Instinctually, I tightened my hold on the weapons. I couldn’t let go. It would mean defeat.

“You’ve already lost, Alec. Set the weapons on the ground and step away from them.”

I maintained my grip. Kioshi was a lot of things, but one bullet could end him, just the same as anyone. I just had to find a way...

“This is checkmate. You won’t find a way out of this.”

“No,” I said, and the emotion in my voice surprised me, “I trusted you. I looked up to you. We had something.”

It was one thing to suspect Kioshi’s betrayal. It was entirely another thing to have his gun to my head. That inkling of hope - that I’d been wrong about the whole thing - that we could still be allies, fostering a mutual respect and appreciation for one another - gone. Desecrated.

It hurt.

“Always the fool. We had nothing, Alec. I would never-,”

“Stop,” Maisie spoke, her voice startling and soft, “Stop lying.”

She cowered as soon as the words left her mouth. It might have been the look Kioshi gave her. I couldn't see, with the man a step behind me.

I still held the gun and the scepter.

"Kutabare," Kioshi swore, "Faulty lie detector. I'll fix that, but first Alec has five seconds to put the weapons down, else I fire. Five... four..."

"Alec! He's not bluffing!" Maisie urged me.

"He never specified-,"

"Through your skull," Kioshi clarified, "Two..."

I set the weapons on the ground. Firmly, despite shaky hands.

Then I stepped away.

"Your other tools," Kioshi said.

I tossed the wand and the grappling gun into the pile.

Took another two steps back.

There hadn't been a single opportunity. Not enough time to form a cunning plan. Kioshi was a dominating force.

And without my arsenal of tools, I was completely at Kioshi's mercy.

I felt naked.

But so was the enemy, in a fashion. Kioshi’s glow had vanished, leaving him an ordinary man in a suit.

'Thank you for the cure.' That's what he'd said. Somehow, pointing the scepter at Kioshi had fixed him.

Kioshi took the scepter from the floor. A swift kick sent the rest of my items to the far side of the room. My list of options continued to shrink. I wasn't even sure options existed anymore.

He might be right. Checkmate.

In a flash of motion, Kioshi pulled a knife from seemingly nowhere and sliced at the scepter, cutting at the outer layer of material. One half of the octagonal prism was stripped away, revealing something glassy underneath. A grey gem.

That can’t be what I think it is.

I tried to put it out of my mind, exercising my ability to doubt.

But it was true. My initial assumption was correct.

Kioshi had supposedly liberated this artifact from Photo. Modified it. The properties of the scepter were vague and abstract.

The gem was the same as the one I’d made during the business simulation, which had given me unforgivable diarrhea after only ten seconds of holding it. The appropriately named ‘TedLax.’

I hadn't bothered to research the gem, and I'd lost it shortly after.

Kioshi had bothered.

Now, Kioshi, Maisie, and I stood in a rough triangle. With careful poise, Kioshi held the scepter upright, angling the gem-half at the space between Maisie and I.

The gem turned a lighter grey.

"Rules," Kioshi began, "My tool affects whatever is visible to the jewel. Your half of the room is visible. While visible, any use of Photo's abilities will be canceled. Any ability you attempt to use will be lost permanently. Note that I am telling the truth."

"Yes," Maisie mumbled.

"In addition-,"

"Hold on," I interrupted.

The glare I received was harrowing. I could understand why Maisie had cowered. I nearly apologized.

But fighters didn't apologize. Respect and power went hand in hand.

"Kioshi," I began again, "If Maisie's ability is currently being cancelled, how can we know you are telling the truth?"

Kioshi scoffed, "You aspire to be a great thinker, but you always fail to think! Prideful dumbass. Maisie detects lies. Her ability activates when a lie is told, not a truth."

"But we don't know that for sure," I explained through grit teeth, "Here, I'll test it myself. I think Kioshi is-,"

"Stop!"

The tone of his shriek scared me. Not because of the volume or the pitch, but because it had come from Kioshi. I wasn’t used to hearing emotion in his voice.

He took a moment to compose himself before continuing, but it wasn't a complete reversion.

Kioshi was losing patience.

"If Maisie detects a lie in the presence of the jewel, she will lose her ability," Kioshi explained, "If this happens - and I will know if it happens - I will shoot you both. Mostly out of spite. As for your test...," Kioshi covered the gem with his palm and winced, "Everything I've said about the jewel is true, to the best of my knowledge, and I think Alec is moral, rational, and emotionally stable, not to mention very intelligent."

