Friday.

My alarm went off like any other day, and I forced myself to get up and turn it off. I rubbed my face feeling way more tired than I should have felt. It was because of last night and how late I stayed up. As I got ready for the final school day of the week, I wondered if I should try and hide my tattoos. I decided to ask Isheram and see if he had a solution. My real worries had more to do with Chase and his gang. I couldn't tell if the leatherbacks from last night were connected to him, but after everything that had happened, would he show his face around the school again?

My parents had left the house for their jobs, leaving me alone again. Of course, I wasn't by myself. I went into the backyard, but for some reason, I only found stone statues resembling Isheram's group for some reason. Many were standing, some were squatting, and others were lying on the ground or propped against a tree. For a minute, I thought someone had done something to them in a sneak attack.

GARGOYLES CHANGE TO STONE IN THE SUNLIGHT. THEY WILL REVERT WHEN NIGHT FALLS, said the voice inside my head, but it wasn't me who was speaking. As confusing as it was, I would not dwell on it when I could ask Isheram himself.

"Well, I guess the only thing I can do now is go to school and hope for the best."

At school, things were different. You couldn't see it, nor did it have anything to do with my interaction with people. When I listened closely to the gossip, one question kept getting asked; where were Chase and his friends? It made sense why so many people were asking. On top of Chase being the captain of the track team, about half of the group consisted of his gang. They weren't in their classes, lunch, or regular hangout places.

Some said that they were playing hooky, but all of them at the same time? As far as I knew, I was the only one at the school who knew the truth about Chase and had an idea of what was happening. While I couldn't say anything about his friends, Chase was an admirable student and wouldn't risk messing up his record.

Chase might be part of what the black-armed man--HIS NAME IS SHADOW FANG. There it was again!

"What are you?" asked out loud. Still, the voice didn't respond. At lunch, no one could hear me since I sat alone. Whatever, I needed a plan. If I could find Chase, I could discover Shadow Fang and report him to Isheram when he wakes up. At the very least, it would get rid of one problem.

"Hello again," said Clarence. He had once again managed to sneak up on me, and I was getting suspicious about how he was. "Did you beat up Chase?"

"What?" I had forgotten that Clarence wanted me to protect him from Chase. "Oh, no."

"Do you know what happened to him?" he started to look around nervously.

"...no."

Clarence looked at me and started to calm down. Maybe he heard something in my voice that assured him Chase was gone. He looked down at my arms and asked, "What's with the new tattoos?"

My suspicion grew at that. Until then, no one had brought up my tattoos, not even the teachers. "You can see these?"

"Should not be able to?"

Something clicked again in my mind. Not sure how I managed to do it, I breathed deeply through my nose, and the cafeteria smells were more potent. My eyes watered as if I were before one of the stoves burning meat and vegetables. I almost flinched as if I was getting breathed on by everyone in the cafeteria while they were still eating. Still, I had to focus on Clarence to see if my suspicion was correct.

I took another whiff of the air, trying to avoid everything else. I closed my eyes and mentally silenced all the conversations and rattling plates. I created a singular point in my mind and focused my smell on that. I could smell copper and silver, almost masked by dirt or dust. When I opened my eyes, Clarence's face was pretty close to me, and he was uncomfortable. Something about his smell differed from the gathering of people I had just experienced: it was time to go out on a limb.

"You're not human, are you?" I was right. I observed Clarence for a sign that would confirm my claim. He seemed like someone easy to read. I watched as his face sunk in horror, but I waited to hear what he had to say.

"How did you…" Clarence looked back at my tattoos and continued. "But neither are you. I've heard stories of someone with tattoos like those. And if Claymore was here yesterday, that makes you Silver!" I shushed Clarence, though, it was unlikely if anyone did hear us, they would know what we were talking about. I assumed, anyway. "For how long? Is that why you were always standing up to Chase?"

I leaned back into my chair while still internally reeling from the fact that there were more no-humans at the school. "I still counted as a human while I conflicted with Chase. This whole Silver thing is recent."

"Does it involve Chase?"

"Yes, but like I said, I don't know where he is or if he's coming back here."

Clarence quickly changed the subject. "It might be under a spell." I looked at him, confused. "Your tattoos might be under a concealment spell. It's like my glasses." Clarence pointed to said red-rimmed glasses.

"Do all…monsters have the ability to hide their true forms?"

