Chapter VI

Lilly Harper clenched her teeth as images began to race through her mind. They were incoherent and each one only remained for half a second before being replaced by others. However, there was one constant element that connected them all: Fear. In some, she saw a man in a black suit with shadows swirling all around him, and in others, it was a young boy she had never met, sometimes smiling and sometimes terrified. People were speaking in a lot of them, but the only words she could ever make out were “Nigreos Noctis”. She didn’t know who he was, but she knew he was an enemy of some sort. He had done something to her that could never be forgiven, but she didn’t know what that was. All she felt was unbridled anger, and when the visions subsided, she found the young man still in the same place he had been moments before, a few dozen yards down the empty neighborhood street, with his hand outstretched toward her.

“Nothing more to say?” he growled threateningly. “This world isn’t real so I don’t have a problem taking you on in broad daylight! So if you just want to start this thing, I’ll be happy to oblige.”

She was missing context to whatever he meant, she knew at least that much. But she could feel that context just below the surface, as if it could break free at any moment, and so, Lilly found herself merely relying on instinct as she responded.

“I am not a disciple of Nigreos Noctis,” she called back. “I promise you that I don’t want to hurt you. Like I said, I don’t even know who you are!”

The man cocked an eyebrow. “Well, I’m sure you don’t. I was erased, after all. However, I doubt Noctis and Luz would have sent you in here without telling you what your job was. Not to mention…” He narrowed his eyes, his features tensing up as he looked her over. “...there’s something off about you. I definitely sense Nigreos’s magic in you, but…I can sense light magic as well. That’s not possible! Or, at least not for somebody who isn’t royal!”

His words were becoming more and more confusing and Lilly was realizing that her attempts at convincing him that he had the wrong person were only annoying him even further.

But then…what the hell am I supposed to do? I’m not this person he’s looking for! I’m not Nigreos’s disciple! I’m not anybody’s disciple for that matter!

“Unfortunately, I don’t see him standing down. Just give us the word and we’ll kill him.”

“Yup, yup! He’s definitely strong but he isn’t somebody we’d have much trouble with!”

Wait, kill him?! No, I don’t want to kill anybody!

She took an involuntary step back, realizing this was the first time the voices had said anything coherent to her since they first showed up. Regardless of how scared she was, she definitely didn’t want to hurt the guy.

“ANSWER ME!” the man suddenly snarled, drawing her attention back to him. “Who in the hell are you?! How do you have both light and dark magic?! What are you doing in the erased realm?!”

“I don’t…” She frantically shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! If you could just explain what you mean then maybe we can talk this out!”

He laughed bitterly, as if deciding that he was wasting his time. “So be it then. Perkari!”

She couldn’t see whatever it was he launched at her aside from a slight shine, but she could feel the power coming straight for her. Lilly ducked out of the way the moment the word left his lips, and once again, she felt something just barely soar past her body.

“Proto!”

Moving at a speed that should have been impossible, he launched himself toward her, beginning to close the distance in the blink of an eye. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do, but it was then that her body began to move on its own.

“So be it. Sorry, Harper, but it looks like we have to deal with this guy.”

Her arm shot up just as he was about to reach her and her lips moved without her control.

“Luminetta!” she shouted.

Light erupted from her hand, exploding toward the man in a flash. Yet, despite how bright it was, it didn’t inhibit her vision as she watched him lurch backwards, slamming into the asphalt and skidding across it. Her eyes went wide in fear that he might be dead, but he was quickly back on his feet, grinning darkly.

“I knew you were lying!” he spat furiously.

“N-no, I didn’t—! I don’t know how I did—!” But her protests were cut off as her body once again left her control. “Illumine!”

She felt herself suddenly lose all its weight as her physical form turned into pure white light. Time around her seemed to slow to a stop as she sprinted forward toward where the man was, only returning to normal when she was right in front of him. However, she failed to reclaim control over herself as her arms raised to aim right at his head.

“Luminetta!” she repeated.

She must have moved faster than he could process because it was only once she spoke the word that he realized she was there, and by then, it was far too late. Light seared across his face, melting off parts of his cheeks and blinding his eyes.

