Chapter XII
As the weekend passed by, Lilly’s energy only became more and more depleted. No matter what she did, she just couldn’t relax, always terrified that the creature in Jay’s body would come after her again. Both nights, she kept glancing around her room, waiting for something to pop out of the shadows and get her, and she constantly berated herself for essentially reverting back to a child scared of the dark. On the few occasions when she did fall asleep, she was awoken by nightmares of herself and the club getting attacked and murdered by the monster. She couldn’t get any proper sleep and it was already starting to weigh on her. During the day, she and Eric kept in constant contact just in case anything happened. In addition, they checked in on Damien and Liz regularly, though they always disguised it with some lame excuse in order to not tip them off. However, the two of them were smart, and Lilly feared that they had already seen past the facade.
At the very least, they haven’t said anything yet. So maybe…we have done a good enough job of hiding it.
The girl shook her head, trying to shake herself awake as she made her way down the street that led toward the school. She was alone, but there were enough students on the road that she didn’t think she’d be attacked. Both she and Eric were fairly certain that it wouldn’t go after them in broad daylight, and certainly not while people were around.
Anxious to get to school and see Eric again, Lilly picked up her pace and headed through the main gates of West Wilham High. Like usual, the courtyard was packed with students who were catching up with friends after the weekend, yet Lilly could already sense the unusual tension. The chatter wasn’t as loud or boisterous as it normally was, and she knew it wasn’t due to the festival being over and the return of the regular class schedule. As the weekend progressed, the incident at the diner became even more discussed and theorized about. Liz had told her how everybody on social media sites were posting about it, some offering condolences to the families of those who were killed and other peddling conspiracies as to the nature of the attack. In addition, West Wilham students were now all aware that Alice Mendez had gone missing on that same night, and rumors were already spreading as to what might have happened to her.
And even after all this time…I still haven't heard anything.
After Friday night, Lilly had come to accept that something awful had happened to Alice, but that didn’t mean she had given up all hope that her good friend wouldn’t suddenly reappear. Of course, she knew it was a stupid thing to hope for. Her instincts were already telling her that Alice wasn’t just going to come back.
“Hey, Harper!”
At the call of her name, Lilly stopped and glanced off to her right to see her fellow track team member, Matt Briggs, rushing across the lawn and in her direction. The blonde boy looked worried and she could already guess what he wanted before he had even opened his mouth.
“I haven’t heard from her,” Lilly said sharply just as the boy came to a stop. Immediately regretting her harsh tone, she softened her features and looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Matt, but I haven’t heard anything from Alice nor do I have any idea what happened to Jay.”
Matt’s eyes widened and it seemed to her like he was surprised that she answered his question before he could ask it. His expression then turned sad and he meekly nodded. “Yeah, I guess there’s no reason you’d know,” he murmured. “I just… I’m so damn worried about them. I’ve known them both for years and…” Matt paused, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his arms were shaking.
“I’m sorry,” Lilly repeated. “I really am… And if I do hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
The boy swallowed then nodded once more. “Y-yeah…thanks, Harper. I appreciate it.”
Matt then bid her goodbye and hurried back toward his friends, their brief interaction already coming to an end. She watched him go for a moment, wishing she could have given him some good news. The pained look on his face made her sick to her stomach, and she couldn’t help but recall when Matt had rushed around the school, collecting donations for Jay’s family after his suicide attempt. She knew he had a good heart, and this time, there was nothing he could do to help. His friends were just gone—so suddenly and without any sort of warning.
Lilly took a deep breath and turned back to continue toward the main building.
I need to do something! I don’t know what happened to Jay, but there has to be some way to save him! And I’ll find Alice! I won’t let this be the end for them! I refuse to let that happen! I’ll do whatever it takes…I just can’t lose them! They’re my friends!
When Lilly entered the school, she found the interior to be no different than the courtyard. Students were gathered in groups around the hall, many talking in hushed whispers while others were laughing like normal, though Lilly could hear the strain, as if they were forcing themselves to be happy and pretend like nothing had happened. The incident at the diner had affected everything. The entire school was feeling it and it was hurting her more than she had thought it would.
Once again shaking off the drowsiness, Lilly headed up to the second floor and turned down the corridor, only to come to another stop as she noticed a small cluster of students up ahead. When she got closer, she realized they were gathered around a window that was boarded up, staring and whispering among themselves. She grimaced, continuing on her way again, realizing that was the very spot she had jumped into the courtyard below to escape the monster.
