Epilogue

It was a nice and cool day as Jay Brooks walked along the little cement path, pushing Alice’s wheelchair as he did. It was only a little past noon and despite having rained just the previous day, the weather had improved significantly, something the two of them were grateful for. Normally, they might have been chatting to fill the silence, but on that afternoon, the quiet was comforting and peaceful. He knew Alice probably preferred to keep to her thoughts and Jay was of a similar mindset. Even after so much time had passed, it still wasn’t easy whenever they visited the Wilham graveyard, and on that particular day, it was even harder. It was April, two years after Nigreos and Album came to Wilham and, more specifically, two years to the day that Rina had been killed. The two of them visited their friend’s grave often enough, but in both years, they had made sure to be there on the anniversary of her death and on her birthday. They did the same for Audrey, as well, and despite still missing them greatly, Jay always found some comfort when he was there, like he was close to them again.

I still can’t believe it's already been two years. It doesn’t feel like that much time has passed, but at the same time, it also feels like an eternity since we got out of the erased realm.

As he glanced around the graveyard, he noticed a few other people gathered in front of different headstones, offering prayers and flowers to those they had lost. Jay lowered his head, silently wishing them luck with their futures. Having been close to death numerous times in his life, both through the loss of friends and the near-loss of his own life, he had begun to find himself far more empathetic of those who experienced such loss. He wished he could do something for them, but death was a natural part of life, and all the living could do was cope, remember, and move forward despite it.

Though, that's easier said than done, of course…

He turned his attention away from the other visitors and glanced down at Alice, who held a few flowers on her lap, her eyes closed. Jay watched her for a moment, wanting to make sure she was feeling okay without explicitly asking, but when she opened her eyes, he could tell that, despite the tears within them, she was happy to be visiting Rina once again. Jay smiled sadly, then as they arrived at their destination, he brought the wheelchair to a stop right in front of a small tombstone, a few flowers already there, though by the look of it, they weren’t terribly recent.

Rina’s grave…

“You know, it’s still hard to believe she’s really gone,” Alice whispered softly. “I think, even after accepting that the erased realm wasn’t real, I still had trouble coming to terms with the fact that Rina’s not with us anymore.”

Jay nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember talking to her the day I went to school in Lilly’s body, and I honestly thought we might be able to rekindle our friendship, even just a little bit. To think she died only a few months later…”

He really had believed that they were on the road to fixing what they lost, though he supposed that from a certain point of view, they had. Rina had sacrificed her life saving Alice from the Masters. She had sacrificed herself for the friend that she had turned her back on, and that was more than enough to tell Jay just how much she had cared, whether she admitted it to herself or not.

“Even if it wasn’t really her, I’m glad we got to have one last moment with her in the erased realm,” Alice murmured. “That place was far from the paradise I wanted it to be, but I still sometimes think about what might have happened if we’d just stayed inside—if we’d remained ignorant to what that realm really was. Is that bad?”

Jay immediately shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, with everything we’ve been through, I think it’s understandable. Even I can’t help but wonder…but then I always remind myself that the nerich—that the monster in my head was so desperate to keep us there, and then I think, if something as disgusting and inhuman as that thing supported us staying there, then it could never have truly been a paradise.”

“That’s true…” Alice replied softly, then began pushing herself to her feet.

It wasn’t long after they graduated high school that Alice got a prosthetic leg to replace the one Nigreos took from her, and while she was still far less mobile than she had been before, she was getting better at walking on her own. He was proud of her. She was trying her best to regain as much mobility as she could, and he knew Scott and the others were working their asses off to try and invent some magical gadget that might be able to help her. True to her nature, Alice was determined, and he was happy to see her gradually putting herself back together.

Once she was standing, Alice shuffled forward and then knelt down beside Rina’s tombstone. She reached out and placed her left hand on top of it then gently laid the roses down before it. Jay moved to kneel beside her and he, too, reached his hand out to touch the stone before gently running his fingers along the letters of her name.