No, stop!

Her internal protest managed to cut the phenomenon short, but the man simply fell to the ground, screeching in such pain that she couldn’t bear to listen. He was grabbing his face and shouting words that meant nothing to her, but as he did, she saw the melted parts of his cheeks beginning to reform.

“Why stop, Harper? If we wait, he’s just going to heal himself and get back on his feet. No amount of talking is gonna convince him that we aren’t his enemy. This guy clearly doesn’t like Nigreos and Album.”

“Agreed. So unless you can explain The Angel to him, which I know you can’t, it would be better to simply kill him and get him out of the way.”

She quickly stepped away from the screaming man, frantically shaking her head yet again. No, I don’t want to kill him! What even are you guys! What are you doing in my head?! How am I even doing this?!

“I imagine you’ll know in due time. Already, our connection to you is becoming clearer. I would give it a few more hours before your memories start returning.”

My memories? What memories?

“Well, all of the memories you’ve forgotten about. The stuff about the Magic Club, Ijiria, Nigreos and Album, and of course, Mr. Eric Reiner.”

She froze, once again finding herself assaulted by visions of events that never happened. That same boy from before was in all of them, and this time, he was smiling almost every time. Intense happiness flowed through her and she wanted to reach out and grab him, but the visions faded before she could.

Eric…Reiner?

“Yes. I see you remember him, at least to a certain extent. And if you want to save him, you can’t let this man get in our way. Therefore…”

She felt her hands beginning to raise again, aiming toward the young man struggling to get to his feet. The skin on his face was red, but somehow, it had all grown back. Yet, he must have still been weak because his features were strained as he tried to rise up, and when he turned to look at her, he suddenly seemed afraid. In fact, the stare in his eyes was almost childlike, as if pleading with her not to kill him, and despite him being the one to attack her first, she found herself desperate to resist the voices in her head.

No! Don’t do it! Don’t kill him!

“Don’t disobey us, Lilly Harper! If you want our help then you must obey us!”

“Shut up!” she screamed. “Don’t kill him, damnit!”

She could feel her mouth trying to move on its own, to chant whatever incantation would end the man’s life, so she bit down on her lip as hard as she could. Energy was surging around her upper back before suddenly bursting free. She couldn’t see what was happening, but she could feel something emerging from her body and when she looked into the man’s eyes, she saw him staring at her in a mix of fear and awe.

“Harper! Stop resisting!”

“I won’t! I won’t let him die!”

She could feel her vision becoming blurry and her body was growing weak. It was as if all of her strength was flowing out from her back and slowly, the image of the neighborhood street and the man disappeared, with everything becoming engulfed in a world of white.

Images once again came to mind.

She saw that same young boy from earlier, standing tall and smiling as he spoke about the small orange gemstone clutched in his hand.

Then, people she did recognize began to enter the visions, though she couldn’t explain why it was them in particular.

Vinny Mickelson, grinning like he used to.

Damien Clark, sitting in his usual spot in the back of the clubroom.

Liz Tao, teasing Eric and Vinny.

She then saw those they helped with the stone. Alice, Jay, Brad, Natalie…even Evan and Rina returned to her thoughts.

Helping with Brad’s test, stopping Evan and Rina from hurting Alice, bringing Liz and Damien back together, giving Jay a reason to live after his attempted suicide, giving Natalie eyesight for her birthday.

And then, the darker moments came to her—the events that followed the arrival of Nigreos Noctis and Album Luz. She remembered Vinny’s erasure and the attack by the monster that stole Jay’s body. She remembered the fear she felt after Alice was captured, and the subsequent loss of Brad, Evan, and the death of Rina Davens. After getting Alice back, they made one last stand at her apartment, but it was there that Damien, Liz, and Natalie were erased from reality. And then…

The woman on the mountain… Abigail Reiner… And my mission.

“We don’t have much more time, so I will be quick. Destroying these mana gates requires a mage and you, currently, are not one. But, if you’re willing to embrace and become The Angel, then you will have the power to destroy the erased realm from within.”

