Brandon tried to hide his face as he entered the hospital. Hector had taken the cuffs off since they were getting in the way. As they approached the front counter to check in, he couldn’t help but notice all the people in the waiting room staring at him, some with awe and others with disgust. There were some moments when he wished he wasn’t so famous that he was recognized everywhere he went. This was one of them.

Before Hector could say a word, he leant on the counter in front of the receptionist. “Evan Norallis. Is he here yet? Where is he?”

The receptionist was startled by the confrontation, but told him to wait as she checked the screen in front of her. “Evan has been registered already and the surgeons have already begun the procedure.”

“Which room?” Brandon demanded.

She sighed, as if knowing she wasn’t supposed to give the information. “Room 407, but please don’t enter. They’d rather not be disturbed.”

He had already started walking by the time she gave the room number, but Hector grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look. “You heard her, right?”

“Let go of me!” Brandon yanked himself away, returning a glare. “Yes, I’m not deaf.”

He hobbled down one of the hallways as he heard Hector checking him in for his broken leg. His broken leg was leaving a thin trail of blood on the tiled floor. He was nearly hopping on one leg to keep the pain of the other leg bearable.

He stared through the window of the operating room, his heart pounding with anticipation. There were several surgeons in white gowns huddled over the operating table. Evan’s forehead was barely visible above the oxygen mask. The life support systems were out of sight from Brandon’s angle, but he could hear the faint, repetitive beep of the system registering Evan’s heartbeats.

Brandon released a sigh of relief, his eyes tearing up again. If he was still alive, there was hope for his recovery. It would be costly, but he would spend whatever it took to get any damaged organs replaced or regrown.

Hector appeared next to him and gazed into the room. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Still breathin’, would ya look at that?”

“Yeah,” Brandon muttered, backing away from the door. They followed a physician into a medical room with multiple beds and machines. The nurses downloaded the vital data from his wrist pad and scanned his broken leg.

The one closest to him frowned as she swiped through the data. “Fractured tibia. You’re pretty lucky to come away with only one broken bone after a crash like that.”

“If this is what good luck looks like, I’d hate to see what bad luck looks like,” Brandon said. He looked at the nurse, concerned. “What about Evan? How much surgery does he need?”

“We don’t have his information at the moment, and I don’t think we will for several hours. I’m very sorry, sir.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” he said, waving a hand at her sarcastically. “I’ll just lay here on this bed, stewing in my own anticipation. And then when he’s wheeled in here, I’ll probably cry and suffer some more.” He gave her a pained smile.

She nodded stiffly. “Okay, then. We’ll have your cast ready shortly as well as the nanite infusion. You should expect to be walking around comfortably with no pain in forty-eight hours.”

“Fantastic,” he replied, still smiling.

The nurse left the room. Hector changed from a sitting position to a lying position on the bed next to Brandon’s. He put his hands behind his head. “Man, I know you’re in a tough spot right now, but you really got to make an effort to lighten up. Like, those last few comments were pretty fucking harsh. They’re in the process of saving your son’s life. Show some respect!”

Brandon shook his head. “I know you meant well, but that didn’t help either. Shouldn’t you be off patrolling or something?”

“Nah, I got permission to stay with you until, you know.” He looked at Brandon. “You get your sentence. I’m going to be a witness, by the way.”

Brandon chuckled. “Good. How much do you want?”

“How about one or two of those fancy cars of yours?”

“Deal.”

Hector chuckled this time. “Yeah right, I’d only extend your sentence for bribing an officer.”

“Well then, I retract my offer.”

“Smart man.”

Brandon gazed at his leg wrapped in blood-stained cloth. He had no question about it. All this chaos was caused by his response to the cryptic email earlier today, the one that wanted to know where the crystal was. The attack on Evan was too coincidental for it to be otherwise. Not only that, it was precisely calculated so that Evan would survive. It was a warning. Respond like that again and it would be worse the next time. Brandon sighed. “Too smart for my own good.”

Hector raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Everyone, especially my family and friends, can be used as leverage against me because of my status. I mean, maybe if I wasn’t so well known, I wouldn’t have been targeted like this.”

