Eric’s eyes snapped open as his phone rang, letting out a high-pitched and startling alarm that made him shoot up into a sitting position, reaching for swords that weren’t where he usually kept them. In fact, there were no swords at all, because he wasn’t in the place that he’d need the swords. Despite being back on Earth for several months, his muscle memory still made him act and react in ways that were of no use.
He swiped the cell phone off of the nightstand and pressed the call button, putting an end to the blaring noise. Six years, he thought. Six years without the jarring interruption that a ringtone could offer. He wasn’t quite sure he could get used to it before he went back home. He pondered for a moment when he’d started calling Ahya home instead of Earth before answering.
“Hello?”
“Oh, sorry, it sounds like I woke you up,” The voice coming through the tiny speaker against his ear was Megan’s. “I keep forgetting about the time zone difference.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “Not like you had to worry about that back in Ahya. Everyone’s in the same time zone there.”
It was one of the most interesting changes in their sleep schedule when coming to Earth, along with the fact that each day was six hours shorter than on Ahya. Eric sorely missed the extra time and had struggled to fix himself to a healthy sleeping schedule.
“What is it?” He asked, his mind starting to clear out the torpor that came with the realm of sleep now. “Is everything okay? Are you at risk of being discovered?”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I just… wanted to talk.”
He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand, its soft luminescent face showing the time at seven-thirty-two. So it was nearly noon for Megan. “What did you want to talk about?”
There was a long silence on Megan’s end, so long that he had to glance at the screen to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. Finally, she said, “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, Eric. Felix- I mean, There are just so many good people here. Is it really right for us to take away the thing that ties them together?”
Eric took time to answer that as well. Truthfully, he knew what needed to be said for the mission. He knew the words that would clarify the issue, and make Megan’s choice clear. Either give up on the mission to accept this new life, or shut down her feelings and treat this as nothing more than work. For him, the choice was easy, even if it hurt. Yet he knew that the same choice would not be so clear-cut for her. It might even throw her further awry.
“You have to decide what you want more,” he said. “If that’s the Nexuses, I won’t hold it against you, but I also won’t let you stop me from doing what I have to. But if you can bear with it, the reward will be more than worth the cost.”
“Multiple lifetimes,” she replied, sounding uncertain. “Michael won’t live forever. Eventually, he’ll die of old age, and I’ll be alone.”
“He’ll live longer than a human would,” Eric replied. “And you’ll be able to learn more, become stronger than any mortal, and live multiple fulfilling lifetimes. A few months of discomfort can’t compare.”
He knew the words were harsh, but he also had no desire to sugarcoat them for her. She was considering turning against their objective and threatening his chances of returning to his wife and child. That could never be allowed. Sure enough, when she spoke next, her voice was just as cold as it had been on that day when she’d first voiced her doubts.
“Don’t worry, Eric. I’d never do anything to jeopardize your chances of returning to Emily. I’m not your enemy.”
The faint click signified that she’d hung up on him, but he still held the phone where it was for several long seconds, his eyes closed tightly, trying to organize his thoughts. This wasn’t a threat he’d expected. But Megan had the skills and mental capacity required to really mess with their plans. It hurt him to do this, but he knew what had to be done.
His next call took a while to connect. Finally, a voice he didn’t recognize answered, speaking in broken English. “This is Natah’s phone. Who is calling?”
“Eric,” he replied. “Tell Natah I thought of something interesting about the Nexus Games.”
There was a slight pause and some scratching noises. He heard that same voice say, “No, that side goes against your ear. How do you not know how to use a cellphone?”
“Eric,” Grimr’s voice came from the speaker pressed against his own ear. “What is it?”
“I just spoke to Megan,” Eric said, getting right to the point. “Her loyalties are starting to slip, and I think she might not work with us before long.”
“Interesting,” Grimr said, speaking slowly in Ancient. Most likely a precaution against people near him. “That’s a surprise.”
“I thought so as well,” Eric admitted. “But it sounds as though Rachel Smith’s son has caught her interest.”
