-Chapter Thirteen-

Shards - Part Two

On the other side of the world, in a desert devoid of all life, spanning for hundreds of kilometres, the wind blew harshly and the sun battered the dunes.

One moment was almost still, save for moving sand. The next, there was a flash of light, shining radiantly golden as a slit in the space opened and two tall figures stepped out, into this desolate middle of nowhere.

The two Throne classes then began to make their way down the dune, to the centre.

As they descended, Andrew cast a glance to Jason.

“So, what are we doing here?” he asked.

Jason spat out a ball onto the sand and cleared his throat before he began to answer.

“I’ve been messing around the past six months, looking up leads on Diana.”

“What about before the last six months? If I remember correctly, you were missing quite often during my three years at the Academy,” Andrew continued to question.

“…I was looking into another lead, something that may get us out of this predicament. It will have to wait until all four of us are assembled. Starting with Diana,” Jason came to a stop at the epicentre of the dune.

“She’s in the Breakdown realm?” Andrew asked.

“That’s right. In between the World Collapse. She went too far in and couldn’t come back out. Since she’s still stuck there it seems, she may not have returned from the future yet.”

Jason waved his arms around him and immediately began to cause a World Collapse.

“I will sustain the World Collapse. In that time, go look for her. This is the location I tracked her down to,” he nodded to Andrew.

The space soon began to collapse, allowing Andrew to slip through into the Breakdown space.

On the other side, the world was frozen and and blue. There stretched the endless desert, and nothing else. One could travel, but they’d eventually arrive at an empty city. This place is a frozen moment of the world, where nothing exists.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed as he looked around him, yet he could find no signs of the temptress.

He tried to scan the entire plane, but it turned out to be empty.

Confused, Andrew was stopped in his thoughts when the exit gradually began to close.

He quickly jumped through and came back to the other side, where he found Jason and Diana standing side-by-side waiting for him.

“What the-?” Andrew looked at Diana in bewilderment.

“Hehe, bet I surprised yah,” she stuck her tongue at him. “I actually got back a long time ago, I’ve just been lying in hiding. I was waiting for the day you guys would come get me,” Diana smiled, and turned around.

“I’ve been doing some digging of my own,” she began to say. “I wonder if any of you have any leads, either? Well, it will have to wait until Taylor joins us. Let’s go back to the Trinity Council.”

When Mercy awoke, Taylor was already no longer by her side.

She quickly glanced around the room to find it empty, before she let loose her tension and leaned back down with a big sigh.

Her thoughts flashed back to when Taylor had passionately embraced her.

At first, she didn’t know if they would remain a friendly distance as friends, or even if he would hate her.

But it turns out… he likes her as well, she thought with her face red. If she thought about it objectively, he’s quite good looking. He has good talent. He’s surprisingly adaptable, level-headed, and chivalrous. He seems like he would make a good father, and he has a cute smile, he’s good in combat and… it’s fun to ruffle his hair.

Mercy inhaled deeply with her eyes shining as she quickly sprung out of bed and went to get dressed, humming to herself.

She has to admit it, she finds him adorable.

As she threw on her jacket and left the room, she began to wander the corridors looking for Taylor.

She heard some voices from around the corner in front of her, near the elevator, and hastened her pace.

After taking the corner, she came to a stop, making the outer ring of a circle of students.

At the centre was Diana and Percy!

Mercy gasped in shock.

As the two embraced wholesomely, Mercy spotted Taylor standing by Jason and Andrew.

She quickly dashed between students, sneaking past until she joined them.

Jason was talking but then fell silent, his gaze turning to Mercy.

After a moment, the other boys did too.

“Uh… sorry, was I interrupting?” Mercy awkwardly asked, looking to Taylor for his reaction.

His gaze suddenly narrowed and shot to Jason, almost like a threatening glare, and his arm suddenly appeared around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“Of course not. We were just chatting,” he turned away and led her to a more isolated part of the floor.

“When did you wake?” He asked, smiling at her.

“Just now. How about you…?” Mercy squinted as she noticed the bags under Taylor’s eyes. “Are you okay? Did you not get any sleep?” She asked him.

Taylor’s smile did not waver.