“So who broke it?” one student asked softly.
“Dunno,” replied another. “But I heard from Jeremy that some idiots got into a fight during the bonfire and accidentally shattered it. He said they weren’t caught though.”
A boy scoffed. “A fight? Yeah, sure. And what? They broke it with their fists or something? Get real, Bro’.”
“Look, man, it’s what Jeremy said. I never said I believed him so don’t shoot the messenger.”
Wanting to put the scene behind her and to just get to first period, she hurriedly made her way toward room 2-12—Mrs. Kentz’s room. When she walked inside, she found the usual sight that always greeted her. Brad and his friends were talking in their usual corner and Eric was sitting quietly at his desk, staring down at his hands. The only difference was the absence of Alice, who should have been in her spot by the wall. Kentz’s class was the only one who never changed their seating arrangement after the first day of school, and so Lilly had sat by her for the entire year—from the moment when Alice had enthusiastically introduced herself. For her to not be there was just another hit to her gut.
Eric glanced up at her arrival and she managed a meek wave toward him, which he returned with a subtle nod. Lilly crossed the room and dropped her stuff off at her desk—which Eric had retrieved from the clubroom and returned to her over the weekend. She was then about to head over and sit in the vacant seat beside Eric, but when she turned around, she saw Brad moving past the desks and in her direction. Instantly, the first thing she thought of was the day he had used the stone, and then all she could think about was the possibility that he was in danger as well. The boy was clearly struggling to smile as he approached her, and Lilly already knew that he would want to talk about Alice and Jay. She realized that her brief interaction with Matt was probably the first of many for that day.
“Morning, Lilly,” he greeted. “How are you?”
She shrugged, intending to put on a smile and pretend like everything was normal. “I’m…”
However, she couldn’t get any other word out and all she could do was glance away. She didn’t know how she was supposed to respond. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she also knew she couldn’t tell him about what was really happening. She couldn’t help but hesitate, and she knew that momentary hesitation would only make Brad suspicious. She was prepared for him to start insisting that she tell him what was the matter, so she was surprised when he simply placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Lilly,” he whispered. “I’m really sorry and…I want you to know that I’m here for you. If you ever need to talk about anything…I’m willing to listen.”
Taken by surprise at his gentle tone, she raised her head to look back at him, only to find him smiling genuinely, not forcing it like he had been moments ago. Those simple words were all it took for her to almost break down on the spot. She knew she had a friend in him and she knew he truly cared about her. Brad had become like a big brother to her over the months, and it was that closeness that made her want to cry. He could be in danger and there might not be anything she could do about it. Everything was so uncertain, and this boy who she knew was there for her could be gone as suddenly as Alice or Jay.
And if the stone really is causing this…then wouldn’t it be my fault? I convinced him to use the stone to cheat on that stupid-ass test!
Lilly slowly raised her hand and placed it on top of his, desperately trying to force down the utter fear that was coursing through her. Barely repressing her shaking, she clutched his hand.
“T-thanks, Brad,” she stuttered. “I really appreciate it. Just give me a bit of time… I think I’m still processing everything, is all.”
“Of course. Take all the time you need…and when you’re ready, I’m there.”
She quickly blinked back the tears threatening to flow, not wanting to break down in the middle of the classroom. “Thank you.”
With that, the big boy removed his hand from her shoulder and moved back toward his football friends. Lilly briefly glanced past him to see Evan Wright staring at her, but the moment she looked into his eyes, he turned away. A shot of anger went through her, and she wondered what the boy could be thinking about it all. He went after Alice back at Christmas and now she was gone. She could imagine him silently reveling in it in some twisted desire for revenge against them. He’d avoided them since his return from suspension, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t furious. He just knew that they could easily ruin his life if he did anything.
Lilly grit her teeth and headed toward Eric, who was staring over at her expectantly. At that point, all she wanted to do was rush over to him and hug him. She wanted comfort, but she feared that if she got it, she might break down. She felt so fragile all of a sudden, like anything she did could be what would release all of her pent up emotion.
She was exhausted.
She was scared.
She didn’t know what to do.
