When Kate rose, she felt dizzy and her surroundings twisted, the backdrop changed, and darkness crept everywhere. She lifted her gaze, but soon the darkness engulfed the light embedded in her retinas.

Kate juddered her head to return to reality, turning her attention from right to left to inspect if there was someone who put her under a spell, but she saw no one except for the people who were drunk and sleeping.

She shivered and glanced through the window, noticing something beyond the woods. Kate dashed towards the forest behind the house, and the adrenaline pulsated in her veins. A mixed frisson of worry and histrionic frustration pulped her heart and mind. It was a sensation she had never felt before, the fear of not making it on time to stop the unknown entity strolling in the forest.

Her pulse skipped, and she saw Van. There was a monster, a knife, and a man. The hard gasping created a white puff during the chilly night, and the light from the full moon made its way to the masquerading shadow of the man.

Blood was dripping off the smeared knife as it fell to the ground. Kate gathered her courage to withstand the impending rampage, and the bluish mana in her palm was swelling. She stood in front of Van in awe as he turned his direction towards her. His eyes were moping, and his gaze was like a void that was going to engulf her. Until now, a chill struck her spine, an exaggerated feeling she never felt before—fear.

Kate noticed that those undead monsters dragged the dead body of a man her age, and she took the liberty of their divided attention and went behind, trudging against the large chunks of rocks and gliding down in the mud. She hid behind the rock and saw a small space between two giant rocks below them became a pile of dead bodies. The lifeless body emitted light into their eyes and gaping mouth as the devil itself breathed into them. It was something she didn’t expect to be possible; the monster could become a giver of life to the dead. It was loathsome to think that someone would ever do this to gain their desires, not sparing the dead who were resting in peace.

Van lifted his gaze as he drew the undead monsters back to the darkness, and he saw the giant devilish monster landing in front of him. Its flapping wings pushed the dust out of his range, and it glowered at Van, but his composure remained untethered and readied himself. The monster kicked the ground and grabbed him hard with its hand, and Van winced as the monster crushed his bones. Then, Van did what she wouldn’t expect. Exerting strength, Van’s arm freed itself from the monster’s brick-red hands and landed on his feet. Without hesitation, his fist broke its knees and yelled. It roared wistfully. The undead demon’s mouth began to blaze towards Van, but Kate saw it miles away.

Climbing, Kate hurriedly chanted a spell. “Graviga Pulsatio.” An invincible force threw the monster away from his victim. Van quickly got up and charged at it. The monster grew angry and called out for reinforcement. The undead flooded towards them, and they encircled them. Kate tried to tap Van, but he violently retaliated by aiming to twist her wrist. She punched him, and he staggered.

“What’s wrong with you?!” she yelled.

Van once again fortified his ground and bashed the oncoming enemy. Even though Kate didn’t want to do it, he gave her no choice by chanting a spell, “Sleepia Porosis.”

Van glowered at her and quickly grabbed her neck. Kate was caught by surprise and repeatedly cast the spell until Van’s eyes finally drifted closed, and he stumbled. Kate caught him and allowed him to rest on her lap, muttering, ‘Negas Olfiora.’ They teleported away, leaving only a trail of smoke behind.

The monster howled under the moonlight, its eyes flashing red as the undead pulled back into the darkness. Its wings spread wide, and it flew high into the gloomy sky.

***

“Yoo-hoo. Wake up, buddy. Am I allowed to suck his neck?”

A putrid smell of alcohol came to Van’s nose, and he recognized it was one of the many smells that his nose perceived. This place reeked of a different unwanted and annoying smell.

“Get off the hippie, you dumb-ass,” another strange male voice said.

Van’s head kept spinning from the moment his eyes wearily opened. He grunted as he tried to keep his head up to steal a gaze on a woman mixing herbs. In the far corner, a man wearing a flat hat sat and drank wine.

“Looks like our mystery hippie is awake,” Gilt stated. He watched Van groaning back to the world of the living.

Van felt their glances strike at him. “Who… are… you guys? Why am… Why am I here?” Van could finally speak, although he couldn’t make it more comprehensive.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“And… he can use his mouth too,” Gilt replied. Van found them all too weird, especially the one who yanked him earlier. He had pale skin and unbelievably perfect stature.

The man wearing a flat hat replied, “Put another word and we’re good at torturing you.”

“Torture… what?” Van asked. It was all too sudden for him. He has no clue what kind of people they were or what they would do to him, even though he had no idea what he had done to incur such determination on harrowing him.

“No one is going to get tortured, okay?” Kate was the only voice he recognized within the room. “You just need to tell us the truth.”

“She made a compelling argument. Skip the torture and listen to his lies,” Laswell said.

“I already told you guys, he’s not like any other person I’ve met. He can be trusted,” Kate insisted.

“Easy for you to say, princess. You don’t even know what he is,” Laswell replied.

