The Song of DeathShad McCauley

Chapter I: Slaughter in the EastThe cold, winter wind blew across the dark, barren

forest. The barren trees cast sinister shadows upon the snowy ground, writhing and groaning. Other than the silent whisper of the breeze, all was quiet. Then, a teenage boy, no older than fifteen, stepped out into the road, mumbling to himself. He adjusted his black jacket, flipping up the hood to protect his ears from the biting cold. His bright red tennis shoes were soaked, a film of ice building on the outside. He wore a matching scarf, pulling it tightly around him as it billowed in the breeze. His dull, grey eyes glared at the ground. “Why do I have to walk home like this? I should’ve stayed there… but, he would’ve gotten in trouble…” The young man thought grumpily. He sighed, his breath flowing out in a silver cloud that was whisked away.

He continued to ponder, stalking along the slushy sidewalk to his home. He shoved his gloved hands into his jacket pockets in an effort to keep them warm. “Stupid gloves,” he thought, “They don’t even do their only job.” He looked back at the dark house that was his friend’s. A small candle flickered in the window; the sole source of heat he could see. “Maybe I should just start jog—“ His thought was cut off as his foot caught on

something in the snow. He toppled downward, his face slamming into the acidic sludge. It flooded his mouth and nose, causing him to gag and spit furiously. “What the hell was that?!” He grumbled angrily.

Looking back, he noticed a boot in the snow. It was made of soft, brown leather and had fur lining the insides. It looked divine, and better yet… warm. It seemed to give off heat, judging by the way it melted the snow around it. He hesitated, his hand stopping right above it. Technomancy was strictly forbidden, held only by those enforcing laws. He recalled a day in school a while back,

“The professor stood at the head of the room, drawing a diagram of the forbidden talent: Technomancy. He was giving a lecture:

“The human civilization used to be one of great magnificence. We had stretched to all corners of the globe, and even had reached distant planets. Colonies were set up on the moon, and mankind was truly reaching our full potential. Probably our greatest achievement, however, was our abilities of genetic manipulation. With it, we were able to create super soldiers incapable of death and pain, solve our food crisis with being able to grow food in a few short days, and even created the Immortals: the race of people who govern the world today.”

A student raised their hand. “Sir, who are the Immortals, and what are they?”

He smiled, “I’m glad you asked Jeriah. The Immortals were people who were given the ability of immortality, hence their name. Immortality is different than invincibility in the sense they aren’t affected by time. Invincibility is when physical harm, such as wounds, disease, and toxins cannot kill you. You can, however, succumb to old age. Immortality is the opposite; while you can die from physical maladies, time will never be of bother. The Immortals were given this ability. They rule the world because they were there, hundreds of years ago, when mankind drew invisible, meaningless lines between themselves, and fought frivolous wars for nothing more than rumors of things they didn’t approve of. They have a perfect knowledge of history, and work to prevent it from happening again.”

I raised my hand. “Sir, did genetic manipulation lead to the first Technomancers?” The class suddenly went absolutely silent. Even though it wasn’t forbidden to talk about the first ones, they were still a touchy subject. “Yes, Alexander.” The teacher replied. “The Technomancers were created from accidental experimentation on humans, as were the Jinrui.”

Another student raised their hand. “Sir, do you mean the anthropomorphic animals?”

“Yes, Inizi. Also, try not to use such a harsh tone towards them.” He said warningly, nodding his head to the back of the class. She looked back, noticing one of the students had pulled their hood over their head in an effort to disguise themselves. His snout still poked out

from under it, so he put his head down. “My apologies.” She said, her face blushing. She bowed and sat down.

The professor continued, “Yes, the Jinrui were created from genetic manipulation. They were regular, wild animals until they were captured, and turned into what they are now. That does not mean, however, we should treat them any less. They have all the human capacities… perhaps a lot more, considering they have also their raw, animalistic intelligence.

“Now, onto the topic of Technomancers: They are named such because they were given the ability to control the natural forces of the world through genetic manipulation. The prefix “techno” comes from the technology that gave it to them; “mancer” meaning controller, or practitioner of divination. Divination, in the ancient days, usually referred to “magical practices” regarding the elements. They are as follows: Ignis” he pointed to a symbol of a flame, “Aqua”, he then pointed to a symbol of water, “Terra”, his pointer moved to a symbol of a mountain, “Aer”, then to a symbol of wind, “Ordo”, to a symbol of an impossible triangle, “and finally, Perditio.” It moved, lastly, to a symbol of a black lightning bolt. “These are the six elements of nature that Technomancers control. Ignis, Aqua, Aer, and Terra are all self-explanatory. Ordo is the element of order; it is what gives things structure and balance. Perditio is its opposite. It is the element of chaos and destruction. Any questions?” He surveyed the classroom.

“Yes, sir. I have one.” I raised my hand, standing. “Why is the law enforcement the only organization that is allowed to use Technomancy?”

“That brings us to a dark period in our history: the War of the Six Nations. When we first developed Technomancy, we used it to wage war against other countries, back when there were counties, that is. The world divided into six groups, each controlling their respective elements. A seventeen year war ensued, leaving the world completely scarred and shattered. By that point, humans had abandoned nuclear warfare, and had moved on to this new Technomancy. However, no one won the war. Even though the Stateramancers were the ones who took the least casualties, there were still millions of lives lost. The Immortals were created; six to represent the six nations, and the world entered a peace that has lasted ever since.

“To stop something like the War of Six Nations from happening again, they declared Technomancy illegal for anyone to use, except they belong to, or are drafted into the division of law enforcement. That also includes the medical division.

“Over the next few days, I will teach you the basics of Technomancy; mainly, how to read what element something is, and how to protect yourself with basic spells.”

“You mean we finally get to learn it?” A student cried out happily.

“Yes, Evryli, but please raise your hand to speak next time. Since you are at this school, you are all going to become law enforcement someday, supposing you pass the tests, so we expect you to learn Technomancy as quickly as possible.” The professor stated…”

Alexander looked down at the shoe, shivering. “I am going to become a law enforcer one day…” he debated to himself. He took a deep breath and focused on the calm energy within him. Everyone has the ability to be a Technomancer, but it takes an incredible amount of training to learn to use the elements within and around you. Only a few are descendants of those never given the ability; they are the few survivors of the War.

A soft feeling within his mind told him the technique had worked. He opened his eyes, a soft, purple glow emanating from them. Small symbols floated above the boot; one of them being Ignis. The other two were unknown to Alexander. Something about them, however, told him it was not a good idea to touch it.

But… his feet were so cold. It couldn’t hurt. “After all,” he reasoned, “It is just a boot.” He took off his shoe and slipped on the boot. The divine warmth spread up his leg, instantly thawing his frozen toes. He gasped in sweet, warm bliss. “Ooh, that feels wonderful.” He whispered, standing up.

Alexander adjusted his jacket, and trudged on. His left foot was still numb from the cold, but his entire right leg was now engulfed in warmth. He smiled, looking

around. “I wonder where the other one is…” he wondered aloud. Looking up at the full moon, he sighed. “It’s almost midnight. My dad won’t be too happy that I’m out here at this time. I should’ve been home earlier.”

Alexander gave up his short lived search and wandered onward. He arrived at the foot of a hill. “This means I’m almost home…” he said, beginning his climb. He grabbed a nearby branch for support on the unctuous slope. Digging it into every crevasse he could find, Alexander finally made it up the hill without slipping. Breathing slightly heavily, he looked over the dark, quaint town he called home. Small candles of varying colors sat in window seals in most of the houses. Guards with bright orange lanterns patrolled the wall around the village.

He set his hands on his hips, smiling widely. “What a great little place, here in the East.” A path adorned by a crimson fence led him to the gate of the village. He walked in happy silence, wondering where the other boot could be. Clouds had rolled in without him noticing, and soon, it began to snow softly. White crystals fluttered softly down.

Alexander looked up when he got the gate, yelling to the guards, “I request access, please!”

“Who goes there?” A voice called. It belonged to Johnathan, a snow leopard Jinrui. His piercing blue eyes stared down, reflecting the soft moonlight. His ears twitched at the dainty snow falling on them.

“It’s just Alexander. I’m coming from my friend’s house on the outskirts of Gedivini, the neighboring town.” Alexander said, smiling.

“How do I know you’re not a Hikage in disguise?” he asked.

“You once told me how you were chased by one of the local dogs when you were a cub, simply because you stole its chew toy and were too stubborn to give it back. You ran up a tree and had to be saved by one of the guards.” Alexander said smugly.

Johnathan flicked his tail indignantly. “I was just looking for your father’s name. You didn’t have to tell them that story!” he said.

“It’s better safe than sorry.” Alexander shrugged.“Eh, it’s Alexander, let him in.” Johnathan sighed to

the other guards. They were sniggering as they opened the gate. “Oi! No laughing. It was a traumatic experience. You don’t know the struggle of being a feline surrounded by mutts.” Johnathan muttered.

“Hey, who you callin’ a mutt, pussycat?” Another, deep-voiced guard said. The voice belonged to Udin, a rather large rottweiler Jinrui. His intense, peridot-like eyes glared into Johnathan’s crystal-blue ones.

After a moment of them staring angrily at each other, they burst into laughter. A human woman, Sasha, rolled her eyes. “Men.” She stated.

“You know you love ‘em, Sasha.” Alexander called, slipping through the gate.

“Yeah, I guess I do, squirt. I love my fuzz buckets.” She laughed, adjusting her sword and sitting down.

Alexander grinned widely as Johnathan and Udin’s heated cries of protest sounded together at the words “fuzz buckets”. It was a shame people looked so lowly upon Jinrui; they were really fun to have around. Most of them were extremely polite and knew when it was okay to be playful.

Their cries carried on even when Alexander finally arrived home. There was no light coming from his home; the candle in his window seal carried a black flame that seemed to suck the light from its surroundings.

Alexander opened the door, a creaking noise shooting through the house. He froze, his eyes opening wide. He then shot a furious glare at the door, “Shush!” he screamed in his head. He edged the door open, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. “If only I were a Ventumancer.” He thought, “Then I could muffle the sound coming from this stupid door.” He stepped inside and slowly shut the door, sighing softly. He kicked off his shoes, setting them neatly by the doorway. “But no, I just had to be an Aquamancer.” He recalled back to the day previous; it had been a Friday, so everyone had been excited:

“The professor stood at the front of the class, holding a shimmering vial filled with silvery essence. He was

smiling softly at the class, waiting for one of them to raise their hands and ask what it was.

