Derek struggled against Akshi’s grip. “Let me go.”

“Please move again. I’m most curious to find out what happens when I kill one of you children. What will it do to Milo? My hypothesis is it will kill him. Shall we test it?” Akshi asked.

Derek’s hands were free, but after a statement like that, he was far too terrified to do anything about it. Milo was gasping, his eyes sunken in as the necromantic powers finished attacking him. If Akshi tried that new spell again, Milo would not survive.

“Congratulations on killing Pippa. I knew you had it in you,” Akshi said to Milo. Derek could almost feel his gray marks grow warmer as the sword touched his throat. “A pity you won’t have much time to celebrate.”

Akshi lifted his hand again, ready to hit Milo with the spell. Milo reached for his crossbow, but Derek knew it’d be too late.

The door burst open. Hraktar and Mr. Anderson stumbled in, and Derek wasn’t sure which guy he didn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Hraktar wasted no time and lifted his crossbow, aimed right at Akshi. Derek was terrified that Hraktar might hit him accidentally until he remembered who he was thinking about. The crossbow bolt sailed clean through Akshi’s outstretched wrist, and he shouted in surprise. By the time Akshi turned to focus on Hraktar, Mr. Anderson had already sprinted across the length of the classroom. Akshi pressed the sword against Derek’s throat, and he held in a gasp as he felt another gray mark come to life.

Mr. Anderson was there, and as soon as the steel sword was away from Derek’s throat, Derek dropped to the ground and scrambled away, holding his stomach. He glanced behind his shoulder to see Mr. Anderson punch Akshi in the face. Akshi stumbled, but unsheathed his second sword. He must have gotten another one somehow. Derek held his stomach, his lower shirt speckled with blood. Akshi stabbed the two swords into Mr. Anderson’s stomach, and if the two worlds were a little more synced, Derek would have seen his science teacher stabbed through the gut. Instead, the force of the swords were more like blocks, pushing Mr. Anderson away.

Akshi used his elbow to smack Mr. Anderson in the cheek, causing him to fall. Derek reached out, his heart in his throat. “Mr. Anderson!”

Hraktar pulled out his great sword, glaring at Akshi. “Leave the man alone, or I’ll kill you again.”

Milo pulled out his crossbow and flame thrower, aiming them at Akshi. “Let’s just kill him again, anyway.”

Mr. Anderson and Hraktar must have sprinted into the building, because the rest of the characters followed in afterwards, panting but ready to battle.

“No complaints from me,” Hraktar said.

Time came to a standstill.

Roll for initiative.

Derek kept a hand on his stomach that his mind couldn’t help but think was stabbed. It was hard to shake himself from the thought that he was bleeding out on the floor. It was more a few drops than anything, but his mind could not calm down. He grabbed the d20 and gave it a roll. Milo was in a bad state. That single spell from Akshi completely drained his mana fusor. With only seventeen hit points, he was worried. Maybe if they injured him enough, Akshi would escape again.

Nat one. Well, he needed to get that out of the way. Either way, he couldn’t help but feel like this was a bad omen.

It started fast. Hraktar swung with his great sword, then swung again. Both times he missed. Akshi smirked before his shoulder caught the great sword’s steel.

Derek crawled over to Mr. Anderson, who was backing away from the fight. Akshi lifted a hand and pointed at Hraktar, muttering that same necromantic chat.

“Hraktar, look out!” Derek couldn’t help but shout.

The fighter was confused, until he stumbled back, his face losing its color. Derek watched, wide eyed, as Hraktar’s hit points went from fifty-seven to twenty-one. It showed on his body, the muscles not feeling nearly as bulging, his eyes sinking in. Hraktar stumbled, his breathing rattled as blood trickled from his mouth.

Derek got to Mr. Anderson, hoping Akshi ran out of mana and didn’t have the capability of casting that spell again. The other characters would not be so lucky.

Mr. Anderson rubbed his stomach that was bleeding as much as Derek’s. “Your friends will be here shortly. They were right behind me.”

Ezekiel formed his spiritual weapon and tossed it in Akshi’s direction. Clarissa took her turn soon after.

“Good.” Derek wanted to see them, but was happy that Akshi had an entire team to distract himself with.

Derek tried to stand up but was frozen in spot. It was Milo’s turn. Milo was near the main table in Mr. Anderson’s classroom. It was a sturdy one. One that Milo might hide behind, and considering how frail Milo was right now, he had to hide.

Once Derek was certain Milo would hide behind the table, he went with the combo of his cannon and crossbow.

Derek did the rolling, letting it play out as he kept crawling away from the battle with Mr. Anderson. The acid bolt smacked into Akshi’s shoulder. Milo then blasted Akshi with fire before ducking behind the desk to hide.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Mr. Anderson turned toward Derek. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” Derek watched Hraktar swipe again at Akshi, and Akshi blocking it with his swords.

Clarissa moved forward, chanting something as she held onto her staff. A huge elk appeared, made of white mana. Ezekiel held Hraktar’s shoulder, and his hit points rose to thirty-two, the gaunt look on the fighter’s face filling out.

Grizzizzik pulled out his rapier and headed straight for his father. Akshi barely had time to look at his son before Grizzizzik stabbed Akshi in the stomach. Akshi shouted in pain as he backed away. He snarled at Grizzizzik, who snarled back. Black mana stitched the wound together, though he did not look good.

Akshi reached out, grabbing Grizzizzik’s throat. A bolt of lightning shot through Grizzizzik’s chest before slamming into Clarissa’s, then smacking into the elk. Derek gasped as Grizzizzik and Clarissa both dropped to eight hit points. Akshi packed a dangerously powerful punch when he wanted to.

“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here,” Mr. Anderson said.

