Chapter VIII
How long has it been? I can’t really say for sure. I know it’s been longer than a day, but how much longer? Is the festival already over? If so, then somebody must be looking for me, right? Someone has to have noticed my disappearance by now. But then again…do I even want anybody to show up? It’s already clear to me that we’re powerless against these monsters. If anyone finds me…won’t they just end up dead, too? So then…it’s better if I’m not found. I don’t want anybody else to get hurt. I don’t want them to die.
Alice Mendez weakly readjusted her position in the wooden chair she was tied to. Everything was dark due to the blindfold wrapped around her head and she couldn’t make a sound because of the gag they shoved in her mouth. Her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were bound to the chair. At the beginning, she’d attempted to struggle against the bindings, but eventually decided that there wasn’t a point. Even if she could have gotten away and even if she had the strength to stand up to her captors, she wouldn’t be able to get far on her own. The loss of her right foot was more than enough to prevent her from escaping. The best she could do was crawl, but that wouldn’t be fast enough to escape them. It was hopeless. There was nothing she could do but sit there and wait for them to kill her like they did the others.
Monica…
The image of her friend and coworker rose to the forefront of her mind. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about that final look of utter terror in Monica’s eyes right before she died. Monica was gone and Alice feared she would be joining her soon. After all, if they killed Monica then there was no reason to keep her alive, too. Once they had what they wanted, they would cast her aside.
And the one behind it all was the woman in white, Album Luz, and her black-clad companion, a man Alice had yet to learn the name of. These “Masters of Ijiria”, as they called themselves, were the ones behind Monica’s death and Alice’s capture, and she already knew how powerful they were. They were a force that she couldn't hope to stand up against. The raw power they displayed at the diner was horrifying and there was nothing a simple girl like her could do to stop them. Even if she denied them what they wanted, she knew they would just find it another way. By staying silent and defying their orders to answer their questions, she was only delaying the inevitable.
Eric… They want Eric and the stone…though I can’t fathom why.
Every time they ungagged her and interrogated her, it was always related to Eric Reiner and the magical stone he possessed. They would ask questions like “Where is Reiner?” and “How many of you have swapped bodies?” They wanted details on who used it and even who knew of its existence, and they were determined to do whatever they could to get their information. And yet, despite the horrific pain they were putting her through, she hadn’t given them anything.
She hated them.
They murdered an innocent girl for no apparent reason, right before her eyes. And she knew that if she gave up any information about Eric, Lilly, the club, or the stone, then they would do the same to them. She couldn’t allow that to happen. No matter what they did to her, she couldn’t allow herself to break. Every time the pain became too much, she just forced herself to remember that look in Monica’s eyes and imagine that happening to Lilly or Jay. That was all it took for her to bite her tongue and remain silent. They could do whatever they wanted to her, but she couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her friends. She couldn’t betray them…especially when she knew she was going to die anyway.
Off on the other side of whatever place she was locked up in, she heard the sound of the door opening, followed by footsteps. They were heavier than normal, which led her to expect not Album Luz, but the man in black. She instantly cringed. He was the one who always tortured her. He used his shadows to invade her body and tear her from the inside. Yet, he always healed her wounds and then made them again, as if to ensure that she didn’t die. It was the worst pain she had ever experienced in her life and so, just the sound of his footsteps made her want to vomit.
“Good evening, Miss Mendez,” he greeted in his soft and deep voice.
Evening? So it probably is the last night of the festival.
“How are you holding up?” he asked. “Have you given any more thought to being cooperative with us? Perhaps you’re ready for the pain to finally end?”
She swallowed in fear, but slowly shook her head. She knew her refusal would only be met with more pain, but she shook it regardless.
“Unfortunate,” he muttered. “Though I’m surprised at how well you’re still holding up. I expected a magicless girl like yourself to give in within a few minutes. Not to mention, you’re a mere teenager. Though, you must understand that defying us will only result in your own suffering.”
I don’t care. I won’t betray my friends. I won’t let you kill them like you did Monica!
“Here,” he whispered, and moments later, the gag was removed from her mouth.