Of course, Inizi shot her hand up, standing. “Sir, what is that you’re holding?”

“I’m glad you asked, Inizi.” He said her name in a tone that clearly said, “Of course it was her. No one else matches her curiousity.” He swirled it around, then pulled out the stopper. A slight whispering escaped from the crystal vial. The silvery fluid inside seemed almost… eager to spill over.

We all looked in awe and confusion. The ones giving him perplexed looks were comparing what was in his hand with what he had written on the board: “Discovering Your Affinity”.

Then, he did something that had shocked everyone. He turned the vial over, spilling the contents onto his hand. Inizi gasped, “But sir! Madam Yariko taught us never to pour chemicals on ourselves! It’s basic Alchemy!”

“Don’t worry.” He laughed. The fluid danced around on his hands, acting like a small dragon in flight. Suddenly, it flashed and made a crackling noise. Sparks flew in all directions, and the fluid turned into a roiling flame around the professor’s arm. The students around me gasped and gave small squeaks of terror. Others, like me, leaned in, wanting to know more. The professor let the image sink into our minds, and then said, “This is

hajigextricide… better known as Affluence. Can anyone tell me what Affluence does?”

Inizi shot her hand in the air, her long, black hair flowing up with the current it created. She nearly fell out of her seat, too.

“Anyone besides Inizi…?” He surveyed the blank stares in the classroom. She pursed her lips and lowered her hand. The professor gave her a kind look, and returned his attention to the rest of the class.

My mind was drawing a blank… as it always seemed to do. The Jinrui at the back of the class raised his hand, taking off his hood. The professor looked shocked he was actually going to answer a question. “Ah, yes, Jason?”

We all stared, slightly dumbfounded he was speaking as well. Normally, he sat at the back of the class, with his hood up and head down. He twitched his ear indifferently at the eyes penetrating his very soul. His gem-like, purple eyes blinked casually, and he sighed, “Affluence is a chemical that was made back during the War of Six Nations. Rather than wait for the Affinities to reveal themselves within the soldiers, ancient scientists developed hajigextricide to reveal the main Affinity within one person, even if it hasn’t shown itself previously.”

“Very good, Jason; do you mind if you give the first demonstration?” the professor said, picking up another vial from a box nearby.

“I already know my Affinity, but for the sake of the class, of course, sir.” He nonchalantly stalked down the steps to the front of the class, his light grey tail swishing with each step.

“You already know your Affinity? How did you come by this information?” the professor asked quizzically, handing him the vial.

“I plan on becoming a psychological enforcer. I study personality types, and have memorized the usual personality traits for each Affinity. Ventumancers, who control air, are hyperactive. Pyromancers, fire affiliated, are quick to emotion. Petramancers, earth affiliated, are often more stubborn than asses. Aquamancers, water affiliated, are calm and easygoing, but terrifying if made angry. Stateramancers, order affiliated, have little to no emotion, but have unrivaled intelligence. Malumancers, entropy affiliated, are completely random; there is no discernable pattern in their traits.” He paused, pouring the Affluence on his fur.

“If you haven’t guessed already,” he paused again to let a magnificent flash light the room. A blinding, white flash, that subsided to reveal a perfect diamond in his hand. He looked at it with complete apathy, “I’m a Stateramancer.”

“Brilliant deduction Jason; I’d expect no less from a Stateramancer. Yes, you are right, but there are often exceptions to these patterns. I will pass each of you a vial. Don’t be afraid of it; when you get it, just pour it

onto your hand or hand. Report to me your Affinity when you see it.” He lifted his hand, the symbols of aer, volatus, and motus appearing around it. The vials lifted themselves from the box and floated over to each of the students. I grabbed the one floating near me and unstopped it.

I looked around to see other reactions. A few burst into flames, just as the professor’s had. Some began making small tornadoes in the palms of their hands. Others were forming small stones, or encasing their arms in crystal or metal. A couple had violently colorful reactions, spewing raw energy across the classroom, while some simply burned as black, sinister flames.

I poured the Affluence on my hand. A strange sensation spread up my arm, chilling it to the bone. I gasped as my skin rippled, and a sudden torrent of water exploded from my palm. I stood in awe as the roiling waters coiled around my arm like a foaming, blue serpent. This must mean I was an Aquamancer…

As abruptly the waters had appeared, they vanished in a shattering like unto glass being broken. Small, sapphire fragments flittered in the air, sparkling in the bright candlelight.

The professor surveyed the room. “I know some of you may be wondering exactly what your reactions meant. The fire reaction is obvious, as are the water and air reactions. An earth reaction, which consists of small stones, and the encasing of metal or crystal, tell you what

path you will follow as a Petramancer. The order reaction was already shown. The entropy reaction is shown by two things: the explosion of energy and color, or the black flames burning in your hands…”

Alexander sighed and began walking to the stairs. A voice from within the kitchen stopped him, “You finally decided to come home.” It belonged to his father, a grizzled man with a massive scar down his right eye. He waved the alcohol in his left hand. His right arm had been amputated long ago.

“Excuse me, father.” Alexander said, bowing respectfully, “My friend and I lost track of time. We were practicing our Technomancy.” It was always good to be honest.

His father paled, his eyes growing wide. He sighed after realization crept into his drunken mind. “That’s right. I enrolled you in that Technomancy school. Who’s your friend again?”

“Jason Deverla. He’s a wolf Jinrui from my school. He’s order affiliated.”

“Really? You became friends with an eremitic?” his father scoffed.

Alexander laughed, “It wasn’t too difficult. He holds himself that way around others because his parents expect him to. Around personal friends, he’s really fun loving. An “exception” is what our professor called people

like him. Also, it’s not a polite term to call Stateramancers.”

“Eh, it’s a hell of a lot shorter. Well, just know next time…” he stumbled on his way to sink, slurring his words, “don’t come… home late…” And with that blurted out, he passed out, the bottle smashing on the ground with a loud crash.

Alexander sighed. “Oh father, mother wouldn’t want you to be like this.” He looked back on the fireplace, where they had a picture of the better times in life. His mother stood smiling between father and son, her bright red hair accentuating her dazzlingly blue eyes. She wore simple, black-rimmed glasses, a complete oddity nowadays. She had always told Alexander that she liked them; they made her look “cuter”.

His father was wearing his dumb, flat smile. He had both arms, and was actually clean shaven. His disheveled brown hair was always unruly, which caused his mother intense grief when trying to fix it.

“What good days those were.” He smiled, picking his father up and dragging him over to the couch. He set a bucket beside him in case all that alcohol decided to make reappearance. He focused on his hand, allowing the natural Aqua to flow to his palm. Sweat beaded around his face as he concentrated solely on this effort. After a moment of intense focus, he gasped and cut the flow of energy. “Still not enough.” He thought, dismayed.

He walked over to the kitchen and soaked a rag in the water sitting ready in the basin. He strolled back over to his father and cleaned the alcohol drippings off his face. Sighing, he opened the curtains, allowing the light from the moon to spill in and bathe the room in a soft, silver glow. He checked the black tallow candle burning in the window seal, making sure it was properly working. “Ah, the Gift to the Stars ceremony. An entropy tallow candle means that it’s almost over.” He smiled, “And that means the Feast is tomorrow as well! I better get to bed!”

He finished cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, blowing out the regular tallow candles burning in ornate, suspended holders. He crept silently up the steps to his modest bedroom. It consisted of a bed, a window, and a desk overflowing with school and recreational work. Unfinished paintings that Jason had asked him keep safe were tucked carefully away in one of the side holders.

Setting down his school backpack, he prepared himself for the nightly prayer to the Four. “Born through Life’s grace, striding in bliss and charity in this peaceful world. Through the path governed by Time we follow, allowing ourselves to change and grow, but never deviate from his sight. In Space’s watchful vision, we cause ripples on the surface he created for us. Into Death’s arms we pass, entering our eternal sleep until we are called again.”

He bowed to each of the four statuettes on his window seal. He changed into his sleeping clothes, but instead of climbing in bed, he sat at his desk, staring out

the window at the softly falling snow. Guards still moved about on the wall, they being the only sign of life. His breath soon clouded the window, so he drew small pictures on the newly created canvas. The smooth glass was algid, but felt oddly soothing. His drawings were nothing compared to Jason’s masterpieces, but he still loved to doodle. Often, he would be caught in class with his mind wandering off as he began to draw simple things on his paper.

His eyes started to close, his head nodding back and forth. “I better get to sleep.” He concluded after nearly falling off his chair. He pulled his beloved blanket around his body, wrapping it like a cloak. It had been a Midwinter Day gift from his mother before that awful day… He shook his head, “No, that memory needs to be buried. Forever! It’s too painful.” He took a deep breath and sprawled out on his bed the best he could with a blanket wrapped around him. The comforting smell of lilac and lavender filled his nose, lulling his brain to sleep.

Finally, he succumbed to the weariness that was so desperately trying to take over, slipping into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Alexander awoke and stretched, groaning as his

joints popped and creaked. A soft smile broke onto his face as he stared out the window, watching the pale, brilliant sun climb into the cerulean sky. Wispy clouds drifted lazily around the snow-capped volcano in the

distance. “What a beautiful world we live in.” he thought merrily. Standing, he dressed for school, dawning his familiar black jacket and long, crimson scarf.

Remembering his shoe was still in his backpack, he hurried and dug it out. It was still frigid and stiff, but his body heat would warm it in no time. He slipped it on, shuddering. “Yeah… no time at all.” He grimaced.

Alexander soon had his school things gathered, and went downstairs. His father was hovering over the kitchen sink, clearly hung-over. His mood dropped. “This is why you shouldn’t drink, dad. You should get a shot for the physical addiction, and therapy for the mental problem.”

“Don’t mind me son, I’ll be—“ his reply was cut off by him hurling his insides into the basin.

Alexander sighed, “I wish I could help more. Just drink the blue stuff in the ice-room and it should lessen the symptoms. I have to get to school, so I’ll see you later.” He pulled on his other shoe that was lying at the door. The fur boot was gone… but Alexander brushed it off. He didn’t have time at the moment to think about where it went. “Just, do me a favor and stop this, okay? Mom wouldn’t have wanted you to be this way.”

His father said nothing, turning his head. “Have… a nice… day.” He sputtered.

“I will. Don’t be too sick.” Alexander sighed, shutting the door. His hand clenched into a fist, his head resting

on the door. Alexander stared at the sky, listening to the muffled cries coming from inside.