A stiff silence followed.

"The part about you is a lie," Maisie said.

Then, after another pause, "Sorry, it's his lie, not a lie. Um...”

“Thank-,” I started.

“Sorry.”

"Thank you.”

More silence.

It gave me room to think. Maybe I would kill Kioshi after all.

Kioshi uncovered the gem, and I experienced the briefest flicker of sensation. I felt less healthy. Marginally closer to death.

There was a chance I was deluding myself.

“Ok,” Kioshi said, sounding a touch bitter, “We begin.”

He withdrew a pouch from his pocket, and I immediately recognized it as one of the bags of holding from the business simulation.

How the hell did he get all of my stuff?

Then I remembered. I hadn’t retained the pouches when moving on to the space station, because Blaine had tossed them into the smoking wreckage of collapsed hallways. One of those pouches had contained the gem. Kioshi was friends with Teddy, and the pair had been investigating Good And You, the company which had purchased the Pillars where I’d lost the pouches.

All of the details were slotting together now, every new puzzle piece connecting to previous ones. I was catching glimpses of the bigger picture...

Kioshi widened the lip of the pouch.

And my metaphorical puzzle caught on fire.

A ball of starlight floated out of the pouch, showering everything in the room in a therapeutic glow. The light rapidly dimmed, becoming less obtrusive than a distant night-light. It was like seeing the sun in the night sky. It was present - shining, even - but not illuminating in any meaningful way. Contradictory and confusing to the eye.

Kioshi replaced the pouch with a gun, training it on the light god.

“I present to you humanity’s biggest threat, Photo of the Photon - an idiot.”

Photo didn’t speak. Didn’t defend themself.

I was still reeling.

“Photo. What is going on? Where have you been?” I asked.

“No,” Kioshi said, “Photo will only do what I ask. Anything more and I kill them and anyone affected. This includes communication that I did not authorize.”

Photo obeyed, saying nothing to me in the way of answers.

Damn.

Kioshi was letting nothing slip.

“Photo will now give to Alec the same abilities granted to me," he said, "Namely, universal communication and a broader understanding of language. Photo will explain to Alec how to use his abilities. Nothing more. After this, Photo will fly directly to the pouch and go inside. Photo, confirm that you understand and will follow these instructions.”

The light god bobbed slightly.

Yes.

“Good,” Kioshi said, “Now go.”

Photo drifted towards me. I noted Kioshi angling the gem away from us, putting Photo and me out of its range. Photo’s natural glow returned.

Maisie was still being affected.

I had to wonder at Kioshi’s plan. So far, it was to trap us, hold us at gunpoint, ensure that we couldn’t lie, and then grant me telepathy. The last part didn’t fit. It was jarring.

Then I realized.

We’re still doing the broadcast. That part wasn’t a lie.

Would I be able to communicate with the entire world’s population at once?

How much information could I leak before Kioshi shot me?

Photo came to a stop in front of my face. Being this close, I could see the nine dots of light which comprised Photo. Nine motes which could be rearranged into varying shapes, each shape performing a different function. Dancing and swirling so fast that they blended together, giving the appearance of a static ball of light from further away.

There was a symmetry to Photo’s structure. Nine glowing orbs, each composed of nine smaller motes. If I put one of those motes under a microscope, would I see nine more of something? And why nine?

The ball of light expanded, the motes slowing their movement and moving apart into a large polyhedron. Glowing line segments appeared between the points of light like laser beams becoming visible in vapor.

The new shape moved until it was all around me. I felt my feet leave the ground and my body become weightless. My knees were brought against my chest and opaque walls appeared between the line segments.

And just like that, I was back in the white room. The same one I’d been in when Photo had transported us from the island to the break room, minus the diagram which vaguely resembled a Cyclops.

Swirls of color melded in and out of the walls, and Photo spoke.

You don’t have to speak, Alec. This process allows me to hear your thoughts. Even now, I hear your subconscious as an echo from the void. I am sorry for losing your trust.

I was made uncomfortable by-

I abandoned the line of thought before it could complete.

Photo could apparently hear everything...

Um. Hey Photo. Maybe just do what Kioshi asked? He’ll shoot us if we don't.

We will be okay. I am explaining your abilities.