But before she could even speak a word, she felt water trickling into her open mouth. She gratefully welcomed it, having not realized until that moment just how parched she was. Once the water stopped coming, she listened as the man began to pace around the room, and she waited with bated breath for him to speak one of those words that always preceded the pain.
“Do you have anything you want to say, Mendez?” he inquired.
She clenched her teeth, knowing that whether she spoke her mind or not wouldn’t matter. He would hurt her regardless, so she simply spat, “Go fuck yourself.”
“Devare.”
She’d been prepared for it. She knew speaking such vulgarity at the man would only incur his wrath, but that didn’t make what happened next any less painful. She felt his power invading her mouth, forcing its way into her lungs until there wasn’t any room for oxygen. She desperately gasped for air but it wouldn’t come as pain erupted throughout her insides, as if she was being cut open from within. But just as quickly as the pain came, it vanished, the wounds seeming to heal the second they opened. This continued for just a few more seconds before the power vacated her body and she could breathe again. She frantically took in air and felt as if she could pass out at any second.
“I don’t understand why you’re so persistent,” the man snapped. “All this pointless suffering could be over if you just answer my damn questions! So why won’t you?”
As her breathing became steady once again, Alice slowly raised her head in the direction of his voice and spoke. “I won’t…let you…hurt anybody…else. Nobody else…needs…to die.”
The man scoffed. “Are you still hung up on that waitress? But if that's the case, you should realize that refusing to help will only create more casualties like her. You gain nothing by defying me. You already know how far I’m willing to go to reach my goals.”
She knew he was right. And yet…
“I won’t…be the one…to betray them…” she breathed. “I won’t…help you…hurt my friends…”
She heard his footsteps stop just ahead of her and she cringed in anticipation of more pain, but this time, all he did was respond to her.
“You’re an admirable person,” he said. “I’m not lying when I say that you have my respect. You’re loyal to those you care about and that’s a valuable trait to have. But…” The man paused and could feel his face just inches away from her own. “I will break you, Alice Mendez. You can’t fight me forever and it’s now truly clear to me that you care deeply about those close to you. So, let me just say one name and we’ll see how cooperative you are then.” He laughed darkly. “Do you know a boy named Jay Brooks?”
Her body went cold and she straightened up instantly, horrified that Jay’s name could possibly come from his lips.
“No, please!” she begged.
She didn’t even try to deny knowing him. It was clear already that the man knew of their connection and if he knew about Jay, then it was only so long before he found out about his vulnerable state in the hospital. Yet, just as that thought came to mind, his next words sent another wave of fear through her.
“I had a hunch,” he whispered. “You wouldn't have been visiting the boy at the hospital if he didn’t mean something to you.”
Alice meekly shook her head, wanting desperately to get up and run. They knew I visited him at the hospital?! How?! Were they following me that whole time? Then…how much do they know? Did they watch me during the festival?
Her first thoughts were of the drama club and how she spent most of the day helping them with their performance, but those worries quickly shifted to Damien and Liz. She’d had lunch with the two of them that day and she knew they were targets since they knew of the stone. If they’d seen her with them, then the two of them could already be in danger as well.
And Jay…
Alice forced herself to raise her head once again. “Please,” she uttered. “Jay’s innocent. Don’t hurt him. I can’t… I can’t lose him, too. He’s…my best friend…”
She knew the man didn’t give a damn about her emotional connection with Jay, and that by saying what she had was probably only making him all the more pleased, but she couldn’t stop herself. She couldn’t bear the thought of Jay getting hurt or even dying after everything they went through together.
It’s not fair! Please… It’s not fair that I could lose him after all that!
“Well, clearly I’ve gotten the reaction I wanted,” he said, and she found she could hear the smile on his lips. “So, consider how much you want to protect your friends. Perhaps I’ll start torturing Brooks instead of you. Would that loosen your lips at all?”
A sense of utter defeat washed over her and she slumped back into the chair. It doesn't matter, she told herself. They said they wanted people who have used the stone and Jay is one of those people. Either I keep quiet and Jay gets hurt, or I tell the truth and Jay gets hurt. There’s…nothing I can do.
