———Hail———

The portal surges to life, colors and sparks colliding chaotically within its trembling frame. The entire structure groans under the force, a deep, resonating hum filling the air.

"Something else is coming through!" Claire shouts, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Alyse narrows her eyes, stepping closer to me. "You didn't happen to have someone follow you through, did you Hail?"

"No, I came alone." I say.

"Then what the hell is it?" Red demands, his flames flickering brighter.

Suddenly, Dylan collapses to the ground, clutching his head. His screams pierce the air, his body shaking violently. "The beast... It's coming! It's here!"

"Beast?" I ask, alarmed. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Keegan drops to his knees beside Dylan, gripping his friend's shoulders. "Dylan, what are you talking about? What beast?"

Before Dylan can respond, the storm outside halts unnaturally, the rain cutting off in an instant. The air grows still, heavy with an unspoken menace. Then, a sound rings out—deep and distant, like a bell tolling across the hills.

The haunting chime echoes through the building, sending chills through me.

It rings again.

"Two..." I whisper, almost instinctively.

All eyes snap to me.

"Two?" Red asks, his voice tense.

The bell tolls again, louder this time, reverberating through the air.

"Three..." I say, my gaze locking with Red's.

Kylen steps forward, his expression darkening. "Hail... is this what I think it is?"

Ding.

"Four..."

Alyse's voice shakes. "What is it? What does it mean?"

Ding.

"Five..."

Keegan looks around, confused. "Why are you all acting like this? It's just a clock... right? Some old clock tower ringing the hours or something?"

Ding.

"Six..."

"It's not just a clock!" Dylan chokes out, trembling. His voice is strained, as if speaking is a monumental effort.

"Seven..."

Red steps toward me, his flames flaring. "Hail, what's going on?"

Ding.

"Eight..."

"Someone answer me!" Kylen demands, his hand tightening on his hilt.

"Nine..." I snap, holding up a hand. "All of you, shut the fuck up before you make me lose count! Ten..."

Everyone falls silent, their weapons drawn. The only sound is the toll of the bell and Dylan's labored breathing.

Ding.

"Eleven..." My grip tightens on my sword.

The air shifts, heavy and oppressive, as the twelfth toll rings out.

"Son of a bitch," I mutter, raising my blade. "Twelve."

The portal shatters in a violent explosion of energy, and a shadow streaks through, faster than any of us can react. It collides with Red, slamming him to the ground with a feral growl.

I rush forward, my sword slicing through the air, forcing the creature to release him. It pivots, its glowing, hollow eyes now locked on me.

"What the fuck is that?!" Alyse shouts, her sparks flaring to life.

Before I can answer, a searing beam of blue energy cuts through the air, striking the creature and sending it skidding back. I whirl around to see Dylan standing tall, his eyes glowing an eerie, dark blue. Energy pulses from his hands, shimmering and unstable.

"It's a Wraith!" Dylan yells, his voice echoing unnaturally.

The Wraith lunges, its shadowy form closing the distance between them in an instant. It grabs Dylan by the chest and flies him out of the building, into the open field beyond.

"Dylan!" Keegan screams, bolting after them. Alyse is right behind him, her sparks lighting the way as the rest of us charge outside.

———Dylan———

The Wraith hurls me to the ground with bone-jarring force before retreating toward the door. Dazed, I sit in the grass, clutching my pounding head.

Keegan is at my side in an instant, his hand extended toward me. "Come on, Dylan!" he urges, his voice trembling but resolute.

Behind him, Alyse steps forward, her eyes blazing with determination as lightning crackles and dances along her fingertips. She hurls a streak of electricity at the Wraith, the air sizzling from the impact.

And then it hits me—the moment.

This is it. The vision I had in the school bathroom. The one I couldn't shake. We've finally caught up to it.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

The Wraith twists through the lightning like a shadow made of smoke and hate, dodging Alyse's attack with an eerie grace. It hovers in the doorway, its form flickering as if it barely holds itself together, yet its malice feels suffocatingly real.

