Derek took the longest route to arrive at Nick’s house, trying to stay away from the street they fought on. Clarissa healed Grizzizzik, and the dazed look in his eyes became far more focused as he received nine hit points. The pain he felt in his shoulder no doubt lessened, though he still kept a hand over it.

“You saw your father?” Milo asked, the first to breach the subject.

“Yeah.” Grizzizzik kept his eyes out the window. “I saw him once the fight was over.”

Clarissa winced. “How long do you think he was there?”

The rogue rested his head against the window. “I don’t know.”

Derek glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Nick’s character. He already planned on talking with his friend about this. His head spun, but the most important thing for everyone’s safety was to figure out if Nick rolled anything to discover Akshi there.

The silence in the car lasted until Derek pulled into Nick’s driveway. Clarissa and Grizzizzik climbed out, wishing Milo well. Milo remained, an arm around his stomach, giving them a small wave. Despite the healing, he still didn’t look great.

“I need to talk to Nick. Do you want to come with me?” Derek asked.

Milo unbuckled his seat belt. “Yeah. Sure.” Derek turned off the car, and they walked over to Nick’s window again. He was there, opening his window before helping Grizzizzik and Clarissa inside.

Nick noticed Derek and Milo and nodded. “Hey.”

“Did you roll for perception at all?” Derek asked.

Nick’s face twisted in confusion. His eyes darted back and forth as he thought. “Um, no. Just standard battle stuff.”

Derek nodded. “Alright, so… Akshi was there at the end.”

That caused Nick’s face to fall. Horror filled his eyes. “Akshi?” He shot a glance at Grizzizzik. “And… everyone escaped alive?”

“My guess is since you didn’t roll anything, it was all based on passive perception. Hopefully that means Akshi didn’t see us until Grizzizzik noticed him at the end of the battle.”

“Is everyone else alright?” Nick asked.

“Yeah. Um…” Derek rubbed his hands together, glancing at his car. “I don’t think Akshi saw us. Or recognized us.”

Grizzizzik snorted, which caused Derek to look at him. Nick, too, glanced behind his shoulder. Clarissa lingered at the doorway.

“Care to share anything, Grizzizzik?” Nick asked.

The rogue was checking his wound on his shoulder. “You can never trust Akshi. It’s something you all know, and yet none of you put it into practice.”

“We can’t just stop going to school,” Derek said. “That might as well stick a target on our backs.”

Grizzizzik grunted. “Of course not. Akshi is a mastermind. He’s putting down his roots. Picking his players carefully. Figuring out the ins and outs of your high school. Narrowing down his enemies and who’s the biggest threat. He’s doing this all behind the scenes. He already knows you, and that you go to high school. Knows the key players already. He wouldn’t dare show himself unless he already knew. Akshi loves the game of it all. His sadistic mind has already figured out how to win. The only time you feel you're ahead is when he lets you feel that way.”

Nick and Derek exchanged worried glances. Derek’s throat had gone completely dry as he remembered Akshi standing near Evelyn, with her looking petrified. Nothing happened, thankfully, but he had a strong desire to tell Nick everything. He ought to know. It was Evelyn, after all. No one could protect her better than Nick.

But when he went to open his mouth, his words lodged in his throat. It was his one promise to Evelyn. He had broken her trust going with Rafael to Calawit’s. It hurt Nick, too. But this was different. Nick needed to know.

Nick rubbed his scarred eyebrow. “Grizzizzik, are you saying… he already knows us? Are you sure you’re not being paranoid?”

Grizzizzik shook his head. “If he doesn’t yet, he will. And paranoia keeps me alive.”

“Why didn’t he squish us all while we were there, injured?” Derek asked.

“I told you. He loves playing the game. Violence, harshness, swords. That’s Torraq. Mental, psychological, cat and mouse? That’s Akshi. He’s preparing for a strike. Just one. One that he will plan for months. When we’re least expecting it. And it will completely shatter us, I guarantee it.”

Derek rubbed his forehead, trying to balance what Grizzizzik said with what he understood about Akshi from the CCNC lore. He needed Evelyn to tell Nick about Akshi trying to talk to her. That’s how he would regain her trust. He left multiple texts and voicemails with Tyler, and he finally responded, thanking him for the information and that he’d study it out. But this was now different. Akshi wasn’t targeting any of them, he was targeting… Evelyn. The thought alone made his blood run cold.

