Chapter XXI

The moment he realized that Nigreos Noctis had fled, Eric came to a stop on another branch and crouched down, waiting for any sign of another attack. The man had already taken him by surprise when he merged with the shadows and he was determined not to let that happen a second time. He kept his senses on high alert and carefully scanned the darkness that had settled in between the trees now that the sun was down. He held his breath, mana at the ready, but Nigreos never returned. Even after what felt like twenty minutes of waiting, he was still alone.

Did he run away? No, he couldn’t have! There’s no chance it’s going to be that easy!

Yet, Eric couldn’t help but recall the shocked look on his face when his shadows burst apart. At the time, he had simply accepted it and taken the opportunity to get as far away as possible, but now that he was being given time to gather his thoughts, he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that was saving him.

This is the third time something like this has happened, he thought. First when the monster’s shadows attacked me, second was when Album stabbed me with her arm, and now with Nigreos. Every time I hear Mom’s voice, I'm saved. But what does it mean? Is she protecting me somehow? But how could she be protecting me when she’s…

Eric exhaled softly, deciding it would be best to keep himself from finishing that sentence, not wanting to let Album’s words get in his head. Instead, his thoughts shifted to Evan and Rina, and he hoped that he had bought enough time for them to get away. He didn’t know what happened before his arrival that caused Rina to scream and since he didn’t know where either of them lived, he would have to wait until the following morning to check in with them.

So why them? Why did Nigreos and Album go after them so suddenly? I thought he didn’t have our names yet, so why would he know to attack Evan and Rina unless…? He swallowed. ...could Alice have told him? I was under the impression that she wasn’t giving them answers, but if he got her to talk, then we’re screwed. Alice knows the name of every single person who’s ever used the stone. If she talked, then they already know who their targets are. Our bargain doesn’t matter.

He shook his head. If that’s true, then it really is over. Even if they can’t touch me for whatever reason, they can still harm the others. Once again, it was pure luck that I was nearby when they went after Evan and Rina. But if they found them once then they’ll do it again, and I can’t be at everybody’s side all the time.

Eric slowly stood up, using his magic to keep himself balanced on the rather narrow branch. It was clear to him that Nigreos wasn’t pursuing him anymore. He found it more likely that the Master had gone back to where they left Album by the trail.

At the very least, maybe her condition will keep them off of us for the time being. There are spells to reattach limbs, so I’ll just have to pray that neither of them are proficient enough in nature magic to use them. For now, I need to get out of here and call the others.

He whispered an incantation and took off through the trees, heading back in the direction he had come. During his fight with Nigreos, he had tossed his backpack into the bushes so he would have more maneuverability so he jumped across a few more branches before gliding down to the forest floor. He landed softly then hurried toward the bush his backpack was laying beside.

Good, it’s still here, he thought with relief.

It had been a big risk to toss it aside. Since his phone was in the pocket, had Nigreos found it then he could have used the information on it to both learn the faces of the club members through the photos, and even find their addresses through the contacts.

Perhaps…I should clean this out. I’ll upload it to a hard drive or something and save it for after this is all over…just in case we make it.

He felt more defeated than he ever had and the realization that the Master of Light had accompanied Nigreos only worsened that feeling. The only chance they had was the mysterious defense within him that kept reacting to their magic, but since he didn’t even know what was triggering it, he knew it would be stupid to rely on it. If he could find some way to harness and control it, or even to place it within the others, then they would have a much better chance at surviving.

Or it would at least enable us all to put up a better fight.

He kneeled down beside his pack and unzipped the side pocket where his phone was kept. He intended to call Lilly first and tell her what happened. The club needed to know that Album existed and that the Masters might already know their names. He no longer had the choice to keep them ignorant. Nigreos and Album were going to fight so they would have to fight back. He unlocked his phone and was pulling up Lilly’s contact information when he suddenly saw the shadow to his left.

“Proto!” he shouted, bursting off the spot he’d just been standing and back up into the trees.

“Reiner!” came the inhuman howl from below and when he looked back down, he saw the monster from the final day of the Spring Festival crouched beside his backpack, snarling up at him with its teeth bared.

Damn it! I should have known this wasn’t the end! Nigreos isn’t just gonna let me go that easily!