“I’m totally fine, thank you for worrying.”

Again, his smile did not waver.

“Was it because…” Mercy’s face flushed. “Of last night, how we slept…? Was I a bother to you?” She asked and he quickly shook his head.

“No, no. It was… comfortable. I had a nightmare and woke up, that’s all,” Taylor nervously chuckled.

“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice… I slept like a baby the whole night…” she suddenly felt guilty, and brushed her hair aside.

“You must’ve been lonely in the night. I should’ve been there to console you,” she nervously smiled, her gaze locked to the ground.

But suddenly, Taylor tackled her with a firm hug.

She was taken aback at first, but gently hugged him back, resting her head on his shoulder comfortably.

“It’s all alright now,” she said, reaching up and stroking his long black hair.

They remained like that in silence for a while, before Taylor softly pulled away, his gaze firmly meeting her’s. And a smile.

“As always, your kindness saves me…”

Mercy blinked. What do those words mean?

Taylor looked down at his lips, reaching up and touching them, his gaze just as confused as her’s.

“What did you mean by that?” She asked him.

He blinked.

“I’m not sure… sorry… I don’t know what I meant, they just sorta came out…” he turned away, but glanced at her one more time with a smile.

“Thank you, Mercy.”

“Are you really sure you’re alright? Taylor, I’m concerned,” Mercy called after him, and he stopped in the middle of his steps, looking back at her with a smile.

“Don’t worry, Mercy. I’m really alright. I’m happy you’re concerned, but I want you to have peace of mind. It’ll all be alright,” he repeated and disappeared around the corner.

Mercy pondered whether to follow him or not, but he seemed to have some personal business.

She sighed.

She didn’t expect for his personal business to frustrate her… was she more possessive than she thought she would be?

Mercy sighed and turned away, pouting, and went to find Aira.

Today was spent separated from Taylor, as he had to go with Puria to invest in their new Head Quarters.

Instead, Mercy was with another team secretly constructing other home bases around Japan, and planting a teleportation array to connect them all.

Once the sun was low and setting, Mercy finally returned to the hotel, stretching and groaning as she felt her sore muscles loosen.

As she rode the elevator together with Aira and Piper, she wondered, did Taylor miss her?

The same way she was missing him today?

How strange. They haven’t been together for that long, nor have they been apart for that long.

Yet she seemed to want to put herself beside him.

There was a ‘bing’ as the elevator reached their floor, and she followed the other two girls out.

Upon taking one step down the corridor, the three could hear laughter coming from ahead of them, and rounded the corner to find an unlikely group of four camped outside one of the hotel doors.

Mercy came around the corner just in time to see Andrew, Jason, Taylor and Diana together, chattering away.

She noticed Taylor was looking despondently at the ground, and thought to herself, she should go ask him what’s wrong. Was it the nightmare still troubling him?

But suddenly, Diana stepped forward with a beam and gave him a quick head rub.

“Hey, c’mon. What’s with the glum face? Something got you down?” she asked.

Mercy watched quietly in surprise, feeling a conflict between envy and anger. And then dejection, stabbing at her chest.

Taylor’s eyes shot up to meet Diana’s, and he gave her a small smile.

“No, I’m all good. Just thinking about things.”

There was no way they were in some kind of relationship… having met for the first time today. But Diana was always forward with men. There was no way he fell for her natural charms?

Taylor frowned as he looked past Diana and saw Mercy, and as their eyes met, she felt her face begin to heat up.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Taylor quickly approached her, smiling warmly.

“Hey Aira, hey Piper,” he greeted and they both nodded to him, and then his eyes settled on Mercy.

With a grin, he took her hand and pulled her into a hug, and whispered to her ear,

“Welcome home.”

He pulled away again, still holding her hand, and began to pull her to their room.

“How was your work today?” he asked with a subtle smile that masked his true thoughts, looking forward down the corridor.

“It was good. I’m just glad to be back,” Mercy responded, feeling he was being weird as Taylor opened the door for her. Shrugging it off, she jumped onto the bed, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“How about you? How was your day out with Puria?” Mercy asked.

“It was fruitful. Out of the five places we went to sample, I was able to pick the best one. She said we’ll be good to move in tomorrow! As long as she manages to get the beds in tonight.”