So, she slowly shook her head. “I won’t…betray anybody. Jay…wouldn’t want…others to get…killed.”
She knew she was right. After everything the club did for him, he would be furious with her if she sold them out to save him. For the time being, she would just have to pray that a miracle would come along because there was nothing she could do but refuse the man’s orders.
“Really?” the man pressed. “Even knowing I have Jay Brooks in my palm?”
“Yes.”
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At that, the footsteps continued, and she once again tensed up in preparation of more pain. Yet, for the second time, she was surprised to find that the conversation continued.
“Well, perhaps we’ll see what song you sing when you listen to that boy’s shrieks,” he said softly. “Though, I am curious…”
Before he finished his sentence, she suddenly felt his hand placed against the back of her head. This time, he didn't utter any strange word before the power began surging through her body. Yet, it wasn’t painful. Instead, she was greeted with images from her childhood. She saw the smiling faces of Audrey, Rina, and Jay, and she felt a brief reprieve from the horrors of the last two days. Unfortunately, it was over in an instant and she found herself returned to that dark reality in which she now lived.
“Interesting,” he whispered. “So you have experience with death already, do you, Mendez?”
She exhaled sharply. What?! Wait, how could he know that? Does he know about Audrey? But that’s…impossible.
“Unfortunately, I can not delve far enough into your mind to find what I want, but your emotions are not well hidden,” the man told her. “I can sense it. I can sense the hole in your heart and it is strong. You lost somebody dear, haven’t you?” His hand moved away from her head and the footsteps once again resumed. “So perhaps…you should think about that individual when you choose not to answer my questions. Think about them…and about how Mr. Brooks could soon be joining them.”
With that terrifying statement, the man turned and she listened as he walked further away from her then, judging by the sound of the door, out of the building in which she was in.
No… Please…don’t kill Jay! Don’t take him from me, too!
She wanted to scream after him. She wanted to shout more vulgarity at him no matter the pain that followed. Alice had never felt more hatred for a person in her entire life, but she truly wished she could jump from that chair and crush the man’s neck in her grasp.
They murdered Monica.
And now, they were going to take Jay away from her.
I can’t…lose him! I’ve already lost Audrey and Monica and…
Suddenly, a spasm of pain shot through her head, and she found herself thinking about somebody else she had lost. Yet, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t recall anybody else and soon, the feeling faded into nothingness.
***
Closing the door of the shack behind him, Nigreos Noctis stalked out into the cool night air of the forest. His interrogation of Mendez hadn’t gone anywhere near as well as he had hoped. The girl was stubborn, and he’d believed that if he used Jay Brooks then she would finally cooperate. But even threatening to torture him instead hadn’t gotten her to talk. She seemed determined not to reveal anything, and it seemed to him that she had already deduced that they intended to harm those who used the relic. Alice Mendez was loyal to her friends, and he was beginning to wonder if they made a mistake in capturing her and erasing Mickelson.
Perhaps he would have been more cooperative. But no matter. Mendez may be strong, but she’s still just a magicless girl. I’ll get her to talk one way or another. I only wish I had a better control over mind magic.
His current abilities only permitted him a few vague images of a person’s memories, or more specifically, the emotions tied to those memories, but they weren’t nearly enough to go off of. All he really gained from probing Mendez’s mind was learning of her strong connection with Jay Brooks, as well as gaining the knowledge that she knew death, something that still affected her enough for her feelings to be on the surface.
Perhaps…that information can be useful in some way.
He stepped out past the porch and walked a few feet into the woods before turning and looking up at the roof of the rickety wooden structure where he found Album silently sitting, staring off into the canopies. He knew she must have already noticed his presence, yet she made no move to acknowledge him. However, he expected no less from his partner. The Master of Darkness whispered an incantation and he faded into the shadows of the forest. Within a second, he appeared right beside the woman, his feet balanced on the point of the roof. He moved forward and sat down beside her, exhaling softly as the exhaustion of their mission set in.
“So, I take it Mendez didn’t react to your empty threat?” Album muttered with a disinterested tone.