As these thoughts continued to torment her, Lilly came to a sudden stop, her attention turned toward somebody standing in the doorway. For a moment, the two girls looked into each other’s eyes, and Lilly knew that she would be the next person who would want to talk to her. Eric noticed her looking past him and turned to glance at the doorway.
“Um, Harper? Reiner?” Rina Davens called out nervously. “Can I talk to you guys for a moment?”
Having already spoken to Matt and Brad, Lilly wanted nothing more than to blow the girl off. They hadn’t spoken since that day on the bleachers when Eric apologized to her, and Lilly knew that Rina was in a similar situation as Evan. The girl was blackmailed into silence by the magic the club held. Despite knowing that Rina wasn’t nearly as vindictive and hateful as Evan was, it was still hard to forget what she had put Alice through—especially after all that had happened. However, whether he was thinking along similar lines or not, Eric nevertheless got to his feet.
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“Of course,” he replied. “Shall we speak outside?”
“Um, sure,” Rina muttered. “Thanks.”
She then walked back into the hall. Eric glanced back at Lilly and nodded, as if to convey that he didn’t see any harm in talking to Jay and Alice’s old friend so, deciding Eric could at least take the lead in the conversation, Lilly silently followed after him as they headed out. Rina led them away from the more populated areas and toward the end of the hall, where very few students ever went. The only thing over there was room 2-1, which was currently being used as a storage room. Once the three of them were alone, Rina hesitantly turned around and glanced between the two of them. It was clear she was struggling to start the conversation, and she was probably still a bit scared of them, so Eric was quick to help her out.
“This is about Alice and Jay, I imagine,” the boy prompted.
Rina swallowed nervously. “Y-yeah. It is. I’m sorry to bother you guys but…I just had to know…is this…related to your magic or…?”
She was struggling to get her words out, but Lilly understood what it was she was trying to ask. She still didn’t know the extent of their abilities since they’d never explained how they could switch bodies. It was natural that after something so abnormal, she would suspect that magic had something to do with it. However, regardless of how worried Rina might have seemed, it only felt like she was accusing them of something, and that just rubbed Lilly the wrong way.
“Meaning what?” she snapped. “You think we caused them to disappear.”
Instantly, Rina’s eyes widened. “N-no! I wasn’t blaming you or anything! It’s just…do you know…anything?! Anything at all?!”
“No,” Eric quickly replied before Lilly could snap at her again. “We didn’t do this. In fact, we’re just as in the dark about what happened to Jay and Alice as you are. I’m sorry I can’t give you a better answer.”
At Eric’s reply, Rina’s features weakened and the girl leaned against the wall to her left, as if it was taking up all her energy just to be standing there. Seeing how worried she was about Jay and Alice only once again called to question what could have happened to her that would influence her to do what she did to Alice. It was blatantly obvious that Rina still cared about them, and Lilly couldn’t fathom what was truly going through her head.
“O-okay,” she uttered. “T-thanks…”
With that, Rina pushed off the wall and hurried away, never once looking back at them. Eric stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and sighed.
“We have to do something about all this,” he whispered. “This school is suffering after just one attack. If something else were to happen…”
He left the thought unfinished, and for that, Lilly was grateful.
***
The rest of the day was a complete blur, and by the time sixth period came to an end, Lilly couldn’t remember a single thing she was taught. Everything her teachers said went in one ear and out the other. She knew she needed to pay attention, especially considering the end of the year, as well as their finals, was only a little over a month and a half away, but she just couldn’t. Between her already distracted mind and her utter exhaustion, she couldn’t focus. When school was over, she was both grateful to finally be done and terrified of the prospect of going home. Part of her just wanted to skip club altogether and avoid having to interact with Damien and Liz, but the other part felt safer with Eric at her side.
I’ll just have to be careful. I’ll act normal and then Damien and Liz won’t even know that anything’s wrong. Yeah… Just act like I always do.
But she knew that was easier said than done. She could tell that her two friends were suspicious just by the way they acted at lunch. Neither spoke up, but she could see in their facial expressions that they were worried. With as tired as Lilly was, she knew she was probably really scaring them.
So just be normal! Don’t let them know what’s going on! For their sake…let them stay ignorant!