“Whoa… she’s sticking to not using Magic?” Mercy asked.

At the question, Taylor’s eyes narrowed at the ground, and he sat down to her, taking her hand.

“Puria and I were discussing last night, and what exactly happened. She said she went to the Headmaster with our conjecture, telling him about the danger the Wiseman is in,” Taylor began to explain, and Mercy nodded as she listened along quietly, tilting her head and resting it on her knee as she gazed at him.

“He said it’s likely the Magicians in this city are not using Mana, and are lying in wait, imitating Purebloods, spread throughout society. Our role is to establish a combat network and cull the numbers of the secret Antithese agents as much as possible, so if the War was to ever happen, we would have more of an advantage,” Taylor finished.

“Well, how are we going to do that?” Mercy asked.

“Looks like… we’re going to school. The majority of Magicians hiding in Tokyo are going to school.”

The evening was delightful. After hanging out with the rest of the members for dinner, the couple had returned to their hotel room again, for their second night together.

As Mercy laid down, Taylor quickly snatched her up, pulling her into a spoon again.

“T-Taylor!” Mercy immediately blurted out.

“Please…” he quickly answered, hugging her tightly around the waist. “Please just let me hold you like this…” he asked her as his voice trailed away softly.

Mercy remained hot-cheeked and flustered for some moments, but as the silence rang out, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall, she began to feel relaxed instead.

Like she was embraced by a cocoon, tightly wrapped around her, keeping her safe from all peril in the world.

In serenity, she passed into sleep, letting her mind wander as the world turned to black.

It felt like no time had passed at all suddenly, when a voice awoke her. It softly passed through the air, reaching her and waking her.

Then came the sound of rushing water, followed by sobbing and cries.

Mercy rubbed her eyes, noticing Taylor wasn’t beside her anymore, and that the crying was really close.

She stole a glance at the time, seeing it was only three in the morning, and, after pulling her blanket off her legs, quickly shuffled to the bathroom where the sobs echoed from.

She was about to call Taylor’s name as she rounded the corner, but fell quiet when she heard his voice.

“My love… my love… I’m sorry…” he cried in utter grief.

Mercy came to the doorframe to see Taylor huddled in the bathtub, still fully clothed, beneath the showerhead shooting its full stream at him.

His face was covered by his hands as he cried, and Mercy watched on for a few seconds, unsure of what she was witnessing, or who this love he speaks of is.

He suddenly began to flinch, almost like lashing out, seemingly at an invisible enemy. A vision.

He cried, he cried horribly, suddenly reaching out and trying to embrace the water.

But one cannot embrace water. Taylor watched as the water trickled away from his palms, and he broke into a cry once more.

“Mercy…” her name fell from his lips. “I’m sorry, Mercy… please forgive me, my love… Please…” he continued to sob. “I’ll avenge you. I’ll kill them, I’ll kill them all. And then I’ll join you… I swear…” his voice became deeper and filled with rage. “I swear on my soul, I will kill them. Kill them! I will kill them!” he told himself with conviction.

Unsure of what she was witnessing but feeling heartache nonetheless, Mercy quickly rushed to his side and embraced him, hugging him tightly.

“Taylor, Taylor, it’s okay, I’m here now, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere…” she soothingly told him.

He froze, and then his arms gradually lowered and rested themselves on her back, as broken cries came from Taylor’s throat.

“Mercy… is that you…?”

“Yes… it’s me, Taylor,” she responded, and was met with another cry.

“Where am I? Is it over? Are we in heaven?” he asked.

“No, silly,” Mercy responded smoothly, gently stroking his wet hair.

“We’re still on earth.”

“On earth!?” he exclaimed. “Then… then… it’s not over…” he began to cry again. “I’m going to lose you another time… I can’t do it anymore… my mind is already shattered into shards…”

Mercy fell silent, continuously patting him on the back.

She didn’t know what he was on about, but she fears whatever happened to Andrew has affected him as well.

As Mercy sat in her thoughts, they were interrupted as Taylor began to speak again.

“Do you hate me?” he croaked, sniffling.

“No, of course not, Taylor,” she responded, smiling.