Derek glanced at the door, wincing. “We’ll have to cross a battle in order to get to the door.”

Mr. Anderson said nothing, looking for an opening. Clarissa pointed to Akshi, glaring. “Attack.”

The elk bellowed before running after Akshi. Akshi dropped Grizzizzik in order to brace himself from the attack. The elk slammed into Akshi, and he was thrown across the room. His body smacked against the wall before he collapsed to the ground, dead. Everyone was panting. Mr. Anderson watched as black flakes lifted off Akshi’s body. It started slow before picking up speed before disappearing entirely. Something clattered to the ground, and Derek realized it was his cell phone, no doubt in Akshi’s inventory.

Mr. Anderson rubbed his temples. “He’s coming back, isn’t he.”

Grizzizzik sheathed his rapier. “Unfortunately.”

Evelyn stuck her head inside the classroom, searching everywhere before her eyes fell on Derek. “You’re okay!” She sprinted into the room, throwing her arms around him. Derek grunted, and she quickly let go. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Evelyn grabbed his arms, seeing the redness around his wrists before her eyes widened at the blood on his shirt. “You sure?”

Derek tried to smile, but found he couldn’t. Evelyn gasped as she saw the thin cut on his throat. The others walked in, too, as Mr. Anderson glanced around his classroom.

“A huge battle with no mess. That’s nice,” Mr. Anderson said.

Derek glanced at the desk. “The flame thrower might have scorched the table.”

Mr. Anderson ran his fingers over the desk. “I can live with a little scorch.”

Another seven hundred and eighty experience points added to Milo’s bar. It was a cacophony of noise. Milo reporting that Pippa was dead, Señora Florez and Mr. Anderson figuring out how to delete the footage of everyone running into the school. Nick certainly couldn’t have that on his record. Every one of Derek’s friends gave him hugs and needed assurance about how he was.

Derek wasn’t fine. Part of why everyone kept asking him was because they knew him long enough to realize he was lying. Tyler was flying home, and already demanded to check in on him physically, no matter the time of night. Pippa was dead. Akshi was dead, too, but would reappear in an unknown number of days. This should feel like a victory, but it left him shaking.

Ezekiel went around healing Clarissa, Grizzizzik, and Milo before turning his attention to Derek. Señora Florez had the first aid kit out. Mr. Anderson had an ice pack on his own cheek.

“This feels almost barbaric,” Ezekiel muttered as he wrapped bandages on Derek’s cuts on his stomach. “And these injuries just… remain? For weeks?”

“There’s a reason we don’t get into life-threatening battles every day.” Derek lifted his shirt enough for Ezekiel to do his work.

Milo was rubbing his cheeks, feeling them back to normal after the necromantic powers sucked them away. “Hey, now that Pippa’s gone and Akshi won’t be back for at least a day, I think I’ll stay here at the lab for a while and see if I can get some work done.”

Mr. Anderson frowned, glancing at Milo.

“Yeah.” Derek kept his eyes on his stomach that was frightfully covered in gray marks. “See if you can figure out how to get rid of these before they get worse.”

Milo cracked his knuckles. “On it.”

“Should you really be there on your own?” Mr. Anderson asked.

“I can stay with him,” Clarissa said. “I don’t need much sleep.”

Evelyn turned to the three remaining characters. “Everyone else stay with Derek. I have Nick, and Rafael and Alejandra have each other. Derek needs some people around him to keep him protected.”

“We should also have two earth people attending these battles between sessions,” Rafael said. “Just in case.”

Señora Florez turned toward them, eyes widening. “There’s only been one of you?”

Derek shrugged. “We hadn’t really thought about it before.”

“You should have an adult with you at all times,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Unless you or Señora are offering to come every day to battles, I don’t see how we can do that,” Derek said.

Señora Florez folded her arms. “By not doing battles every day. That’s where you start.”

“Impossible,” Grizzizzik said. “We must level up. We must get stronger, killing the most powerful creatures before they can hurt earth. If we can’t get strong enough to kill a T-Rex, that monster will destroy your cities a mere nine months away. Do not deny us this.”

Señora Florez sighed, glaring at Grizzizzik. “Derek got kidnapped by an evil crime lord. All of you are in danger, and if any of you get hurt, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life.”

Grizzizzik shook his head. “It won’t be for the rest of your life. You’ll just forget.”

The ease at which Grizzizzik said this made Derek’s hand shake. He tried not to show how this was affecting him, but he felt panic overtaking him.

“No one will die,” Señora Florez said.

“Of course not. That’s the other thing you haven’t considered,” Grizzizzik said. “Akshi likes to play with his victims first. I mean, look at this.” He gestured toward the science room, his gaze toward Mr. Anderson. “Akshi clearly wanted to put you on edge. You must have said something to him to make him angry, and this is how he teaches people a lesson. By unnerving them. No doubt Akshi was planning on torturing Derek and Emma before letting you discover them on Monday morning as you came to work.”

Derek could not hide his quickened breathing this time. Enough for Mr. Anderson to glance at him. The concern was there.

“Read the room, Grizzly Bear.” Clarissa pushed past Grizzizzik to get to Derek.

Derek’s knees were weak as he felt hands try to keep him standing. Akshi almost tortured him. Akshi couldn’t hurt too deep, but it still would have hurt. Mental torture. A shell of himself. He knew what the crime lord of Osvoroth was capable of without even lifting a finger. Derek felt the panic overtake him as he tried to breathe easily.

That there were so many people around him helped him not fall into a full-blown panic attack. He still clung to the fact that he was fine. Safe. He forced himself to remember that despite the danger he was in, he escaped with two cuts on his stomach and his wrists rubbed raw. He was fine. Absolutely fine.

Completely fine.