The moment he landed on a sturdy enough branch, the creature lunged toward the trunk of the tree and began to use its spider-like limbs to climb upwards. His first instinct was to run, but just as he was about to chant the spell to flee through the trees, he hesitated. The situation seemed hopeless. The combined power of Nigreos, Album, and that monster was beyond anything they could ever hope to fight. Yet, the creature was the only one here. The last time he fought it, his priority had been to protect Lilly, so he couldn’t go all out. He had stuck to fleeing techniques rather than using the more destructive attacks he had learned.

If I can beat it… he thought. Then that’s one less problem and perhaps…

He recalled that brief moment of hesitation in the monster when Lilly had called out Alice’s name. It was the lifeline she clung onto in order to convince herself that Jay wasn’t gone. If she was right, then he might be able to stop the creature before it could do any more damage.

Maybe…I can save Jay!

Gritting his teeth, Eric screamed, “Proto!”

However, he didn’t propel himself into the trees. Instead, he pushed off the branch and curved his body backwards, sending him flying over the swift attack of the monster and down into the dirt below. Once his feet were planted in the dirt, he raised his head high and brought his mana to his fists once again, facing the creature with determination.

“Bring it on, Brooks!” he challenged. “I’m not running this time!”

It regarded him for a moment, its arm grasping the tree as it hung in place. Then, a wicked smile twisted its features, as if understanding his challenge, and it dropped, landing almost ten yards away from him on all fours. Eric took that as it’s indication of acceptance as he tensed up, prepared to let it make the first move.

Alright, I need to beat it somehow, but at the same time, I can’t kill it. This is still Jay! I’m going to save you, Jay! I’m going to pull you out of whatever it is that’s taken you over! After all this time, I’m bringing you back!

After a moment of silence, the creature let out a shrill screech that echoed throughout the forest, then rushed from its position, its claws at the ready to strike him down. This time, Eric knew what to expect. He knew what it was like and how it moved and attacked. There was no longer any surprise and that made it seem slightly less daunting to stand before it.

“Condite!” he chanted, waving his hands toward the oncoming monster.

Like last time, the invisible ropes wrapped around its body, but the same way Eric knew what to expect, so did the monster. It had faced that spell numerous times during their first encounter and so it was barely a second before the black shadows exploded from its body and severed them all. That was what Eric hoped for. Without breaking his stride, the boy took advantage of that brief moment and quickly placed his hand against the tree trunk to his right.

“Arbourus!” he snarled.

With that, the dirt around the monster suddenly exploded as the roots of the tree burst upwards, attempting to wrap themselves around its limbs. It shrieked in surprise, but was barely able to avoid the attack as it launched itself up into the air.

“Perkari!”

With it suspended in midair, Eric knew it would be an easier target, so he flung a burst of wind straight for its chest. This one hit home, sending the creature flying backwards and into the base of a nearby tree. Yet, while it did strike the creature, it wasn’t enough to keep it down. The moment it hit the tree, it shook itself off and swung around it, putting it out of Eric’s range. He could hear it jumping up into the canopies and so he knew he couldn’t stay put. Sending the mana to his legs, he propelled from his position and flew upwards just as the creature burst from the leaves. Having realized that he was already on the move, when it landed, it immediately jumped upwards and after him.

Deciding that speed really was his only option, he took into account what worked against it the first time and decided to use it in a more offensive method. Eric spun around and placed his legs against the trunk of a tree then pushed off it and swung toward the ground. Just like the last time, he never stayed in one spot for longer than a second. At the same time, he shouted just about every attack that came to mind between his launches.

“Perkari!”

“Proto!”

“Condite!”

“Proto!”

He kept to the same stretch of land, never wanting to put his backpack too far off, as he bounced from a trunk to the ground to the branches and then back down, hurling every manner of attack at the creature. His bursts of wind were easy for it to dodge, but the few times he used the ropes, it stopped it in its tracks long enough for him to get a few hits in. The creature was fast, but its long limbs made it hard for it to move as quickly with so many trees around them. Eric, however, was on his home turf. When he first realized he had magic, this was where he had gone to practice his spells. He knew he would have privacy so he spent many afternoons after club out in these trees, simply jumping around.

I’m not going to lose here! he screamed internally. I don’t want to lose anything else! Vinny’s already gone and for all I know, more will follow! I won’t let them win! I can’t let them win! And the first step in fighting them is to save Jay!

With a plan forming in his mind, Eric ceased his wind attacks and glanced back to see the monster on the forest floor, using its shadows to take out a few more ropes. When he landed atop a branch and stood tall, staring down at it with resolve, the creature glared up at him, and he could see the frustration burning in its black eyes. Eric placed his hand against the tree to steady himself and forced a cocky smile to his face.