My abilities? Plural?

I'm not sure I follow. I don't want to nit-pick, but Kioshi will if I don't. How is an apology part of the explanation?

All light flows from a source. These abilities are founded on a certain truth, which I must be careful in explaining. Kioshi has inadvertently allowed me to explain these foundations, though I must be careful not to communicate a certain word. Even now, my light bends around that which I must not say. My apology relates to this, and I cannot say more.

Ok, I thought, for Photo’s benefit.

Kioshi had asked Photo to explain the abilities I was being granted, and Photo was going to be as detailed as possible, probably going further in-depth than Kioshi had wanted.

Nearly true. Kioshi asked that I ‘explain to Alec how to use his abilities.’ This does not limit us to what I am about to gift you. You have been touched by light before, in ways that have changed you.

In other words, I’d already been granted an ability that I wasn’t aware of. Multiple abilities?

One. But to have one is to have two.

Fucking riddles.

Wait. Sorry.

No need.

I racked my brain, trying to think of what my hidden ability might be. Was this related to-

Yes.

My head spun.

You can read my thoughts before I have them?

Echoes of old thoughts are united into new thoughts, and I listen to the echoes. Your subconscious reached the answer before you did.

It took me a second before I understood.

Also, the recurring feeling of being disconnected was apparently an ability.

Yes. All living beings are a sum of their parts. The Photon are aware of this truth and maintain full control over each of their respective components. This is the ability you have gained.

The simple explanation prompted a myriad of unfortunate sensations. In the span of a few seconds, I accessed a number of internal processes which I really shouldn’t have. In doing so, I nearly stopped my heart. Worse, I’d tampered with the output of certain chemicals.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! Stop experimenting!

Be careful. Some knowledge is dangerous, and it is better to wax slowly.

I wrangled my curiosity, ceasing my experimentation with one final wiggle of the ears. It was terrifying to think how easily I could kill myself, with this change.

So that’s my explicit ability. What’s the other one?

All who have been touched by light may choose to dim their light in turn. Temporarily and sometimes permanently. To do so is to become weak and without ability. My light was being dimmed until now by the same principle, though this dimming is not voluntary.

I blinked.

Holy shit. The scepter.

So that’s what it did?

I cannot speak of the scepter, per Kioshi’s instructions. I can only explain how your abilities function.

Even so, Photo had intentionally crafted their explanation in a way that told me something vital.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

I cannot say. However, I should mention that a voluntary dimming would override an involuntary one. Light cannot be diminished if none flows from the source. Do you understand?

Yes. Perfectly.

Kioshi’s scepter had no effect if I was suppressing my abilities manually.

Photo, you’re fucking brilliant.

Photo was not. Are you ready?

I wasn't. I wanted to know why Photo was speaking in the third person.

I wasn't and I cannot explain. Are you ready?

I sighed, and I found that I could visualize the physical shape of my lungs as they deflated.

Yeah. Change me.

The room's response was immediate. Yellow and green blots appeared in my peripheral vision, distorting and blending into the walls like watercolor paints. They expanded until the edges of the blots clashed. After that, it was a battle for control, yellow invading the green area and vice versa. Snaking, bulging, flanking, the colors fought, and in some cases, they merged. Lime green blobs dotted the battlefield, marking territory that was lost to both factions.

♣

Information flooded my system.

What I'd been calling walls was actually a refractor belonging to Spirit of the Photon. Spirit was 26.9453269-

'Stop. Too many decimals.'

-billion Earth years old and born from the fourth Spire. I had a sense of where the fourth Spire was - what direction I would have to go to get there - and it was really fucking far away.

I distracted myself with other thoughts. Anything to stop the flow of information.

Maisie came to mind. Recent memories of the two of us walking through the sewers with Kioshi.

Then came the information. As I remembered her facial expressions, my brain supplied interpretations for all the things I'd missed. The pain, the guilt, the sadness, the indifference. The depressive undertones had always been there, but it was swelling and warping in response to recent events. Taking a new shape. She was listless now, going through the motions and doing whatever her friends asked of her. She didn't trust her ability to make decisions-

'Stop!'

The information was too personal. Had to switch gears. Avery was...

My mind drew a blank.

Not because there was no information to be gleamed. It stopped because everything I'd noticed about her was already correct.

I'd read her near-perfectly.

'Ok. Avery is the safe haven. Just think about Avery and nothing else.'