Gilt broke off the two. “Geez, I’m gonna handle this,” he said. He stepped closer and stared into Van’s eyes. “Listen, who are you? What are you doing here in Maryvale? And what are you?”

Van tried to put his thoughts into words. “Are you trying to do a Jedi mind trick on me?” Gilt fell in silence, astonished. “This has never happened before,” Gilt said.

Laswell jested, “What? ‘Guy didn’t fall in gayness?’”

“What I mean is my mind is compulsive,” Gilt replied. A hint of annoyance began to rise.

Kate came closer to him and made him drink the mixed herbs. Van did not like what it tasted like. The taste made him slowly vomit.

“What the hell?” Van asked.

“This is a medicinal herb. This will heal your wound,” Kate replied.

“Wound? What are you talking about?” Van asked.

Gilt reluctantly lifted the mirror to Van, and he saw the reflection of his burned flesh on his stomach. The unimaginable scenery made Van vomit again.

“Gilt! I told you we’ll take it slow,” Kate glowered at him. She never liked the use of force to get something she wanted, but she was willing if there was no other possible way. She glanced at Van. She only knew a little about his identity. She could neither trust his words nor what the records could offer him. She trusted her companions rather than the words of other people.

“Look. There’s no use in keeping secrets now.” Gilt said. “We want to know what you are.”

“I thought he had a connection to the killing events?” Laswell asked.

“I don’t think that would be necessary,” Kate said. “But we do need your help, Van. We can’t fight this thing on our own.”

Van looked at each of them skeptically. “Why me?”

“Because you have abilities that could help us defeat it,” Kate said. “And we want to help you figure out what those abilities are.”

Van sighed. “Fine. But I’m not making any promises.”

“Fair enough,” Laswell said. “Now, let’s start with your past. Can you tell us anything about your family history?”

Van hesitated for a moment before speaking. “My parents died when I was young. I don’t remember them.”

“I see,” Laswell said. “And have you ever experienced anything… unusual?”

Van thought back to the times when he’d felt a strange power coursing through his veins. The times when he’d seen things that nobody else could see. He’d always thought he was just imagining things, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“Maybe,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like I can do things that other people can’t.”

“Interesting,” Laswell said. “We’ll have to look into that further.”

They continued to ask Van questions about his past, trying to piece together the puzzle of his abilities. Van was reluctant to share at first, but as they talked, he began to feel like he could trust them. Maybe, just maybe, they could help him understand what he was capable of. And in the process, maybe they could help him defeat the monster that had been terrorizing the town.

***

Under the pale moonlight, Kate and Van strolled home, the chilly breeze nipping at their noses. Kate worried they might get caught since it was already past curfew, but Van appeared too stoned to care. He swayed as they walked, still processing what happened. His hangover didn’t help either, but he insisted he’d be fine for school.

Kate offered him her shoulder to lean on. “You sure you can make it to school tomorrow?”

Van chuckled. “Been to school stoned plenty of times. I’ll be good.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you at least a little freaked out by the fact that I’m a witch and my friends are supernaturally weird?”

Van shrugged. “Nah, I belong with the weirdos. And honestly, my hangover makes it easier to accept. I was more worried you guys would sell my kidneys than about the supernatural stuff.”

Kate laughed, the sound echoing through the quiet street. Van let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t know what’s going on with me, Kate. Lately, I keep twitching, and I’ve had some blackouts. Sometimes I wake up in strange places, like abandoned buildings or garages. The only place I haven’t slept is a dumpster.”

Kate furrowed her brows, contemplating Van’s words.

“Don’t worry about it too much,” Van said, interrupting her thoughts. “I’m not.”

“So are you into me?” Van suddenly asked, making Kate’s cheeks flush.

“What? Why would you even ask that?” she sputtered.

“Come on, Kate, you’ve been acting all soft and flirty with me. It’s obvious you’re into me.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “I’m just trying to be friendly.”

Van took a swig from his hip flask. “Admit it, I’m hot. It wouldn’t hurt to say you’re into me too.”

Kate laughed. “You’re drunk, Van. And you’re not my type.”

“What do you mean I’m not your type?” Van protested. “I’m hot, and I’m into you.”

Kate shook her head, amused. “Let’s just be friends, okay? We can get to know each other better.”

Van’s face fell. “Am I being friend-zoned?”

Kate smirked. “No, silly. It’s a stepping stone. First base.”

Van’s face lit up. “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

Kate laughed. “Yes, Van, there’s a chance. But let’s get to know each other better first, okay?”

Van grinned, taking another swig from his flask. “You got it, pretty blonde hot stud sexy bombshell.”

Kate’s eyes widened in shock. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Van said, his words slurring. “You’re a pretty blonde hot stud sexy bombshell.”

Kate couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re so confident, even when you’re drunk. I wonder how you’ll react tomorrow if you remember any of this.”

Van chuckled. “I doubt I’ll remember anything. But who knows? Maybe I’ll surprise you.”