Those were the words Abigail spoke to her—the mission she was assigned. She needed to destroy the erased realm from within with the power of The Angel. She could now do that. She had been erased and Eric had been left in the real world. If she wanted to get back to him, and to save those Album locked within that artificial world, then she had to wake up.

Yeah…I need to wake up…

***

When Lilly finally opened her eyes, everything had returned to her. All that time spent with the Magic Club and those terrifying weeks in April where they fought against Nigreos and Album was as clear in her thoughts as if they had just happened. She remembered it all and with it, came a strong mix of happiness and sadness. She wasn’t as alone as she had believed herself to be, but those days were now lost. She couldn’t return to their time spent in that clubroom. It was a time that had been stolen away from them.

But at the very least, I’m back. I can do something about this erased realm. I just need to get my bearings.

As she fully came to consciousness, Lilly realized that the ceiling she was staring at was unfamiliar to her. She blinked a few times, trying to remember where she had been last, before her encounter with that strange man came back to her as well.

Who was that? He was clearly an Ijirian but I’ve never seen him before. She considered their encounter for a moment before coming to a conclusion. He said he was erased, too. The way he spoke about Nigreos was certainly not with fondness. So he’s a potential ally then.

Lilly sat up and glanced around what she realized was a bedroom. It was a rather bland room, however. The bed she was laying on was pushed up against the wall and there was a window with the blinds closed just beside her. Directly across the room was a slightly open closet and to its right was a closed doorway. For the moment, she was alone, but she didn’t have a clue where she was. She had no memory of this place.

She sighed and was about to climb from the bed, but when she tried to move, she felt a tugging against her right arm. She glanced down to find her wrist linked to the bed by a seemingly transparent rope.

What the hell? I’m tied up? So then…did that guy from the convenience store kidnap me or something?!

Afraid that she might have been violated in some way, she looked down at her body, but she was still wearing her running clothes and for the moment, it didn’t appear as if anything was out of place. She exhaled in relief before the panic set in once again as she tried to figure out what to do.

Well, I need to first try and get whatever this rope is off. Though, it’s clearly magic so—

“Coreas,” she said and with that, the shadows in the room suddenly came to life, bursting toward the rope and cutting it in half, freeing her.

She stared in shock as the darkness then receded back into its proper place.

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“You’re welcome,” came the lower voice from within her head. “As annoyed as I am that you fought against us, it seems it might have worked out for the time being.”

Lilly grit her teeth, easily recognizing the shadows as the same ones that Nigreos used back in the real world. In fact, the light magic that she was using back in the street was almost identical to what Album produced in her fight against Eric when they attacked her apartment. She knew it couldn’t be a coincidence.

“So you guys are The Angel, yeah?” she asked softly. “And you’re why I was able to use magic?”

“Yup, that’s the deal. With us now inside of you, light and dark magic are at your disposal. Or at least to a certain degree.”

“And the man that attacked me,” she went on. “He claimed I was a disciple of Nigreos. I take it that’s because of you guys?”

“Yes, I would imagine that’s the case. You see, our magic greatly resembles Nigreos and Album. Clearly, that man has experience with them and senses their power within you. It was why I wanted him dead. Cooperating with him won’t be easy and yet…he’s spared your life, so…”

“He could be an ally,” she finished wryly.

“Perhaps…”

She wasn’t sure what to make of any of what they said, but she decided it would be best left for another time. She didn’t like the thought that whatever was inside of her resembled the Masters of Darkness and Light, but she told herself to trust in Abi Reiner and believe that The Angel truly was the key to bringing down the erased realm.

With her arm free, Lilly crawled along the bed and peeked through the window blinds. She could see a street down below and knew that she must be three stories up in an apartment building.

It’s probably his home, she thought. And this place…this realm…it's identical to Wilham. I wonder why…?

“Well, the eraser can essentially decide what their realms look like. It’s possible Album chose to make it this way for a specific reason.”

Lilly grimaced, that reason coming to her almost instantly. Alice’s paradise…

This specific version of the erased realm must have been created to fool Alice back when they had her captured. It would explain how they managed to get in her head so much to the point that she desired erasure.