“Even though I got you in this mess? Even though over and over again, I fail to stop it when your body is mutilated, and you are killed? I can do nothing but watch on as it happens once and once more,” he asked and she frowned.

“What mess?” she asked him, and he remained silent for a brief moment.

“Where fate itself is hunting us down… and I come out alive everytime, but you always die… the people I love always die…” he cried. “I’ve even watched Andrew and Diana die… I hate it… I hate seeing it…”

Mercy’s frown did not subside at the new foreboding words.

“You saw Diana and Andrew die?” Mercy asked.

“…Every minute, every second, every single little moment that passes, I see their bloodied faces in my eyes! I can never escape it!”

Mercy remained quiet, thinking of what to say next.

“And I always see yours… and it destroys me… my failures and weakness follows me no matter where I go…”

Mercy felt his body go limp, and he gradually slumped down.

Mercy frowned, seeing he was asleep.

She quickly turned the shower off, and was about to summon her wand to take care of him, when she realised, she couldn’t use Magic.

“Fuck…” Mercy groaned, unable to physically pull him out.

What does one do? When faced with such a predicament?

“He’s in here,” Mercy said over her shoulder as she opened the door and let Andrew through.

“What the hell…?” Andrew entered, looking at Taylor’s slumped body.

“What was he doing?” he asked Mercy.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a nightmare, but he was in here, crying and saying a lot of weird stuff,” she responded.

Andrew’s eyes narrowed.

“He’s put himself in water. That’s a symptom…” he spoke to himself under his breath and turned to Mercy.

“What sort of stuff was he saying?” he asked, before he got down and began to lift Taylor up.

“Also, where do you want me to leave him?”

“On the bed, on the towel I laid out please,” Mercy responded. “Well, it was weird stuff. He said he was sorry he let me die. He said he saw you and Diana die. I don’t even get it, those two looked like they were getting along really well, despite meeting for the first time today,” Mercy shrugged as Andrew placed Taylor down on the towel Mercy had readied.

“Shit…” Andrew turned to her with a dead stare. “I have a favour. The shit Taylor said, keep it between the two of you. Don’t tell Aira, Piper or Percy any of it,” he asked.

Mercy slowly nodded, masking her surprise with a stone face.

“Talking in his sleep,” Andrew made his way past Mercy and to the front door. “How irresponsible… must be that damn spell,” she heard him mutter to himself under his breath as he disappeared around the corner.

She quickly turned back to Taylor, and began to dry him off with the towel, wondering abbot Andrew’s foreboding words.

As Mercy ruffled his hair with the towel, she couldn’t help but giggle and think to herself how fun it was.

“All done,” she finished as she pulled the towel out from the now much less-dressed Taylor, as his clothes were wet.

Satisfied he won’t get sick now, Mercy finally slipped into bed, hoping it doesn’t happen a second time tonight. And that Taylor isn’t plagued by bad dreams anymore.

But what was Andrew talking about? Symptoms… side effects… should she go ask him in the morning? Mercy wondered to herself.

Taylor was still asleep come morning. Mercy had to expend quite some effort to wake him, and he was in a complete daze after he finally opened his eyes.

First he pulled her into a long hug. No doubt because of his nightmares, Mercy thought.

Then he asked where they were, and after hearing the answer, he looked out the window absently for a long time.

Now they were eating breakfast, Taylor seemed to be completely out of it.

With dark circles beneath his eyelids, and slowly lifting food up to his mouth to chew, he stared at nothing in particular while Mercy gazed at him, feeling concern burden her chest.

“Taylor…” she rested her hand on his. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“…I don’t know…” he stopped, looking at his own two hands. “Something is happening to me…” he looked to Mercy’s face, before reaching up and cupping her cheek in his hands.

“You’re not disappearing…”

“Of course I’m not. I’m right here, by your side,” she smiled. On the outside, she smiled, but she felt like she wanted to cry on the inside.

“…I can’t tell which one is the dream and which one is real anymore. Or maybe none of it is…” Taylor’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at his bowl of food.

“I’ll kill them…” Mercy caught Taylor whisper under his breath, but pretended not to hear, as she looked away with wide eyes and worry.