“I wish I could have helped more.” He whispered to the silent air.

The slow breeze rustled the naked branches of the forest around him, whipping up small snow flurries. They shimmered in the morning sunlight, dancing as if they knew no worries. “Ignorance is strength, as they used to say.” He thought sadly.

After a moment, he straightened, looking at the small town in front of him. Children too young to go to school laughed and screeched as they ran about in the streets and yards. Others wandered in small groups towards the main gate, heading to school.

“Well, I better get going, else I be late.” Alexander muttered, hopping off his doorstep. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk towards the gate. It was quite the long walk to our schools, being sequestered away at the base of a volcano like we were. It usually took an hour, and judging by the position of the sun, school would start in just that amount of time.

“Hello there Alexander!” Johnathan called, his arms wrapped around Udin’s neck. Alexander raised a rightfully suspicious eyebrow. Johnathan laughed, “Udin here lost a bet last night, and now he has to carry me the rest of the day whenever we’re on duty!”

“It’s a good thing you’re such a lightweight.” Udin sneered.

“Oi! I’m very muscular for my species, thank you! I wasn’t drafted into the law enforcement for nothing!” he replied proudly, his chest puffing out.

“You’re still no heavier than my pups back home. They’re only three and they can bench-press more than you can. Hell, I’d say they could bench-press you!” Udin growled.

Johnathan searched for a retort. “Well, sorry I wasn’t born with magnificent, rippling muscles, Mr. Machodog. At least I’m cleverer than you; what did that age old saying say? Oh yeah, brain is better than brawn!”

“I’ll admit you’re smarter than me, and probably more nimble, but what would you do if you encountered an opponent who was both smarter and stronger than you?” Udin asked.

Johnathan frowned, saying nothing.Udin laughed, adjusting the large snow leopard. “I

thought so. Come on, we need to report to headquarters. Later Alexander!”

“Udin away!” Johnathan yelled, pointing to the enforcement building several blocks away.

“I’m not your trusty steed.” He growled, stalking off.“Yeah…” Johnathan sneered, “But you’re built like

one.”

Alexander smiled and shook his head, as Udin walked away, Johnathan laughing loudly from his back. “Those two…” He jogged out the gate, continuing his pace until he got to the path that took him to Jason’s house, roughly a twenty minute walk from leaving the village. He set his hands on his hips, catching his breath. “I need to get in shape if I’m to survive school. It’s only a matter of time before they start the physical training.”

Jason’s quaint, two-story house came into view through the trees. It was painted a very simple beige color; the house was boring, frankly. There was no inner personality shown on the outside… it was just… beige.

Alexander waved to Jason’s mother, who was straightening the blinds in the window, smiling brightly. She returned the gesture with a look of pure disinterest and harsh judgment. Alexander was instantly tempted to make a rude hand gesture at her, but decided against it. Remaining good friends with people usually meant you had to impress their parents… and Alexander doubted that would get him anywhere. Instead, he puffed air through his nose in a haughty noise, and sat patiently for Jason.

Finally, he opened the door, saying, “Goodbye, mother and father. Have a nice day.” He did it without smiling, or without any expression of any kind, for that matter. They walked in a stiff silence for a couple of minutes until they were out of view from his house. When they were out of view, Jason’s shoulders slumped, and he

let his tail relax. He sighed, “Sorry it took me so long. I woke up a bit late.”

“Eh, no worries; as long as we’re on time, that’s all that matters.” Alexander said, waving his hand. After a moment of silence, he asked, “How can you stand living like that? Wouldn’t someone with your personality just… explode from time to time?”

“It’s happened before, trust me. Let’s just leave it at my parents highly disapprove of showing emotion. They’re very traditional thinkers; in fact, they still believe in that old religion… “He paused, trying to remember what it was called, “Ah, Christianity.”

“I thought that was disproved a long time ago.” Alexander replied.

“It was, along with all other monotheistic religions, and many polytheistic ones still around. After humanity discovered the Four Embodiments, the whole “God” idea flew out the window. However, they think that it was just a hoax the people who used to be known as atheists put on to bash religions.” He explained.

“That’s ridiculous. So, how exactly does this “Christianity” affect their thinking?” Alexander asked.

“It’s ironic, honestly, for Jinrui to believe in fairy tales like that. Christianity used to believe that man was created in the image of one, omnipotent god. Their philosophy was very strange; he loved you with all he could, but if you didn’t follow what he asked of you, which

was impossible to do so anyway, he’d throw you down to some burning pit in the earth or something.” He sighed. “My parents, due to these beliefs, became strict, narrow-sighted thinkers. “Stateramancers show no emotion, so you won’t either!” they used to say. After I’d get beaten, they’d force me to read this thick book called the Bible and force my emotions away.”

“That’s awful. Why haven’t you filed a complaint to the child management services? They’d be happy to put you into another home. Hell, you could come live with me!” Alexander said brightly.

Jason shook his head, averting his gaze, but saying nothing.

Alexander sighed. “This can’t go on forever. Sooner or later, you’ll snap completely, and your Stateramancy will cause serious destruction. You can’t just keep your emotions in like this.”

“What choice do I have?!” Jason shouted angrily, his eyes brimming with tears. “If I show any of this to them, I get the crap beaten out of me! They don’t understand, and they don’t even try! They’re cruel and heartless!” his voice lowered into a hoarse whisper, “The only reason they had me was because their stupid religion told them to.”

They had stopped walking, Alexander taking a step back. He was utterly shocked at Jason’s outburst; usually, he never shows anger or pain. He struggled for the right words to say, but they evaded his mind.

Jason sniffed, wiping his eyes. “Sorry. It’s… I just feel so alone.”

“No, no. Let it out. I’m here for you, like a good friend should be. Just remember you’re never alone. I will always be here for you, right by your side, ready to pick you up if you fall.” Alexander smiled, putting his hands on Jason’s shoulders.

“Thank you.” he said quietly.Alexander nodded, “Let’s get to school, okay?”He wrapped his arm around Jason in a brotherly

manner. He didn’t notice that Jason had completely stiffened, his face growing hot. His heartrate increased dramatically, and his jacket was suddenly stifling.

“What do you think it was like back then?” Alexander asked, looking at the clear sky.

“Back when?”“Back when the first Jinrui were created. How do you

think people reacted?” Alexander replied.Jason thought for a moment. “I was reading a history

book once that was giving a general history before the War. There was thing called the Internet, or something like that. It was able to allow people to communicate from across the world in seconds. It was a place of many joys, and many woes. Groups from all over the earth communicated on this net, sharing pictures, stories, and ideas. One of these groups, and personally I find them

highly amusing, called themselves furs… or maybe it was a fury?”

“You mean furries?” Alexander asked, remembering that same textbook from school, “I don’t know anything about them; I just saw their name in passing.”

“Yeah. They were humans who were practically obsessed with becoming animals. They drew themselves as Jinrui in various scenes and locations. The true followers even created full-body suits of the characters they would draw, and gather in massive groups across the world. It was extremely peculiar, but I suppose they had the best reaction to Jinrui, considering they wanted to be them.” Jason explained, his visage brightening.

“We humans are strange creatures. Wanting to be things we aren’t, believing in invisible beings, and starting wars over imaginary lines drawn on sheets of paper.” Alexander laughed.

“Indeed. You humans are strange creatures.” Jason agreed, chuckling.

They walked in a comfortable silence, Alexander letting his arm fall when he sensed Jason was back in a complacent mood. Jason was relieved… but slightly sad to have the feeling slip away. The snow crunched underfoot, echoing through the silent forest. The air was crisp, and sweet.

“About this Internet. What else did do?” Alexander asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Um, from what I’ve heard, the Internet was not only a lightning fast method of communication, but it also provided hours of entertainment, and generated massive profit.” Jason started.

“A bunch of numbers behind a glass screen created money? How did it make it and why would you need the money?” Alexander asked.

“Back then, that’s all some people looked for. They became so obsessed with it; I’ve read they sacrificed their lives and family for it.” Jason said.

“Sacrificed?” Alexander cried, shocked, “You mean they killed others to get it?”

“Occasionally. Stupid, if you ask me. I mean, money is a rare commodity nowadays, but I’d rather work for the government and have them give me goods for my services.” Jason sighed.

“I’ve read somewhere that whatever form of government that is doesn’t work. Is that what this world has?” Alexander asked.

“Not quite. That type of government was called communism, but it rarely worked for long. The form of government the Immortals set up was a combination of many different forms of government; mainly a constitutional republic, and aspects from capitalism, communism, and totalitarianism. They took positive aspects from each one and created a super-government

that solved many of the problems that happened in the world before.

“Under the Immortals, a ruling party like unto a totalitarian regime, are elected officials chosen by the people of that area. There are twelve from each region, two representing each respective element. Non-Technomancers are so incredibly rare in these days that they’re rarely elected. If such a case should happen, they simply cannot be voted in; it would offset the balance. These representatives voice the concerns of the people to the Immortals, who decide amongst themselves and closely trusted, personal advisors what they should do. The laws they pass are then sent to the enforcement division, where it is divided and sorted into various groups within the enforcement division.

“This is where the citizens come in; according to communistic philosophy, the government will take care of us. However, this never worked; people became lazy and unmotivated, simply because the government took care of everything. According to capitalism, you had to work for what you wanted, and everything was privately owned. What the Immortals did was combine the two. The government provides for our needs, helping us when we are out of work, but we have to do something for the government. Our benefits are equivalent to our input, and people only rely on the government when necessary.” Jason took a deep breath, “Any questions?”

“Yeah… if the government takes care of people when they’re down, won’t they try to take advantage of that?” Alexander asked.

“It happened in the past, with one of the most powerful countries in that age. The Immortals solved this… mostly. There was an absolute time limit put on government welfare; they could track your progress, and provided aid when needed. If this time requirement was not met, benefits would stop coming, and the family would slowly die, if they weren’t helped by friends and other family first. When they did get a job, the government benefits flowed back as if they’d never left.”

Alexander pondered on this for a moment. “How can the Immortals keep track of their subordinates? Corruption must sneak in somewhere, right? No government is perfect.”

“Of course, and we’re far from it. Poverty still exists in places where work is hard to find, but we’re doing all we can to fix it. The main thing that sets us apart from governments back then is our Technomancy. The Immortals are the most skilled beings in their respective Technomatic elements, and they use them accordingly. They set up a complicated web of elemental energy throughout the system, and can detect when something goes wrong. The Immortal of Ordo is, by his very nature, an extremely honest and trustworthy man. The other Immortals allowed him to enchant their minds so they’d never become corrupted, and considering every order and law eventually falls to them, they execute it as

goodly and honestly as they can.” He stretched, yawning. His ears twitched happily.