I miss you, Rina. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to protect you, but we won’t ever forget you. No matter where life takes us, we’ll always come back here one way or another. Keep Audrey company and someday, we’ll be together again. It’s hopefully going to be a long time from now, but one day…

He wasn’t sure how long they were there for, just sitting in silence beside the grave, and it was only when his stomach started to growl that he decided they should leave and get some lunch. He helped Alice back into the wheelchair and after giving one last goodbye to Rina, they turned and began to leave. Unfortunately, Audrey wasn’t in the same graveyard, rather her body was in the same yard where her mother had been buried. Jay made a mental note to go visit her soon as well, then turned his attention back to thinking up a place to get some food.

“By the way, Jay, did you get that text from Eric yesterday?” Alice asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Recalling the strange “summons” he had received the night before, Jay could only chuckle and nod. “Yes, oddly enough, I did. Not sure what it's about, but Eric seemed pretty adamant that I show up so I guess I don’t have a choice. What time was it again?”

“Around four,” she answered. “And from the sound of it, the others are going to be there, too. I didn’t even realize Damien and Liz were in town.”

He smirked with exasperation. “I don’t think they are. Last time I spoke to Vinny, he said they weren’t coming back to Wilham until summer break. So either they won’t be there or Eric’s making them drive all the way from Sumerton for whatever this is supposed to be.”

“Which wouldn’t surprise me,” she added.

“No, it wouldn’t.”

Jay laughed, his thoughts wandering to Eric Reiner. Over the past year, he’d gotten to know him quite well due to their rather similar circumstances. With both of them reappearing in Wilham after being gone for months within days of each other, the police had been utterly confused, especially when both claimed not to remember anything about their time away. Part of him always believed that the cops thought they were lying, but without any proof, eventually the two of them were allowed to go back to their lives.

However, their lives had been majorly disrupted and returning to school wasn’t as easy for them. Once the fall semester ended, both Jay and Eric returned to West Wilham High to retake their second semester of junior year, and when everybody else graduated, they were just getting ready to start their senior year. It put them a year under everybody else and, being the only members of their classes to still be at the high school, they had spent most of their free time hanging out together. Unfortunately, the Magic Club had to be disbanded since, without the other four attending, Eric couldn’t get anybody to join, so instead, Jay coerced him into joining the cross country team. He was in far better shape than he used to be, and by the time the track season rolled around, he was actually pretty fast.

And now, in just a few months, we’ll finally graduate, too. Thank god, I’m ready for high school to be over!

“Well, I’m sure that whatever he wants will be amusing,” Alice said, to which Jay nodded.

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be. It’s never dull with him around, that’s for sure.”

As they reached the gates of the graveyard, Jay briefly glanced at his watch, realizing that it was already one o’clock. They only had three hours until they were supposed to meet Eric, and despite how cryptic his message had been, he was excited nonetheless. At the very least, he knew Lilly was coming back for the weekend so he’d get to see her again for the first time since Christmas, and that made him smile.

So much has changed, and yet, it’s still the same in so many ways. Yeah, I’ve lost a lot, but I can’t forget how much I gained, too. It’s been a long handful of years, but I am grateful for the others. They mean the world to me. The erased realm masqueraded itself as a paradise, but for all its flaws, I think the real world is far better. Yeah, we made the right choice by abandoning that place. This is home…

...and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

***

Damien quietly gazed through the window of the train, watching the trees go past, once again marveling at the absurdity of Eric’s request to suddenly drag themselves back to Wilham without even telling them what he wanted them for.

Doesn’t he realize we’ll be home in a little under a month anyway? What could be so important that it can’t wait?

Yet, despite having grumbled about it to Liz, he still found himself sitting on a six-hour train ride from Sumerton, where the two of them attended college, to Wilham. The last time he’d been in his hometown had been Christmas, so he was excited to see the others for the weekend, even if he knew he’d be riding the train back home in just a few days.