"Stay down!" Keegan yells as he pulls me to my feet.

"No way," I manage, my voice hoarse. "I'm not letting this thing win."

The Wraith turns its hollow gaze toward us, its form surging with dark energy. It raises a clawed hand, tendrils of shadow pooling together like a storm about to break.

Alyse steps in front of us, her voice a fierce command. "Over my dead body." She flings another arc of lightning, this one brighter and more focused. The crackling bolt slams into the Wraith, forcing it back with a shriek that pierces through my skull.

"Nice shot!" Keegan shouts.

But the Wraith isn't done. It disperses into a cloud of black mist, slipping through Alyse's lightning like water through cracks. The mist snakes forward and reforms behind us in a heartbeat.

"Move!" I shove Keegan out of the way as the Wraith's claws slash the air where he'd just been standing.

Red barrels toward it, flames roaring around his fists. "You're messing with the wrong family!" He swings a flaming punch at the Wraith, connecting with a fiery explosion that lights up the field.

The Wraith howls in agony as it stumbles back, but the flames seem to enrage it more than harm it. It counters with a surge of shadow that slams into Red, knocking him flat on his back.

"Red!" Alyse cries, starting toward him, but Kylen grabs her arm.

"Stay together!" Kylen shouts. "This thing isn't normal. It's not like the Daem."

I steady myself, energy buzzing in my hands as I take a step forward. Keegan looks at me, wide-eyed.

"You sure about this, Dylan?" he asks.

"No," I say honestly, feeling the weight of the moment. My powers pulse stronger, the blue glow growing fiercer. "But I know I'm done running."

The Wraith turns its attention to me, tilting its head as if it's finally recognizing the threat I pose. Its form flickers again, and the air grows colder around us.

"Dylan," Keegan says, his voice tight, "whatever you're about to do, make it count."

I nod, stepping forward to face the Wraith. My body thrums with energy, and the glowing blue light spreads from my hands to cover me completely. The fear I felt moments ago begins to dissolve, replaced by something else—purpose.

"Let's dance shitter," I say, launching myself toward the Wraith with everything I've got.

The Wraith surges forward to meet me, its claws cutting through the air with a sharp, menacing hiss. I barely dodge the first strike, twisting to the side as its shadowy hand grazes my shoulder. The cold burns, but I grit my teeth and retaliate, releasing a concentrated blast of energy from my palm.

The beam strikes it square in the chest, forcing it back, its smoky form flickering erratically. It screeches, the sound piercing through the storm, but it's not enough to bring it down. The Wraith retaliates with a sweeping claw, its dark tendrils lashing out in all directions.

I brace myself, as Hail steps between us, summoning a shield of ice that flares up just in time. The tendrils crash against it, shattering it into wisps of shadow and sleet.

"Keep going!" Keegan yells from behind me, his voice steady despite the chaos.

He steps forward, raising his hands. A sphere of darkness begins to form between them, swirling and crackling with violet energy. Keegan hurls it at the Wraith, the sphere exploding on impact. The creature staggers, its form flickering like a dying flame.

Red is back on his feet now, flames roaring around him as he charges forward. "Let's finish this thing!" he shouts, unleashing a torrent of fire.

The Wraith screeches again, trying to retreat, but Alyse cuts it off. Her lightning dances through the air like a whip, striking the Wraith repeatedly and forcing it to collapse to its knees.

"Now!" Kylen commands, his voice carrying above the storm. He lunges forward, his plasma blade glowing as he strikes at the Wraith's core. The blade pierces through, and for a moment, the creature freezes, its form pulsing with chaotic energy.

I take a deep breath, summoning every ounce of power I have left. "This ends now!" I shout, unleashing a massive surge of energy from both hands. The blast slams into the Wraith, driving it back as its form begins to disintegrate.

The creature lets out one final, ear-splitting scream before it collapses in on itself, imploding into a burst of black mist that dissipates into the storm.