"No, sadly. These glasses used up much of my family's earnings so that I could pass as a human and get a human education. Leatherbacks like Chase are blessed with the ability to change form on top of their other abilities."

"You said you had hereditary kleptomania. Isn't that an ability?"

"It is, but not an impressive one. It gets me into too much trouble, so it's more like a curse."

"And what are you?"

"A goblin."

"Is that why you were bullied? It wasn't just that you stole something, was it?"

"The strong often bully the weak. It's not my place to complain. In the end, I'm grateful people like you exist to stand for the weak."

I never thought of my fights as standing for the weak, but knowing I was doing good for others was excellent. I was starting to warm up to Clarence, and considering he now knew my situation and understood it, I decided to let him in on my intentions.

"I'm looking for Chase. There are some things that I need to confirm with him."

"Are you sure you want to do that? He may not want to talk to you."

"He's the only one I know that I can ask."

Clarence seemed unhappy about the idea but still gave a suggestion. "I know where he lives. I can take you there if that's ok."

Once again, Clarence was proving he was full of surprises. "How do you know where he lives?" I asked.

"Not important. You can meet me at the front of the school if you want me to take you. All I ask is that you keep me safe."

It was a simple demand and one I was quick to agree to. From that moment, it was as if the clocks slowed down where seconds turned to minutes and minutes were hours. I had to leave as soon as possible, but I was still stuck playing the regular role of Joe Backsberg.

Once the final bell rang, I was the first out of the door and met with Clarence. From there, we got on one of the buses that he said was the one he and Chase rode. I was concerned I would have to walk back home, but Clarence assured me he would also take care of that. It was all part of him paying me back for helping him.

The bus eventually stopped at a neighborhood that was just one rode. The road was overcast with trees, as if the pathway came into existence through cutting and shaping, resulting in a distinct trail for individuals to follow through a forest. Clarence nervously walked forward and pointed to the last house at the tip of the road, saying it was Chase's. The house had a red roof and brick walls and was one story high. More space was in the back, and a metal and wooden fenced backyard. The fence was tall enough to reach the house's roof, making me wonder why that was. The garage was on the right side of the house and was closed, but in front of it was a police car. The police officer was on the porch talking to someone at the open door.

Clarence cowered once he saw the officer, but I pushed him on. When we reached the house, the officer was leaving, greeting us as he passed. The man on the porch watched the officer go, only to turn his attention to us and realize we were approaching him. He looked confused and addressed us.

"Can I help you two?" The man asked. He wore business casual clothes but had slippers on.

I spoke up for the two of us. "We were looking for Chase and were wondering if he was home."

"He isn't." It sounded like he stopped in the middle of talking, as if there was more he wanted to say and chose against it.

"Do you know when he will be back?"

"Soon, but waiting for him to come to you may be best. Have a good day." He then began to close the door behind him.

"Wait! I need to ask him some questions," my words didn't stop him. "I know that he's a leatherback!"

The door clicked shut but slowly reopened, with the man standing bewildered by what he heard. He took a better look at my companion, then back to me and asked, "Are you friends of Chase?"

"No," I responded. "But we are not looking to harm him. As I said before, I have some questions I need to ask him."

The man sighed and stared at us as if unsure what to do. Finally, he invited us into his house, saying that he would tell us what we wanted to know.

The inside of the house was well decorated with fancy furniture and declarations. Each expensive-looking piece went well with the red color scheme of the painted walls. While I marveled at everything, I noticed the smell of dusty coins was getting faint. Once aware of that, I barely heard the sound of light footsteps behind me. Turning around, I saw Clarence reaching for one of the vases.

"Hey!" I snapped at him, which also got the attention of who I assumed to be Chase's dad.

Clarence shrunk away from the vase, but Chase's dad wasn't bothered.

He said, "Let me grab something, and then we can talk. I also have tea boiling if you want some." I accepted the offer, and Clarence nervously followed suit.

We went to the living room and sat on the soft sofa across from the flat screen tv. After some time passed to the point where I wanted to turn on the tv, Chase's dad came in with a tray holding three cups, a fine china teapot, and something that looked like a pendant. Before he poured the tea, he gave the pendant to Clarence, and his eyes grew wide.

"I want that back," the dad demanded. He poured the tea and passed the cups to us as he talked. "I know your kind likes holding precious objects more than just having them."

While holding the pendent tightly, Clarence asked, "You know what I am?"

