I went back to those ruins again. Nothing. I could find absolutely nothing new to explain these plants nor their origin. Mount AnaHon glows beautifully this time of night, but even it cannot provide clues. It surprises me animals exist on this side of the Mountain range, considering the acidity of the water, and the hydrothermal pools that are terraced here.

-From Professor Shokolov’s Journal, 11th Entry

Perhaps AxEl should have been studying. Tomorrow was one of his exams, after all. The teachers overlooked any absences in class as long as the student appeared on the exam and performed well. But AxEl trusted in his knowledge to see him through the exam, that’s why he felt confident enough do something more personal.

In his pockets he held a few pills of Prophecy. He had made those last night before taking them home. Now in the morning, he was going to test them out against someone familiar. It took a bit for AxEl to find Kel, considering he didn’t know where he usually dealt.

It didn’t take long to find him standing nonchalantly against a wall, people watching. He wore a carefree expression, but his eyes betrayed his true intent. AxEl walked past the man and Kel visibly raised his eyebrow.

He wasn’t going to start a fight out in the open, but he did start following behind AxEl once he began to run into the nearest backstreet. AxEl found the path in front of him closed, and Kel standing at the foot of the entrance.

“I have to commend you for pulling that stunt. So, what? did you trap the alley or something? Bring some of your friends along with you to beat me up?” Kel asked. He held a stick of Firewire up to his mouth and lit it with a match. Threw the match onto the ground and stomped it out.

He saw AxEl eyeing the cigarette, so continued talking. “Lighters don’t look as cool, don’t you think, AxEl?”

AxEl still didn’t reply. “Didn’t expect you to be so quiet. And,” he cracked his knuckles, “We’re past arguing anyway.”

Kel strode towards AxEl with his strengthened legs. They carried him close enough to take a swipe at him. But before his hand could connect, AxEl pulled back his head enough to dodge it.

AxEl spun around and landed a fist on Kel’s face. Kel staggered and looked up to see AxEl chewing on something again. His eyes glowed the same grey as Kel’s. “How the-Tsk, lucky shot,” he noted. Then he began a barrage of attacks towards him.

A left hook used as a feint before elbowing him across the head with his right hand. Kel locked AxEl’s leg behind his own and tried grabbing at his collar. AxEl’s palm moved before Kel even began and swatted aside his hand. He then pushed him back with his other hand, sending him tumbling towards the garbage.

Kel stumbled into the trash bags, dirtying his clothes and knocking aside a can that caused some noise. “That’s so disorienting…” AxEl noted to himself.

Even now, he could feel himself getting better at parsing through the images that were bombarding him. Focusing on two things at once was a pain, but having one of them take precedence over the other helped.

He saw a phantom of Kel trying to stand up, so he ran towards his crumpled form to keep him down.

Kel’s eyes shot up and he grabbed at the punch AxEl was about to throw. AxEl felt his hand firmly in the man’s grip. They were using the same Magic Bullet, so why did Kel’s hand still feel so hot? “Oh, that is some annoying trick you’re pulling.”

Does he know? AxEl thought in fear. “But luck won’t take you anywhere,” Kel said with a punch to AxEl’s gut. He let go and AxEl fell down to his knees before coughing up his breakfast.

His hands were planted on the ground as he finished. When he looked at Kel, he realized that the phantom images had disappeared.

“Out of juice?” Kel teased. He then kicked AxEl in the face. His entire face heated up and he rolled a few feet to the right. AxEl tried reaching for another pill, but Kel stomped on his hand and kept his foot there.

He began searching through AxEl’s pockets, as he was too hurt to resist. He hoped that Kel wouldn’t find the pocket that contained the pills. He just seemed to pad down AxEl until he found his wallet and the other sticks of Firewire that he had bought from another dealer. AxEl tried to keep his other hand on his phone, but Kel took that too.

“Whatever idiot sold to you’s gonna get it too,” Kel said as he picked open the wallet for any cash. He threw it back at AxEl’s chest and then ground his foot once more into his hand before removing it. AxEl yelled in pain, but Kel was gone by then.

D-did anyone hear that? AxEl wondered. Outside the alley, a man or woman passed, but no one seemed to pique in. AxEl brushed the blood off of his lip and stood up on shaky uneven legs.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Make sure you’re not hurt, said a voice in his head. First real fight I’ve had and I’m worried about getting cuts. Should be glad he didn’t kill me right there.

He pulled his hoodie over his head to hide the bruises and walked towards his house. He was limping a bit, but kept it hidden as best as he could. It was an agonizing experience to even move after what he’d done, but he had to go somewhere he could be safe. He felt at his lips again, where the bleeding had resumed a bit.

Might need to patch myself up a bit before sleeping. Something he didn’t actually do, since the second he rested his legs on the living room couch, his eyes closed. He slept there until the morning, where his mother discovered him and looked horrified.

What’s wron-Oh yeah, the fight, AxEl thought as he felt the bruises upon his body once more.