But this isn’t a paradise… That’s already clear to me…

Before she could continue along that train of thought, Lilly sensed a presence on the other side of the bedroom door, and when she turned around, she saw it swing open as the man from before stalked inside, carrying a sword in his right hand, its tip immediately raised to aim directly at her. Under any other circumstances, she might have been surprised by the medieval weapon, but after everything else she’d been through, she was unphased.

“I see you’re awake,” he snapped irritably.

She nodded. “I see you tried to tie me up.”

“Course I did. You singed half my face off,” the man replied sharply. “Though it was more for my own peace of mind. Clearly it didn’t do much to keep you restrained.”

Lilly slid off the bed and stood up straight to face him, feeling oddly calm in his rather threatening presence. “Yeah, sorry about that. Whether you believe it or not, I really didn’t want to do that. Though, I’m surprised you didn’t just kill me when I passed out.”

The man narrowed his eyes, and it was obvious to her that he was trying to figure her out. Though, she couldn’t help but notice that he seemed slightly less hostile this time.

“Well, to be perfectly honest, I really would like to kill you,” he growled. “But the situation has changed. You’re…different from what I expected. When I first sensed you in that store, I thought for sure you were some disciple of either Nigreos or Album, but what I saw down there…was something I’ve never seen in my life. What the hell are you exactly? How did you do…what you did?”

She smiled awkwardly. “Well, I can’t really explain it. Even I don’t fully know what I did. But I can promise you one thing: Nigreos Noctis is my enemy. I am not his disciple, nor am I Album’s for that matter. They put me in here, too.”

“Why?” he instantly demanded. “What did you do?”

“Nothing, really. I was just a magicless girl who happened to get her hands on some magic…and I guess that’s illegal in Ijiria.”

He cocked an inquisitive and skeptical eyebrow then scoffed, taking a step forward so that that blade was only a few inches away from her throat. She could feel The Angel becoming tense but she did her best to keep it in check.

“Do you really think I’d buy that?” he hissed. “A magicless girl? If you were so magicless then how were you using light magic?”

“Like I said, I don’t really know,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Right before I was erased, something weird happened to me, and I only just got my memories back. I’m trying to process everything right now. The best explanation I could give would be…” She hesitated, not wanting to give too much away but also desperately needing some help. “...that I embraced The Angel. Does that make sense to you?”

The man frowned. “The Angel? No, never heard of it.”

Damn it. I was hoping he could maybe explain some of this to me…but I guess not.

“Look,” she muttered. “Could you lower the sword or something? We shouldn’t be going at each other like this. Clearly we have the same enemies…right?”

“So you’re saying you want to fight against the Masters, too?” he inquired. “Even though you have their magic?”

She nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Whatever magic is inside me was given to me in order to take them down…and to get out of this erased realm. I want to escape back to the real world…just like you. So please…lower the sword and let’s talk.”

She could see how conflicted he was, and for a moment, she really expected him to outright refuse her request, but he finally lowered the blade and sheathed it at his hip before sighing.

“So be it. We can talk,” he conceded. “I’m willing to at least hear you out, Miss…?”

She smiled. “Lilly Harper.”

“Harper?” He took a second to process her name before scowling. “I’ve never even heard of that family name so…how could you possibly have learned something as advanced as light and dark magic?”

She rolled her eyes. “Cause I embraced an angel. I already told you that. Now, what’s your name?”

He was pulled from his thoughts by her question, then begrudgingly stuck his hand out for her to shake. “My name’s Rista. Rista Pine.”

Grateful that the man seemed finally willing to hear her out, Lilly took Rista’s hand and shook it firmly. When they touched, she found she could sense the power inside of him, and it made her wonder who he was and why he was erased in the first place. He was clearly an Ijirian so that meant that those from Wilham weren’t the only ones that she would be able to find in the alternate version of her home that she now found herself in.

“So, how many others are here? Ijirians, I mean?” she asked once she released her grasp on his hand.

Rista grimaced. “None, as far as I know. I’m the only one here.”

“The only one?” she parroted. “Why? I don’t imagine my friends and I are the only other people Album’s ever erased, so why would you be the only Ijirian here?