And all of this with finals only a few weeks away. Eric clearly doesn’t realize how much more of a headache college is compared to high school.

He briefly glanced away from the window to where Liz was sitting beside him, quietly reading her history textbook to study for an exam she had the following Tuesday. It was clear she was bored out of her mind, but part of the deal for going on this trip was that they use the abundance of time the train provided them to study. Luckily, Damien didn’t have any exams coming up and he’d already finished his homework, so he was set to just relax for the last hour of the ride, and he could tell this irked Liz due to the number of annoyed glances she sent his way.

“Why so irritated?” he teased. “You’re the one who wanted to go to Wilham in the first place. I was completely content staying at the apartment and telling Eric we were busy.”

She snorted, then grinned back at him in her typical sly manner. “Oh, don’t pretend like you didn't want to come. We both know that you would have never left Eric out to dry with how excited he sounded on the phone. You just planned to make me ‘force you’ to come so that you could say you were pressured into it.”

“Yes, that’s true,” he conceded. “But at the same time, just because I wanted to go doesn’t mean I wasn’t aware that it was a stupid idea. I just figured that since I didn’t have a ton of work this weekend, I could justify it. You, on the other hand, have a test right after we get back. I was more concerned for you, I think.”

“Oh is that so?” She laughed wryly. “Well I appreciate the concern, but I am perfectly fine! This exam is going to be a cakewalk! I’m only reading this book for fun because I absolutely love history. Did you know that about me, Damien? History is just my favorite subject. Especially this history! I love this subject!”

The sarcasm in her voice was so blatant that he couldn’t help but laugh, and when he did, she joined in. For what felt like the millionth time, he found himself grateful that the two of them were able to stick together even after leaving West Wilham High. Their time in the erased realm had made him realize that he didn’t want to be apart from her again, and she had expressed similar feelings, so when they were looking for colleges, they did their best to find one that had programs for both of them and were lucky enough that the University of Sumerton was practically perfect. So, they applied, were accepted, and rented an apartment together. They’d been living with one another since August now and he couldn’t be happier.

“So I meant to ask Eric and just kept forgetting,” Liz began, “but who else is going to be here? I know Jay, Alice, and Vinny are still in Wilham, but is Lilly coming down from Aldan? And for that matter, did he bother inviting Brad and Evan?”

Damien considered the question for a moment, thinking back to a conversation he’d had with Lilly a few days ago. “Well, Lilly said she’ll definitely be there, but I’m not sure about Brad and Evan. I’m sure Eric invited them, but I doubt they’ll come. Evan, especially, still ignores Eric’s texts.”

Liz chuckled. “Well that’s not surprising. I’m sure if he had the option, Evan would avoid him altogether.”

Damien smirked, thinking about Evan, Vinny, and Eric’s current arrangement, knowing that it was a testament to Evan’s determination that he still put up with it. The boy leaned back in his seat and exhaled softly, gently wrapping his arm around Liz as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“It’ll be nice to catch up with everybody,” he mused. “And remember, lay off the teasing, Liz.”

She immediately made a fake pouty face and playfully stuck out her tongue. “Aw, why? It’s so much fun to lord the fact that he’s still a high schooler over his head! And you make it sound like it’s just me! Vinny teases him far more than I do!”

“That’s only because he and Vinny are still in the same town,” he pointed out. “I’m sure if you still lived in Wilham, you would be just as ruthless. And don’t act like I don’t know about all those texts you send him.”

“Oh, those…” She smiled guiltily. “Well, those are clever!”

Damien snorted. “Sending, ‘ha, look at the high school nerd’ is so not clever that it’s almost embarrassing. The joke’s stale, you know? If you’re going to tease him, at least come up with a new joke every once in a while. Not to mention, that one wasn’t funny to begin with.”

“What do you mean? It’s hilarious!” she protested. “Maybe it’s just your sense of humor that needs work!”

“Hey! My sense of humor is plenty fine, thank you very much!”