“Sounds to me we have a very solid government.” Alexander replied.

“Indeed.”They engaged in mere small talk the rest of the way

to their school, simply getting to know each other better as friends. They soon joined with a large crowd of fellow students, all chatting happily before they would sort into their classes.

The school building was pale blue, a slate grey roof sloping down and curving up at the ends in small points with ornately carved ends. It had only two stories, and featured a massive training ground in the back, complete with many obstacles to challenge the students. Jason and Alexander strolled up the front steps, their boots clacking on the concrete steps. “I wonder what Professor Hawkthorne has for us today…” Jason wondered, putting his hands behind his head.

“I’m not sure. He did say we’d have a surprise today, but I’m not sure what kind.” Alexander shrugged, turning the corner.

“Surprises are never nice.” He grumbled. “Well, I must assume my apathetic personality now.”

Alexander raised his eyebrow. “What? Why do you have to do that here?”

“The professors are in direct contact with my parents, them being Stateramancy teachers at other schools, and so he likes to keep them updated on my personal features… one of those being personality. If he tells them I have an outgoing personality…” his face darkened, “You know what happens.”

Alexander shook his head, sighing deeply. “That’s just… wrong. You should speak with the professor and ask him to lie for you. Explain the situation.”

“Maybe.” Jason said, waving off the comment.They filed into class, taking their seats. Since there

was no seating arrangement, Jason had moved from the back of the class to a spot next to where Alexander was sitting. They pulled out their notebooks, following the old rule of “always keep your notebooks out; notes are everything” that was taught to them at an early age. It was an excellent philosophy to live by, as you always had a way of writing down ideas and important dates.

The professor stood, smiling softly at the notebooks sitting open at all the tables. “You will not need your notebooks today.”

The class was mildly surprised, murmuring their confusion to each other as they put them away. Inizi, of course, raised her hand, “Sir, why will we not need them?”

“Curious as ever, I see.” Professor Hawkthorne chuckled, “The reason, Inizi, is you will be sorted into

different classrooms based on your Affinity—“ he paused as groans swept the room, “We have five new teachers for each element. From now on, you will report to this class every morning, as I am still your home professor. After you are done, I will allow five minutes of visiting time, and then I expect you to be in your appropriate classes.” He then gestured to the places each Affinity would stand and wait for their professor. “Pyromancers, stay with me.” he called.

Jason stiffened, but forced his face to remain still. “No! I just got to know Alexander, and now you’re separating us? This… this isn’t—“ his thought was cut short by Alexander setting a hand on his shoulder.

He smiled, “I know what you’re thinking, and don’t worry. I’m always here if you need me. You’ll be the top of your class; you have no need to worry.”

Jason said nothing, keeping his face completely passive. His eyes, however, averted, telling Alexander that he’d trust his judgment. Alexander beamed at this, embracing him and clapping his hand on his back, “Good. I’ll see you around fuzz butt!”

Jason’s eyes flashed furiously, but smile threatened to break his composure. He took a deep breath, restraining the urge to giggle. Once the feeling passed, he stood and gathered his things, rushing over to the place where he’d meet his professor. He wasn’t exactly prepared for what he saw.

A massive, white tiger Jinrui strode over to his group, his uncaring, golden eyes scrutinized the students before him; most looked back with equally callous gazes. A couple shrunk to the back of the group, completely avoiding his gaze. Despite the apprehension rising in Jason’s throat, he remained where he was. “I am Professor Mechislav, the Order professor, “ he growled his words, his voice one of the deepest in the room. He also spoke with a thick, northern accent, “Under me you will learn exactly how to become the greatest Stateramancers in this establishment, and I expect you all to slaughter these other students when the time comes.”

A petrified student raised her hand, “Sir,” she squeaked, “You don’t actually mean we’re going to kill them… right?”

The professor turned his intense stare on the poor girl, making her squirm. “Of course not, child. Murder is an unforgivable act; it was merely an expression. I’d expect you to know that by now.”

The other students watched as the girl opened and closed her mouth, looking for a reply. She soon gave up, closing her mouth and looking downward. They returned their attention to the professor. “I thought so,” he said, “To the room down the hall; it’s clearly marked, and if you do manage get lost, you will be giving me twenty laps around this building, and however many minutes it takes you to complete it, that’s how many push-ups you’d do along with it, doubled. Understood?” The students

nodded, straightening their backs, “Dismissed.” He growled. Jason walked briskly along with the other students, looking back at Alexander. “Four help me…” he pleaded in his head.

Alexander glanced at the Stateramancy professor walking over to Professor Hawkthorne to retrieve the student files. “A terrifyingly muscular white tiger Jinrui… Seems fitting, somehow… I hope Jason doesn’t snap on this guy.” He sighed, shaking his head.

“Something wrong?” Inizi asked, bouncing up and down on her heels next to Alexander.

“It’s just that I’m a bit worried about Jason, that’s all. It seems he might not work well with that Professor.” Alexander whispered, gesturing to Professor Mechislav.

Her eyes widened when she saw him. “I’d be terrified too!” she replied, “But why are you so worried about that Jason kid? He’s completely emotionless, so he wouldn’t really care who he goes with, right?”

Alexander forced down his heated retort. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He lied, sighing.

“Who do you think our teacher is going to be?” she whispered excitedly.

“I’m not sure… maybe that guy?” Alexander asked, pointing to a man striding through the doorway. His deep blue cloak shimmered in the bright candlelight coming from the ceiling. A silver sash was tied around his waist, bearing the symbol of Aqua. His sandy blonde hair was

cropped very short, growing slightly longer in the front. His crystal blue eyes seemed to glow as he surveyed his new class. “So, this is my new class; a fresh wave of Aquamancers.” He smirked stupidly.

A few students groaned. Others smiled along with the professor. Inizi looked confused. Alexander chuckled, “It’s a play on words, Inizi. Wave as in ocean wave…”

Realization broke on her face. “Oh! I get it!” she broke into hysterics, and was soon struggling to breath. The professor smiled wider, “I see someone appreciates my sense of humor.”

Students across the room gave Inizi strange looks as she collapsed on the ground, wheezing. The professor leaned over the other students, raising an eyebrow, “Is she going to be alright?”

“She’ll be fine in a couple minutes.” Alexander shrugged.

“Good. Anyway, I’m Professor Kadence, grandmaster Aquamancer. I will be teaching you the basics today, so if you’ll head out to the pool. Whoever gets there last…” he glanced at the still spluttering Inizi, “besides her, will give me the same workout Professor Mechislav gave his students. HOP TO IT.” He suddenly yelled.

The students jumped, racing to the pool. Cries of protest broke out as the Jinrui in the group clearly outran the humans. They were naturally stronger and faster, having similar genes to wild animals, and thus thoroughly

smashed the humans in a racing contest. Alexander, laughing as he pumped his arms, was right at the tails of the Jinrui. A few others were with him, leaving most in the dust behind them.

The students flooded into the pool area, gasping for breath and congratulating each other. The last kid stumbled in, red in the face and breathing heavily. The professor suddenly appeared out of the pool next to them, disturbing the clear water. “Well, I guess we know our loser. You’ll need to try harder next time, Jax. You know the drill; twenty times around the school, and however long it takes you, you’ll do double that many push-ups. Your time starts…” the professor tipped an hourglass, “NOW!”

Jax raced out the room, groaning. The rest of the students turned their attention to Professor Kadence, catching their breath. Inizi wandered into the room, her face more red than Jax’s had been. “Who was that, and why was he running?” she asked, cocking her head.

“It was the loser of the race to class. He’ll be back in half an hour or so.” Alexander said, putting his hands behind his neck.

“Alright. Today, you will be learning the most basic of techniques that Aquamancers can perform: how to walk on water. Can anyone explain to me how this is done?” He looked around the students giving him blank, confused stares.

Alexander realized he could use the revealing technique he used on the shoe the night previous to determine where his energy was concentrated. He focused his own energy into his eyes, opening them. A small symbol of Aqua hovered above the professor’s sandals. He quickly raised his hand, “Well sir, based on what I can see from the revealing technique, you have a small amount of Aqua evenly concentrated on where your feet touch the water’s surface. Based on my knowledge of physics, I’d say you increased the surface tension of the water to support your weight.”

“Very observant, and you’re exactly right. I am increasing the water’s surface tension, allowing me to put my weight on it and not fall through. You will be performing the same technique today. I assume Professor Hawkthorne taught you how to concentrate your energy?” the professor said, crossing his arms.

The students looked at each other, nodding. Inizi raised her hand, “Aren’t we going to change first? I know I wouldn’t want these clothes getting wet, especially in this weather.” She gestured to the lightly falling snow outside.

“No, you’re not getting changed. The reason being,” he paused, smiling, “You won’t get wet. However, if you do, you’ll only have yourself to blame, and hope those clothes dry out easily.”

The student’s eyes widened. Alexander raised his hand, “But sir, the revealing technique Professor

Hawkthorne taught us took several days to master, and that’s literally the most basic technique a Technomancer can learn!”

“Wrong. Manipulation of the senses is actually a rather advanced skill, as it takes a lot of influence on the brain to work. It is the most basic of generic Technomancy, but Affinity techniques that are unique to one element or another are far more basic. They can be mastered in a few minutes, to instantaneously.” He explained. “Along with Affinity techniques, does anyone know the definition of a passive ability?”

Inizi shot her hand up in the air. “Yes. It’s an ability that occurs automatically, performed by the subconscious, or simply integrated as part of your genetic composition.”

“Good. An example of a passive ability is an Aquamancer’s ability to breathe underwater. Can someone, besides you Inizi, tell me the other passive abilities for the other elements?” he asked, smiling at a dejected Inizi.

An otter Jinrui raised his hand, “Yes. Pyromancers are naturally immune to the cold. Petramancers have an inherent strength that cannot be trained into someone that’s not a Petramancer themselves. Ventumancers actually have the passive ability to fly, it’s just that very few fully unlock the ability. Stateramancers have adept intelligence and problem solving that is nearly unrivaled, and Malumancers are, by nature, completely chaotic. It is

said that even Time himself is not completely sure of a powerful Malumancer’s future.”

“But if Malumancers are inherently unpredictable, why can we still tell what they’re going to do?” Alexander asked.