Silence falls, broken only by the sound of our ragged breaths.

"Is it... gone?" Alyse asks, her voice trembling.

I nod, though my legs feel weak. "Yeah. It's gone."

Keegan claps me on the shoulder, grinning. "Not bad, man. Not bad at all."

Red wipes the mud from his face, his flames dimming as he steps over to me. "That was insane. You okay?"

"I've been better," I admit, swaying slightly. Keegan catches me before I can fall.

Kylen steps forward, his expression grim as he surveys the area. "That wasn't just any creature. That was sent here for a reason."

"Sent?" Alyse echoes.

Kylen nods, his eyes narrowing. "We need to figure out who—or what—is behind this."

"Save your victory," Hail mutters darkly, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "I know who sent that Wraith, and I can tell you now—it's not dead. Hell, we didn't even weaken it."

He strides slowly toward the pool of black, viscous goo left behind by the Wraith, his eyes fixed on it as if it might spring to life again.

"Who sent it?" Red asks, his voice trembling despite the flames flickering faintly around his hands.

Hail stares into the dark liquid. "The Court. An order of the first gods, birthed by The Nexus. They oversee the multiverse, ensuring no one—mortal or god—steps out of line."

"Like in Loki, Season One?" Keegan blurts out.

Everyone turns to him, their confusion palpable.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Kylen snaps, narrowing his eyes.

"Uh—" Keegan stammers, looking to me for help.

I shrug. "Man, I don't know. This lore gets more confusing every time someone opens their mouth."

Hail sighs impatiently. "Focus. They sent the Wraith to drag us back to our universe—or worse, to stand trial for our crime of leaving it."

"And the bells?" Claire interjects.

Hail glances at her, his tone grave. "Each chime corresponds to the power level of the Wraith sent. It scales from one to twelve—twelve being the strongest."

"You're saying it's a twelve?" Keegan points to the puddle of goo. "And yet there it is, lying in a sad little puddle. Doesn't look so tough to me."

"That's ectoplasm," Hail corrects sharply. "It's just residue. The Wraith isn't dead. It escaped into the ground."

Keegan frowns.

"It's not going to start coming after me, is it?" A voice calls out from behind us.

We whirl around, weapons ready, to see a woman standing in the grass, arms crossed with a casual air.

"Spectra?" Keegan asks, eyes widening.

The badie has returned. Is this canon or am I hallucinating again? I swear if he doesn't bag her I will. She so fine. I nudge him in the rib with my elbow.

"Yeah, Walker, it's me," she replies. Her tone is light, almost teasing. "But my real name is Katalina, Kat, if you like."

Trust me I do like.

"What are you doing here?" Kylen asks, his voice tense.

"I followed you," she says, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "After I saw Dylan get hurt, I wanted to make sure he was okay—and, well, that you were too... Keegan. Once you left Smith Inc. Tower, I laid low and tracked your helicopter here. Oh, and I might've overheard... basically everything you guys said. Figured I'd tell you my name so we're even."

She was worried about me?! Oh please no one pinch me right now.

"And you didn't bother to help us with the Wraith?" Red asks, glaring.

"I didn't want to blow my cover," she replies matter-of-factly. "But after mulling it over, I realized, I fit into this equation just as much as you all do."

Her eyes flick around the group before she crosses her arms. "So, I guess I'm asking if I can join you. And, as a show of good faith..." She pulls a small spherical device from her pocket and tosses it to Kylen.

He catches it, inspecting it with a raised brow. "So you're doing this to save your own skin?" he asks, his voice skeptical.

"Maybe," Katalina admits with a sly grin. "I'm not sure yet. But I do have information about that little device I just handed you—and I'd like to fill in the gaps with your help. Plus..." She shrugs, glancing toward the ectoplasm. "Protection from that thing? Let's call it an added bonus."

"Well, I hope you've got enough rooms at Smith Tower for all these new people Kylen." Alyse chuckles.

He smirks, unamused.