The ride to Derek’s house was more subdued. Nick kept his arms folded, feeling like the baseball that lodged in his throat had never dissipated, even after they saved Derek and killed Pippa and Akshi. Nick thought he was supposed to feel better knowing they’ve killed Akshi twice, but he didn’t. There was an overhang of gloom around everyone.

Hazel had opted to take Emma home to make sure she got home safe. With Pippa dead, they weren’t as concerned for Emma, but Hazel and Alejandra would keep in touch with her.

Milo and Clarissa were staying in the lab, and when Mr. Anderson mentioned he couldn’t leave them the key, Milo assured him he’d stay in there the entire weekend. When Mr. Anderson asked about food, Milo acted like he hadn’t realized he needed food. At his silence, Clarissa assured Mr. Anderson she could change into a mouse or an ant and crawl through the cracks with food in her inventory for Milo to eat.

Everyone else had gone to Derek’s house to collect their cars. Mr. Anderson called Neal to assure him that Derek was located and safe. Nick saw how gloomy his friend was, though. This had rattled him. It rattled everyone. It had often felt like the CCNC characters against the monsters of the Shrouded Domain. They warned about them possibly getting kidnapped, but now it happened. The worlds were intermingling.

They got out of the car. Nick, Derek, Evelyn, Rafael, and Alejandra were on the lawn, with their characters behind them.

“We need to permanently kill Akshi,” Nick found himself saying. “Soon.”

“Yeah.” Rafael glanced at Derek. “Once another group levels up their sorcerer or wizard, they’ll send them over with a wish spell and permanently get rid of Akshi.”

Nick swallowed. “That’s months away. We need him gone now. Does someone, anyone, know how to kill him faster?” Nick then stared righted at Grizzizzik. “No doubt there would be a lot more support for even the wildest of ideas. Desperation has made us eager to do what it takes to kill him.”

Tell them. Tell them, please. Nick doubted Grizzizzik could read his mind, but he forced himself to give Grizzizzik a begging look. No more secrets. Secrets are destroying us. Please.

Ezekiel placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “These are trying times, Nick. But I don’t think our desperation should put us on the path of anything too devious.”

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Nick knew exactly how that would sound to Grizzizzik.

“We must keep our wits about us, but I do like the idea of brainstorming other methods of getting rid of Akshi.” The cleric glanced at the rogue. “Though your anger toward your father is quite dangerous. Killing him will not solve your problems.”

Grizzizzik said nothing, glaring at Ezekiel. Nick glanced around at everyone else, seeing if they noticed this odd behavior. Ezekiel was giving Grizzizzik a cleric’s lecture of letting go of hate, and his character chose not to blow up in his face.

“Alright, well…” Derek ran his hands down his blood speckled shirt as he glanced at Hraktar, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik. “Sleepover in my room?”

“Absolutely,” Ezekiel said.

Grizzizzik kept his arms folded. “Hraktar will take the first watch.”

This surprised the fighter, and he glanced at the rogue. “Akshi is dead. There’s no one we need to watch out for tonight.”

Grizzizzik gave him another look. “Take the first watch.”

The fighter hesitated, then he unsheathed his great sword and rested it against his shoulder. “I’ll take the first watch.”

Derek nodded, glancing down as Hraktar walked around Derek’s house.

“Half-orcs guarding you while you sleep are actually quite comforting,” Nick said. He understood a little of what Derek was going through.

“I hope so.” Derek wasn’t looking at anyone. “And… I guess… you’re allowed to slap me in the face as hard as you want.”

Despite everything, Nick felt a smile trickle across his face as he remembered the promise he made with his friend at the end of October. “You know? I think life slapped you hard enough.”

Derek chuckled, but there was no mirth to it.

It was time to leave. Nick felt weird leaving Derek like this, and he watched as Evelyn walked forward, giving Derek a hug. She whispered something in Derek’s ear, and he nodded, closing his eyes as he held her tight. Alejandra hugged him next, then Rafael. Nick realized how weird this was. Derek was Nick’s closest friend, and he counted on perhaps one hand how many hugs he’d given him. Tonight he’d have to add to that number, because he remembered how shocked he was when Derek turned into Akshi. To be blindsided by Derek’s kidnapping had left him shaken, too.

Once Rafael was done, Nick hugged Derek, feeling unpracticed as he patted his friend’s back. “Akshi didn’t fool us for one second when he showed up as you.”

“Really?” There was a slight disbelief in Derek’s voice that made Nick realize he needed to be honest.

“Well… okay. He might have had us for three minutes,” Nick said.

Derek chuckled. “How’d you finally figure out?”

“It was Grizzizzik.” Alejandra glanced at the rogue. “He figured it out.”

Everyone focused on Grizzizzik, who had his hood up as he was brooding.

“How did you figure it out?” Ezekiel prompted.

Grizzizzik sighed. “Nick was trying to…” He closed his eyes, hesitating for a moment. “Nick mentioned again about a possibly mysterious sixth member of the group and what the magic in our minds would have us believe it would be. Derek’s clone was far too calm and composed for me to believe he was actually Derek.” Grizzizzik opened his eyes, looking at Derek. “Akshi has a hard time copying mannerisms that are… bubbly.”