As Damien bantered back and forth with her, he became more excited to get to their destination. Vinny, Eric, and Lilly always added an extra layer to the bad jokes and he enjoyed just sitting back and watching them take shots at each other like middle schoolers. He remembered a time when it could annoy him a little, but it wasn’t until they stopped joking that he realized how much he liked it. He was grateful that despite everything, they still found themselves back where they started, joking and laughing like none of it had ever happened.

It had already been a year and a half since the fall of the erased realm, but it all felt like a dream—like he’d woken up from that nightmare and gone back to his old life. Of course, it wasn’t all the same and it would never be the same again, but as for how it all turned out, he knew he couldn't complain. There was a time in the days after their return that they feared Ijiria would come for them, but now, he was confident that they were safe. Life was peaceful again.

And for that, he was truly grateful.

***

Vinny Mickelson leaned against the wall of Scott Reiner’s workshop, watching with a smug grin as Evan and Brad bickered over how best to approach their current task, all the while, Eric’s father barked orders at them from his swivel chair on the opposite side of the room. Both boys were wearing lab coats, gloves, and goggles that Scott had purchased for them, with Evan carefully holding a dropper with some of Eric’s blood while Brad kept the microscope steady, ready to look through the lens and watch the subsequent reaction. Even after a year and a half, they were still researching anti-mana technology, and to Vinny’s amusement and delight, Evan and Brad were serving as Scott’s assistants. On occasion, Vinny would do the same, but on that particular day, he had decided to stop by only to watch the entertaining spectacle that was the boys doing science.

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Although, as much as I like making fun of them, I do have to give credit where it’s due. They might be struggling with all the technical stuff, but they aren’t exactly sitting on their asses. They’re doing their damndest to actually understand the concepts Scott works with, and whether I like them or not, that’s admirable.

It had been a year since they graduated high school and ever since, the three of them had been attending Oceanview Community College across town. While Vinny was focusing on political science and Brad was shooting for a football scholarship in the future, both of which weren’t anything too out of the ordinary, Evan had actually made decisions that surprised Vinny. After having a rather pathetic high school career when it came to grades, Evan pulled everything together in senior year and actually got mostly B’s. Then, after applying to Oceanview, he started majoring in Biology, and when Vinny decided to ask him about it, his response had been both surprising and expected.

“Why does it even fucking matter to you anyway, Mickelson? I mean, why wouldn't I want to know more about this shit? You think that just because Nigreos and Album are dead, Ijiria won’t come after us again someday cause I’m not taking that chance! Mr. Reiner says there’s bio-related shit that creates mana and I want to help him make that serum more effective. If Ijiria ever comes after me again, I don’t want to be powerless! I want to kick their fucking asses and ensure that magic never ruins my damn life ever again!”

It was the most serious and determined Vinny had ever seen Evan, and it put into perspective just how furious he was at how his life turned out. He wanted to sever himself from magic, but at the same time, he knew they could be in danger of another attack any day. So there he was, working alongside Scott Reiner, who served as both his mentor and even his tutor for college.

And as far as their research goes, they’ve actually made a lot of progress…

Soon after breaking out of the erased realm, Scott used Eric’s blood to continue his experiments and was able to both make the effects of his serum last longer, and also completely block mana creation. Ever since, they’d been focusing on making the effects permanent. To them, if they could get one shot in on even a Master, they could turn them into a magicless, completely diminishing the threat they posed.

And if they succeed, Wilham really will be safe unless Ijiria shows up with a whole army. So long as we get a single hit in, we win. We can keep this place safe…

“So Mickelson, you gonna actually help or are you just gonna stand around?” Scott growled, his attention briefly shifting Vinny’s way.

He shrugged. “Nah, sorry, Mr. Reiner, but I’m just here to watch today. Eric asked me to come to some ‘very important event’ and I can’t ignore a summons from him, now can I? Just figured I’d kill some time by stopping here. And speaking of, are the two of you coming?”