"I recognized your glasses brand, so I know you're not human. Your race is still a mystery to me, so don't worry; your glasses work. I've lived with monsters for a long time, so if I look hard enough, I can tell who is what." He then turned to me and continued. "What kind of monster are you, or are you just a human who got wrapped up in this."

I was not too fond of the question as it referred to me, but it was fair, and there was no way he meant it to be in mean spirit. "I got wrapped up in this situation."

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"Wait, are you not a leatherback?" Clarence interrupted, referring to Chase's dad. He caught on to something that Chase's father said.

Chase's father replied, "I am human, yes."

"I thought Chase was a pure leatherback."

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"He just doesn't look like a mixed blood, so I was caught off guard to find out he wasn't."

"Let's stay on topic," said the dad, "You said you had questions for Chase. I hope I can help since he's not here."

Once I regained focus on the conversation, I asked my first question. "Were you telling the truth when you said you didn't know where Chase was?"

"...Unfortunately, I was. He never returned home from school yesterday, and I haven't seen him since."

Explained the police car from before, but… "Did you call the police earlier today?"

"I just got home, and I called the police recently. If I understand your question, I know Chase can handle himself. I was confident he could get out of most situations. It wasn't until recently at work I received a text from him saying 'Take care, Dad' that I knew something was wrong."

He didn't have much information to work with, so I gave him some information.

"What do you know about a vampire named Shadow Fang?" I asked.

"Shadow Fang. The name is infamous. It was said that he fed on a human girl within the werewolf's territory. It would have started a fight between vampires and werewolves, but the vampires were quick to disown Shadow Fang. I guess they didn't like him either. However, once the vampires were done legally separating from Shadow Fang, he was nowhere to be found." As he explained, Chase's dad grew more defeated the more he spoke. "My son is with that criminal, isn't he?"

"I can't prove that. All I know was that two leatherbacks attacked me and my family alongside Shadow Fang. They were in their true forms, so I couldn't tell if I had seen them before."

"Chase has a big influence on the leatherback community here. If anyone could convince them to do that, it would be him. But why would he do that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

I watched as the man began to crumble before me. Slowly at first, but once the first bit of emotion broke through, it didn't take long for him to start sobbing at the potential loose of his son.

"I want to go after Shadow Fang," I said, more confidently than I thought I was.

"I'm sorry," Chase's dad responded as he pulled himself together, "but what can you possibly do here?"

"...I have gained another name recently: Silver. I don't know what that means, and I don't know if that makes me more capable of going after Shadow Fang, but I can't stay put after what he did." The man blinked multiple times before realizing I was serious.

"And what about Chase?"

I took a moment to choose my word carefully. "I don't want to promise you anything. I can't even be sure if those two are working together or will be in the same place. Even then-"

"That doesn't mean you have to save him." It wasn't what I would have said, but he was right. Before he tried to kill me, I couldn't say I hated the guy. My feelings were complicated, but I didn't want to save him from anything. But this man was just like my parents, lost in hopelessness as forces more powerful than them took their children away from them, and Shadow Fang was the target of that blame.

I then said what I felt needed to be said. "Regardless of how I feel, if I go after Shadow Fang, I strongly feel Chase won't be far behind. I don't know what to do when I see him, but I'll let him know you're worried about him."

It wasn't the best thing to say, but Chase's dad seemed to understand why I had my stance. However, even within the sea of ifs we were dealing with, he must have found hope in one of them.

Clarence and I never finished our tea by the time we left, and he looked so disappointed after giving up the pendant. He told me he had contacted one of his family members to pick us up, and we were waiting for them to arrive. Before they did, there was one thing I needed to do before I forgot.

"Hey, Clarence," I said. Once I had his attention, I continued. "Thank you for everything."

Clarence smiled at that. "It's amazing to think about how you can do so many cool things. I could never do that."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I don't mind. I admire you for that, even when you were just Joe Backsberg. Maybe one day, you can be one of those superheroes and save more people like me."

I couldn't help but smile. It was a great honor to be compared to a superhero. Somewhere in my chest, I thought I didn't deserve the praise, but I may have had a chance to live up to it.

"It is something to consider."

I was just dropped off at my house and was making my way inside. The sun was setting, and everyone was home. As soon as I opened the door, the conversation between my parents became audible. They were debating with each other and sounded stressed. Their tones were distinct enough for me to know what they were discussing before I heard the first word. The debate was happening in the kitchen, and I held back to listen to what they were saying.

