even able to piece metal easily. Each feather appeared to be razor sharp, as if it was a highly refined blade.

The raven made another pass at them once more, this time coming much closer and in a very menacing way. It was clear already it had no intention of letting them get away with what they wanted, which hinted at something else as well. Maze and Ruu weren't able to dodge in time and got hit into the wall, with Maze's bag being knocked away and off the ledge.

"No! Damnit! This is bad! No no no!"

"...if this was a lure, it was already sufficient. Even if we dislodge the plane, we cant get out as easily due to our paranatural natures" Ruu muttered. "Which means this guy isn't just after Bell, he wants something on the plane as well. Could it be Maybell's ally?"

"Alright, lets go with worst case scenario" Bell replied. "Its one of the people who is more surrounded by shadows then the other, which might mean their stasis is harder and more focused so they cant break out themselves".

"Or anyone else cant break them out so easily either" Toko mentioned, as he took out a marker and started writing in the air. It appeared to be math, kind of complicated too, but it used a few symbols that Bell did not recognize. "Maze, its possible that even if we dislodge the plane, the people in heavier shadows will be dragged behind and made to stay. We need to weaken the stasis".

"Most likely Berserker is the power source. We would need him defeated. But right now it's a stalemate and I am not sure Phantom can beat him on his own, and we dont have the ability to help either" Maze muttered. "Wait, shadows. Shadows, sapping, slow. Light, enriching, growth. We need light! We need to light this entire place up! Light hurt him, light can probably weaken or perhaps break the stasis! But...but...without my stuff, I can't...I can't..."

Maze appeared to be having a mental breakdown almost. He still had some stuff, but it wasn't just about the physical objects. It was like his very emotional security was gone. As if he had been broken all along.

Bell groaned. He could use light magic to some degree, but nothing as good as his ice or lightning. Ruu was a Vampire, which seemed doubtful to have light based abilities. Maze was gear centered, so maybe he had something, but not anymore and not with the way he was acting right now. And Toko seemed mainly centered around Time, although he had some other tricks as well nothing was as major as his time magic.

As they did that, a strange pulse wave washed over them from somewhere. It was an almost weird feeling, it made them all dizzy and feel strange. As if something had spun the world around and around rapidly, like nothing was shaken and yet everything was. It made them all feel strange, and even Phantom and Berserker stopped for a moment as this wave came over them.

The raven made another pass at them once more, this time coming much closer and in a very menacing way. It was clear already it had no intention of letting them get away with what they wanted, which hinted at something else as well. Ruu and Maze were able to see it coming however and got out of the way in time, with Maze clutching his bag tight and having kept hold of it.

"...if this was a lure, it was already sufficient. Even if we dislodge the plane, we cant get out as easily due to our paranatural natures" Ruu muttered. "Which means this guy isn't just after Bell, he wants something on the plane as well. Could it be Maybell's ally?"

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Alright, lets go with worst case scenario" Bell replied. "Its one of the people who is more surrounded by shadows then the other, which might mean their stasis is harder and more focused so they cant break out themselves".

"Or anyone else cant break them out so easily either" Toko mentioned, as he took out a marker and started writing in the air. It appeared to be math, kind of complicated too, but it used a few symbols that Bell did not recognize. "Maze, its possible that even if we dislodge the plane, the people in heavier shadows will be dragged behind and made to stay. We need to weaken the stasis".

"Most likely Berserker is the power source. We would need him defeated. But right now its a stalemate and I am not sure Phantom can beat him on his own, and we dont have the ability to help either" Maze muttered. "Wait, shadows. Shadows, sapping, slow. Light, enriching, growth. We need light! We need to light this entire place up! Light hurt him, light can probably weaken or perhaps break the stasis!"

However, all of them had this weird feeling. Had they not just had this same conversation before? The events were also similar, except Maze and Ruu dodged and they had all their stuff this time still.

They looked outside, and saw the clash that was still going on. Berserker ripped off a part of the plane and threw it at Phantom, but Phantom caught it and then threw it right back. The scary part was that he barely made a sound as he did this too. Supposedly his name Phantom came from how he could seemingly get through any security system as if he could phase through walls, although this included the ability to actually break down those walls. Bell was not sure what Phantom was capable of, as no supernatural or magical abilities were ever observed. However, that did not mean that such was not in play either.

This also felt familiar, as if it was repeating itself.

"Maze, do you have something that can emit enough light?"

"Yeah! A few things...since I have my stuff after all" Maze said, hugging his bag tightly for a moment before focusing back on the battle in front of them. There was a lot Bell wanted to ask about, given everything, but now was not the time for this. Right now they had to focus on the fact everyone here might die if they didn't do something soon. They saw a few things deteriorate.

"Toko, could it be this has been stretched out and taxed too much, that its deteriorating not just the space, but time as well?"