He shook his head. “Nope. She’s still fighting me and it’s starting to get a tad irritating. I’d hoped that by taking a hostage, we could have answers immediately. I never imagined she would last two days without breaking.”
“Nor did I,” Album muttered. “Which is why I’m pleased that you sent the nerich out to the school. With any luck, it’ll have made some progress for us.”
Nigreos grimaced at the thought of the creature that now controlled the body of Jay Brooks. “Perhaps… But that thing isn’t exactly made to take hostages. I know I ordered it to bring Harper here alive, but I do worry that it’ll just rip her apart without thinking. It’ll be even worse if it comes across Reiner.”
He’d ordered the creature to focus on locating and capturing Lilly Harper, but he did give it orders to apprehend Reiner should he come across the boy. The issue was that it was a being of hatred and darkness, and there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t lose control. Not to mention, they still weren’t even sure if it could get through the pocket realm surrounding the school. If it couldn’t, then the nerich was already long gone.
“And if it does?” the woman spat. “Their lives mean nothing, Nigreos. As long as we get the relic, we’ll be fine.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Yes…but we’re supposed to erase those who used it. We can’t do that if they’re dead.”
She merely shrugged, as if the conversation was already starting to bore her. “Yes, but does it truly matter? The point of erasing them is to remove any evidence of magic from Omaruo, but the only reason we would erase and not kill would be to conceal the fact that we ever came to this world, something you threw out the window when you decided to kill those nurses and the fools at the diner.”
Nigreos scowled, annoyed that she was once again bringing that up. “I’ve already told you why we did that. Album, we can’t even begin to understand what Eric Reiner is. All we know is that he has a powerful amount of magic, but we don’t know how much he was taught. It’s imperative that we prevent him from knowing we’re here for as long as possible. By killing those civilians, we can cover up the fact that magic was related to Mendez and Brooks’s disappearances. If we can make him believe that Ijiria isn’t involved then he won't act. It’ll at least buy us time before Reiner becomes suspicious of anything magical at play.”
“Maybe,” she whispered. “But I still do not think it matters. If anything, allowing Reiner to suspect us would lure him out.”
“Which we can do eventually,” he countered. “But I’d rather not risk facing him until we know just what’s been going on here. Once we have the information we need from Mendez, we can draw him out, but until we have a better idea of the situation, we can—!”
Nigreos jumped to his feet and Album immediately did so as well. He had just been struck by the presence of a large amount of dark mana and, sure enough, mere seconds later, the nerich emerged from the shadows, crawling along the branches of the trees. However, the Master was quickly disappointed when he noticed it was empty-handed.
“So it came back,” Album whispered.
“But it failed its mission.”
The creature jumped down from the nearest canopy and landed on the roof beside Nigreos, its head immediately lowing into a bow.
“Master,” it rasped.
Nigreos looked down at the creature and cringed in disgust. The nerich was a vile thing, and even just sharing mana with it caused him to feel repulsed. Dark magic was full of hatred and corruption to begin with, so he was used to the twisted feeling its mana elicited in him. But this creature was on a whole other level. Anybody even slightly less skilled in controlling dark magic than him may have been overcome by the monster.
But it’s a necessary evil if we want to reclaim the relic…especially if it was able to enter the school.
“Report,” Nigreos demanded. “Why were you unable to bring us Lilly Harper…or even Eric Reiner, for that matter.”
The creature kept its bald head lowered as it responded. “I…did find them. I found both Harper and Reiner…but they escaped.”
Nigreos failed to contain his surprise and when he glanced sidelong at Album, the Master of Light was staring down at it with obvious intrigue.
“Escaped?” he snapped. “How could they escape from something like you? You should be leagues more powerful than they are.”
A low rumble came from the nerich’s throat and for a second, Nigreos felt raw fury emanating from it, as if his sharp tone was making it angry. He felt his head start to throb and so, he quickly focused on the mana in his body, not wanting to lose control of the monster. After a moment, he managed to strengthen it and the creature went silent before replying.
“Reiner…was too fast. He was able to get away from me,” it whispered. “He has…a strong relationship with wind magic and I could not keep up with him. Every time I got close to him or Harper, they slipped through my fingers.”