"...call someone. Anyone will do, right?" It was my mom's voice.

"It's not like he has some kind of ascended power." Now it was my dad speaking. "This is going into supernatural territory."

"But do you trust everything they are saying?"

"No, but they still know more about this than we do...."

There was a short pause before my mom started the conversation again. "I told you no."

"Ultimately, the responsibility of making the final decision lies with Joe."

I decided then that I would make myself known. My mom looked like she was on the verge of crying, while my dad was unreadable. I wanted to make them feel better by telling them I wouldn't go, but I had gained so many reasons not to stay it would have been a lie.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going with Isheram."

"No." My mom looked mad, but her eyes were swelling up. She never talked about her family and often said Dad and I were all she needed. We were all she had left.

"Even if I don't, I'm left with these powers and the questions that come with them."

My dad spoke up, looking me in the eyes. "Is this what you want to do?"

"No. But my life will get a lot more complicated staying here."

"It might be worse if you go." We just stood there until he eventually gave up and smiled. "Alright. If you're sure, then I have nothing else to say." My dad looked towards my mom to see if she had anything to say, and she was just as speechless. While still not saying a word, she approached me and hugged me tightly. I did the same. She wanted to say something, but she didn't have to. My dad joined us, and we stayed like that until six.

I couldn't see the sunset from where I lived. Aside from the road, trees were almost entirely around my house, and I was behind my house, so there was no good spot to see the sun go down. As the sky turned black, the gargoyles began to move. Gradually, the hard stone that encased them fell off and disappeared. Many yawned and stretched as if waking up from a day's sleep. Others loosened themselves more to remove extra "stones" from themselves.

Isheram asked me, "Have you decided, or did you have a question?"

I looked back at my family, who were standing right behind me. I knew I would see them again in the future. I looked back at Isheram. "Deep down, I don't want to do this. So many things could happen that it scares me. But, if these powers are stuck with me, I want to learn how to control them. And maybe I can help you find Shadow Fang along the way."

"So... Is that a yes?"

"It is, but only until Shadow Fang is captured. Who knows what I'll do after that."

Isheram nodded slowly. "Then pack what you'll need. We'll provide for you, but I've found that those who take their things are more comfortable with change. Take all the time you need, but also be mindful of how long you take. As for you two," Isheram looked towards my parents, "there will be people that will help cover Joe's absence. I promise your son is in good hands." That last sentence was gentle and confident. It didn't completely put them at ease, but they could trust what he said; what else could they do?

I packed what I thought was necessary, including a picture of me, my parents, and my late brother, Wallace. I remember my dad asking a guy passing through to take the picture for us. The photo was taken near a beach four hours from where we lived. We had been to that beach many times, but this was special because it was the first time I felt like I wasn't there. I've had moments before where I would know something, but as I stood on the beach where the waves came in, I saw a sailboat docked beside me. It was the kind of boat you would see in pirate movies, primarily made of wood with cannons on the side. Right beside me stood a boy about my age. He said something about getting rid of some pearls he had, and then both the ship and the boy vanished.

My brother was the first to hear about it that day but didn't call me crazy. However, without proof, there was no telling if what I saw was real, so we decided not to tell our parents. I didn't believe what I saw was real. Now, I could only consider what it all meant. Furthermore, I wondered what my brother would have thought of me now.

I folded the picture and put it in my pocket, then went to finish packing. I made it downstairs with my luggage in tow, but the further I got from my room, the harder it was to move forward. I found myself stuck in the middle of the hallway staring at the door as if it were miles away. Even if I could get to the other side, there would be another hundred thousand miles to a place I won't recognize. Suddenly, I felt my father's hands on my shoulder. My mom came over and held my hand. I looked at him, and his smile said: "Be brave and move forward."

My mom asked, "If you're not ready to go, I'm sure they'll understand if you stay." They both knew I was nervous and wanted me to be comfortable with my choice. I gave them one last hug goodbye and told them I'd return.

I followed Isheram to our backyard as he held a device resembling a knife. When I told him I was ready, he used the knife to cut the air creating a sound like ripping fabrics, and a portal appeared. At least, that was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the mostly dark and uneven oval-shaped hole in space-time.

"Just walk through when you're ready." He said.

I did so without hesitation, only looking back once to the family I would return to.