It will not be like this forever. The ability will adapt to your brain, for now. In time, your brain will adapt to the ability. When you ascend.

'That's reassuring. Hey, what do you mean by ascend?'

Rebirth.

'Ah. Wait, shit. Answering that question breaks Kioshi's rules.'

Does it?

'Yes. It doesn't relate to my abilities.'

I shouldn't have asked. There were other questions bothering me, too, which I had successfully filtered.

Claiming the top of the list - who the fuck was Spirit and where was Photo?

Such is a question of my nature and not yours. I cannot tell you.

Of course. It figured.

'That's fine, I understand.'

I am sorry. We move on to the last gift. Do you know that you are broadcasting?

'I'm what?'

Then I realized. I saw the links in my mind's eye. The recipients.

'Fuck!'

Maisie and Kioshi could hear my explicit thoughts. The ones meant as dialogue for Spirit. The same had happened to Kioshi when he'd first gained telepathy.

Visualize a prism. Tune your light to the desired wavelengths and cast it on those you would speak to.

I tried it. I imagined a prism, with light going into one end and out the other at a slightly altered angle. But instead of the full spectrum of colors, only yellow and purple manifested, as thin beams of light.

That's as far as I got.

'Am I supposed to be feeling something?'

You would gain an awareness of your recipients. I can see that this isn't working.

'Yeah, it's not.'

Perhaps a different metaphor would work. Like a moon eclipsing the sun, or toggling different stage lights in a theater.

No. I still felt nothing. Maisie and Kioshi were still the recipients.

Maybe that was the key? The link I felt to each person. If I focused on that...

I saw them, in a sense. I became distinctly aware of where they were in proximity to me. The links were a tangible thing, like tethers tying each person to my mind.

I let go of Kioshi's tether and felt it diminish.

'Maisie? Can you hear me? Everything's going to be okay. I can figure this out-'

All at once, the walls disappeared and I dropped to the floor.

"That's enough time. You've learned the basics," Kioshi said.

The spell of peace was broken.

Like being lifted from the lion's den, only to be dropped back in. I felt a rush. All of the adrenaline was returning. Kioshi with the gun. Maisie with the scepter focused on her.

Spirit flew directly to one of Kioshi’s pockets and disappeared inside. Exactly as they had promised.

Everything was restored to the same shitty conditions as before.

‘Only now I have access to three or four Photon abilities.’

Maisie’s head slowly turned.

I let go of her tether.

Fuck, I need to be careful.

“Stop communicating, Alec,” Kioshi said, “If you use your abilities for anything extraneous, I will shoot you both. Tell me, have you done so already?”

“Nothing intentional,” I answered, “Nothing that would upset you.”

“Acceptable. We move on to the next part,” he said, “Photo taught you how to filter your targets, yes?”

Not quite.

“I learned that ability myself,” I admitted.

An outright ‘yes’ would have been a lie, because Photo hadn’t taught me anything. Spirit had.

“Good,” Kioshi said, “Now locate the Zeiton scout. When you’re ready, I’ll tell you what to say.”

I tensed, and my throat made an involuntary noise.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

Kioshi waited, giving the handgun a little shake.

He expected me to perform the task without an explanation.

Worse, if I took too long, he would shoot me. I was positive. The first shot would be a warning shot - maybe - but the second would almost certainly be lethal.

“Ok,” I said, “Just give me a sec. I’m still rusty.”

Buying time. A handful of seconds.

Not enough time to outline a plan, but enough to get started on something.

‘Maisie. Don’t look at me. Try not to react. Its Alec.’

I communicated the words as softly as possible, so I wouldn't startle her.

No response came. No confirmation that she’d heard me.

Good. That’s what I wanted.

‘Spirit - a light god, but not Photo - I know, confusing - they taught me about our abilities. They said we can shut them off manually, and that the scepter will be useless if we do.’

I paused, taking a second to organize my thoughts before continuing. This next part was vital.

‘If you shut yours off, we can lie openly, and I’ll be able to flex my powers. Maybe I can reach out for help. But I kinda need you to tell me if it worked, so as a signal-’

“Alec! Do as I say!”

“I’m trying,” I said.

Then I froze.

That had been a lie.

Kioshi dipped his head.

“Good,” he said.

For a few precious seconds, I was stunned. He’d believed me.

The lie detector had deactivated herself.