When she finally arrived at the door to the clubroom, Lilly stopped and quickly tried to calm her heartbeat, which felt like it had been pounding all day. She then put on a smile and pulled the door open, only for that smile to quickly fade. The scene before her was enough to cause her to nearly lose her balance. Eric was standing against the wall with Liz staring him down, a furious look on her face, while Damien was sitting on a desk a few rows away, staring down at the ground. At her entrance, all three turned to look at her, and Liz’s features immediately contorted into a conflicted expression.
They’re already onto us. There really was no point in hiding it.
“Lilly,” Eric muttered. “Glad to see you made it. Liz and I were just having a friendly little chat so—”
The boy instantly went silent as Liz fixed a glare his way. Eric’s attempt to quickly brush the situation under the rug was crushed. It was obvious to her that her boyfriend had been trying to deal with it before her arrival. She appreciated his desire to prevent her from becoming more stressed, but at the same time, she also didn’t want to be left out. If Damien and Liz were going to find out then she wanted to be there.
Not wanting to be the one to break the silence, Lilly simply stood awkwardly in the doorway, waiting for one of the others to explain what was happening. She expected Liz would be the first to speak judging by how furious she looked, but instead, it was Damien.
“Lilly,” he began softly, “be honest with us. What’s going on? What happened Friday night that has the two of you so panicked?”
It almost sounded as if he were pleading with her to tell him the truth, but she wasn’t sure how to respond. She wanted to be honest with them, but she also was scared that getting them involved could get them hurt. So, her first instinct was to deny.
“I don’t know—”
“Don’t give me that!” Liz suddenly shouted. The bespectacled girl stepped away from Eric and turned toward her. “Lilly, please! Damien and I aren’t idiots! Just looking at you right now is enough to prove that there’s something wrong! You look like you haven’t slept in days!”
Lilly flinched at her friend’s voice. “Liz, I—”
“Please!” she urged. “Between all of your weird texts and calls, not to mention how scared you both seem, it’s obvious something happened! It was bad enough that Eric started freaking out the other day, but now you, too? Damien said we should give you guys space but I can’t do that! I’m worried about you!”
The way Liz just rambled everything out made it clear that she’d been bottling it all up. She looked close to tears, yet even though Lilly wanted nothing more than to be honest, she still wasn’t sure what to do. She was torn and far too tired to make a logical choice.
“We’re friends, right?” Liz uttered. “You trust us, right?”
“It’s not about trust,” Eric cut in before Lilly could answer. “I trust the two of you more than almost anybody else. That’s why we can’t tell you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. So please, Liz. Let us deal with this ourselves. I promise I…”
He trailed off as she turned a baffled look on him. “Eric, that makes no sense!” she snarled. “You trust us so you’re not going to tell us?! Do you hear how stupid that sounds?!”
“I…I know, but…”
“Eric?” Damien said. “Does this have anything to do with the diner? Or Vinny Mickelson?”
The taller boy cringed and that was clearly enough for Damien to understand.
“I had a feeling,” he muttered. “No way this was all coincidental.” He then got to his feet and, rather than approaching Eric, he crossed the room to where Lilly still stood by the door. “Lilly.”
She found herself unable to look him in the eye as she murmured, “yeah?”
“I’m not going to let this go and I know Liz won’t either.” Damien paused, his dark eyes staring into hers, and she could see him frantically trying to pick his words carefully. “Do you remember back when she and I had our fight after the Wright incident?”
“Of course,” Lilly replied weakly.
He nodded. “Good. Then you’ll know that I can’t just step aside and let you guys handle whatever’s going on alone. You and Eric were there for us when we needed you most. So how can I not be there for you now? I don’t care how dangerous it is. I’m not going to ignore this.”
“How could we?” Liz chimed in. “Even setting aside what you did for us, you two have helped so many people. Brad, Alice, Jay, Natalie…”
Lilly flinched at all of the names of people they used the stone on, knowing that if Nigreos’s words were true, then all those people they supposedly helped could be in mortal danger.
“You’ve done so much for everybody else,” Liz went on. “You do realize that, right? So how can you even think you should bear any burden alone?” The girl stepped past Damien and put her hands on Lilly’s shoulders. “Tell us,” she insisted once more. “What happened to you guys? How is it related to the diner and to Mickelson? What’s happening right now?”
She felt her body shaking and when she looked to Eric for help, he seemed just as conflicted as her. She wished they could have talked it out more, but now they were in a position where they had to make a choice.
Maybe…Damien and Liz could help us figure something out. Maybe it would be smart to get them involved and pick their brains a bit.