Derek’s smile was small, but it was there. “Bubbly. Right.”

“We got a hat of disguises out of it, too.” Ezekiel rubbed his hands together in excitement. “My princess has it right now, but we know Akshi won’t try that again.”

Derek stared at no one. “Unless he has other hats.”

Evelyn rubbed his shoulder. “We’re staying in pairs. You have these characters with you, and you can portal Milo to you as you go to school. You won’t ever be alone again.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it’ll… yeah. It’s great.” Derek cleared his throat. “And, um… you? You all? How… how will I know you are who you say you are? Just… you know, hypothetically speaking.” Derek’s voice trembled at the end, glancing down. Tears pooled in his eyes. “It’s just… um… Pippa disguised herself as Emma to… lure me away and kidnap me.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Ah,” Evelyn said. “Right.”

“And if Akshi has more hats of disguises, he could…” Derek let out a breath, still staring at the ground. “God, I hate how much this has made me paranoid.”

“A dose of paranoia keeps you alive,” Grizzizzik said.

Derek flinched. “I’d rather not need it to begin with.”

“Alright, kid, look at me.” Grizzizzik raised his hand, waiting for Derek to meet his gaze. Derek did, bracing for something. “Akshi’s dead. For now. Right now, you can breathe easy knowing he won’t come back. The tricks he uses won’t be in play. Right now, you know everyone here is who they say they are. If it makes you feel better, you can make up some sign, small, stupid, or significant for them to know it’s really them. And you can ask them to prove it to you any time you need.”

“And yet Akshi can read our thoughts. He can also torture the information from them, right?” Derek asked.

“And we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But for now, to rebuild your confidence, start with this. When that vile creature is still dead,” Grizzizzik said.

Derek let out a sigh. “Alright.”

“If it makes you feel more at ease, we’ll do it,” Evelyn said.

Everyone else nodded.

“One by one? Different sign for different people? It’d make me feel better,” Derek said.

Alejandra nodded. “Whatever you need.”

Nick folded his arms, waiting for his turn. He watched Derek, seeing how unusually reserved his friend was. Derek was not a shell of himself, but this rattled him. It rattled everyone. Evelyn remained by Nick’s side, and they said nothing. Nick was relieved Derek was back. Relieved it wasn’t anything worse. Saddened that it happened anyway.

Rafael and Alejandra were done, saying their final goodbyes to Derek before heading toward their car. Evelyn walked forward to talk to Derek as Ezekiel joined Hraktar monitoring the house. Nick felt the hair on his arms stand on end before Grizzizzik appeared next to him.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Nick asked.

“Because we’re so close.”

Nick pulled up the character sheet and glanced at the experience points. Grizzizzik finally made it past ten thousand, with 10,250 experience points total. 3,750 points left until level six.

“Your friends can help you,” Nick said.

“You heard Ezekiel. He will stop this. Clerics are possessive about dealing with any deity outside the ones they deem good.”

“Oh, really? I wonder why.” Nick layered on the sarcasm.

Grizzizzik glared at him. “On Monday, you will steal something from your boss’s store. Something big enough to cause his notice.”

Nick’s heart plummeted to his stomach as he looked at Grizzizzik. “No.”

“It’s what needs to happen.”

“And again, no.”

“Come on, Nick. You don’t want Chaos to do something instead, do you?” Grizzizzik asked.

It was somehow that phrase that dredged up all the fear, anxiety, and dread he was feeling. “This is not my fault.” Nick felt anger prick at the edges of his voice. “None of this is my fault. Mr. Morgan is one of the few adults on my side.” Memories of his boss kneeling next to him, making sure he was okay as he sobbed, flittered through his mind. Also Mr. Morgan convincing Walt to return the door. His boss had power over Walt no one else had except for maybe Rafael. He needed to keep those people close. “If Mr. Morgan catches me…” Nick’s words stuttered before they stopped completely. A realization dawned on him, piercing his soul. He would rather face an apocalypse than lose Mr. Morgan’s trust. His boss was his future. Mr. Morgan had connections to an apartment he could live in after April tenth. A full-time job until he could pick himself up and take a good long look at his future. A friendship with Walt where Walt listened. If Nick did anything at all to harm that reputation, he might as well kiss his future goodbye.

“I gained too many experience points this week to throw them away,” Grizzizzik said.

“You should have thought of that before making this deal,” Nick said.

Grizzizzik’s fangs poked through. Nick pushed through his own fears and used the part of his mind he used for his character. “Your… scared.”

“Shut up.”

“You… didn’t think it would last this long.”

“I said shut up!”

“You’re feeling bad about this. About what you’re asking me to do!” Grizzizzik flinched, and Nick’s heart lightened. This was a huge breakthrough.

“Tell them!” Nick practically screamed as no one listened. “I am begging you, tell them! Please! They can help. I know they can!”