‘Good job. No need for a signal.’

Maisie had served her part. The rest was up to me.

Now what’s step two?

I took a moment to search for the scout. It definitely wasn’t part of the plan, but I needed to appease Kioshi.

I began searching for a new recipient, and a trillion specks of light filled my awareness. A trillion frames of reference, visible only in my mind’s eye. They surrounded me on all sides, many of them moving past one another.

I saw the scout immediately.

The hole in my awareness was above me and slightly to my right. The reference points moved towards the hole and disappeared, reappearing on the opposite side. It was like a blind spot on the retina, if blind spots could pulse and distort the surrounding visuals.

I locked onto it, letting the rest of the reference points drop away.

“Ok. Found it,” I said.

Kioshi raised his chin, “Broadcast this message verbatim: ‘I was cut off. We can resume negotiations.’”

I gave him a nod.

No way was I broadcasting that.

I needed to find my step two. I let go of my connection to the Zeiton, brought the rest of the reference points back, and began searching.

The scout wasn’t the only anomaly. Among the numerous specks of light were a handful of larger, brighter presences. Three or four of them. I focused on those and discarded the others.

There were five.

One of them was close, only a few meters away. I turned my head a fraction and saw it overlapping Teddy’s prone body. Teddy, who lay asleep in the darkened bedroom behind a thick wall of glass.

‘Teddy, wake up! It’s Alec and I need your help! I think Kioshi drugged you, but I need you to try and fight it! If that’s possible, even. Please wake up!’

I wasn’t sure he could hear me, but it was worth a shot.

Ok. Who else?

I reached out for another of the anomalous reference points and found Blaine. Not a great resource, but he was with the others, Avery included. Avery had money and connections to the criminal underworld. That could be handy.

‘Blaine! Its Alec. Kioshi tricked us and has Maisie and I at gunpoint. Tell Avery and Childerich that we’re in Kioshi’s bunker. Or at least I think we are. Please, we need out of here fast! He’s trying to negotiate with the Zeiton!’

That would have to do. None of these people were capable of sending a response, so all I could do was reach out and hope for the best.

Moving on.

“Ahem,” Kioshi said, clearing his throat. He wanted an update.

“I sent the message,” I lied, “I’m waiting for a response.”

Kioshi dipped his head, slower this time. Acknowledging my response while masking his reservations. He was losing confidence in his plan, it seemed. Losing faith in his lie detector and the scepter’s ability to keep us in check. If I gave him more reason to doubt, he would be forced to take action.

I blinked. All of that from a dip of his head. This ability was useful.

“Not surprising,” Kioshi remarked, “The scout cares little for small talk.”

“You’ve done this before?” I asked.

Kioshi ignored the question, and said, “Tell them this: ‘I will make additional concessions. Tell me what you want.’”

“Ok,” I said.

Another pause, allotting me time to send the message and listen for a response.

More time to call for backup. I searched and found Brad.

Pass.

It wasn’t because he wouldn’t be useful. Not entirely. Contacting him would be redundant, if he was already with Blaine.

“You are less bothered than is normal, for what I’m asking,” Kioshi observed, scrutinizing me.

“Am I?” I asked. I was only half paying attention. There were two more irregular reference points to investigate, likely more of my friends. We’d been changed by Photo, after all. ‘Touched by brightness,’ as they would say.

“You are,” Kioshi said, “Are you doing exactly what I ask and nothing more?”

“Yes,” I said.

Damn, this guy is paranoid.

Kioshi considered my response, rubbing the top of the gun across his chin.

Meanwhile, I tapped another of the reference points.

‘Addy! Alec, here. I don’t know if you’re in any condition to help, but Kioshi-’

-has Maisie and me in his bunker and...

I stopped. I’d lost my connection to Addy’s mind.

I looked and saw Kioshi holding the scepter at a new angle. One that encompassed me.

My telepathy was gone. Erased.

Kioshi knew.

My heartbeat ratcheted up, and I felt the need to swallow.

Instead, I feigned confusion, and asked, “Why would you do that? I was in the middle of sending your message.”

Though I’d lost my ability to read him, the look Kioshi gave said it all. He knew I was bullshitting.

“You are a bad liar,” Kioshi said, “And I’m not going to kill you.”

“You aren’t?” I said, taking his bait. I remembered the scepter a moment later, still encompassing Maisie.