“What about Michael?” Grimr asked. “I was under the impression that she had a strong bond with him that would compel her back.”
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“It sounds like her bond with Felix is also getting quite strong. Her feelings on the matter weren’t so clear-cut when we last spoke.”
“Maybe she’s being coerced by her fellows. It’s possible they made her reveal the mission, or at least that they figured it out from her actions.”
Eric shook his head at once, momentarily forgetting that the gesture couldn’t be transmitted via the phone. “I don’t think so. She knows better than to reveal information that could mark her as an enemy.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Grimr replied in an icy tone. “Mortal convictions are weak. It is too easy to sway them. You will understand this when the Mother remakes you.”
“If you say so. But I know Megan well. She’s kept her secret.”
“Very well. We’ll leave it be for now. If she does or says anything suspicious, let me know.”
The call disconnected then, and Eric felt a heavy weight settle somewhere in the region of his stomach. The guilt of what he’d just done settled in without warning, and even when he lay back down on his bed he could still feel it. It remained at the forefront of his mind for hours, preventing him from falling asleep again.
-
“Up next for the Thunder Nexus is Eric Breeden.”
Alpha Kevin Williams set down the piece of paper from which he’d read Eric’s name and offered him an encouraging smile. “Good morning, young Eric. Please come forward.”
“Good morning Alpha Williams,” Eric replied smoothly, offering a deep and polite bow out of old habit. As he rose again, he caught a glimpse of Alpha Bai Xiao’s raised eyebrow. Was he surprised at the graceful bow, or the fact that this new Nexian would bestow one upon another Alpha? Just in case anyone was offended, Eric offered the same bow to the rest of the Alphas, making the one for Will just a bit deeper than the others.
“I hope you’ve had plenty of time to rest and prepare,” Michael Reeves said, casting a sideways glance at Will Andrews. “I know Will here likes to work his apprentices hard.”
“They are not my apprentices,” Will retorted, rolling his eyes. “They are family.”
“So you work them harder. I understand.”
Before either Michael or Will could get another jab in, Kevin cut across their friendly banter by clearing his throat. “Very well, young Eric. Please show us an example of your power, so that we may determine your overall ranking.”
Eric hesitated slightly. They hadn’t asked Jerik, who’d gone before, to demonstrate their power. Nor had they mentioned that specific word to Ed, who’d just finished his own demonstration. “Err, does it have to be a demonstration of power?”
Kevin looked faintly interested at the question. “Not necessarily. Show us something that proves how far you’ve come since you joined the Thunder Nexus. Be it power, control, or whatever you desire. Demonstrate something that will show your growth.”
Eric nodded his understanding. “Yes, sir.”
“Take your time, Eric,” Will cautioned. “You are not on a clock, so don’t rush and hurt yourself.”
Eric could have followed his advice, but he wanted to rush. That was the key to his demonstration. If he wasn’t fast, he wouldn’t be able to pull it off. He cast a quick glance all around him, making sure that he had at least thirty feet of clearance. The audience, sensing what he had in mind, took a few more steps back just to be safe. He nodded his gratitude, then took a deep breath.
One of the most fundamental skills required in his training for the Thunder Nexus was channeling electricity across his entire body. This allowed for faster reflexes, but it also increased his running speed dramatically. What nobody else in the Thunder Nexus had seemed to realize, however, was that there was another use for that electricity.
Eric dropped into a low crouch in preparation for such a run, and in no time he was off, running in a tight circle. Time seemed to slow a bit as it always did when he was achieving these speeds, and he could make out the attempts of the others to shield their eyes against the sudden blaze of light. Only the Alphas and the Lieutenants seemed unfazed, watching him rush around in a tight circle with thoughtful frowns.
Well, at least the Alphas seemed impressed by his control during this part of the demonstration. He caught Kevin Williams nodding in mild approval, and couldn’t help the grin breaking out across his face. If they liked that, the next step would blow them away. He increased his speed, and by it, the amount of electricity covering his body.