Going through the portal gave me a sense of familiarity. However, it was an uncomfortable experience. Imagine if suddenly, as you are walking down the street, your body was put on pause. In such a state, you would be aware of your suspended movement but couldn't react. I couldn't breathe or even twitch one of my fingers. Before that could be registered, I could move again but fell face-first into the ground. It didn't hurt, but it was still embarrassing.

"You alright, Silver?" Isheram asked as he helped me up. "It's always rough the first time, but you'll get used to it."

As I got up, I brushed off the dirt on my clothes. "Thanks. I'll be fiii....."

I was standing before an arching wooden gate without doors, nor was it connected to fences or walls. Further down the horizon rose a mountain that touched the star-lit sky, and just above it was a crescent moon. As beautiful as it was, I couldn't help but feel the sky was all wrong. Then again, we could be on the other side of the planet.

No, that wasn't it.

Directly before me was a city of white and gray stone and wood. Many were taller than others, and some had protruding sections that didn't look structurally sound or even possible for some. Some places looked like stables floating above it all as winged creatures flew in and out of each one. The people that walked along the street were monsters of all kinds, as some were riding on the backs of what I could only quickly describe as horses. A wave of intrigue and familiarity washed over me to the point of overwhelming my thoughts and my being.

I didn't realize I was falling backward until I felt a stone-like hand on my back that kept me steady. I quickly turned around with my claws extended, my body crouched to the ground, and my teeth feeling sharper than before. Isheram had his hands up in surrender, and I quickly realized what I was doing.

"It's ok," he told me gently. "You are safe here."

I looked down at my hands. I just then realized that the tattoos were painted over the fur. All of the new things had put me on edge. "I didn't mean to do that! It just happened."

"Hey, hey. Just take a deep breath." I did as he said, and my hands went back to normal. "It may be best to send you straight to the castle. How are you with heights?"

"I can manage."

"Good. One of you, take his bag. I'll carry him to Claymore." With a bow and salute, one of the winged gargoyles took my bag while Isheram grabbed me around the waist, and we were off into the sky. Sadly, we barely passed the gate before I asked him to set me down. As he did, Isheram told the other gargoyle to take my stuff to the castle and that we would catch up. Turning to me, he asked, "Are you actually afraid of heights, Silver?"

"It's not a daily activity," I said, bent forward with my hands on my knees. "But that was only part of it. My brain tried to explain everything simultaneously, but all I could hear was noise."

"Must be the memories flooding in. In a way, that is good, but Claymore can teach you how to control which memories can make themselves known.

"He can do that?" I looked up at him and somewhat regained steady breathing.

"Working with you for as long as he has, I'm sure he's figured out something. It is getting late, but it would be best to take things slow. I know a bakery that should still be open at this time."

"That sounds good to me."

We made our way into the city as everyone looked towards us curiously. In hindsight, I realized that humans were typical here, but I didn't notice until we came to the bakery Isheram mentioned. It was a small shop with only enough space from the door to the counter for four humans to stand side by side. The inside smelled of warm, natural fruits mixing like a candle would smell while burning. The man running the place was no different than any other human I would run across back home. The counter he was standing behind was made of glass holding cookies, bread filled to the brim with fruit fillings, and other stuff that looked easy to make. Isheram paid for the treats he asked for with coins of copper and silver. After he chose what he wanted, the store clerk reached out his hand, and a box landed in his open palm.

Isheram thanked the man and brought the box to me. "Here you go."

"How did he do that?"

Isheram was confused by my non-specific question until he realized I was still new to everything. "Isn't it obvious? That was magic."

"Right...."

Isheram laughed and handed me the box. "Take it slow, and it will all make sense in the end." His reassuring words put me at ease.

As we walked through the city, I ate the little cake that had what I thought was green icing. It was sweet, sour, and warm in my mouth, as if it came straight out of the oven and was soft to bite into. So good.

I looked up at the mountain again, and the castle almost merged with it. "Is that where we are going?" I asked, pointing at the castle with pastry in hand.

"Yes, but there will be no climbing involved."

At that point, we found ourselves in front of another gate, but this one was only as tall as we were. Isheram raised his hands, and a portal like the one that brought us here opened up. He presented the path forward, and I couldn't stop regretting eating the pastry when I did.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the portal, but thankfully the distance was shorter than the last. I didn't fall on my face once I exited the dark tunnel. Maybe I was finally getting used to things. Then everything went dark.