Telling a lie and testing his system. The same system I’d compromised.

Kioshi aimed the gun.

No!

I ducked, shielded my head, and charged. There was nothing else I could do. He was going to shoot me regardless-

A terrible force struck my left kneecap, and I lost all strength in the respective leg. Where one foot carried me forward, taking another step towards Kioshi, the other was wrenched backward. The result was a loss of balance and an abrupt turning of my body.

I adapted to the forced movements, dropping into a forward roll.

Kioshi sidestepped with ease. I rolled past him and landed on my back.

I gasped, frantic. Pressure was building in my knee and my bones were humming. I didn’t want to look. I wasn’t feeling the pain yet, but it had to be coming...

I willed the pain receptors in the area surrounding my knee to shut down. The skin-crawly feeling of imminent despair was lessened, but I could still feel it building.

Not enough.

“Tell me how you did it and I’ll spare the girl,” Kioshi said. He stood over me, removing the cartridge from his gun and selecting a new one from his pockets.

For the next few seconds, he was unarmed.

I shut off all pain receptors and willed the broken leg to kick backwards. Despite the injury, my leg swung around at an inhuman speed, crashing into Kioshi’s calves.

Kioshi crumpled. The cartridge clanged against tile, landing between us.

I used my power again, swatting at the cartridge with enough force to send it bouncing and clattering to the far side of the room.

Now, Kioshi was unarmed indefinitely. All he had was the empty handgun and a useless scepter.

He dropped both and climbed on top of me. His hands grabbed each side of my head, and he twisted.

I fought back, bidding my neck to stay still. The alien strength of the Photon ability was more than enough to counter Kioshi.

He switched to my neck, squeezing.

I couldn’t counter it. Not directly.

Instead, I bit into my lip and let the warm blood seep into my mouth. The taste of iron was fresh on my tongue as I accessed my cardiovascular system.

There was a flaw to my plan. I couldn’t summon enough blood to my mouth, because of the constriction around my throat.

I adapted. I couldn’t use my neck muscles to counter the squeezing, but I could use them to swing my head forward into Kioshi’s face.

I did so, and the lenses to Kioshi’s glasses shattered, the frame bending. He loosened his grip momentarily, and I used the opportunity to redistribute the flow of blood throughout my body. The spray exited my lips and filled Kioshi’s exposed eyes.

Ha! Bet you weren't expecting that!

To my dismay, Kioshi ignored the spray and didn’t let up. He wasn’t bothered in the slightest. With a sideways flick of his head, a razorblade fell out of his hair and into his hand. He grinned, baring his teeth, my own blood dripping down his face and splattering mine.

Maisie delivered a kick to his side, and he fell off of me.

“Evil bitch!” she hollered.

My air flow was restored, but I had to spit out a mouthful of blood before I could risk breathing.

Then I sat up. Tried to stand and fell on my ass.

Damned broken leg. I could still move it with the Photon ability, but I wouldn’t be able to walk.

Kioshi rolled to his feet, Maisie’s kick only a minor setback. Blinded by the blood and the lack of glasses, he lurched forward, clawing in Maisie’s general direction.

He seized her before she could get away and brought the razorblade to her throat.

Maisie froze, as did I.

For a solid ten seconds, no one moved, each of us taking a moment to catch our breath.

“Checkmate,” Kioshi breathed, grinning wildly. His teeth were stained with my blood, still dripping.

Then came the sound of a gun being loaded. Heads turned.

Teddy stood at the edge of the bedroom, gun firmly in hand. My gun, which Kioshi had kicked across the room.

He kept it aimed at the floor for now.

“I’d like some answers,” Teddy said. His voice had a softness which clashed with everything going on around him.

I spoke fast, “Kioshi betrayed everyone and is trying to cut a deal with the Zeiton! I think he drugged-,”

Teddy aimed the gun at my chest and I ceased talking.

“My friend will do the explaining, thank you,” he said.

My heart sank at the word ‘friend.’

“These kids are threatening everything I have planned,” Kioshi said, “Now that you’re here, we can assume control-,”

“I’m sorry, could you speak up?” Teddy interrupted, “I’m having trouble hearing after you mutilated my ear. I also think the unnecessary sedatives could be dulling my senses.” He leveled the gun on Kioshi, and said, “Please speak up.”

Silence fell on the room. Kioshi’s face twisted into something resembling disgust.