“So…you’re saying Eric Reiner does have command over magic?” he uttered.
The nerich nodded. “Yes…”
Nigreos clenched his teeth, having suspected and even feared that possibility numerous times but still finding it hard to accept now that he was faced with the reality.
Damn it. So then I made the right choice killing those civilians. If Eric Reiner could escape a creature as powerful as the nerich then underestimating him would be a fatal mistake.
“And were you able to get into the school?” he asked, wanting to keep his emotions steady before he lost his grip on the creature again.
It slowly raised its head, its dark eyes boring into him and its jagged teeth showing as it smiled. “Yes, I was.”
The Master of Darkness felt somewhat relieved that it had returned with some good news. If it can get past the pocket realm then we have access to school. If we can just get the names out of Mendez then we’d be set to finish this all!
“Good,” Nigreos murmured. “In that case, go to sleep. I’ll summon you once we need you again.”
“Yes…master…”
With that, the creature jumped from the rooftop and landed down in the dirt below. Then, with a single lunge into the trees, it vanished into the shadows. Nigreos stared after it for a moment as he took in all of the new information it presented him with, before turning back to face Album.
“So Reiner is a threat, after all,” he mused. “Seems caution was a smart choice.”
The woman shrugged. “Perhaps…but he’s still just a child. Even with magic at his disposal, he still won’t be a match for the two of us combined. In fact, if we can just erase him then dealing with the others will be simple.”
“Erase him, huh?” Nigreos shook his head.
“Yes, erase him,” she repeated, more firmly than before, her eyes narrowing in unrestrained annoyance as she regarded him. “Forget about your idiotic promise and focus on the mission, Nigreos. His being Abi’s son doesn’t change the fact that he currently possesses one of the relics of Ijiria and has been using that magic on his fellow students. He’s broken numerous laws at this point whether he knew about them or not, and we’ve been tasked with dealing with him. Are you really going to shirk your duties just because he’s her son?”
“Don’t patronize me, Album,” he growled, taking a step toward her, though the woman didn’t flinch. “I have no intention of shirking my duties. However, I would like to speak with the boy first. I want to know what his story is, and perhaps we’ll be able to come to some sort of truce. After all, he won’t remember any of the friends that you erase and once they’re gone, he’ll be looking for answers—answers we can give him.”
The woman scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Then you better hurry up and deal with Mendez, because now that he’s seen the nerich, he’ll know something supernatural is here in this town. He’ll be waiting for us, Nigreos. Your little setup with the diner seems pointless now, doesn’t it?”
“No, it bought us two days…and now we truly know what we’re up against,” he replied confidently. “So, I think I’m going to attempt to contact Reiner again.”
Album cocked an eyebrow. “How? We already established that there’s some charm locking you out of his mind.”
“Yes, there is,” he agreed. “But there’s nothing stopping me from conversing with Lilly Harper.” The idea began to form in his head, and he now knew what he wanted their next move to be. “Yes, in fact that’s what I want to do. I want to speak with Harper.”
“And how are you going to go about doing that?” she demanded. “You prevented the girl from remembering your conversation. It was a stroke of luck that she happened to be in the boy’s body when you contacted him.”
“Perhaps,” he retorted. “But if I were to unlock her memories of our conversation, then I expect she would intentionally answer our call again. Especially after tonight.”
Album’s expression turned dubious and he could tell she wasn’t fully convinced, but despite her obvious opposition, she eventually sighed and shook her head. “Well, if that’s what you would like to try, I won’t stop you. But if that’s the case then I want to try my hand at getting answers out of Mendez.”
Nigreos frowned. “Really? Why? Your powers aren’t exactly good for torture.”
“You’re right,” she replied with a smug tone. “Which is why I don’t intend to torture her. Mendez has made it clear that pain isn’t good enough. Luckily, torture isn’t the only way to coerce somebody into submission.”
“Okay, then how do you propose we go about it then?” he inquired.
“I think…she needs a more gentle push. Rather than threatening to take things away from her…” Album grinned, and he could see her own plan was coming to fruition as she glanced up at him. “How about we offer to give something instead?”