“Don’t let Evelyn out of your sight at school,” Derek said quietly.

Nick frowned. “What?”

Derek shook his head. “Stay by her side whenever you can. Just in case.”

Nick hesitated, then a distinct worry crossed his face as he again glanced at Grizzizzik. Akshi was often known to have more fun breaking characters mentally rather than physically. Many of his spells were geared toward that. It was how he became one of the most powerful crime lords in Osvoroth. Fear was far more important to Akshi than loyalty.

“Never let your guard down. Especially at school,” Grizzizzik said, looking right at Milo.

The mana fusor nodded.

“What’s Grizzizzik’s passive perception?” Derek asked.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Nick studied the words in front of him that were invisible to everyone else. “Nineteen.”

Derek didn’t know what to say. Con was next week. They needed to figure out how to get these characters and all the monsters back to the Shrouded Domain before Akshi planned… whatever he was planning. Possibly with Evelyn. The thought made him nauseous. “You guys get some sleep. That was an insane fight.”

Clarissa moved to Evelyn’s room. Derek went slow, making sure Milo eased into the back before he got into the car. Derek started the vehicle, his mind miles away as he pulled out his phone, calling Evelyn. She wouldn’t answer, because she was still at the football game. But he would not put this off.

Hey, you’ve reached Evelyn’s phone! Leave a message! She sounded so peppy and happy, like before shit hit the fan.

“Evelyn, hey. It’s Derek. Look, Akshi was there at the fight. He spooked us all. I know you had me promise to never tell Nick, but you should. Please, Evelyn. Tell Nick that Akshi stopped you at school.”

Some plan that would cause the group to shatter. He was too afraid to think of what it was. Right now, Milo and his friends were far stronger than Derek and his friends. His own friends already had a shattering moment. If Milo and his friends dissolved like theirs. If Akshi planned to use Evelyn in any way…

Derek shook his head, focusing on getting home, thinking about Akshi. How that snake always observed the link in a group, found its weakness, exploited it, and snuffed out each part one by one.

***

Evelyn zipped up her cheer bag, sighing. It had been a long game, but she found herself enjoying it. Enjoying it because Rafael wasn’t there. For the first time in a while, she felt free. She still felt the weight of the stares at times, but Rafael wasn’t there.

Evelyn grabbed her phone, glancing at it. She’d read the texts about the fight. Shuddered at the thought of a ginormous spider.

She checked her call history. She didn’t know why. Sometimes she felt like there was a missed call from someone, but then she’d look at it and there was nothing there. Though why would anyone call her? She got all the information from the texts.

Again, she checked her history, her brow furrowing. Once again, the urge was there, plain as day, that someone called her. She stared, seeing no one had called her all day. Her mind was messing with her. She stared so long at the call history that when she put her phone away and the urge returned, she closed her eyes and saw the image in her mind. No one had called her. She was sure of it.

***

Alejandra’s knees trembled the moment she walked inside the school Monday morning. She really wanted to be sick today, to where she attempted to get herself sick. Her stomach was in enough knots; she should be vomiting.

They all agreed Shelob and Bassie were enough of a CCNC session that they didn’t hold one over the weekend. The situation all unsettled them enough. Rafael made sure Ezekiel was properly leveled up. It helped ease her concerns to see their cleric with eighteen hit points instead of ten. She also couldn’t help but notice that he did all the leveling while Ezekiel and Hraktar went out hunting. Except for the session, Rafael hadn’t talked to his character at all.

Considering Ezekiel was already Life Domain, it was a matter of going over his new abilities. Mainly a mega heal boost and being an extra badass while fighting undead. How that would work if he became a permanent wererat, she wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to think about it. They would heal Ezekiel. They had to.

She went to her locker and heard a heavy snake gliding on the ground. Her mouth turned bone dry as a shadow of a snake fell across her. She practiced her steady breathing. Her fingers trembled as she opened the locker, grabbing her books, and stuffing them in her bag. By the time she slammed the door, she knew where to go. If after school CCNC club taught her anything, it was she had little mental fortitude when Akshi was around.