He opened his mouth to speak.

And a speaker in the corner of the ceiling crackled to life.

“Ahhhhhh shit! All hail the king of power moves! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again! Teddy Lax fucks!”

“No fucking way,” I whispered.

Twin explosions erupted on either side of the entrance to the compound. Addy sprung through the doorway, landed in a crouch, and shouted, “Surprise, motherfucker!”

Kioshi brought the razorblade closer to Maisie’s throat.

Then he let it drop to the floor. There was no use. Not after seeing Addy’s friends.

Men and women in brown vests flowed into the bunker on either side of Addy. I noted their apple insignias. Each came to a stop and raised a semi-automatic weapon in Kioshi’s direction.

The last through the door were the men in ascots - red and blue. They joined Addy in the center of the battalion, and Fudo rested a hand on Addy’s shoulder.

I retreated from the center of the room on all fours, reaching Teddy at the same time as Maisie.

Blue Ascot cleared his throat, and said, “Did I not say it would end this way?”

Kioshi stood in front of the many gun barrels, stock still and expressionless.

“You take an unspecified situation and claim foresight,” Kioshi remarked, “Pretending to be wise. Fuck you, Kano.”

Kano raised a finger in admonishment, and said, “Ah, ah. I was gravely specific. I warned that you would lose your kingdom in pieces, each of your friends fleeing your side with knives in their backs. Is this not what I described? Teddy? Boy on the ground?”

“Alec,” Addy supplied.

I nodded to each of them in turn, then spat a glob of blood on the floor.

"You are alone in the end. Your friends and allies have banded against you," Kano said, "I ask that you stand down while we try and mend this chaos. Fudo?"

“On your knees! Hands above your head!” Fudo ordered.

Kioshi smirked. Rather than obey, he reached inside his pants pocket.

“Fucking listen or we’ll open fire!” Fudo growled.

Kioshi drew the pouch from his pocket and dangled it in front of him. Childlike amusement touched his lips, and he said the word, “Fire.”

“Don’t!” I shouted. I leapt to my feet, then crashed to the floor, my body sprawling.

“Stay down!” Kano hissed at me.

I couldn’t.

“Don’t open fire!” I shouted, climbing to my knees and waving my arms, “If you destroy that pouch-,”

A click sounded and I turned my head.

Kioshi was holding a lighter to the pouch. Flames licked at the black fabric.

“No!” I screamed.

I reached for the pouch, but Kioshi was still half a room away. No one would reach him in time.

Behind the fire and smoke, I saw a single bead of blood streak down Kioshi’s face. In a somber tone, he said, “I did my utmost. All for naught.”

Then he tossed the burning pouch in the air. It landed a few paces from me and I scrambled forward.

A shower of bullets whisked overhead, and I dropped lower, shielding my head and my ears. Once I realized who was being fired at, I resumed crawling.

I was careful not to lift myself from the floor as I curled my body and removed a shoe from my foot. With that in hand, I stamped out the fire, then fumbled for the pouch, taking it into my hands. Rather carefully, I seized the top flaps of the pouch and tugged, widening the opening so Spirit could fly free.

Nothing came out.

Bullet casings rained down all around me as I peered inside, searching for the trapped light god.

Nothing was visible.

“Fuck it.”

The pouch was still hot and I would likely burn myself if I tried.

Didn’t matter. Pain receptors were off. I jammed my hand inside.

It stopped short halfway in, not able to fit inside the tiny bag. I quickly removed my hand and tossed the pouch, mindful of the risk of burning myself. Then I focused on settling my breathing, hearing how loud and ragged it had become.

Get a grip, damnit. You’ve made it this far, you can keep going.

I tried, but it proved to be an impossible feat.

Once upon a time, I’d reasoned this was a problem I could solve. That I could get better with time and not lose myself to the madness and the restlessness.

No more. I could no longer manage my breathing and I couldn’t stay calm.

I collapsed to the tile and the world tilted sideways.

In the same moment, Kioshi’s body hit the floor parallel to mine. Only his was gory and limp and very dead. The tattered pouch lay between us.

I continued to gasp and my body shuddered. I couldn’t turn my head to look away.

“Damn... tunnel vision...,” I rasped.

The pouch lay at the center of my vision. Fixed. There would be no resolution. No saving Spirit. The pouch had lost its magical properties.

Nothing was inside.