“Targeted?” Hector sat up and faced him. “How do you know that?”

Brandon glanced around the room, hoping the security cameras didn’t have good microphone sensitivity. “I might have done something earlier today that apparently pissed off the wrong person.”

Hector responded after Brandon paused. “I’m listening.”

Brandon shrugged. “The rest is classified. Sorry.”

Hector gestured to himself. “You do realize who you’re talking to, right? The one who works for the department that is meant to deal with this type of shit. Some of my colleagues are on the case right now, downloading the security camera data from the refinery.”

“Good luck, because you’re putting yourselves at risk as well. Again, it’s classified, but I have a pretty good idea of who I’m dealing with here, and from what I’ve seen, it makes me feel like shitting my pants.”

Hector widened his eyes. “You serious? That dangerous?”

Brandon looked at him. “You don’t want to know.”

“I appreciate the head’s up, but we still gotta do our job. And sorry to say, but Evan will need to be interviewed to help us out.”

Brandon nodded sadly. “Just don’t make it last too long.”

“We’ll record it so he doesn’t have to repeat himself.”

“Good.”

Hector stood up and started towards the door. “I should probably check in with my team right about now. You should too.” He winked back at Brandon.

“What?” Brandon’s eyes went wide and he slapped the bed. “Shit! Marvain doesn’t know yet.” He brought up her contact on his wrist pad.

“I’ll greet her out front when she gets here,” Hector said as he left the room.

***

In the middle of a sparring room, two people engaged in a flurry of punches and kicks. Their foreheads gleamed with sweat, but neither showed signs of tiring. The man was going on the defense, while the woman on the offense. Master Domrik knew Kelly was close to advancing to the next level of training, but he wasn’t going to promote her so easily. She would have to work for it, and then work for it again.

Domrik ducked under a couple high kicks, and Kelly started to smile. He raised an eyebrow. Time for her next lesson. He deflected the next few punches, then saw the roundhouse kick coming. Instead of stepping back or blocking with his leg on the same side, he turned and threw a knee strike into her shin.

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Kelly cried out and grabbed her shin as she toppled onto the mat. She looked at Domrik sheepishly. “I did it again, didn’t I?”

He knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes, but from what I can see it’s happening later and later. You’re making progress. No need beat yourself up when you’re supposed to be beating me up.”

“Easier said than done,” she moaned as she lay on her back. “It’s hard for me to stay patient when I’m so close to moving on.”

“Each student in Stage Seven would say they went through a similar phase before getting to where they are now.” Domrik knelt next to her and put a hand on her bleeding shin. “It’s only part of the process. Are you ready?”

She nodded, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Domrik took a deep breath and closed his eyes as well. A minute later, the wound on her shin was gone and only the blood remained. As he helped her up, his ringtone sounded from his wrist pad near the far wall. He told her to go clean her leg while he took the call.

“Domrik here.”

“Hey man, it’s Hector.”

“Ugh, don’t tell me.”

“Yep, some creepy ass shit happened again. Figured you might want to talk to the kid.”

“He got a kid this time?” Domrik massaged his eyebrows. “He must be getting desperate.”

“And you won’t believe who’s kid it is.”

“Try me.”

“Brandon Norallis.”

Domrik started pacing around. “I can believe that. The kid’s a pressure point.”

“For sure, but if you want the details, you need to get down here ASAP. Brandon can’t stay here for much longer and I bet he has some useful info.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” Domrik said. He frowned as he hung up. He turned to Kelly who had just reentered the room. “I apologize, but I will have to cut our session short for today. Next time, we can go longer if you’re willing?”

Kelly raised her eyebrows. “What? Did something happen?”

“Yes, but I can’t tell you,” he said as he slipped into his shoes. They tightened automatically. He bowed. “It was a pleasure watching you progress today.”

She bowed back hesitantly. Domrik rushed past her with a nervous smile, leaving her alone in the room. She whispered to herself. “Bye?”