Evan immediately snorted. “Like fucking hell I am. I don’t know why Reiner won’t take a hint, but just because I’m working with his dad doesn’t mean we’re friends. I still hate you bastards, you know?”

“Aw, and we hate you, too, Wright,” Vinny replied in a mocking voice. “What about you, Fischer?”

Brad briefly glanced his way and sighed. “Lilly asked me to, but unfortunately, I’ve got practice later tonight. Tell Eric I’m sorry I couldn’t make it though.”

“Alright, will do.”

Vinny gave him a thumbs up but Brad was already back to focusing on his work, and when the blonde boy glanced back at Scott to see him glaring again, he decided it was time that he stop taking up space and start heading off to his destination.

“Well, I guess it was nice seeing you again,” he said with a wry grin. “I’ll see you in class on Monday, Fischer. Don’t forget we have homework.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

With a halfhearted reply, Brad waved him off and Vinny chuckled to himself before saying goodbye to the others and making his way through the apartment and back outside. He stuck his hands in his pockets, thinking about how excited he was to see Liz, Damien, and Lilly later. He was sad when they all went off to college, but he was glad that they were moving forward with their lives in the way that they wanted to. He knew Eric planned to go to the University of Aldan with Lilly the following year, so part of Vinny was thinking about looking into the same thing for after he graduated Oceanview. He liked Wilham, but after living there for so long, he wanted to get out and see more of the world.

And there’s so much to explore, even ignoring the fact that this is just one of a huge number of realms. I wish it was safe for me to see more of this multiverse, but even if it wasn’t dangerous, Eric left the realm dagger back in Ijiria so I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to.

He decided he could settle with backpacking across the continent after college. If he couldn’t see the multiverse then he’d just have to enjoy the only world he had access to as much as he could.

And who knows! Maybe someday, we’ll get a visitor from a more peaceful world and then I can explore that one! Maybe they aren’t all as violent and angry as Ijiria is!

He knew that was wishful thinking, but he couldn’t help himself. That sort of mindset was just how he liked to operate. After being as pessimistic and angry as he had been in the erased realm, he had made it his personal goal to be as happy and optimistic as possible in the real world. He wanted to completely sever himself from the erased Vinny and the best way to do that was to live life to the fullest. That way, no matter what happened in the future, he could say that he enjoyed his time on the planet.

And so far…I can truly say that I am happy.

He thought of his friends and family and even just the town around him. Then, Alice came to mind, and he smiled all over again. If possible, he wanted to take her with him. Once Scott, Eric, and Evan finished their prototype for Alice’s magical leg, maybe she could go backpacking with him.

That would be his dream, if he could pick anything.

Yeah, I don’t have a damn idea where my life is gonna go from here. I don’t even know what I’m gonna do for a job, but I’ll figure it out. I’ve got so much time ahead of me, and I know without a doubt that it will all work out fine.

***

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Evan leaned against the railing of Scott’s apartment complex and stared down at the empty streets below, a can of soda in his hand. Brad was right next to him, though he didn’t look too upset. Rather, he was actually smiling to himself as he sipped his own drink.

“What’s got you so happy?” Evan grumbled. “The serum still won’t work! After all of these damn attempts, it’s still a piece of shit.”

Brad chuckled and shook his head. “Oh shut up, Evan. Mr. Reiner invented an actual mana-neutralizer. Just the fact that it works at all is a damn miracle and you're going to call it a piece of shit? You need to lower your standards a bit.”

“Oh whatever,” he snapped back. “I’m just annoyed, is all. After having so much success right out the gate, we’ve gone two years without anything. I’m starting to think it's impossible with the tech Reiner has. Without an actual professional lab, there’s probably not much we can do and it pisses me off.”

“Well, then all you’ve gotta do is get a lab,” Brad pointed out.

Evan scowled in annoyance. “Really? And where the fuck would you suggest I buy one? You wouldn’t happen to know somebody selling one for cheap, would you?” He rolled his eyes. “Stop fuckin’ around, Brad. I’m serious.”