“That’s…complicated,” he admitted. “You see, there are numerous versions of the erased realm where people can be sent. I would imagine Album created this one for the sole purpose of containing you and your friends. If my guess is correct, it was probably created not long after I was erased, and whatever spell Album used to do it must have pulled me here with you simply because I was the most recent victim of this terrible ability.”

Despite willingly explaining everything to her, Rista still seemed as if he was trying to determine whether she was just playing dumb. He had stepped away from her and returned to his spot in the doorway, as if fearing she could attack him again at any moment.

“So there’s other versions of the realm?” she asked. “Then does that mean my friends might not all be here with me?”

Rista shrugged. “Depends, I guess. You said they only went after you because you got your hands on some magic? What’s the story there?”

“Oh, well…” She glanced down at the ground, recalling the painful days that led up to their erasure. “That’s a long story, but the short of it is that a good friend of mine found this little orange stone that could swap people’s bodies and we screwed around with it. We didn’t understand how dangerous it was until Nigreos and Album arrived on our doorstep and started erasing us. Now, all of us except one have been erased, and I don’t know where he is right now. But I have to get back to him!”

Gathering her resolve, Lilly raised her head to face Rista, only to find him staring at her in shock.

“W-what?” she stuttered. “What’d I say?”

Rista licked his lips, as if his mind had suddenly stopped. “A little orange stone that could swap bodies? Was it by any chance found on a beach or in a cave or anything like that?”

“Oh, uh…yeah, actually,” she managed to answer. “How did you know that?”

The man laughed bitterly as he ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Cause I’m the one who put it there.”

“Y-you? What do you–?!”

“Almost a year ago in the time of this realm, my people and I led a raid against the government of Ijiria to steal one of their relics…all in the hopes of avenging the murder of our mother,” he began, cutting her off. “We were successful in sneaking into the vault and swiping a relic, but it was with a great loss of life. So many of us died so that I could take that stone and flee…but Nigreos and Album cut me off and I only barely managed to cut open a portal and flee to Omaruo before I was erased. I’ve wondered what happened to the relic but…evidently you had it.”

She took everything he was saying in, realizing that the dagger Eric had must have been the one Rista used to flee Ijiria. She had never known what happened to bring the gem to Wilham, but finding out how many people died to steal it only made her understand why Nigreos and Album were so insistent on defeating them. Evidently, it was a priceless talisman.

“That stone?” Rista went on. “What became of it?”

Lilly sighed, wishing she could have given him better news. “Right before I was erased, Nigreos took it back. I imagine it’s been returned to whatever vault you stole it from.”

A twinge of sadness flashed across the man’s face. “I guess…I should have expected that. And I don’t think you’re lying to me, Harper. I don’t know what the hell you are, but I’m starting to believe you really are an enemy of Nigreos and Album.”

Lilly smirked. “Damn right I am.”

“Well then, to answer your earlier question, I doubt any of your friends were sent to a different erased realm,” he said. “Album would most likely put you all in the same place. That would be my guess, anyway. As for the other boy, I can’t be sure whether he was killed or sent to another realm.”

Lilly cringed at the thought of Eric getting killed, but she told herself that she couldn’t think about that. She had to believe that Eric was still alive back in the real world or else she wouldn’t be able to push forward. No matter what, she had to believe both in his mother’s protection and in him.

“He’s not here,” she said firmly. “I would know if he was.”

Rista shook his head. “You can never be sure with this hellhole of a place. What’s his name? It’s possible I’ve seen him around. After all, I’ve had my memories for quite a while now.”

Despite believing it to be pointless, she nevertheless decided to hope that maybe Rista was right.

“Eric Reiner,” she answered.

Rista exhaled sharply and this time, he spun around to face her fully, his eyes wide as they locked onto her. “Reiner, you said? His surname is Reiner?!”

She was thrown off by the sharpness of his tone, but quickly collected herself, realizing what Rista’s reaction must mean. “Yes, it is,” she repeated, and then, realizing that his reaction could mean something important, she then asked, “Are you familiar with his mother, Abigail Reiner?”