***

Hector entered the room with Marvain trailing close behind. Her brown hair was in a bit of a mess. Her face was stricken with worry as her eyes locked on Evan’s bed next to Brandon’s. Evan was asleep. The lower part of his torso was wrapped in bandages. She put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, my little baby!”

She rushed past Brandon’s bed and hugged Evan’s head, kissing him on the forehead. “Goodness, where did we go wrong?”

“This has nothing to do with us, Marvain,” Brandon said. “I know most things have to do with us, but not everything.”

She gave him a cold look. “Now is not the time to be funny.”

“Okay, sorry.” Brandon sank into the bed a bit. “It was a bad joke anyway.”

A few minutes later, more police officers arrived, followed by someone who was definitely not a police officer. Brandon narrowed his eyes and scanned him up and down. He wore a traditional martial arts uniform, except for the high-tech shoes. To Brandon, he was like a kid who wanted to cosplay as their favorite superhero but didn’t want to get their feet hurt. Obviously, he was not a kid. Maybe he was in his early thirties.

Brandon leaned to Hector and mumbled, “Who is this guy and what is he doing here?”

“Glad you asked,” Hector said, smirking. He gestured to the newcomer who now stood at the food of Evan’s bed. “Allow me to introduce you to Master Domrik Lazen, one of the world’s finest Aether combat experts. He’s seen this type of shit before, so he’s a police consultant. He’s been helping us for the past decade track the perpetrator of these mysterious attacks and disappearances.”

“I see,” Brandon said, turning his attention to Domrik. “Any luck?”

“Not much,” Domrik answered, putting his hands respectfully behind his back. “All I know is that the one we’re dealing with here has abilities the world has never seen, and should hope to never see.”

Brandon bit his lip in thought. “Interesting. What, do you consider him to be your arch-enemy or something?”

Domrik frowned. “It’s not useful to think in that way. All I want to do is find him, see why he is doing what he is doing, and stop him by any means necessary.”

“Alright, well don’t get too prying with the questions when Evan wakes up. He hardly wanted to talk when I tried asking him anything about it. He’s terrified.”

“I understand,” Domrik said, nodding. “I’ll do my best to keep him calm when he wakes up.”

The master gently closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath in. Brandon looked at him skeptically. He hoped Evan woke up soon. He didn’t want this guy to start chanting or do some other spiritual nonsense. How Domrik had gained the trust of the police, he had no clue. Clearly, he was someone who thought of himself as the wise one in the room. He had even described the criminal as some kind of legend or mythical figure “the world has never seen”. That sounded pretty pretentious.

Domrik exhaled slowly through his mouth. Just then, Evan began to stir on the bed. Brandon blinked in surprise, then mentally waved it off as a coincidence. Marvain shifted a bit closer to Evan on the other adjacent bed.

He leaned in slightly toward his son. “Hey Evan.”

The boy wearily opened his eyes. His head had been facing toward Brandon on the pillow. His eyes scanned the room before closing again. He winced tiredly. “It still hurts.”

“I know, bud. It will take much longer to heal than a broken bone. I’ll make sure to get the best treatment for you. But look, someone is here to ask you a few questions, and then he’ll leave you alone.”

Evan followed Brandon’s gaze to Domrik. It took him a few seconds to reposition his head on the pillow. He blinked a few times as if trying to get his eyes to focus. He smiled weakly at his mom for a moment before returning his gaze to Domrik. “Hi…”

“Hello, Evan,” Domrik said, giving a small bow. “I apologize for interrupting your rest, but I have to ask about your encounter with the criminal we have called the Phantom Scythe.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. Definitely an arch-enemy.

Domrik continued. “We have seen the video footage from the security camera and know everything you know up until the point where you seem to… fade out of existence for a minute or two. To the best of your memory, what did he look like?”

Evan sighed as he closed his eyes tightly. “Hard to remember. Dark hair…? Average height? Maybe around your age. White.”

“Clothing?”

Evan paused for a few moments. “I… can’t remember.”

“That’s fine. Very good so far,” Domrik said, giving a gentle smile. “Evidently, he didn’t attack you right away. Was there a conversation between the two of you? If so, what are the most important lines you remember?”