“It’s because they are fundamentally chaotic. It doesn’t affect their actions, usually, but if someone were to try and tell their future or special abilities, they wouldn’t be able to find anything. It’s different than them being random due to ignorance, or the lack of knowledge about them.” He explained, straightening his whiskers.

“I see.” Alexander nodded.“Very good, Raji.” The professor said. “Now, I also

need to tell you the basics of Aquamancy itself. As an Aquamancer, you don’t strive to be unmovable like a Petramancer, or completely evasive like a Ventumancer. Aquamancy is the Technomancy of change and life. You adjust your path, but not your entire strategy. Your goal is to turn the opponent’s attack against them, redirecting smoothly and efficiently. I will not dive into special abilities right now, as none of you have the power required to achieve those. Some of you may never achieve the unique abilities Aquamancy has to offer, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you’re weaker than those that can.

“Now, with that said, we will now start attempting to walk on water. Everyone, concentrate your energy into your feet, spreading it as equally as possible. Even

spreading is the key; the smallest disturbances and deformities can cause the water to become unstable, and the disruption will ripple outwards and doom the entire system. Begin.” He said, hopping off the water’s surface.

Alexander took a deep breath, concentrating the energy to his feet. The familiar chill of energy flowing through his body as it moved downward made him shudder. Still using the revealing technique, he checked to see if the energy was evenly dispersed. It appeared so.

He stepped onto the water’s surface, very apprehensive. His foot, however, felt like it was resting on a wooden floor; the water held firm. Smiling, he began shifting his weight onto the leg. The pressure built, but his shoe still remained dry. Finally, he was able to have almost all his weight on his right foot.

“Remember to get both feet on the water as quickly as possible. Since you are not good at conserving energy quite yet, the greater the pressure will mean more energy is being used… which means more is lost.” The professor said, striding out the middle of the pool.

Alexander took a deep breath and set his other foot on the water, halving the energy in the right foot. Suddenly, he felt a small disturbance in the distribution. Gasping, he concentrated on flattening it out, but not before the shoe submerged a couple centimeters. He adjusted his stance, putting all his weight on both legs, and straightening his back. He wobbled, nearly losing his

balance, but managed to upright himself before he toppled into the awaiting depths.

He looked around, noticing that he wasn’t the first one to complete the task. Other students stood on shaky legs, flailing their arms wildly in an attempt to regain their balance.

It proved futile for some. Alexander sniggered as one student lost his footing, falling down into the water with a mighty splash. The students around him covered their faces, trying to shield themselves from the splash. Raji, who had been standing next to the young man, smiled, crossing his hands behind his back. He stood as if he weren’t even standing on water; it seemed to come so naturally.

“Very good, my pupils. Raji, as expected, you mastered this technique the fastest.” The professor nodded to Raji, who smiled and bowed, “All of you who haven’t quite mastered the technique yet, I expect you to do so in the next ten minutes. We’ll be learning how to manipulate water today, so I want to get to that as quickly as possible.”

Inizi, who stood with her legs spread, raised her hand, using the other to maintain her balance, “Sir, how exactly do we master this technique?”

“Care to explain, Raji?” the professor asked.“Of course, sir.” He strode seamlessly over to Inizi

and the group struggling to stand near her. “The way you

can demonstrate true mastery is by what I’m doing now. Moving as if I were on solid concrete, and walking, running, and…” his legs flexed, and he shot in the air, doing a backward flip over one of the students. He landed with utter grace, straightening his back, “jumping.” He finished.

“Oh.” She sighed.He chuckled. “It’s quite simple, really. Don’t think

about what you’re doing; considering this is a subconscious task anyway, let it be one. You just need to stop concentrating on it.”

“That sounds counterintuitive. If I stop thinking about it, won’t it stop?” she asked.

“Not exactly. It’s exactly like the revealing technique; don’t think about the energy being used, or how it’s being used. Just… use it.” Raji said, shrugging. “My apologies if I didn’t explain it well; it’s not exactly an idea that can be taught.”

“No, you did a well enough job. I think I have it now.” She said, taking a deep breath. Her posture straightened, and she pulled her legs closer together. Her face suddenly filled with serious determination that was previously unknown for her to have. Taking a confident step forward, she suddenly fell into the water, a large splash emanating through the room.

“Of course, don’t stop thinking about it entirely.” Raji said, slightly embarrassed.

Alexander did as Raji had instructed; he pushed the concentration away, giving the task to his subconscious mind. The energy flowing around his feet remained constant, so he took a tentative step forward. His feet remained completely dry, so he took another step, and then another. Each was more confident than the last, until he was running across the pool, delighted. “This is amazing!” he laughed.

“Isn’t it?” Raji said, appearing at his side.“I never knew how satisfying this would be.” He

beamed, his soul filling with excitement. “This is going to be amazing; Technomancy is truly remarkable.”

The professor looked around; most students had completely mastered the technique thanks to Raji’s explanation. “You think this is fun?” he laughed, setting his hands on his hips, “Just wait until we get into Aquamancy at its fullest!”

Alexander smiled, putting his hands behind his head.

He strode away from parting ways with Jason, travelling along the main road to his home. It was completely deserted; he often stayed behind to talk with friends at the school, and thus was usually one of the last people to leave. The sun was setting, a brilliant, titian glow falling over the land. Trees cast long, dark shadows on the ground, undisturbed by the silent air. Alexander’s breath billowed out in small clouds, floating away into nothingness.

“What an amazing day.” He whispered, scooping up some snow. It quickly began melting due to his body temperature, but didn’t leak out the cracks in his hand. Instead, he pulled the water into a ball, further melting the snow, until it was a small orb of water that spiraled gently in his palm. He couldn’t wait to show his father…

Something in the edge of his vision caught his eye. It was the same fur boot he had found the night previous. He let the water fall into the snow, bending down to pick up the boot. It seemed warmer than before. “But how did it get all the way out here? Who took it from my doorstep?” he asked himself, looking around. There was no one around; it was utterly silent. He shrugged, slipping the boot back on. The same glorious warmth spread up his leg; it was utter bliss. He sighed happily. “I wonder where this thing came from…” he wondered quietly.

“It doesn’t matter anyway… All that’s important is that I have it.” He smiled, a gentle haze settling over his mind. He shook it off, “What is it…?” he wondered, holding his temple.

A soft whisper began echoing around him. “Go to sleep.”

“Rest, the peace of slumber awaits you.”

“Give in.”

He collapsed on the ground, his body shaking. “Get out of my head!” he screamed. He tried to remove the boot, but it had meshed with his flesh; he could see blood

vessels pumping his very life source into the boot. “No!” he yelled, gritting his teeth and pulling. Excruciating pain shot up his leg.

His vision was failing. The world spun in front of him, fading in and out of focus. A deep, surging anger began taking him over. It felt as though another presence was forcing its way into his mind; it burned with hatred and murderous rage. Finally, he blacked out, overcome by the pain and voices screaming in his head.

His body remained motionless for a minute or two, blood slowly leaking from his gaping mouth. His eyes stared vacuously at the dark, starry sky. All became silent as his echoed screams dissolved into the still air.

Suddenly, his body began moving. It stood, not breathing, and sniffed the air. Blood still trickled from the corner of its mouth, and its eyes became white spheres. It seemed to lock onto a scent, sprinting into the dark forest with terrifying speed.

The snow seemed to impede its movement very little; it was almost as it were flying. It zipped around trees, sometimes crashing through the smaller ones, shattering them into splinters. It had found what it was looking for; the other holder of the fur boot’s other half.

It was a young man’s body in a pinstriped blue t-shirt and plaid, collared shirt overlaying it. It wore bloodstained jeans; they were covered in the gore of the deer carcass it’d been devouring. Its eyes had also been transformed into white, featureless spheres. It rapidly

turned around, blood dripping from its mangy, black hair. It stood, assuming a dominating stance.

Alexander’s body roared; his voice had become similar to that of a bear’s. Long, deadly claws formed from his fingernails, jagged and sharp. The young man’s body hissed, lunging with lightning fast speed.

Alexander’s body quickly countered, grabbing its opponent by the throat and slamming it into the ground. Bones shattered, and the pure snow was stained crimson. It leaned in, smiling and growling in its opponent’s face. The other body snapped back, trying to release itself from the choke hold. After a moment of struggling, it managed to get its leg underneath Alexander’s body’s chest and kicked.

The possessed body was launched backward, slamming into a tree. The trunk split in half with a large crash, and the tree fell, branches cracking like dry bones. It seemed completely unshaken, quickly regaining its footing and lunging at the young man’s body.

It lunged forward, hoping to counterattack, but severely underestimated the agility of Alexander’s body. Its eyes widened as the foot of its opponent descended. Alexander’s foot made contact, slamming the body into the snow once more. More bones shattered; some even ripped forth through the skin. It tried to stand, but was beaten back down by Alexander’s body.

The possessed Aquamancer smiled devilishly, sinking its talons into the young man’s body’s chest. It screamed

as the talons slashed flesh and shattered the sternum. The rib cage was forced apart, bones snapping and skin tearing. The defeated body’s eyes changed, reverting back to the color they once were. The young man seemed to regain consciousness the moment before he died, his green eyes locked in agony and horror at the scene before him. His dying scream echoed through the forest.

Alexander’s body tore the boot from the young man’s foot; it was soaked with his blood. Ripping off its own shoe, it replaced it with the boot, shuddering. Its eyes cleared, returning to their usual grey color. Alexander gasped as his mind came back to him. “What…” he looked down, laying eyes on the horror scene in front of him. His mind was completely shocked; it took several moments to piece together the images and clues. His hands were soaked in blood… seemingly the young man’s before him.

Suddenly, he realized he was screaming. His lungs had acted before his brain. He scrambled backward, regaining his footing and fleeing. A wave of nausea slammed into him, making his vision swim. He fell onto his knees, vomiting.

He soon lost track of how long he remained in that position. He didn’t care, he doubted he was returning home after this anyway. He couldn’t return home; he was a monster. “It was a Hikage… it had to be.”

A soft, feminine voice spoke in front of him, “No. It wasn’t a monster of the dark.”

Alexander snapped his head up, looking at the woman standing… or rather, floating in front of him. A soft wind picked up, blowing her bright, red hair off to the side. She wore a soft smile on her cherry red lips. Her eyes were sanguine, glowing in the dim night. Wearing a simple, white nightgown, she hovered in the air.

Alexander remained too stunned to move. His mind raced. Who was she, and where the hell had she come from?

She giggled, floating closer. “I am none of your concern.”