FenEl didn’t look much pleased to have a half-dead teenager on her living room bed. But worry was much more apparent on her face. As she pulled back the hood on AxEl’s jacket, her expression darkened more.

“What happened yesterday, AxEl?” she asked.

“Yesterday? Isn’t it night?” AxEl asked in turn.

“I had to stay late at work. Now stop deflecting and answer me, young man.”

“I got mugged. Was walking home from the shop when they pushed me into the alley and started beating me. They took my wallet and phone, so I couldn’t call you. I came home then and just fell asleep on the couch,” AxEl said. A lie factually and by omission, he knew.

FenEl hugged him after hearing the story and sniffled. Damnit, I made her cry. She peeled away from him and took a look at his injuries.

“Oh, goodness, look at that,” she said, brushing his cheek and lips. “We need to get you to a doctor, now.”

“No, please, mom. We can’t afford the bills.”

“We could if I just sold the damned house…” The thought of that brought AxEl to complete lucidity. He grabbed at his mother’s hands and looked at her with pleading eyes.

“Don’t say that, please. Never anything like that! We can’t sell it!” he said.

“I…later, not now. You need first aid,” FenEl replied. She went upstairs to bring down the little kit they kept with themselves at all times. She disinfected the cuts and bruises he’d sustained.

“So what ar-”

“Keep your mouth closed. Your lip might crack again. Here, take this,” his mother said, offering a cotton ball to him. He kept it concealed in his hand. “If it starts bleeding again, hold that against the cut and keep it there until it stops.”

She packed away the first aid kit before her and then stood arms closed. FenEl tapped a finger against her elbow. “There’s no…major damage. Just a few cuts and bruises.”

Thank the Firewire for that. “We’re still going to that checkup, but it can wait.”

“Am I free to go now then, doctor?” AxEl asked in a sarcastic tone. “Sure, go give that exam and come back as soon as you can. And AxEl?” she said before walking towards him. She cleared his hair to the sides and gave him a sweet smile, “You don’t need to act so tough, okay? It’s fine to be scared if you were.”

AxEl chose his words carefully. “I wasn’t scared, mom.”

She planted a kiss on his forehead. “I know. You’re very strong for that,” she replied. Most of the times he hated having her do that, but it felt less embarrassing now.

After giving her reassurances and a goodbye, AxEl left the house and went to school for once in a long while.

****

It felt embarrassing to admit it, but AxEl almost got lost in the halls of the school. Could he really be blamed for that however? They all looked the same, after all. He’d have to get up and close to the class doors to figure out which one held the exam he was supposed to take.

It took some maneuvering around and asking for directions, but eventually he found the room and took his seat behind a few others. Finn was in the exam hall as well, which made AxEl flinch a bit. They traded glances, but neither dared encroaching upon the other’s territory.

A professor walked into the room and dropped a stack of papers onto the desk in front of him. He took out a piece of chalk and wrote on the board behind him in big bold letters, “Magic Bullets.”

AxEl chuckled a bit. Maybe the past few days could be considered some form of revision. He started on the exam as soon as he was able to. His pen flew as he dotted down the answers to the numerous questions that the paper asked.

Before his venture into questionable legality, AxEl had been a decent student. Not the top of the class by any metric, but his knowledge kept him from needing to attend many lectures. As if that helped with getting a job.

The exam finished and with time remaining, AxEl began to think. I’m no scientist. Couldn’t make those stronger pills even if I tried. So what good are they, then?

Using them in a fight had gone decently, despite the outcome of the battle. But no, he didn’t want to sell it to militias and soldiers. The thought of it was akin to going deeper into the hole he’d already found himself in.

The more he submerged himself, the more his humanity would dissipate. Perhaps he could fool himself, pretend he was normal despite his criminality, but no. He would bear the guilt from whatever he did, but if he went deeper, leaving it would endanger not only him but those he cared about.

“What do you want?” The woman at the counter asked. AxEl had been ruminating even after leaving the school and going to the grocery store for a snack.

“Huh?”

“You asked for a Flatroll. What do you want on it?” She asked once more. She held a friendly smile on her face with a scoop in one hand. Toppings sat in holders in front of her.

“Oh, uh, chicken barbeque,” AxEl answered. Thanking her for the food, he continued. I should stop eating out so much. Mom might have an easier time of it if I did.

And that was the crux of the issue. Had he enough money to live a comfortable life by himself and his mother, he would ask for nothing more. His life would be simple from then on. He happened upon the solution almost accidently.

Technically, he didn’t need to sell to someone who could abuse Prophecy. It was less dangerous than Firewire by his estimate, so he thought he could get away with profiting off of it from junkies. They’d be lining up for the new high, and wouldn’t really be able to use it to hurt others to the extent Firewire did.

It was genius! He called up Nook and asked to meet up at the professor’s house once more. He promised himself once he had everything that he needed, he’d burn down that farm himself.