“Is that all you’ve got?!” he taunted. “You’ll need to be better than that to defeat me! I am Eric Reiner of the Magical and Other Anomalies Investigation Team! I shall not fall so easily, creature of darkness!”

The monster narrowed its eyes and screeched once again, then sprung from its spot, directing itself straight toward him—exactly as Eric had hoped he would. The boy grinned and sent mana swirling from his hand and into the tree trunk beside him, feeling it flowing into the very forest around them.

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“Arobor!” he snarled.

All at once, the numerous branches of the trees began to shoot toward it. Unlike last time, it wasn’t on the ground where it could easily jump away, rather it was in the air. Something Eric had quickly learned about the creature was that it wasn’t intelligent. It was a being of pure power and rage, but there wasn’t any strategy in the way it fought. It might adapt to a certain extent, but if the conditions were changed enough, then it could fall into the same trap.

And it keeps forgetting just how vulnerable it is in midair! And when I can turn the entire forest against it, it doesn’t stand a damn chance!

The branches of the trees wrapped around its arms and legs, yanking it away from where Eric stood. However, they didn’t stop there. They wrapped around its hairy torso and its neck, making sure there wasn’t a single spot that wasn’t contained. It screeched and lunged in attempts to escape, but it wasn’t able to. The trees were too strong and he knew it would use its shadows at any moment. So, Eric put the next stage of his plan into effect. Using his magic, he jumped down to the forest below and placed his left hand against the ground.

“Carseka!” he chanted, taking the rest of his mana and sending it into the ground, all the while using the power in his right hand to bring the branches lower.

As he expected, shadows burst from the monster’s body, but since the trees weren’t as brittle as air, they didn’t all break at once, buying Eric enough time to bring the monster to the ground. The moment its feet touched the dirt, rock exploded from beneath it, rising up along its legs and toward its torso. The boy then called off the branches, allowing them to release it just as the stone engulfed its body, leaving only its head free to move. It was a similar trick he used against Nigreos. While he had spent a lot of time focusing on wind magic, he still knew enough about the other basic affinities to use simple spells.

And with any luck, rock should be harder for it to break out of.

The creature frantically moved its head around, its black eyes fixated on Eric with a bloodlust that sent shivers through his body. He remained crouched down, keeping what little mana he had left at the ready just in case his plan didn’t work. When almost a minute had passed, Eric exhaled in relief and rose to his feet, feeling the fatigue of battle threatening to pull him down as he strode toward the captured creature.

“Alright, let’s talk, Jay,” he began softly.

As he spoke, the monster stopped struggling, but it never looked away from him. “I…will kill you!” it rasped. “You will die, Reiner! I will kill you!”

Eric cocked an eyebrow in irritation. “I’m not talking to you, monster. I’m speaking to Jay.”

A low growl escaped its lips, and Eric felt his body shaking as he stared the creature down, but he knew this was likely his only chance to get through to his friend. So, ignoring its growls, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“Jay. Alice is in danger.”

Just like the last time, its fury receded for just a moment, as if the name was enough to summon the original host of the body. Not wanting to give the monster time to take over again, Eric went on.

“Nigreos and Album have her locked up somewhere, though I am still unsure of where that is,” he said. “They are going to kill her, Jay. Alice Mendez is going to die and I can’t do anything about it. But you…you might know where Nigreos is hiding. You might be able to save her. Are you really going to let Alice die after everything the two of you have been through?”

Its eyes went wide and Eric could tell that his words were getting through to him, so he took another few steps forward to stand right in front of the mound of rock that contained it. He then gently placed his hands on Jay’s face and looked directly into his eyes.

“Please, Jay. Don’t let Alice die. Save her. Save Alice.”

“But I…” it rasped. “She’s an enemy! She’s…”

“Your best friend,” he finished. “She is not your enemy. She is the enemy of whatever is inside of you. You don’t have the same goals, so take back the body that is rightfully yours and save your friend.”

Eric smiled, wanting to communicate to Jay that he was there for him, then muttered, “Somun.”

The last bit of mana left in his body shot into Jay’s head, knocking him unconscious. Eric sighed in relief then stepped away from the creature, realizing just how hard his heart had been beating. He kept expecting the monster to wake up again but when it was clear that it truly was beaten, it dawned on him that despite the odds, he had done it.