“Stay back!” Alexander screamed, scooting backward. He turned to stand, but his body suddenly went completely rigid. He was forced into the air, his joints groaning. “Wh-what do you want from me?”

“In time.” She whispered, her nose nearly touching Alexander’s. She placed her hand on his chest.

“Get away—“ he stopped talking, his voice cut short by a gasp. An algid, dagger-like pain spread from where she had touched him. It radiated outward, slowly enveloping his body in the agony. A hushed voice whispered in his mind, “Nothing will impede us.”

Nothing.

Johnathan leaned back, yawning. He swished his tail nonchalantly, smiling at the sky.

Udin glared, “Look alive. We’re supposed to be on duty.” He was sharpening his massive broadsword, the ruby blade glinting in the pale moonlight.

“Yeah, yeah. Nothing really happens anyway; I don’t know why you need to be so stiff.” He chuckled, sitting straight.

Sasha was fast asleep, taking a small nap to regain her energy. Johnathan looked at her, his eyes narrowing. “She should really sleep during the day; she’ll be a lot less tired when she does guard duty with us.” He told Udin.

“She can’t. She has her own kids at home that she needs to look after. Once they’re all in school… then she rest during the day.” He replied.

“Why doesn’t her husband…” Johnathan trailed off, his eyes widening, “Oh… right. I always forget that happened.”

“Yeah. For someone of his power to get killed in the woods… it’s unnerving. I still can’t believe Hikage are that powerful.” Udin sighed.

“Well, they were created by the Malumancers during the War of Six Nations; it makes sense they’d be strong.” Johnathan said, drawing his sword. He examined the sapphire blade, holding it to the moonlight. Small, azure lights shimmered on his face, mimicking his crystal blue eyes.

Udin was about to say something when he suddenly stood so quickly he knocked over his chair. His left ear twitched as a soft breeze rolled in. Johnathan looked at him quizzically, and was about to ask a question when Sasha also sat up, her eyes wide.

“Am I the only one that doesn’t know what’s going on here?” Johnathan asked, sighing. He closed his eyes, listening intently. All he could hear were Alexander’s footsteps; he was late again. “Guys, it’s just Alexander. I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

“Something’s wrong.” Sasha said, opening her eyes. The deep, red glow faded. “I can feel it within him.”

“Pardon?” Johnathan asked.“Sasha can manipulate Victus, the combination of

Terra and Aqua. Using it, she can see and sometimes control the pure life force of another person. People that can control Victus are amazing healers; most of the time better than Aquamancers.” Udin explained.

“Why was I not aware of this?” Johnathan complained, “Seriously, you guys need to—“

“Quiet.” Sasha closed her eyes again, focusing on her energy. She gasped, “We need back-up. Alexander’s life force has been corrupted; so much so, I can barely even tell it’s his anymore.”

“Do you think a Hikage did this?” Udin asked.

Her eyes were filled with worry. “No. His life force has been corrupted past the point a Hikage could.” She turned to Johnathan, “Go! Request backup immediately!”

“I’m on it!” Johnathan started to run, but was stopped by a figure standing atop the rim of the basin that held the village. It was silhouetted by the nearly full moon rising behind it. It had shining, sanguine eyes that were narrowed into a stare of death. “Don’t tell me that’s…” he whispered to himself.

“GO!” Sasha screamed, “We’ll hold it off for as long as we—“ her sentence quickly died as neck twisted unnaturally. The sickening sound of her spine snapping echoed through Johnathan’s head. Her body slumped to the ground to reveal Alexander standing behind her.

“Johnathan! GO! NOW!” Udin bellowed, swinging his broadsword. As it swung downward, flames roiled along the ruby blade. Alexander suddenly disappeared, only to reappear on Udin’s back. Johnathan stood horrified as Alexander stabbed his hand through Udin, bright blood staining the stones of the wall. The fire on his blade died away in a puff of smoke.

He turned and sprinted for all it was worth, tears staining his fur. He quickly created a distress signal, blasting it into the sky. A bright blue ball of flame exploded over the town like a firework. The flames slowly turned red as they fell, initiating a lockdown of all citizens. Guards stationed around the wall gasped in

horror; no one had expected the initial response team to be taken down in such little time.

Johnathan was still racing away, his heart pounding in his ears. He looked back, seeing that Alexander had disappeared. Suddenly, his body stopped moving; his limbs were bound by a mysterious force. Alexander stood before him, a bloodthirsty smile on his face. His eyes were glowing red, and his clothes were stained with someone else’s blood. “Alexander! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Johnathan cried.

“The person you seek is no longer with you. He is gone.” He whispered.

“No! Alexander, push it away! Don’t let it take you!” Johnathan screamed in futile effort. “Come—“ his plea was silenced with the snap of a neck. His body went limp, and fell into the stones.

Guards poured in around the demon that used to be Alexander. Its gaze was cast downward, looking at the body it had just slain. The guards stood in shocked silence; some of them stifled sobs. It suddenly snapped its head up, laughing maniacally. A guard advanced, drawing a white, diamond sword. She screamed and swung as hard as she could, but missed. The demon had disappeared, performing the same tactic it had done on Udin. She screamed as her life was taken before their very eyes.

Every soldier that advanced was cut down like a fly. Their screams echoed throughout the village. In

seemingly no time at all, the demon stood among mangled, motionless corpses, giggling to itself. It suddenly threw its head back, staring at the sky, and screamed, “Nothing!”

The villagers stared in horror at the demon on the wall. Children cried and ran to their parents. A shocked silence lay over the people; it was the end for all of them. Sequestered away at the base of a volcano, the government would never hear of this, supposing no one got out alive. The small, insignificant village would burn… along with all its inhabitants. A woman with tears running down her cheeks advanced forward, screaming at the demon, “What are you?!”

It stared her straight in the eyes, appearing in front of her. “We are the solution.”

Chapter II: Echoes of the PastThe world was crashing around him. Nothing seemed

to matter anymore; the only thought screeching in his head was to find out for himself. He shoved the officer aside, abandoning all caution. “This can’t be happening!” his thoughts screamed wildly.

A man grabbed him from behind, yelling his name. He raked his claws down the man’s arm; he needed to be there. His friend would never…

Suddenly, pain bloomed from the back of his head. Jason fell into the snow, groaning. His vision faded, and he fell unconscious. The officer sighed, picking up Jason’s limp body and handing it to his father’s arms. “Try to let him understand that no one is to go to Kizendow. The clean-up crews are salvaging what remains we can, and are on high alert for the demon that slaughtered the residents.”

“My deepest apologies, officer. We had no idea that our son could act this way. We’ll see it through that he never goes to that town.” Jason’s father said, bowing.

His wife bowed as well, “May God be with you.” she smiled.

The officer gave her a quizzical look as he was walking away. “My thanks, madam.” He said, unsure of what she had meant.

She watched the officer stride away before he disappeared completely. She sighed, her blue eyes filled with worry. “Such a tragedy.” She whispered quietly. Noticing her husband had set Jason on the couch, she put her hand on his shoulder, “Please go easy on the boy when he wakes up. He’s just been given the worst possible news; I don’t think anyone could take it like a true Stateramancer.”

“I’ll do what I see fit.” He growled.She gave a small curtsy, and left the room. She had

things to clean; she wouldn’t neglect her duties.Jason’s father clenched his fist, seeing that Jason was

stirring. “What do you think you were doing, running out there?” he snarled.

Jason sat up, holding his head, but saying nothing.“Do you think that’s any way to act?” his father

yelled, “You’re a Stateramancer, for crying out loud! You should act like one!”

Jason forced down his rising anger. No emotion; he would live through this without any display of feeling. His father, realizing Jason wasn’t responding, grew furious and smacked him across the face. The resounding smack reverberated through the home.

Jason gritted his teeth; he could survive this.“I just cannot believe why you think it was okay to

run out there like that! Answer me, what were you thinking?” his father roared.

“Is it so wrong to care about people?” Jason asked quietly, failing to filter the rage in his voice. It was the wrong thing to say. His father’s palm made contact with his cheek, wrenching his head to the side. Tears sprang into his eyes. He couldn’t keep his emotion down much longer…

“No, but as a Stateramancer, you ought to have less of an attraction towards them! I’ve seen the way you talk to that Alexander boy! Maybe it’s a good thing he’s dead; you can stop being distracted by him.” His father spat.

That was the final draw; Jason would not let him get away with that. “So what if I do?!” he exploded, “Why can’t I just be allowed to be the man I want to become? I’ll get nowhere in life if I shove others away from me! But hell, you don’t care if I have dreams!”

His father stood, his hands curling into fists. “You’re going to regret saying that. I will not have a son with that disgusting affliction! If I have to beat the notion out of you, so be it.”

“It’s… not… disgusting!” Jason screamed. A suddenly, blinding flash blasted his father through the living room window. White energy danced about Jason, like dragons circling around a mountain. His fur stood on

end as pure Ordo flowed through his body, building in power.

His father groaned, standing up and clutching his abdomen. Blood seeped through his shirt. “You wouldn’t dare…” he growled.

Jason screamed, “You have beaten me senseless over and over again for the stupidest things! You don’t care about having a son! You don’t care about anything!” He picked up his father with a tendril of radiance and slammed him into the ground. Jason had completely lost his senses; his father was going to pay. He repeatedly slammed his father’s unconscious body into the ground; the snow was beginning to be stained red.

He then collapsed, sobbing. He could no longer stay here. He sprinted up to his room, threw together spare clothes into his backpack, and ran back downstairs. His mother was crying next to her husband’s body. He wasn’t dead, but he was severely damaged. Jason looked at her with pure disgust, and ran out the shattered window.

“Jason!” she screamed, “Where do you think you’re going to go? No one will want you! You’re worthless!”

Jason ignored her, dashing as fast as his legs could carry him. Tears flowed from his eyes, and his lungs burned. He needed Alexander…

That thought stopped him. He finally realized the reality: Alexander was gone; he was most likely dead, along with everyone else in Kizendow. He shook his head,

recovering his furious pace. “They can’t be dead! That would never happen, not in a place as insignificant as this!”

After several minutes of running as hard as he could, Jason collapsed at the top of the hill surveying Kizendow; the one that would lead him to the front gate. He gasped at the appalling sight in his eyes.

The entire town had been burned down; smoldering ruins that were still smoking were being picked apart by the officers. The large, empty clearing next to the town was filled with body bags lying side-to-side. Some officers were still pulling corpses from the carnage within the village. No one spoke; they only worked on moving wreckage and salvaging anything left. Jason slowly stood, still short on breath, and crept down to the village. The front gate didn’t seem to have been forced open; that was a disgruntling sign. He wandered in the gate, keeping with the shadows and trying to remain out of sight.