“Eric,” Lilly began softly. “I’m sorry but it’s not my place to tell them. If they want to know…then you’re the one who has to do it.”
She knew she was just pushing the burden off of herself like some sort of coward, but she hoped there was merit in her decision. Eric knew the most about Ijiria and Nigreos Noctis and magic in general. If she tried to explain it, it probably wouldn’t make any sense. So, she knew he would have to be the one.
“Well?” Liz demanded, glancing back over her shoulder and toward the still silent boy. “What’s your answer, Eric? Are you going to trust us or not? And don’t give me any more shit about not telling us cause you do trust us. I don’t want to hear that…and especially not from you.”
Eric exhaled softly and raised his head to face them all. “Fine then. I’ll tell you. Just…know it’s going to sound crazy.”
“Crazier than body swapping?” Liz asked in a joking tone, seemingly trying to lighten the mood a little.
But Eric’s features stayed serious. “Yes. Far crazier than body swapping.”
Liz and Damien exchanged quick looks before the latter prompted him to go on.
“Alright then. Let’s hear it.”
For a moment, Eric stood in silence, clearly trying to figure out the best way to reveal everything, but before he could even get a word out, he suddenly cried out in pain, his hands shooting toward his head.
“Eric?!” Liz exclaimed. “What’s wrong?!”
He quickly shook his head. “No, it’s fine. It’s just a headache. I don’t… Wait…”
His eyes went wide and he frantically turned to stare at Lilly. She, in turn, looked back in shock. They’d already discussed the possibility that Eric’s odd headaches had been related to Lilly speaking with Nigreos, so the fact that he suddenly had one just days after she reclaimed her memories couldn’t be mere coincidence. Despite her exhausted state, Lilly instantly stalked into the room and rushed toward him.
“Swap with me, Eric! Now!” she demanded.
His jaw clenched in frustration. “You want to do that?! You’re serious?! But we still don’t know if it's even safe—if he’s an enemy or not!”
“It doesn’t matter,” she replied firmly. “I know you’re scared of this guy, but we have to know what’s going on and right now, he’s our only lead! Please, Eric! Let me do this! If he can help us…”
“Guys, what’s going on?!” Damien cut in. “What’s wrong with him?”
But Lilly ignored him, knowing this wasn’t a chance they could afford to pass up.
“Five minutes!” she insisted. “Give me five minutes and then swap us back! Okay?!”
“Lilly!” Liz shouted. “Come on! What’s wrong?! What’re you talking about!“
For a moment, Lilly and Eric stared at one another, and she could see the gears turning in his head. He knew what the logical decision was, but she could tell that he was struggling. Nigreos Noctis was the man who took his mother away so it was no wonder to her that he would be hesitant to let her speak with him. Yet, she knew there wasn’t an option.
“Eric, damn it!” she snarled. “Come on!”
He looked ready to protest further, but instead he sighed and reached into his pocket to produce the stone. “Fine. Five minutes,” he stated. “No more. Once it’s over, I’m pulling you out.”
“Deal.” Lilly then briefly spared a look back at Damien and Liz, who were both fearfully glancing between them. “We’ll explain in five minutes. You have my word.”
They were quiet for a moment, but Damien must have seen something in her gaze since he simply sighed. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Lilly. You hear me?”
“Loud and clear.”
Then, not wanting to waste any more time, she turned around and placed her fingers atop the orange gem. Instantly, that familiar feeling of being submerged in the world of formless white engulfed her. If it were normal, she would have soon found herself in Eric’s body, but as she had hoped, that wasn’t what happened. Instead, when the world of white vanished, she was replaced by its complete antithesis—darkness in every direction. It was so dark, in fact, that she couldn’t even see her own body, though she suspected she didn’t have one in that world. It was supposedly her mind, after all.
“I take it I’m once again speaking with Lilly Harper?”
As the voice echoed across the darkness, she felt both fear and anticipation. She knew this man was dangerous but he was their only chance at learning something that might help them understand just what was going on in Wilham. No matter what, she had to face him with confidence. She couldn’t allow him to sense her terror.
“Yup, that’s me,” she called back. “And I guess that means you’re Nigreos Noctis?”
The sound of a dark chuckle reverberated around her. “That would be correct.”
“Good,” Lilly replied. “Cause we need to talk.”