I won against him. I actually won.

With that realization, his emotions began to overwhelm him and tears started to flow down his cheeks as he turned and made his way back toward his backpack.

***

Lilly Harper was laying alone in her bedroom, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to calm herself down. Ever since leaving the clubroom, her anxiety had been through the roof, and she had even thrown up once. She was a mess and she couldn’t do anything to change that. Her thoughts were dominated only by Nigreos Noctis and the fate that awaited her, the club, and all others they had cursed with that gemstone. It was already the evening of Thursday and their deadline was Monday. For all she knew, her life could end in a matter of days. She could be experiencing the final days of her life and that utterly terrified her. But what was even worse was the guilt. She didn’t care what Damien had said. If they couldn’t work something out with Nigreos then Natalie was going to die all because of her—because she couldn’t listen to her instincts and keep the little girl away from their magic.

“You were trying to do some good! The gem might have marked them, but you can’t forget why you did what you did! You wanted them to be happy!”

She scoffed at Damien’s words and shook her head.

It doesn’t matter. If Natalie had never seen the sunset, she would live. She could have a happy life. Sure, she’d forget about me, but her mother cares about her. Renee would be there for her. But nobody can defend her against Nigreos. She’ll die and she probably won’t ever understand why. Lilly grit her teeth. I hope she hates me. I hope that if she dies, she hates me for what I did to her. I never should have used it on her. I’m pathetic. I’m terrible.

She rolled over in bed and yanked her covers over her body as the door to the bedroom opened. She already knew it was Alexa since she didn’t knock, so she pretended to be asleep. Her big sister had been worrying about her for months, so Lilly couldn’t imagine what she would think if she caught wind of what was happening.

“Hey, Lil’?” her sister said softly. “Are you okay?”

Lilly grunted. “I’m fine.”

“O-okay…I just thought I’d check. You didn’t really eat anything tonight and—”

“I’m not hungry.”

Alexa didn’t respond right away, and Lilly hoped she would just turn around and leave. She knew that if she broke down into tears then Alexa would know for a fact something was up. She had to be strong and keep her family from knowing what was happening.

After all, if I disappear, they’ll never know anything happened. They can be happily blind. That’s at least comforting. I wouldn’t want to leave them behind to suffer.

“How’s Reiner been? Is he any better?” her sister asked, breaking the silence.

Lilly clenched her fists at Alexa’s persistence. “Yeah, he’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Please just leave. I’m sorry, Alexa. I wish I could be more open with you, but I just can’t. Just leave me alone and in a few days, it’ll be like none of this ever happened. You can stop stressing over me so much. You can relax.

As she waited for her sister’s inevitable response, the silence in the room was broken by the ringing of her cellphone on the bedside table. Her heart felt like it stopped as she pushed herself up and hurriedly reached for it to check the caller.

Eric? He’s calling me now? Why? Did he figure something out…or has something happened?

Feeling the dread settling in, she ignored Alexa’s surprised look and answered the phone. “Eric? What's up?” she asked immediately, trying to hide the fear in her voice. “Is everything alright?”

“Um…I’m honestly not sure,” he muttered.

Lilly frowned. “Not sure? Why? What does that—?”

“I spoke with Nigreos.”

She stopped mid-sentence and just sat on her bed for a moment, struggling to process what he had said. When she didn’t respond, Eric elaborated.

“He went after Evan and Rina,” he explained. “I heard a scream on my way home and ran into the woods to see what was going on, only to find him speaking with them. He knew they had touched the stone. He had their names already and the only way I can imagine they got it was from Alice. I think she gave in.”

Lilly listened silently, feeling as if she were hearing a fictional story. What he was saying was disastrous. If that was the case then they might not have until Monday. They could all be killed at any moment and they wouldn’t be prepared for it.

This…can’t be…

“And that’s not it,” Eric went on. “He’s not alone, Lilly. He has another Master with him…a woman in white named Album Luz…the Master of Light.”

Lilly slowly stood up, trying her hardest to take deep breaths as she did. She knew she needed to go outside and talk to him while Alexa wasn’t standing right there, but she found her legs unable to move. She just stood helplessly as Eric truly drove in how screwed they were.

“And…are you hurt?” she asked.