This proved futile. A hand suddenly slammed Jason into the snow, knocking the breath out of him. He gasped for breath, clawing at the ground. The voice belonging to his captor spoke, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

“My name is Jason Deverla, and I only came here to see if my friend was still alive.” He coughed weakly.

The weight soon released, and Jason stood, groaning. He looked at the ebony skinned officer. His deep, brown eyes were filled with disappointment and grief. “I doubt it. My apologies for tackling you, but we have to make

sure you’re not the one who devastated this village. I can see you’re telling the truth.”

“All in proper procedure,” Jason muttered, “Don’t worry about it; my apologies for sneaking in.”

“Accepted. Now, who was your friend? I can probably guide you to his body.” He said.

“His name was Alexander. He wore a red scarf, and had really boring, grey eyes, brown, messy hair, and stood a little taller than me.” Jason told the officer.

His expression darkened. “You said his name was Alexander, correct?” Jason nodded cautiously. “What connections do you have with him? Are you classmates, brothers, dating…?”

Jason’s face grew hot, “Just friends, sir.”“I see. Do you know his location from when school

ended, to around 23:00?” the officer pulled out a pencil and paper.

“As far as I know, we walked home, parting paths about thirty minutes walking speed from the school. After that, I always assumed he simply walked home.” Jason said, watching a pair of officers retrieve another body. It belonged to a young girl, her small fist still clenched around a bright, blue balloon. It matched her soot-stained, light blue dress. She was unburned, but her head was twisted at an odd angle. Her wide, purple eyes stared at nothing. Jason suddenly felt a fresh wave of tears coming on.

The officer finished noting his statement on his pad. “I need you to speak with someone.”

“Whom?” Jason asked, looking back at the officer.“The sole survivor of this tragedy, as far as we know

of. His name is Johnathan Salenksy, a snow leopard Jinrui. His neck was broken, but he survived. His voice is very weak, so listen up.” The officer said, gesturing for Jason to follow him.

“That shouldn’t be a problem, sir.” Jason laughed weakly, wiggling his ears.

They walked through the town to the mock hospital that was set up down the road. The town was too quiet; it seemed as if Death himself had paid a visit to the town, taking all the inhabitants away with him. Officers were busy pulling mutilated, burned, or decimated corpses from the remains of homes and other buildings. Jason averted his gaze, forcing himself to look at his feet.

“Here we are.” The officer said, bending down. He tapped Johnathan on the shoulder very lightly and said, “We have a visitor.”

He opened his eyes; they seemed to have had the life taken from them. There was no shimmer, only despair. He somehow managed to smile at Jason, but didn’t move his head to face him. Jason knelt, putting his hand on Johnathan’s. “You’re one of the guards, correct?”

“Yes.” He replied hoarsely, “I remember you; your Alexander’s friend, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am, and that’s why I’m here. I was told that you know about his whereabouts.” Jason said, preparing for the worst.

Johnathan closed his eyes. “No. I’m so sorry, but I don’t know where he is.”

Jason’s heart sank and soared at the same time. This meant he could be alive!

The officer put his hand on Jason’s shoulder, “Don’t get your hopes up, kid. We probably just haven’t found his body yet.”

“No.” Johnathan said, opening his eyes, “It’s not that, either.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.“Alexander…” Johnathan’s body shuddered, “Was

the one… who did this.”Jason fell backward, shaking his head. “No, no!

That’s… that’s impossible! Alexander… I know him! He would never do something like this! Ever!”

“That’s what I thought too, but—“Jason cut him off, “You must’ve been seeing things!

It couldn’t have been Alexander, it just—““Let me explain!” Johnathan said as forcefully as he

could, grimacing at the pain it caused, “I don’t think it was actually Alexander. Sasha, one of the fellow guards, told me his life force had been severely corrupted; she

said it was to the point where she didn’t think he was alive anymore.”

“Was it a Hikage?” Jason asked, his heart sinking.“She didn’t think so, and now that I look back, I don’t

think so either. Hikage don’t have enough power to take control of a person’s body as much as what happened here. They’re limited to the person’s Affinity and abilities. However, this demon, whatever possessed his body, could control anything, so long as it caused destruction.” Johnathan sighed.

“Alexander’s dead?” Jason asked, in disbelief.“Most likely. I’m truly sorry, kid, we did all we could

to stop it. In the end, however, it proved we could really do nothing at all.” Johnathan said.

Jason, surprisingly, felt nothing. His soul was empty; it was void. He stood, and walked away. Distant voices called, muffled and broken. He couldn’t care less about them. He was… strong…

His body was shaking. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of grief slammed into him. He sank to his knees, screaming in emotional agony. In just one night, he’d lost everything he’d cared about. He’d turned on his family, lost his home, and now, his best friend was dead. He screamed until his voice gave out, sobbing hysterically. Dimly aware he was being picked up, he just gave up. He wished that he had died with everyone else. He wished it would just… end.

Anything was better than what he felt here and now.Anything.

Seven Years Later…

A young wolf Jinrui sat staring out the window of his

school, his hood pulled over his head. School hadn’t yet started, so soft chatter filled the room. It was the beginning of Jason’s graduating year; now that he was seventeen, in human years, so he would soon join the law enforcement’s special core of higher ranked officers.

He overheard his name being discussed by a group of girls in the back. He pretended not to hear them, but listened into their conversation:

“He’s cute, is he not?” one of them asked.“I’d totally date him, were I a Jinrui.” Another

responded.“You know, it’s that weird for humans to date them,

you know. I’ve done it before.” Replied a third one.“Seriously? I guess if you don’t want kids, that’s all

fine and stuff, but I want a family, you know! Settle down, and have some younger copies of me running about!” the second one said.

“You’re so traditional, Sally.” A fourth one laughed.

“If we all want children here, the only one that would make sense going after him is Giuri.” The first one mumbled.

The third one, probably Giuri, laughed, “You’re right. He’s mine, ladies.”

Sally giggled, “Are you going to ask him out?”“Um, well…” Giuri mumbled.“Do it! You should totally do it.” The fourth one said.“After class. It’s almost starting, anyway.” Giuri said,

hurrying to her seat.The students slowly dispersed. Jason looked back at

where Giuri was sitting. “A fellow wolf, huh?” he thought, watching her pull back her blonde hair. She had a long, silky tail. Her glossy, pale golden fur shimmered in the lanternlight. He sighed, returning his attention to the front of the room. “I couldn’t do that to her… That’d just be blatant lying.” He’d hoped he wouldn’t have to give that away…

The professor, or, as they called them here, the teacher, stepped into the room. He immediately read his class rules:

“I am Mr. Smith, and I will be your teacher until you graduate. I expect all of you are Stateramancers, or have a sub-Affinity for it. If not, why you would be in this class, I’m not sure. Anyway, my rules are simple, and just like those you’ve grown up with. One, raise your hand to

speak; two, no food or drinks out on the desk, or in your lap, during class; three, I expect you to take decent notes; and four” he shot a look at Jason, “No hats or hoods.”

Jason sighed, pulling it off. The extra light hitting his eyes made him squint slightly.

“Alright. Other than those four rules, do as you like. Use the restroom when necessary, but be back in five minutes or less, or there will be a consequence.” He said. He adjusted his glasses, and began writing the subject of the day’s lesson on the board.

“So people still wear those?” Jason thought.The teacher stepped to the side, gesturing to the

subject. It read, “Advanced Defensive Techniques in Stateramancy”. The students were surprised that they were starting out with such a demanding lesson for the start of the year. Jason sniffed indifferently. “That’s nothing, compared to Professor Mechislav had us do on the first day of Stateramancy training.”

The teacher called role, reading a list of names. When he got to Jason’s name, he smiled, “Ah, a foreign student. Where are you from, Jason Deverla?”

He sighed, slightly irritated, and stood. “I’m from the East, specifically from the outskirts of Gedivini at the base of Mount Fuji.”

“Mount Fuji… there aren’t many towns near there. Wasn’t the other one called… Kizen…” he thought for a

moment, “Kizendow?” he snapped his fingers, remembering the name.

Jason’s expression darkened. “I was dimly aware of it.”

“Well, it’s nice to have you here in the West, Mr. Deverla.” The teacher said.

Jason instinctively bowed, and sat down on the hard chair. He’d only been living in the West for a couple months now, after the government had asked him to move to the West to attend a prestigious university. His skills were said to have been quite formidable, and his intelligence proved he was capable of the task. Living alone in a quant apartment, he acquired a job as a night guard for the university. It paid well, at least enough for bare living expenses.

He overheard Giuri giggling to one of the girls from before, “He’s a foreign student? Even better!”

“Oh yeah, that means he’s really good! If the government goes out of their way to ask you to attend a school across the globe that means they see huge potential in you.” the girl said.

“Interesting.” She eyed him, her gaze narrowing.The teacher finished the role, marking off the last

student. “Everyone’s here. Don’t bother bringing your things; we’ll be returning to this room when class is over. You can gather them there. Today, we’ll be heading to

the training facility so we can practice our defensive techniques. I’ll see you over there shortly.”

Jason waited for the class to filter out of the room before standing and striding after them. He was one of the tallest in the class, averaging at least a foot taller than most. He shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered to the training facility.

It was an impressive room. Large lanterns hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in pale, golden radiance. It was fairly spacious, featuring two rings side-by-side. Each had the symbol of Ordo painted in the center. They were dueling circles; they were a pleasant surprise, Jason admitted.

“I’m going to break you off into two groups; the top ranking students in one group and the lower ranking students in the other. These are based off your scores from last year. Jason, your results were sent in from the Eastern Schooling board, and I must say, they’re very impressive. You’ll, of course, be with the advanced students.”

Jason nodded, walking over to the side designated for the advanced students. Others soon joined him, Giuri being one of them. “So, she’s not all looks after all.”

The teacher stood in the center of the room, “Break off into pairs and begin a spar in the rings. I don’t want any fighting, however. Have one take the offensive, and the other take the defensive. We’re working on defensive tactics today; this is just a warm-up.”

The students instantly began pairing up, breaking off from the group and entering the circle. Flashes and pops began filling the room. Jason stood where he was, waiting for someone to approach him. Giuri, of course, strode up to him, smiling. She stuck out her hand, saying, “I’m Guiri Felikies, a wolf-fox hybrid Jinrui.”