Her sweaty palm slid down one of the backpack straps as she walked the familiar path to her favorite classroom. Akshi followed right behind her. She was terrified of what this meant. He must have known she was there at the fight on Friday. He must have seen her face well enough to recognize her. Which meant Akshi knew she was involved somehow.

Alejandra pulled open the door to Señora Florez’s classroom and walked in. There were three other students there, talking in their seats. They must have had her class for first hour math. Señora Florez glanced up from her small desk in the corner. Her eyes locked with Alejandra’s, and her teacher was having a hard time not looking at Akshi. The carefree look on her face turned more focused as Alejandra walked up to her.

“Hey. How can I help?” Señora Florez asked.

Alejandra clawed at her mind, trying to force it to think of something, but she could feel him staring her down.

“Spanish,” Alejandra stumbled out. “I need help with Spanish.”

Señora Florez nodded. “Conjugation is always hard. I can see why you needed to come to me.” In her panicked state, she forgot what conjugation was. Her teacher picked up her phone, texting someone quickly. “Let me send this out fast. Are you going anywhere else before the first bell rings?” Alejandra shook her head, doing her best to calm the heat that stung her eyes. Señora Florez smiled as she finished texting someone, hitting send. “Good. Because the best way to learn conjugation is to practice.” She set her phone down, again giving Alejandra a comforting smile. “I admire your need to study Spanish in school. Honestly, I practiced years with my husband and even more years in Mexico before it clicked into place. So let’s take the rest of the time to practice.”

“Okay.”

Señora Florez leaned back. “Let’s use the verb ‘talk’. We’ll go slow, and we’ll do it together.”

Alejandra nodded again, trying with all her might to focus on Spanish. To focus on Señora Florez. Ignoring how Akshi was leaning over and studying her. Feeling his breath not move her hair.

“I talk,” Señora Florez said.

Alejandra closed her eyes, pretending she was thinking. “Yo hablo.” Señora Florez said it at the same time.

“Good, Alejandra.” This was basic Spanish, but she needed this. Some excuse to say something over and over with Señora Florez. “You talk.”

“Tú hablas,” they both said together.

“Excellent. What’s you in formal?”

“Usted habla.”

They went through that with the verb ‘talk’, then with ‘read’. They were halfway through their conjugation of ‘read’ when Akshi stiffened and glanced at the door. He then slithered out of the room, the door shutting behind him.

Alejandra stopped talking, grabbing the edge of Señora Florez’s desk and leaning over. Her teacher walked around her desk and toward the door, looking out the window as Alejandra closed her eyes, her shoulders shaking.

Señora Florez returned, leaning against the desk and folding her arms. “Mr. Anderson and I have figured out a system. One he discovered. Akshi can roam the halls as long as no one is talking to Mr. Stower. If someone talks to him, Akshi has to be there in order to make sure the vice principal is acting how he should. I had Mr. Anderson go talk to him to get him out of your hair until the bell rang.”

“Gracias.” Alejandra shifted to her Spanish mind. She might as well keep going.

Señora Florez’s smile was sad and fleeting as she looked again at the door. “Mr. Anderson and I will talk. There’s got to be some way we can get Mr. Stower out of his control, and away from you students. The five of you have enough to deal with without a mythical being trying to mess with your lives.”

“I’m so glad you can see him now,” Alejandra said.

Señora Florez patted her on the shoulder. “And I hope I can help get rid of him, too. Do you need anything else?”

“Just… a moment.”

Señora Florez smiled. “Take as many moments are you need.”

Alejandra closed her eyes, forcing the panic out of her system. Focusing on how Señora Florez and Mr. Anderson have a way to keep Akshi away. She wasn’t powerless. She had these two teachers who would make sure she never got hurt. And a brother who was on her side. Things were getting better.

Alejandra let out another breath, then opened her eyes as the first bell rang. Señora Florez checked her phone. “Rick and I will have it all scheduled out, making sure Mr. Stower is always doing something school related in the morning.” Alejandra forgot Rick was Mr. Anderson’s first name. “If Akshi is bothering you, you let one of us know. I’ll tell everyone else in your group, too.” Señora Florez shook her head, sad. “This group…” she trailed off, glancing out the window.

“Gracias, Señora.”

“Happy to help where I can. I wish it was more.”

Alejandra took another deep breath before turning around and heading toward her first class of the day.