I made sure Andy was set up with his backpack on and bags in his arms, then secured my own pack and bags.

"Let's move out" I whispered.

I slowly pushed the door open after checking everything was clear. Making our way back through the darkness left untouched by the streetlights, I suddenly heard something, it wasn't much at first, just some clothes rustling but it sounded like more than one person. Taking precautions, I moved up the street as silent as could be, slowly I came closer and heard muffled shouting like someone had something in their mouths and was trying to talk around it. Peeking around the corner I saw something I would never forget, there was a girl being dragged down the alley by 4 guys. This girl had a gag in her mouth and looked like she hadn't come quietly. I had seen enough. I'm not some hero but there are just some things that are not acceptable. I turned back to Andy and whispered as softly as I could with him still hearing what was said.

"Andy stay here and don't make a sound no matter what you hear. If the noise dies down and you don't hear from me, run and don't look back."

Seeing Andy nod I set my bags down quietly and crept back to the edge of the alley. There were dumpsters, trashcans, and loose bags of garbage strewn about the alley. I used the cover to get closer without the 4 men spotting me. Alright Cass you got this you did a number on that wall. After giving myself that 5-star peptalk I focused on the energy running through my body, I willed the energy towards my palm, but stopped well before all of it could move there because I was pretty sure that if I used all of it, I'd pass out like I did back at my apartment. Taking a deep breath, I aimed at what looked like the ringleader and pushed the energy out of my palm.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh FUCK!" The leader screamed; he had a hole about the size of a quarter through the top part of his heart.

Willing the same amount of energy into my palm again before the first guy even fell, I aimed and "fired" at the closest guy to me. I hit him but he moved enough that it barely clipped his heart and instead tore a hole through his left lung. Not used to pain and probably having something to do with a hole through his chest, the guy stumbled and fell on the ground screaming bloody murder.

"GET HIM" The third guy yelled.

I was ready for him through and had energy already flooding towards my palm. I pushed my palm forward but didn't release the energy, the guy dove to the side with impressive speed hitting his shoulder into the wall with enough force it probably hurt. I made sure it didn't hurt him too long and sent my energy at his staggered form hitting him in the heart and tearing a hole through his body and out the other side before my energy dissipated. While he collapsed, I looked to the last guy, but he was shaken and hadn't listened to goon number three, he hadn't moved an inch, still staring at the first two guys laying on the ground, boss guy dead and lung guy slowly bleeding out. I took my time and tried not to use the last of my energy so that I wouldn't pass out here on the ground.

"Hey, asshole. Yeah you." He looked up at me scared shitless.

"Rape is the most disgusting crime there is, I hope it takes you a while to finally bleed out."

Before he could utter a sound, I released the energy built up in my palm. I shot him right through the gut without remorse. I felt disgust, pride, and ... empty? Disgust for these worthless wastes of space, pride for removing them from the Prime Material, and empty because I was just about out of energy. I felt sluggish but I had rationed my energy correctly and I was still on my feet. I looked over to the girl, noticing for the first time how beautiful she was, she had piercing eyes the most intense emerald green I had ever seen. Her hair was metallic silver that shone even in the dark alley, and not for nothing but her body was very nice if you catch my drift. She looked up at me, scared and hopeful all at once.

"Hello miss. I'm not going to hurt you. Here let me take that gag out alright?"

I slowly moved towards her, she looked towards the 4th thug, still crying and dying, bleeding out only a few steps away from her. Yeah, I suppose I'd be a little scared of someone who did that too.

"I promise I won't hurt you, those guys deserved what they got and worse, but I'm not going to hurt you ok."

She gave me a tentative nod, so I got closer and bent over to take the gag out, doing so I saw why she was unable to remove it herself, her hands were bound with rope. I moved my hands slowly so as not to scare her. Gently pulling the gag out I then knelt down beside her and went to untie the ropes around her wrists.

"Hey, what's your name miss." I spoke softly and as non-threatening as possible.

"Uh m-m-my name i-is Lilly ... t-thank you for saving me."

"Of course, I'd never let something like that happen to anyone if I can help it." I said with absolute certainty and confidence.

"My name is Cassius, or Cass for short, nice to meet you ... sorry it was under these circumstances."

She didn't respond as I undid the ropes holding her hands together, I threw the rope far away into the alley to join the other trash on the ground.

"Do you need some help standing?" I asked. She looked stable enough, and I didn't want to push but I also wasn't going to make her get up on her own if she was injured.

"Uhm, sure yeah." She said and placed her hand in mine.

I gently lifted her off the disgusting ground and helped her step around the bodies of her assailants and to the mouth of the alley. I looked to the right and saw Andy still there with our gear.

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"Andy" I said quietly.

"This is Lilly, and she's going to come with us alright." I spoke firmly, offering no alternative.

"Yeah, sure Cass, is everything alright down there?" Andy asked.

"Yup, nothing important left down there." I spoke with a nonchalance I didn't particularly feel at the moment.

Andy just nodded and stood up offering me my backpack which I slung over my shoulders with a curt "thanks". I hefted the rest of my bags and started the walk back to our apartment building.

"Hey, Andy mind taking up the rear?" I asked of my companion so that we had Lilly in between us.

"No problem, Cass" Andy replied.

It didn't take us long to return to the building even after going around where we saw the group of biker thugs break into the electronics store. From the alley until the 5th floor no one spoke a word. Me and Andy both went forward towards our respective rooms. It was Lilly who spoke first.

"Uhm." Lilly started.

I turned looking at her, waiting for her to finish what she wanted to say.