“And so am I.”

When Evan glanced back, he realized that there wasn’t a single hint of sarcasm or humor in his expression. Somehow, he was actually being genuine about his suggestion.

“All you gotta do is make it big in the biology field,” Brad went on. “Get yourself into a university lab and see if you can borrow some of their supplies. Course, I doubt they’d believe you if you told them you wanted to study magic, but I’m sure you could come up with some lie that would work fine.”

Evan glanced away once more and took another swig of his drink, downing the rest of it in one gulp before wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his lab coat. “Yeah, I’ll just get right on that. You honestly think I could get into an official lab?”

“I do,” Brad said firmly. “You’ve already made huge leaps in improving your grades in just the last two years alone. Keep that upward trend moving and I’m certain you could get there someday. And I can tell just how determined you are.”

Determined, huh?

He knew that Brad had a point in that his grades had seriously improved in senior year, as well as his freshman year of college. And at the end of the day, Evan knew that the only reason he was able to pull off what he did was because he had a goal to reach for. Before the erased realm, he didn’t see any reason to try because there wasn’t anything he wanted to do with his life. That was different now.

Magic ruined his life.

From the moment that Vinny Mickelson used the orange stone on him, everything had gone downhill until he was at the lowest he had ever been. The Ijirians took so much from him, and in the end, Rina had been killed because of them. He hadn’t been strong enough to defend her, so he wanted to make sure something like that never happened again. He wanted to help Scott Reiner for the sole purpose of dragging the Ijirian gods down to the level of the magicless. If they found themselves on equal footing, then it would simply come down to a contest of strength, and he was confident enough in his physical ability that he knew he could win. Everything he did was with the knowledge that Ijiria could show up in Wilham at any time, and if he wasn’t ready, all of their suffering would be for nothing.

He had to be ready.

I won’t let what happened to Rina happen to anybody else. I swear it on my life. I’ll do whatever it takes to create these weapons. I’ll study my ass off. I’ll get whatever degree I need. If I gotta get into a stupid fucking science lab then I will! But I’m not going to lose ever again!

Evan raised his head to stare up at the afternoon sky, his thoughts shifting to Rina and the fact that it was already the second anniversary of her death.

I’m gonna be better, Rina. I’m gonna protect this town and this realm from magic. It won’t ever happen again. I promise… Two years to this day… He smirked. Well, if there was ever a day to succeed, let it be today!

Pulling his resolve back together, Evan Wright crushed the can in his grasp and spun around to stalk back into the workshop with Brad laughing to himself just behind him.

***

Furious that her bus had been delayed, Lilly Harper sprinted through the forest, not wanting to be late and knowing that she would be cutting it ridiculously close. The moment the bus had stopped in Wilham, she grabbed her suitcase, sprinted to drop everything off at her parents' apartment, then after giving them quick hugs and a promise to join them for dinner later, she took off for the woods. She wasn’t sure why Eric had picked that place in particular, but knowing him, it wasn’t without reason. So she didn’t question him and did as he asked, and when she glanced at her watch, she found that she only had four minutes left.

“Well, you’re certainly cutting it close. But you know, Eric probably won’t care if you’re a few minutes late.”

“Yeah! I think he’ll just be happy to see you at all! And don’t worry! If you guys want to get all intimate, we can look away!”

Shut up! I didn’t ask for your commentary! And besides, it’s not about Eric, it’s about me! If I say I’m going to be there at a certain time then I’m going to be there!

“Ah, so it’s a matter of pride, is it? Well, that’s much less honorable. Though, something tells me you’re just making that up. I think you’re just anxious to see your boyfriend again after so long.”

Again! Can it with the commentary! I didn’t ask!