“No, not really,” he replied. “But there’s a lot we need to discuss. We’ll meet at the clubroom tomorrow and I’ll give a better explanation, I promise. Just be careful. Keep your eyes open and if anything happens, call me. Nigreos and Album will not hold back. I’ll let Damien and Liz know so if you could get a hold of Brad, that’d be great. And then we’ll—”

“Wait,” she interrupted, feeling a sudden sense of deja vu as he spoke. “Hold on a moment, Eric.”

He stopped. “What? What’s wrong?”

It can’t be. Not again. It can’t have happened again!

“You said Brad?” she said carefully. “But…I don’t know anybody named Brad, Eric. Did we…lose somebody else?”

“You…” he stuttered. “Are you saying you don’t remember Brad? Brad Fischer! The guy we helped with his test back in the fall! The football star!”

Nothing was ringing a bell. It was just like the day when Eric started going on about Mickelson. She didn’t know a Brad Fischer nor did she remember helping any football star with a test.

“Lilly, please!” he begged. “Don’t tell me… Not again!”

We…lost someone else. Somebody else is gone from this world. Brad Fischer… Who were you? What were you to me? And why are you gone? We’re all…we’re all actually going to die.

Her head was getting dizzy and she found herself struggling to stay on her feet. Breaking her silence up until then, she heard Alexa call out to her, but she didn’t hear what she said as she collapsed to the ground of her bedroom and lost consciousness.

***

Eric slowly opened the door to his house and stepped inside, hearing the familiar sound of the television further within. He absently slipped his shoes off then closed the door behind him, still clutching his phone in his right hand. Alexa had called him back to assure him that Lilly was okay and that she just needed to eat something, but there had been a chill in the girl’s words that told him that she was blaming whatever happened on him. The belief that he could earn Alexa Harper’s trust was long gone and he realized that it might not even matter. All of his plans for the future were going to amount to nothing. He had believed he won himself a victory. He survived an encounter with two Masters, somehow managed to take off Album’s arm, and incapacitated the monster inside Jay. It should have been something to be proud of, but now he knew that he had actually been too late.

Brad’s gone. They erased him, just like they erased Vinny. We’ve lost two people and there’s still no true victory in sight. Perhaps I simply delayed the inevitable by beating them tonight…

His body felt weak from the fighting and his uniform was torn in numerous places due to Album’s attack and his dodging through the branches. His legs were sore and his head was throbbing. He moved slowly down the hallway and stopped only for a moment in front of the living room to see his father sitting in his normal spot, watching the TV.

“I’m home,” he mumbled.

His father barely glanced at him as he responded. “Good.”

Good? That’s all you have to say? If you bothered to even look at me, you’d realize that something’s wrong. But you can’t even figure out that much. How did my mother ever fall in love with someone like you? You barely know I exist! Hell, your life probably won’t change if Nigreos and Album get me!

He wanted to say all of that out loud but he held it in and continued down the hall toward his bedroom. When he got inside, he slid his backpack off and tossed it under his desk, then gently closed the door. He then turned and approached the desk, reaching for one of the locked drawers on its right side.

“Pateno,” he uttered, sending a miniscule burst of mana into the lock.

It opened effortlessly and he carefully pulled it open to stare inside where a small syringe was laying, wrapped in velvet cloth. When he reached out and pulled it back, he saw the swirling white and black power within the canister. Despite having been entrusted to him by his mom, the colors within scared him, reminding him of the black and white beings that were currently hunting him.

“The power in that syringe is dangerous, both to you and to those around you. It is only to be touched when there’s nothing else you can possibly do—the last chance of last chances. It could potentially even kill anybody who gets too close to it. That’s why…it needs to be protected. That’s why it shouldn’t be used. Do you understand?”

His mother’s words returned to him as he picked it up, feeling the power surging within. Tears returned to his eyes and he found himself shaking as he sobbed.

What am I supposed to do? Is this the emergency you warned me about? Should I use it now? But…she said it shouldn’t be used! She said it could kill people and if I used it and it resulted in someone from the club dying, I’d never be able to live with myself! I don’t even know what it’ll do to me!

He fell to his knees and clutched the syringe, feeling the one lifeline he had to a victory but not even knowing what to do with it. Should he just bite the bullet and use it, or could this mysterious protection she’d left on him be enough? He wanted desperately to ask his mother for help, but now he knew the truth. She was gone. Abigail Reiner was dead and she was never coming home. He had been waiting for his mother for so long and now, it was over. He was alone. She could no longer be there with him.

“What do I do?” he uttered. “Mom? Please…help me.”