I shuffled a deck of cards. My footsteps sounded so loud against the wooden stairs. Almost as loud as the running pair of feet. The slamming of doors and the extra loud panting.

   I reached the top of the stairs and paused. 

   “I wondered which direction you went!” I yelled over the sound of someone sobbing.

   There was no point in toying with them, but yet, I couldn’t help myself. They were so delicious. Coming home so early. Finding me standing in a pool of their parents' blood. They screamed so deliciously. Cursing me before I drew blood on them.

   It totally surprised me when they ran. However, that shock went away upon noticing it wasn’t out the house, but up the stairs. Right to a specific room with an enchanted safe room. 

   How foolish did they think I was?

   I walked step by step towards the office. Kicking open the door and walking in to find that they didn’t even shut the bookshelf back. The area was wide open, showing a grey steel door.

   It was sealed off. Not even a crack was available for influence. Sadly, the first thing I figured out was how to crack the safe room. 

   My body flickered.

   I appeared in place of a card that I left inside, on the bed. The two imbeciles were staring at a screen. 

   I flicked my wrist.

   The screen turned black as a card protruded out of it. They looked at the card with confusion. The girl's chest was rising higher and higher. Her breathing was so audible that I might have confused it with an engine failing to start up. 

   They both turned at the same time, like robots in sync. I waved my fingers at them.

   “Hi there.” I said, chuckling.

   The boy's face turned three shades lighter as he jumped in front of his sister. I was touched by his chivalrous behavior. So touched, I flicked a card into his foot, then calf, and finally his thigh. Enjoying him grunting and jerking, but not moving from in front of his sister.

   I checked the time and sigh. “Sorry, not much time to enjoy your performance. Good night.” 

   I flicked out three cards and prepared to teleport to the safehouse, but a green light enveloped me. Before I knew it, I was wisp right away. 

***

   A hundred and twenty cards cover me, blending the lights around me, turning me invisible to the naked eye.

   When the green light faded, I appeared in a bright lit room. Standing in an old school circle engraved into the floor. There was silver and gold inlaid within, gems embedded at certain positioning. 

   I didn’t have a very good clue about this type of magic, but I could guess that it was an intergalactic summoning circle. I saw Esper with abilities similar. They could summon their targets with strands of DNA, a very annoying ability.

   I floated to a corner of the vaulted ceiling on a stack of cards. Looking down upon the several men in silver armor and ones in brightly colored robes. The room was pretty large, lanterns floating in the air providing a clear circle of light. Tables rested against grey walls, with loose strands of paper on it. 

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   There was only one door and no windows. Exit plans might involve silencing everybody in this room except the head honcho. 

   “Did it work?” a clean shaven young man said. He had a crown on his head. Too many gems on his body.

   Not a target.

   “It worked but maybe the hero slipped out of the magic, somehow.” a red-bearded man spoke with uncertainty. He wore a white robe with gold lining. 

   Target.

   “Try again.” the boy demanded.

   The bearded-man turned to a row of robes. “You heard his majesty. Begin the summoning again.” He waved his long sleeve.

   The group of robes spread out around the circle and began chanting. Doing these weird cute gestures with scepters or staves in hand. Wizards? Interesting. Let’s see what happens to the next guy.

   The circle exploded in green mist, it spun around and around. Whipping up into a blinding light that caused everybody to cover their eyes. Except me, my cards were already filtering light. So I saw a planet, then it zoomed down to the continent. Further down to the country, city, a street. Then to a guy cleaning tables with a smile. He walked back into the locker room. Took off his apron and tossed it into the locker before taking out his backpack. 

   I saw his eyes widen in confusion as green light wrapped around him. The magic zipped him right through time and space, hurtling straight towards this circle. The guy landed and the green mist faded. 

   He dropped his backpack in confusion. Turning to take in the crowd with an even face. There was no fear, no shock, only a curiosity. As if these people were beneath him. He turned to me with confusion now present.

   I waved and he waved back. Which meant he could see through my ability. Maybe he could see souls?

   “Hero, thank god you have arrived!” an old man in gaudy clothes stepped forward, speaking with a high pitched voice.

   I already pegged him as a pawn.

   The so-called hero turned to look at the man. There was a sarcastic smirk on his lips “Hero? I’m sorry you have the wrong person.” 

   He followed up with a simple gesture, pointing at the guy who probably had a prepared speech. The pawn lit up like a stick-man bonfire. His screams tickled my ears. 

   The armored guys pulled out their weapons and surrounded the hero. The wizards just used a lot of magic, twice, ready their magic. 

   I doubted they would be capable of harming this guy. 

   With a wave of his hands, a force flew out of his hands. Throwing everybody around him back against the walls. He turned to look at me with another confused gaze.

   “Were you the first summon?” he asked.

   I sighed and withdrew the cards. Walking down to him, a card appearing under my feet with each step.

   “Yes, I was in the middle of an assassination task.” I responded, waving my hands offhandedly. Several cards slammed into the skulls of the wizards who began casting spells.

   He looked at the dead wizards and nodded. “Who is the bigshot?”

   I glanced at the two standing within a barrier. The red-bearded man and the young King.

   “Those two but I don’t think you will be able to beat the old man alone.” I sneered, crossing my arms.

   The so-called hero looked over at them and nodded. “You are right, but how about both of us at the same time? Or can you only do that card trick?” He bent down and picked up his backpack, putting it on his shoulder.

   “Mm, I can do things when the time is needed but..” I pointed at the red-bearded man. “You might want to consider accepting their offer. I spotted more than ten people near his level of power and they were leading more than dozen of knights and weaker wizards this way.”

   The hero's eyes widened for an instant and turned to the Wizard who was watching us.

   “What is your offer, old man?” the hero said, turning the living knights into ash.

   The old man looked between us. I think our casual approach threw him off. It was clear he was evaluating his chances of taking us down. I had to admit if I wasn’t prepared, he could have, but the doors around here had a huge gape between the seams.