She could hear The Angel snickering in her head and could only grimace in irritation. For whatever reason, as time went on, the voices had become far more snarky, and had taken an odd liking to teasing her. She wasn’t sure how much she liked having their smugness stuck in her head, but she often found herself silently bickering with them when she should have been focusing on other things. Though, at the same time, she couldn’t deny that having two extra people in her head wasn't convenient at times. When it came to exams, they tended to remember the things she didn’t and would give her the answers when she needed them. She knew that was technically cheating, but there wasn’t much she could do when they were literally stuck inside of her.

Not long after Eric came home, there was discussion about whether they wanted to try and research a way to remove The Angel, but after a rather long and tedious debate, Lilly decided to just put up with it. As long as she didn’t use its power, they wouldn’t harm her, and she remembered Abigail telling her that it was a lifetime contract between them. If there was a way to remove them then it was probably dangerous and she didn’t want to run that risk. So, she just put up with them and their snarkiness.

Why did they become so mischievous? Is it just because there’s nothing serious going on? Is teasing me just how they entertain themselves cause it really feels like I’ve got some annoying little siblings constantly screwing around in my brain.

Yet, she knew that there wasn’t any point in dwelling on it. The Angel had simply become a normal part of her life and she had long since stopped thinking about them as anything more than a part of her. So, she pushed those thoughts from her mind and finally reached her destination, only to skid to a halt and just gape at the scene before her.

When Eric had asked that they all meet him where Jay and Alice’s old hideout was located, she wasn’t sure what he was getting at. After all, that building had been burnt to the ground during Nigreos and Album’s time in Wilham, so there wouldn’t be anything in that part of the woods anymore. But there it was, right before her, a small one-story shack constructed of wood with a cozy little porch and a chimney that currently had smoke billowing out of it. It looked new, like it had only been built recently. Her staring didn’t last long before her eyes shifted to the individual sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, a broad smile on his face and his hand raised in greeting.

“Lilly!” Eric Reiner called out, excitedly jumping to his feet. “Glad to see you’ve made it!”

She hurried over to see him, giving him a big hug before saying anything, then gently kissed him, wanting to take a moment to simply enjoy his touch before questioning him on his current scheme. She once more heard The Angel making comments about Eric and urging her to touch him more, but she did her best to ignore them, wanting to focus on Eric and only Eric. It was only once she had pulled away that she spoke.

“It’s so good to see you,” she said with a warm smile. “But honestly, you just continue to pull surprises out of your ass, don’t you? What even is this? Where did it come from?”

Eric glanced back over his shoulder and gazed at the house with pride. “Dad and I built it. You see, I’ve been working my ass off at my part-time job this past year to make some money so I could buy this land. Of course, a part-timer’s salary wasn’t nearly enough so Dad lent me some to round it off.”

“Wait…so you bought this? This is yours?” she pressed.

He chuckled slyly. “That I did. Dad and I then got to work building this and, with a little magical finesse, we were able to put it together faster than I expected. Now, I know summer’s right around the corner, but I just couldn’t wait! I wanted everybody to see it as soon as possible and honestly, I think it turned out better than I could have imagined!”

The pure excitement in his eyes was enchanting. She absolutely loved when he got as happy as he was. It reminded her of their junior year and, while he no longer had the extravagant demeanor or his bombastic way of speaking, he still had what made him who he was. That childlike innocence as he gazed up at his project was utterly adorable and she had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around him a second time.

“I mean, it’s amazing, Eric, but I am curious why you did all that?” she muttered. “Is there something you want to use this for? I mean, I guess you could live in it, but…”

“Oh, no. There is a grander use for this place. But come inside. I’ll explain it to you all together.”

He excitedly motioned for her to follow him into the house so she made her way up the porch and through the front door to get her first look at the interior. It opened up into one giant room with furniture and a table, as well as a mini-fridge, and even a sliding door onto a small patio in the back. She could see the fireplace by the lounge area with a small flame already burning within, giving the room a warm and cozy vibe. And there, spread across the couches and chairs, were Vinny, Liz, Damien, Alice, and Jay, who all turned back to greet her with huge smiles. Lilly also noticed Natalie sitting between Liz and Damien, and it was only once Vinny called out to her that she turned back.