“It was weird,” Evan said, staring quizzically at the ceiling. “He was weird. He said he had a purpose for Aether crystals other than using them as batteries? That dad had something he wanted. And… maybe he is insane, because he said he has been working on something for far longer than I’ve been born, but he’s only a decade older than me.”

“A figure of speech, perhaps?” Domrik offered.

Evan shook his head. “He sounded completely serious, and angry.”

Domrik looked at Brandon. “Do you have anything to add? Your son suggests that you are involved with the Phantom Scythe in some way.”

Brandon put up his hands. “Look… It’s classified. That’s all I can say.”

“Are you sure?”

Brandon snorted and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, if I gotta give you something, I did get an email earlier today that was… inquiring about the classified material. I did the boneheaded thing and replied with a metaphorical middle finger.”

Domrik smirked. “Lesson learned, I see.”

“Yep,” Brandon quipped, pursing his lips in a frown. “Won’t happen again.”

Domrik looked back at Evan. “I appreciate your answers so far. They have been very helpful, but I have one more. Can you describe to us what you experienced when you disappeared on the security footage?”

Brandon glared at Domrik. “I think that’s going a bit too far.”

“We should let Evan decide if he wants to recall it,” Domrik replied, gesturing to the boy. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah,” Marvain said, giving Brandon a look. “Let him talk.”

“Fine, fine!” Brandon gestured to Evan with exasperation. “Go ahead.”

Evan nodded slowly. “I can tell you. It wasn’t that bad. The surroundings got really blurry as he appeared there slowly. He said something like ‘welcome to illusion magic’. I even tried later to attack him with the wrench and he just vanished and appeared behind me.” He turned to Brandon with a look of worry. “You never told me the Aether could do that.”

Marvain was petrified from the description. Brandon shook his head and looked away. “I didn’t know the Aether could do that.” He looked at Domrik. “Did you?”

“Yes,” Domrik said gravely. “It is an esoteric practice and very difficult to master.”

“Have you mastered it?” Evan asked.

Domrik chuckled. “No, not even close, and I don’t intend to. Those who do master it usually intend to use it for their own purposes. I have some skill in illusion magic because it can be useful during a fight, but only rarely.”

“Maybe I can learn it?”

“No,” Marvain cut in. “You heard him. It’s used for nefarious purposes, and I don’t want you involved in any of that.”

“But it was used against me!” Evan retorted, raising his hands in frustration. “I have to defend myself somehow.”

“There is a way you can defend yourself,” Domrik said, “without using or even learning illusion magic, but that also requires a lot of training and experience.”

“Can I learn that?”

“Of course, anyone can, but you have to know what to practice and how to practice it. I do have a class at my studio you can join if you’re interested.”

Brandon waved his hands as he tenderly stood up from his bed. “Alright, that’s enough. I don’t need you to take advantage of the situation to market yourself. I think we’re all done here.” He smiled as he held out his hand, and he squeezed firmly when Domrik shook it. He started to relax, knowing this weirdo was leaving soon.

“I am in fact finished here,” Domrik said, bowing slightly to Evan. “I appreciate all your answers. You have been most helpful today. I wish you a speedy recovery.”

Evan nodded back. “You’re welcome.”

“Professor, Ma’am.” He nodded to Brandon and Marvain, then exited the room along with the other officers, except for Hector who remained standing. Evan gave Brandon a questioning look. “Why can’t I learn to defend myself? What if this happens again?”

Brandon sat back down and leaned forward. “Maybe someday you’ll be ready to learn, but definitely not from that guy. And as far as I’m concerned, you won’t be able to defend yourself if you can’t even walk.” He reached out and put his hand on Evan’s. “Right now, all you need to focus on is rest, okay?”

“Okay,” Evan mumbled, frowning.

“Good.” Brandon smiled, but the smile quickly faded as he glanced at Hector. “I’d love to stay with you overnight, but unfortunately I have other obligations.”

“What obligations?” Marvain demanded. “Your injured son is right here!”

Brandon felt small under her piercing gaze. “Doing nearly double the speed limit and causing an accident has negative consequences, and the judge is about to tell me how severe they are.”