Continuous banging rang out against wood as Mercy pounded the door to Jason and Piper’s room.

She had left Taylor in Aira’s care and was now coming to find Andrew.

The door opened, revealing Jason standing behind it.

“What pleasure do I owe the business?” he asked as he stepped aside, revealing Andrew and Diana sitting further into the room.

Mercy entered, taking a free seat and looking to Jason and Andrew.

“Good… you’re both here,” she took a deep breath. “I’m worried for Taylor.”

The others remained silent, particularly Jason who continued looking at Mercy.

“…He’s been acting up, saying weird things, and I’m worried about his mind. I know something’s happening to him! I don’t know what might happen in the next few days…”

The two boys still remained silent, but Diana popped up, beaming at her.

“If you’re really worried, and you’re having hard nights, you can leave him in my care! I’ll make sure he’ll get through it all.”

Mercy stared at her.

“No offence, but, you haven’t known him that long, and I’m not comfortable relinquishing him when things are hardest for him. How are you talking like you know him?” Mercy asked her and Diana quickly looked away.

“Ah, shit,” she said, and Andrew broke into laughter.

“You’re so dumb sometimes, Diana,” he cackled.

“And Andrew, you!” Mercy spun around and pointed at him. “You were talking about some sort of spell, right? And this spell, I saw Jason cast on you,” she turned back to Jason. “So, what spell is Taylor underdoing right now? You will tell me,” her voice spoke lowly and hollow as she stared Jason in the eyes.

The young man had a disinterested look on his face.

“I see.”

He took a seat opposite to Diana, at the window, continuing to drink his coffee.

“Give it another day. I am not lying when I say, I have not cast any sort of spell on him. I have no reason to lie,” Jason drunk his tea.

“Then who the fuck cast it!?” Mercy demanded.

“Hehe… whether you find out, depends on if you get Taylor to tell you or not. Nobody else has any part of this. Either way, if you’re worried,” he sighed. “You can leave him in Andrew’s care for the night. I can understand not trusting Diana… or myself. But you can trust Andrew, right?”

Mercy clenched her fists as she looked down at them.

“You’re telling me to sit, do nothing and wait?” she asked.

“I indeed am. Because if anything happens to him, some sort of external influence say… well, you already know he’s in a very sensitive state.”

“Are you threatening me?” Mercy asked lowly, earning a frown from Jason.

“No, I want nothing but the best for Taylor, and you alike. I’m simply telling you how it is. The best thing for him will be if you simply remain by his side. I’m sure he’ll say and do a lot of nonsensical things. Whatever you hear from his lips…” Jason smiled. “Will be up to your misfortune, I suppose.”

Mercy felt forebode ring from his words, and knew there was no longer anything else to be said. They knew what was going on but won’t tell her.

“I’ll remember this…” she rose to her feet, turning around and glaring at them.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’ll remember this time, where you refused to give me information.”

The other three were silent as Mercy saw herself out, slamming the door behind her.

Jason leaned back, sighing.

“She always gets so hot-headed when it comes to Taylor.”

Diana giggled.

“Well, don’t you for Piper?” she countered.

“I am always cool-headed and rational,” Jason merely answered, and took another sip of his coffee.

“This hasn’t happened before. I don’t know what effect this will have,” Andrew wondered aloud.

“Mmm,” Jason set his cup down, smiling a menacing smile. “The butterfly effect. Already, we are seeing quite significant changes in this timeline. Once Taylor completes his assimilation… we will have yet reacquired another vital shard.”

Diana and Andrew nodded.

“Make sure nothing goes wrong within the next two days. If Taylor succeeds, we can use the same method in the future. It will be… significant.”

“You’re not concerned about these butterfly-effects?” Diana asked apprehensively.

“No, I’m not concerned,” Jason simply responded. “Because I am betting on these randomised butterfly-effects. With a bit of luck, we can throw off the grand scheme of the Perished.”

“Perished?” Andrew asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jason narrowed his eyes.

“The Six Perished. They are recorded throughout history as so. Don’t worry. Now that Taylor is about to return to us, it is time to raise the curtains for the grand unveiling,” Jason grinned. “Victory is coming ever closer, my friends.”