"Where um ... where should I stay?" She said almost like she didn't want to offend us.

"Oh, right I totally forgot, uhm the apartment across from Andy's should still be vacant. Right Andy?" I looked towards Andy for the answer, I was pretty sure, but I didn't want to barge in on anyone if I was wrong.

"Right, no one has moved in yet." Andy nodded at me.

"Great I'll head down to the super's office and take the key for it; I'll be right back." I looked towards Lilly with the last comment, trying to assure her that I would be back, and wasn't leaving her.

Lilly didn't respond but that was fine, I made my way back down and into the super's office. The door was locked but I recently got a pretty neat key to things like this. I pooled a small amount of energy into my palm and then pushed it against where the bolt slid into the wall and pushed the energy out. It worked, my energy melted through or disintegrated the bolt keeping the door from opening. That is freaking awesome I can't believe I'm wielding magic like a lock pick. I pushed through the door and made my way to the far wall of the office where they keys were all hanging up in good order. I grabbed the key for apartment 5F and made my way back upstairs. Lilly was still waiting in the hall, and Andy had come back after unloading all his supplies in his apartment to keep Lilly company.

"Alright I got the key for apartment 5F." I said walking to the door Lilly was waiting by.

I unlocked the door and led Lilly inside to make sure everything was up to snuff and there were no vagrants or anything inside. Not that this building has had any problems like that, I think I'm just feeling protective.

"Here we are, home sweet home. What do you think?" I asked coming back to the main room, which consisted of the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

"It looks good, my apartment is pretty much the same size, thanks." Lilly said giving me the first smile I'd seen from her.

"Great I'm glad it will work; do you need anything before I head back to my apartment?" I wanted to be sure she had anything she needed before I left her for the night.

"No, I'll be fine, thank you. ... And thank you for what you did back there, you really helped me out and you didn't have to. I won't forget that." Lilly said with such sincerity I was shocked into silence for a second.

"Hey, don't worry about it there was no way I was going to walk away from that situation. I want you to know that I won't let anything like that happen to you ever again, okay?" I replied with the same sincerity.

She gave me another smile, this one truly full and bright, it was beautiful.

"Ahem, right well I'll leave you for the night." I said walking away towards the door, leaving the key on the kitchen counter as I passed.

I turned around at the threshold and said a final "Goodnight Lilly, knock if you need anything." then I left.

Hauling the bags of food and water I left on the floor next to my door inside, I settled down on my favorite chair, one of only two pieces of furniture I owned. The other is a cheap but sturdy couch that I've had for a year or so. Unlike the couch, at least in the cheap department, my favorite chair was something I paid a lot of money for, and it was worth every single penny. Relaxing for the first time tonight I really thought about what was happing to me. Magic, real live magic, a system. I sat there for an hour or so just processing my new reality and what it could mean for me and humanity as a whole. There are probably monsters out there now, right? What magic world comes without some monsters. I hope I'm ready if or more likely when they show up, I hope my family is ready or at least survives until I can get to them. My brother Connor Heart, my mom Olivia Heart, and my baby sister Sophia Heart. My brother was just 15, my sister 14, I hope they are old enough to make it through this. I just need them to survive long enough for me to get to them. Standing up and stretching I made my way into my bedroom; I need to get some sleep if I'm going to meet whatever tomorrow has in store for me.

"Shit I forgot about the hole." I moaned internally and got some plastic and tape to keep the hole covered so I don't freeze to death while I sleep.

Finally getting the chance to lay down I took it with gusto and was practically asleep before my head hit the pillow.

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Cass was used to the blackness of dreams, it's something he's met with every time he falls asleep. That was why, slowly, ever so slowly, Cass realized the darkness was ... wrong? How can darkness be wrong he thought. It wasn't that the darkness was incorrect, it was just ... more. There was more darkness, more depth. He could feel it, the darkness felt thick, like molten gold but pitch black and cold, very cold. This wasn't the cold of winter though, no this was a cold that came from entropy, a coldness that simply ... was, because there was nothing that could hold warmth in the black abyss. He felt something then, from within the nothing. It locked onto his consciousness; the abyss was reaching out for him. It was close now; he could feel the frozen emptiness of the void closing in on him, he could feel that if it touched him, he would cease to be. He braced himself to be consumed, to be ripped from existence, and disintegrated. He wanted to scream; this was it, He was dying.

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I woke up with a jolt, the darkness was about to consume me.... wait. Its morning why am I worried about darkness? I must have been dreaming, oh well time to get up and see what this new reality of mine has prepared for me. I got dressed and brought two cans of chicken noodle soup and some water with me to Andy's. I stopped on the way and knocked on Lilly's door, she answered after the fifth knock.

"I'll be right out just a sec." Lilly said through the door.

"Okay, I have some food for you, join us in Andy's apartment when you're ready." After telling her where to find food I knocked on Andy's door and was let in within a few seconds.

"Morning Andy. How'd you sleep?" I asked the more put together, though still ruffled man.

"Morning Cass. Slept fine, and you?" He responded in kind.

"Same ol same ol, some weird dream but what's new eh" We both took seats at his kitchen/dining table and started eating.

It wasn't long before Lilly knocked on the door. I let her in with the same "Good morning" I gave Andy. She sat with us and opened the chicken noodle I brought for her. We ate in silence until we heard noises from outside. Setting our food down we advanced with a measure of caution towards one of Andy's windows that looked out to the street below. Damn I really had to jinx myself last night huh. There were monsters running about on the street, lots of them, and they were tearing into buildings hauling people out kicking and screaming.