"...its possible. That would explain the deja-vu. If we don't hurry, it could end badly. The worst case scenario is everyone inside this Reflection gets erased from existence because time and space collapse here".

"Okay, lets get this plane out of here fast then!" Toko shouted, as he used his time magic to freeze the giant raven in place. Maze shot it a few times, but it only seemed to weaken it as the time stop ended and it fell onto the wing. The other shadows also encroached upon them.

"Maze, give me and Ruu the devices we need to deploy around the planes and the one to break the stasis. We will start placement, since we are the most agile. You just need to keep these things off our backs".

"That is easier said then done, but I will try" Maze replied, handing them the devices. "Go fast, we only have minutes to spare I think".

Bell and Ruu nodded, as they raced off. They jumped from one wing to the next, as they headed to the points they needed to place the devices Maze had given them to get the plane out of the Reflection. After that, they just had to escape themselves, hopefully along with it. Shadows moved in to block them, but Ruu cut them all down with his scythe, pushing himself further to make sure they went as fast as they could and to make sure that they were not interrupted.

Maze meanwhile shot the giant bird, which had been grounded, while Toko froze a few others in place before cleaving through with his Clockhand sword. He also formed what appeared to be a Clockwork pistol and fired it at the enemies, defeating a few of them as he had Maze's back.

"You have been holding out?"

"Not really. It takes far more of my magic, so while powerful, its not good for long encounters. But if we don't finish in the next two or three minutes we might get straight up erased from existence so..."

Maze meanwhile shot the giant bird, which had been grounded, while Toko froze a few others in place before cleaving through with his Clockhand sword. He also formed what appeared to be a Clockwork pistol and fired it at the enemies, defeating a few of them as he had Maze's back.

The two looked at each other with concerned looks.

"That was another one".

"Its getting more and more rapid I think too".

Maze threw a grenade, only for a second to appear a second later traveling the same arc. Maze quickly raised a barrier as the first grenade created an explosion, sending the second one right back at them. The barrier just stopped it in time, although it did at least help to get rid of others near them as well.

"Bell, Ruu! We need to go now! Its not minutes anymore! Its a singular minute!" Toko shouted.

Bell and Ruu ran across the airplanes, fighting anything that got in their way. From how fast they were going, it was going to be close.

They just managed to get the last device in place, and they rushed back to the plane.

"Maze, start it up!"

"On it!" Maze said, using the activator. All of them suddenly turned on, synchronizing with each other, making it so that all the planes synchronized. The space began to fold back in on itself, the planes merging together into a singular plane. Bell and Ruu managed to just land on the plane in time, as Phantom was sent backwards once more. His breathing was rough, and the Shaded Berserker was closing in on all of them.

"Shit, this guy might just kill us before its finished!"

The shaded berserker raised his hammer, only for a powerful beam of light to blast into him and force him back. A huge, massively bright light engulfed everything. The stasis was broken, the plane began to move slowly but surely. No one could see really what was going on, as everyone had to cover their eyes. However, Bell was able to just get a glimpse of something. Five fox tails, and fox ears, on someone wearing a white kimono with red flowers. He couldn't make out anything more, but the light was warm and inviting. It resonated with him, and he could feel a sense of familiarity within his soul.

The person seemed to walk, but no sound was made as swords of light appeared around them and bombarded the Shaded Berserker. A flick of a folded paper fan in her hand, and it blasted the enemy backwards with enough force that it pushed all of them back as well. She spoke not a word, but her mere presence exuded light. It felt almost as if she was not a physical being, but an ethereal spirit, floating between the boundaries of life and death. Or someone who had transcended both. Either way, it made everyone pause with awe, as the planes finished merging.

And then for a moment, not from the light in front of him, but from a whisper behind him, Bell heard a familiar voice.

"Be warned, my sweet boy. All of this was only the beginning. The first chapter of what is to come" his mother's voice echoed in his ear, causing him to reflexively look back. Was that his mind playing tricks on him, the Reflection's deterioration at work, or the work of the figure in front of him?

He was left with all of those questions as everything faded to white.

After the light had cleared up, the four of them found themselves in a rather strange place. Each of them had woken up inside of a bathroom stall back at the airport, clearly no longer in the reflection but not even remotely close to where they had entered the Reflection, or where they would have been upon leaving it. Not only that, but their wounds had been healed, their energy restored, and mental concentration strengthened. It was thanks to this that Bell was able to re-engage his suppression easily, but his mind was still plagued with questions.

However, all of that was cleared away when they heard an announcement. His father's flight had successfully landed and docked, and yet...there were also calls for medical services and ambulances to go there. Immediately worried, they all rushed towards the terminal to see what was going on. And when they got there, they saw Bell's dad being carried out on a stretcher.

"Dad!"