“His…mother…?” he breathed. “Reiner? ‘R’ ‘E’ ‘I’ ‘N’ ‘E’ ‘R’?”

Lilly nodded. “Yeah, that’s how it’s spelled. He’s her son, though it doesn’t sound like she told anybody about him back in Ijiria so I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know about him. Did you know Abigail?”

“Know her?” he uttered, a weak smile coming to his face. “Of course I know her. She was my adoptive mother. My people that I told you about…we’re called the Children of Reiner.”

“The Children of Reiner?” Lilly parroted as she gaped at him. “She adopted you?”

Rista laughed softly. “She adopted all of us. Abigail Reiner ran an orphanage in the poorer part of Erika, the capital city of Ijiria. She took in any children who didn’t have a home and took care of them like we were her own…always saying that she was doing it to atone… We sometimes wondered if she had a genetic child somewhere but…we never had it confirmed… Eric Reiner…her son…”

Rista’s thoughts seemed to take him into whatever memories he had, giving Lilly a chance to process what he was telling her.

The Children of Reiner? Eric never told me about these guys so they must have been created after she left Wilham. That’s how it sounds anyway. But this is good! If Rista was one of these Children then there’s no doubt in my mind that I can trust him! And maybe…my relationship with Eric will make him trust me.

“Rista,” she said, causing him to look back at her. “Eric’s still out there. When I was erased, Nigreos and Album had him in some other realm, probably Ijiria, if I had to guess. I don’t know what became of him, but I have to break out of here and find out. So, please…help me! Help me and we can fight the Masters together!”

Rista hesitated, and she could tell that he was still struggling to trust her. She knew it was understandable given what he must be sensing from her, and the fact that The Angel caused her to attack him, but she knew that if she didn’t get through to this man, then her job to break free from the erased realm would be far harder.

She needed Rista Pine.

“For the time being,” Rista finally began, “I will work with you. But don’t think I’ve forgotten what I saw. The only reason I spared your life back there was because of how hard you were clearly trying to stop yourself from killing me. But that means that whatever is inside of you did try to kill me. So, I’ll help you, but if that supposed angel goes out of control then I won’t hesitate to try and put you down.”

“Ha! As if he could.”

Ignoring the smug voice within her, Lilly simply smiled back at the young man.

“Deal.”

***

Once Rista decided to trust her, she spent the next few hours discussing with him both her own struggles and his. She told him about the Magic Club and what they used the gem for, as well as about the weeks they spent trying to fight Nigreos and Album. In return, he explained some details about the Children of Reiner, telling her of their attack on what he called “The Citadel” and his subsequent escape into the city of Erika. By the time they finished talking, the sun was setting and Lilly agreed to meet up with him again on Monday before school before departing his apartment and heading home. Rista had given her so much to think about, but she felt rejuvenated and alive.

Her memories were back.

She was herself again.

When she reached her apartment building, she headed through the lobby and into the elevator, riding it up to her floor before going to her front door. She was amazed by how identical everything was to the real Wilham despite it being a fake. That surreal feeling was only amplified when she entered her apartment to find her mother and father sitting on the coach.

“Hey, there’s our girl!” her dad called out with a broad grin. “You’re sure back late! How was the race! How’d you do?!”

It wasn’t her real father. The man talking to her was a recreation of him, yet he was so similar that had she not known this world was fake, she would have believed him to be real.

“Pretty well,” she replied with a forced smile. “I got eighth place actually.”

“Eighth?!” her mom exclaimed. “Sweetheart, that’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! Tell us all about it!”

Lilly nodded. “Sure. Just give me a minute to change.”

She headed down the hall and into her bedroom, only to stop short in her doorway as she looked around.

That’s right… Alexa already left for college. It’s fall again.

She didn’t know how much time had passed in the real Wilham, but she couldn’t help but think about her older sister. When they parted ways, Lilly promised to do her best to beat Nigreos and Album, but she had failed and gotten herself erased anyway. The real Alexa no longer knew she existed.

I need to get back. I need to break this place open and free everybody within. I’ll help Rista and I’ll help the others. Nigreos and Album haven’t won yet. I’ll make damn sure of that!