In the center of the circle he was treading, so clearly marked out by a slight ring of scorched footsteps, electricity began to gather. It seemed a fluke at first, nothing more than a faint few sparks going toward the same spot. But within seconds, there was a brightly pulsating ball of plasma gathered in place. It grew rapidly as he ran until it was roughly the size of a basketball.
“Alpha, catch!” He shouted, giving Will plenty of time to react. He gave it two or three more passes until he was sure his Alpha was clear of the others, and called the electricity back to his body. It moved just as fast as lightning was known to, and he slid to a stop, throwing both his arms forward. The lightning traveled down them faster than he could think it, and released in one large arcing shot that flew straight at his Alpha.
Will caught the channeled power with one hand, but he was knocked back a step, and jerked to one side suddenly, as if he’d just caught an actual ball hurled at incredible speeds. He gave a surprised grunt at the amount of power he’d just intercepted, and as it traveled down his body before fading out of sight, he turned wide eyes on Eric, his mouth slightly open.
“Holy hell!” Michael Reeves exploded, rocketing to his feet and staring at Will. He’d seen the size of that blast that the man had caught. He’d never have thought it possible for anyone, let alone a Thunder Nexian, to be able to control something of that magnitude.
Even Bai Xiao had trouble controlling his features as he glanced from Will to Eric, giving the latter a slight nod. “Good control.”
Kevin let out a roar of laughter, throwing himself back in the chair so hard that it nearly toppled over. “Good? That was more than good, Bai Xiao! That was incredible!”
Bai Xiao raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the Air Nexus Alpha, but Kevin ignored the reaction. Leaning back over the table, he craned his neck to address Will. “Did you know that was possible, Will?”
The Thunder Nexus Alpha seemed incapable of speech for the moment. It was Michael Reeves that broke the silence. “Well, it’s not as if we’ve never seen revolutionary new uses for Nexian powers. It wasn’t that long ago that Will himself made such a drastic change that he created an entirely new Nexus.”
“That was different,” Kevin pointed out, still grinning widely. “This is a new application of the same power! And here we were all thinking that Thunder Nexus was already so revolutionary that it couldn’t create gems like this!”
That was certainly a widespread opinion, and Eric knew it. After the Water Nexus, they were the most well-rounded in terms of offense, defense, and utility. But he shook his head slightly. “It’s not quite new.”
When all five Alphas looked his way, confused, he elaborated. “Well, it’s the same as our lightning bolts, isn’t it? I just charged it up so it was a bit stronger.”
“A bit?” Rachel asked, snorting with laughter. “Bit of an understatement there, dear.”
“Rachel is right,” Will said, finally managing to speak. He reclaimed his seat, folding his hands thoughtfully under his chin as he regarded the newest member of his Nexus. “It’s powerful enough to warrant its own classification.”
Eric shrugged, not quite sure how to take the feedback. “It’s still not the best technique. It takes a long time to charge up, as you could see. That leaves me vulnerable. I can charge it faster if I’m running normally, but it’s harder to control, and has less power.”
“Those are things that you can work on,” Will assured him. “But this is proof that the idea works. Improve it at your own speed, Eric, and I’m sure it will become even more potent.”
Eric knew then that the demonstration was over, and gave his Alpha a deep bow. “Thank you, sir. I’ll keep working on it.”
Will nodded, and he retreated back to the anonymity of the crowd, where James and Edward rained slaps down on his shoulder, hooting in glee. James in particular seemed giddy. “Damn, kid, I knew you were good, but who knew there was such a natural monster in you?”
Eric grinned in spite of himself and shook off the gentle ribbing. “Hey, I was told to demonstrate my growth. I just threw out the best thing I could.”
The attention drifted away from him as Kevin called the next person, a Water Nexian, forward. Already, he was thinking of ways to streamline the process. Firing it in a straight line at Will had given him an idea. Ironically, the inspiration for the improvement would come from Hunter, a power he didn’t have access to in this world. Letting out a long sigh and trying to combat the wave of exhaustion that came with expending that much power, he folded his arms and settled to watching the other Nexians showing off their power.