Rafael was at Nick’s side, taking his arm and forcing him away to give enough space for Rafael to stand between Nick and Grizzizzik if needed. “Is everything okay here?” Rafael asked.

Despite Rafael at his side, Nick could easily look over the top of Rafael’s head to glare at Grizzizzik.

“Tell Rafael.” There were tears in Nick’s eyes as Rafael didn’t react to anything Nick said. “I know he can help. We need the sword. We all want him dead. Come on, Grizzizzik!”

Grizzizzik glared at Nick, his fangs lengthening the more Nick talked. When Nick finally took a breath of air, Grizzizzik shot his gaze at Rafael. “Everything is fine.”

The rogue placed his hood on his head and walked away. Nick covered his mouth. He was so damn close. Grizzizzik thought this would only be a week. He said so. Grizzizzik’s hatred for Akshi was blinding him.

Rafael glanced at Nick as Grizzizzik disappeared around the house. “I don’t trust Grizzizzik one bit.”

“Good. You shouldn’t,” Nick said, wiping his tears away.

“What’s he doing to you?” Rafael asked.

Nick said nothing. There was nothing else to say. Not that Rafael could hear.

“Nick?” Rafael prompted.

He stared at where his character disappeared. “He’s making difficult choices that come with some steep consequences for everyone involved.”

Rafael took this in, or whatever version Chaos was letting him hear, then glanced at the house. “Can you tell us what’s going on?”

Nick stared at Rafael, wondering how much he had heard. Nick then glanced over at Rafael’s car. Alejandra was in there, and she was giving Nick one of her frosty glares.

“I know I’m being a damn hypocrite right now, but… don’t close off again. Don’t distance yourself. We’re in this together, and staying together is the only way we’ll make it,” Rafael said.

“Don’t…” Nick started to say. “Don’t…” Rafael leaned in a little, and the pure desperation Nick felt made the words leave his mouth. “Don’t hate me again. For what I do. I have… my reasons…”

Rafael’s brows furrowed, and Nick couldn’t even be certain Rafael heard what he said. The baseball was still lodged in his throat as Evelyn came back. It was his turn to talk to Derek.

“Yeah,” Rafael whispered. “I won’t.”

Nick nodded. He didn’t know which was more painful. That Rafael understood what he said, or didn’t.

He turned, leaving Evelyn and Rafael together. He knew deep in his gut that Rafael would not stay near Evelyn and would leave soon. It didn’t matter. No one could understand what he said.

Nick headed toward Derek, his mind a muddled mess. He couldn’t steal something from Mr. Morgan. The chances of getting caught were too great. The consequences the kind he could not live with. Breaking Walt’s trust was an easier reality to live with than breaking Mr. Morgan’s. Even breaking his friends’ trusts. His friends still had the possibility of figuring things out. There was a way to right the wrong and rebuild. He never wanted to lose his friends’ trust, but it was an easier thing to handle than Mr. Morgan’s.

Mr. Morgan might forgive him. Might let it go. He did, after all, assume Nick was getting involved with questionable individuals. But it wouldn’t matter. Mr. Morgan would still make sure Nick didn’t steal again, and that might mean a firing. His future would be gone.

Nick and Derek decided on the easiest sign. Nick showed Derek the obscene gesture they always flashed each other in jest, this time with the pointer finger slightly raised with it. A smile finally graced Derek’s face that was a hint of his normal self.

“Thanks, man,” Derek said.

“Next time Akshi shows his face, we’ll make sure he stays six feet under,” Nick said.

Derek smiled again. “Especially with all of us working together.”

Nick nodded, and Derek gave Nick another hug. Nick closed his eyes, feeling the frustration grow on his face. They needed to work together. Grizzizzik was being stupidly, dangerously, abusively stubborn again.

A car squealed into the driveway, and Nick and Derek looked over to see Tyler climbing out, heading straight for Derek.

“Hey, man. There’s a lot to catch you up on,” Derek said before Tyler threw his arms around Derek.

“I am never leaving Arizona again,” Tyler said.

“It’s, um, not your fault,” Derek said.

Tyler kept clinging to Derek. “It’s not yours, either.”

“Hraktar, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik are spending the night at Derek’s,” Nick said.

“Good. I’d like to, too.” Tyler broke away from the hug. “Miguel and Amanda are practically my second parents. They won’t care. Right?”

Derek shrugged. “I suppose not.”

“Good. Because this is never happening again. No one should go through that,” Tyler said.

Nick smiled, knowing Derek was in good hands as he walked back to the car, sliding into the passenger seat as Evelyn started the engine. They waved to Derek and Tyler, who waved back before entering the house.

They drove home in silence. Nick’s mind faltered as he thought about what Grizzizzik told him to do. There was pressure to do this. A wish spell wouldn’t be available for months, but Grizzizzik’s sword was a mere 3,750 points away. But he couldn’t do it. Not this way. Not with Mr. Morgan. The simple fact was that Nick was tired of playing this game. Grizzizzik needed to tell the others. They needed each other, and Grizzizzik was holding him back. It was time for Grizzizzik to face the consequences of his own choices.