“Lilly! You’re here!” Natalie exclaimed, and Lilly made sure to hurry over to give the girl a hug first before turning to embrace the others.

She wasn’t too surprised that Natalie had been brought to the house since Eric had taken her role as the babysitter when Lilly went to college. Once she had greeted them all, she took a seat on the couch with Damien and Liz while Natalie jumped into her lap, and while she really wanted to catch up with everyone, there was a certain expectancy in the air that told her that she wasn’t the only one Eric was keeping his true intentions from.

“Alright, we’ll get to catching up in a minute, but cut to it, Eric,” Vinny pressed. “What’s the deal with this place? I doubt you called us all here to flex your new house on us so what are you up to?”

Damien nodded. “Yeah, I’ll admit that of all the things that you could have dragged us here for, a new house definitely wasn’t high on my list of expectations.”

“So hurry up and explain!” Liz added impatiently.

Eric laughed theatrically, seeming to be enjoying himself as he watched their reactions, then turned and made his way to stand in front of the fireplace so he could face the seven of them. The boy took a moment to look at each one of them with another one of his grins, then began speaking.

“Well, you see, obviously life has been changing recently,” he began. “Three of you have left the town for college and, hopefully, I will be doing the same in the fall. We’re migrating out of Wilham, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is our home. This is where we became friends and it’s where the Magic Club was formed. Everybody here means the world to me and it saddens me that when Jay and I graduate, the Magic Club room could be turned over to others.”

Despite his clear joy at having them there, Lilly could still tell that having lost the clubroom had been nagging at him. That place held a lot of sentimental value to them, but especially to Eric, so it made sense that he would be struggling with that.

“So,” he went on. “I decided that if the clubroom is leaving us then we need a place where the Magic Club can always come back to! Therefore, allow me to present to you all, the Magic Clubhouse!”

He thrust his arms out to the side in an exaggerated fashion and indicated the building around them. That answer was the most “Eric” answer he could have given and it actually made her feel a bit emotional as she turned and truly took her surroundings in. It was a cozy place in the peaceful forest where they could be together.

“No matter where life takes us, the Magic Club will always have a place to call home!” Eric announced. “My father has agreed to take care of it in my absence under the agreement that he can use it for his own endeavors. So, if we are ever together in Wilham and need somewhere to meet, this place is here and all friends of the club are welcome! I know this was sudden, but I wanted you all present for the grand opening so…!” He paused for emphasis. “What do you think?”

Lilly glanced around at the others to see similar expressions of surprise and joy. It really didn’t seem like anybody expected this, yet Lilly could tell from just one look that they were all happy they came. Jay and Alice were grinning, Liz was laughing, Natalie was clapping her hands, and Damien was looking back at Lilly with a wry look, as if trying to silently tell her that she should be the one to respond.

So she did.

“It’s perfect, Eric,” she said, wanting her to hear the genuine love and emotion in her voice. “I don’t think I could be happier. A Magic Clubhouse, huh?”

As if satisfied now that Lilly had spoken, the others all echoed similar sentiments, each looking around as if seeing the building in a new light. There was food placed out on the table in the back, indicating that Eric intended to throw a party in celebration and she knew they were in for a fun and unforgettable night.

“I’m glad. I’m glad you all like it!” Eric began once more. “Then in that case…”

He paused once again, but this time, he looked directly at Lilly, and she could hear his silent gratitude. He was thankful that they were there—that they were his friends and that they were there for him. The people gathered in that room had been through hell, so the fact that they could all gather together like they were was a miracle in its own right. To have been able to preserve this happiness despite all attempts to take it away was something Lilly would always be thankful for.

To her, the Magic Club was home and now the club had a place to call its home.

“I am officially declaring this the first meeting of the Magical and Other Anomalies Investigation Team in our brand new clubhouse!” Eric declared.

“So let us begin, my friends!”