"Bell! Don't worry, I am fine. I just got roughed up a bit during the landing somehow. Weird bit of turbulence we hit or something".

Bell looked towards the medic with a glare.

"He has a broken leg, among other things. Probably nothing life threatening..."

"I am coming with" Bell said, hopping onto the stretcher. His friends took positions alongside it and started shooing people out of the way. The medic was not sure what to do, but...he figured it was pointless to try to talk them out of it, so they ended up heading to the hospital like that, with everyone riding in the ambulance together.

----------------------------------------

"And there you go" the courier said, getting Bell's signature as he handed him the luggage. It was nighttime now, and everyone was inside of Bell's dad's hospital room. With that, the young man, or perhaps a boy still, headed out on his way, leaving Bell with the others.

"Now, you are going to rest properly right?" Bell asked in a parent like tone.

"...I know how to rest properly".

"Doctors said they wanted you here for at least a week or two while they run tests, since they said the break was weird and could show some sort of bone brittleness or such".

"They say it was as if something had coiled around it and locked it in, or even twisted and moved in one direction while the plane moved in another".

"Which they said is not natural! That doesn't usually happen! Sheesh, what am I going to do with you?"

"Love me and remember I am the parent here?"

"Only if you can act like it. I bet you haven't been eating properly either. Have you had enough fruit?"

"...yes..."

"That doesn't sound convincing. I will make sure the nurses provide you with plenty of fruit".

"This feels very reversed".

"Well dad, dont make me worry so much like this and maybe it wouldn't be okay?"

"It's just a shame I am going to be missing your first two weeks of school. Make sure you don't worry too much and properly have fun with your friends. You always tend to focus on things that stress you out too much".

"You are one of those sources of stress you know?"

"Mean!"

"Truth!"

Bell then looked over at the charts.

"The airlines better have a damn good explanation for all this".

"Relax Bell. Go home. Please. The nurses can't do their jobs if you make them cry".

"Cry? All I did was point out..."

"You insisted on bossing them around to make everything what you thought was perfect for my recovery, including various points of what to do regarding how to fluff pillows and adjust blankets. In a tone that I think was scaring them and a glare that they couldn't disobey".

"Hmmf".

The other three just looked in amazement at the scene unfolding before them. They didn't have the ability to interject at all, and it sort of looked like Bell had more or less assumed full control of the entire hospital almost. What was most impressive was that somehow he had not broken suppression once this whole time either.

"Alright, I will go now, but only because I know you wont rest properly until I am gone".

"Thank you...and, don't worry Bell. I am not going to die, so you can relax".

Bell paused for a moment at the doorway, standing still for a moment.

"...I know that. Its just a leg issue and some other bones needing to heal as well. I know that just fine".

Bell walked out of the room, and headed into the hall. Maze ran up ahead and opened a door into an empty room, while the other two quickly pulled Bell inside. Almost instantly, he fell to his knees and collapsed, tears raining down onto the floor as his weeping engulfed the room.

"...I know that. Idiot. Dummy. But...please, please don't abandon me too. Don't die like mom, please. Please!"

The other three all gave him a group hug as he wept and wept, his suppression undone as he cried into the night.

----------------------------------------

Maybell looked at the hospital from a rooftop a bit away, carefully considering things.

"Well, I dont think this went as anyone planned".

She then looked at her phone, which had texts. She had received from a number referred to as "Hubby", all informing her about the airport incident, that Phantom, The Bat, The Snake, and those four had been involved, as well as a Shaded Figure. It detailed all the accounts very well.

"Still, I suppose this was not an entire waste, right?" she said, looking back to the courier boy...or rather, the one who had pretended to be a courier for the airline.

"I must say, it made a much stronger attempt then expected. To try and intercept the plane in flight...the FBL will be coming down on us hard" the one who appeared like they could have been a fifteen year old boy said. "He was even able to detect my supernatural energy and put me in stasis. We should assume these things likely felt the energy of the ritual site, and moved in accordingly".

As he said that, he took out a scroll. If historians were to ever look at the scroll, they would likely be baffled and freak out. Written in a script that appeared to be Native American in origin, of the north Americas. And based on the dating and metalwork, something that would indicate a level of civilization that all historians would have previously considered impossible for the region at that time.

"We should assume that was his target as well" Maybell mentioned. However, she noticed he was not done. "What is it, Sylas?"

"...the Shaded individual, it called Bell Inheritor. Considering the word choice and this scroll, is there something I should know that you haven't told me?"

Maybell just smiled.

"Of course there are things that I am not telling you. Same with my hubby, we all have our secrets. But its nothing that changes what you need to do. Understood?"

"Understood. But if that changes, you better tell me. I don't like being blindsided".

"Fair enough" she said, as the two made their departure into the night.

There were things coming. The battle might be over, but this was only the end of the beginning. The very start of a long road ahead.