“Jason Deverla, just a regular wolf Jinrui.” He said, shaking her hand. “What a strange practice.” He wondered after letting go of her hand.

“I must warn you, I was top in my class last year, so don’t expect me to go easy on you.” she said, assuming her stance.

“I would never assume so anyway.” Jason smiled. He removed his hand from his pocket; it’s all he needed.

“You’re not going to take a stance or anything? Stateramancy isn’t all about wit, you know!” she said, summoning a large, white bolt of energy.

“Oh yes.” He let the energies of Ordo, Tutamen, and Praecantatio flow down his arm, “I know.”

Giuri smiled, “This was too easy.” She thrust her hands forward, shooting out the bolt like a missile. It whistled through the air, leaving behind a trail of ethereal, shimmering diamonds.

Jason smirked, raising his arm casually. “You underestimate me, Giuri.” The bolt slammed into a hexagonal, pearly field in a cacophonous explosion.

Sparkling, glass-like shards drifted through the air, turning the heads of many of the surrounding students.

She quickly flattened her visage, putting on a mask of determination. “How did he block that so indifferently?” she thought. Smiling, she assumed a more defensive stance, and said, “Your move, Jason.”

“Would you like me to go easy on you?” he called.“Are you mocking me?” she cried back.“Of course not,” Jason smiled, “I just don’t want to

hurt you.” The students gathered around the two echoed “oohs” at Jason’s retort.

“I doubt that’ll happen, big shot. Give me your strongest stuff.” She said.

“Don’t hold me liable if you get injured,” Jason summoned a massive ball of seething energy, “You agreed to this.” He remained standing with his left hand in his pocket. With a flick of his right wrist, the sphere was launched at Giuri with terrifying speed.

She planted her feet and thrust forward, summoning a large barrier of hexagonal panels. The sphere slammed into the wall, shattering it easily and sailing through. Giuri gasped, dodging to the side, and summoned a barrage of tiny shards. They whistled away, slicing through the cloud of immaterial crystal made from the blast.

Jason chuckled, easily sidestepping the small arsenal, “You know, I may just have to start using my other arm.”

“You’re mocking me! I know it.” She called.“Why, I would never.” Jason shrugged, feigning

ridicule. He removed his hand from his pocket, and assumed a wide, rooted stance that was typically only seen in Petramancers. Moving with smooth, fluid movements, he began whipping up a large amount of Ordo around him. “Let’s see you defend against this!” he called. Tendrils lashed out, whistling as they went.

Giuri may have been tall, but she was also nimble. She almost seemed to be dancing around the tendrils, blocking only when necessary. When their energies did clash, small fountains of glistening sparks spewed forth. “This is insane!” she thought wildly, dodging a tendril coming at her chest, “How can he maintain this level of control with that much power stored behind each tendril?” She planted her foot to jump, but momentarily lost her footing; her downfall was upon her. A tendril whipped her calf, freezing her entire body. She fell to the floor with a dull thud. “He can use paralysis techniques?” Her eyes widened.

Jason dispersed the energy, walking over to Giuri. “Yes, I can use crystalline body bind techniques. Surprised?” He placed his hand on her back, removing the bind. A wave of energy rippled up and down her body as it was released.

She sat up, groaning and popping her neck. “Well, I must hand it to you, tough stuff; I didn’t realize you were that strong.”

“Your friend told you so, did she not?” he smiled, helping her up.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.“Nothing in particular.” He shrugged.The teacher strolled over, beaming with ecstasy.

“That was pure brilliance, Jason.” He shook his hand with both hands. Turning to Giuri, he said, “You have a long way to go, but I expect you to be able to beat him by the end of this year.”

“Oh, I intend to.” She said, popping out her hip.“Now, with warmups done, we’ll get into the fun

stuff! Jason, I’d like you to be my assistant. I assume you know most of the advanced forms and techniques?” The teacher said.

“I’ve memorized the books cover to cover and have mastered each technique, sir.” He said.

“Brilliant.” He turned to the class, “The first thing I’ll be showing you is the basic hexagonal shield. Stateramancy takes the form of a hexagonal why?”

A student raised his hand, “Because hexagons are the most efficient shapes when it comes to building sturdy structures. They have the rigidity of a triangle, without the excess space in between. Hexagons allow for the least amount of energy that can produce a strong result.”

“Very good. As I’m sure you all saw from Giuri’s barrier, it was made exactly like a honeybee hive; each cell was exactly the same size and possessed equal strength. Essentially, that barrier was actually a multitude of smaller hexagonal shields that had been pieced together very rapidly.” The teacher explained. Turning to Jason, he summoned a large bolt of energy, saying, “Block this, but try to explain what you do. I’ll send it slowly when you’re ready.” He strode to the other side of the room, and prepared to throw the bolt.

“A lot of Technomancy is deeply subconscious.” Jason began, “The best Technomancers have mastered the skill of transforming conscious thoughts into subconscious actions. Take the hexagonal shield, for example. I have a desire; to block an oncoming projectile. To solve this, I envision not just a shield, but a shapeless shield. To envision a hexagonal barrier would be too much work, and you couldn’t get it done in time. This is where routing the task to your subconscious comes in; it can perform calculations and process information thousands of times faster than our consciousness can. Tell it you need a shield,” Jason nodded to the teacher, “and it will make one.” The bolt shattered against the shield, exploding into thousands of shards. Jason grunted as he was forced back. “Because the natural shape is a hexagon, that’s exactly what your brain will make. Then, once the shield has been formed, it’s your strength and power that determine how useful it was at stopping the projectile.”

“Excellent explanation. This shielding technique is true amongst all the Affinties, besides Ignis. Why? Because they are the only Affinity without access to the Tatumen aspect.” The teacher said.

“Sir, can you tell us why that is?” Giuri asked, raising her hand.

“I can. This was taught back in basic alchemy; where you learned the makeup of every aspect we know of. For example; Victus, a tier one aspect, is the element of life, and is made of a combination of Aqua and Terra. It’s what gives our doctors the ability to heal and sense danger.

“Tutamen is a tier seven aspect; that is why it can be used by all the primal elements but Ignis; they all connect to it in some way. Tutamen is made of the aspects Terra, a primal aspect, and Instrumentum, a tier six compound aspect. Instrumentum, in turn, is made of Ordo, another primal aspect, and Humanus, a tier five aspect. Humanus is then made of Cognitio, a tier four, and Bestia, tier two. Cognitio is made of Spiritus, tier three, and Terra. Bestia and Spiritus are both made with Victus. Bestia also comes from Motus, a combination of Aer and Aqua, both primal. Spiritus is also made from Mortuus, which is then made from Perditio and Victus.

“As you can see, Ignis is the only element that does not have a part to play in making Tutamen. An aspects makeup also explains why some Technomancy better at that aspect. Tutamen is heavily Terra; therefore,

Petramancers have amazing defensive capabilities.” He detailed.

A student raised their hand, “Sir, based off of this information, why can some Pyromancers and Malumancers become doctors? Victus is only connected to Aqua and Terra.”

He smiled, “When you become an advanced Technomancer, you learn to manipulate what is called your sub-Affinity. This is the next strongest connection to a primal element. You can master your sub-Affinity to the second tier; this means that any aspect that requires the sub-Affinity without your primary one cannot be used. For example, a Pyromancer with a sub-Affinity of Ordo will never be able to use the Victus aspect. If they had a sub-Affinity of Aqua, however, then they’d be able to.”

“When will we be able to find out our sub-Affinity?” the student asked.

“You actually do not discover it; you get to choose it. For a reason we are not yet aware of, you cannot choose your primary Affinity. However, your sub-Affinity is completely up to you. At the end of this year, when you all graduate, you will be choosing your sub-Affinities. My advice is to be wise about it; choose a sub-Affinity that complements your strengths and fills in your weaknesses. Stateramancers don’t usually have to worry about this, as Ordo is used already in a lot of important aspects. Some examples include Instrumentum, the tool aspect,

Praecantatio, the aspect of imbuing, and Tutamen, the aspect of defense.” He answered.

He set his hands on his hips, “Now, break into pairs once again and practice the hexagonal shield; if you already have it down, or if you quickly master it, piece them together in various ways. You never know what kind of technique you’ll find if you don’t try first.”

Jason picked up his backpack, getting ready to head

out. The other students had already left, but Giuri and her friends had stayed behind, watching him intently. He overheard their conversation once again. “They really need to be quieter when they talk.” He thought.

“You told us you’d do it, Giuri. It’s after school, so ask him out! You saw what he was capable of today in class; it would be stupid not to go after a man like him.” She made a cat noise and giggled.

“What if he declines? I mean, I don’t know a lot about him, he may be… well…” she whispered furiously.

“Just get down there and ask him!” There was a noisy grunt, a bout of complaining and stumbling, and a sudden weight slammed into Jason from behind. He tripped forward, narrowly regaining his balance. Turning around, he saw Giuri on her butt, looking absolutely humiliated. He extended a hand to help her up.

“Thanks. I-I must’ve tripped coming down the stairs.” She stuttered.

“More like you were pushed.” He said. Giuri stared at him, puzzled. He laughed, “I overheard your entire conversation, ladies. When speaking behind the back of a wolf, at least try to muffle your conversation in some way.”

Giuri shot a horrifyingly furious glare back at her friends. Their eyes grew wide, and they hurried out the door. She looked back at Jason, who was averting his gaze. “So how ‘bout it, tough stuff? Would you like to… go on a date sometime?”

Jason sighed, “I would love to, but… I’m not into…”“Me?” she scoffed, taken slightly aback.“No, no!” he rushed, quickly correcting himself,

“More like… girls in general.” He gave her an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, I see.” She mumbled.An awkward silence stretched between them. It

seemed to go on for eons before Jason finally broke the agonizing stillness. He extended his hand, “I’m still up for being friends though.”

She looked at his hand for a moment, and then accepted it. “Alright; Friends it is.”

“Great.” He grinned, “Well, I see you tomorrow Giuri.” He pulled his hood up, and left the classroom.

She watched him go, her eyes filled with disappointment. She sighed, gathered her things, and

left. “Such a shame that all the hot ones are like that.” She thought. Her friends were waiting at the end of the hall. The one named Sally giggled, “So, how’d it go?”

“He declined, but we’re still friends.” Giuri replied.“What? He turned you down? Pff, what’s his deal? He

must be out of his mind.” Saku said, glaring back at the doors Jason had exited through.

“No, it wasn’t like that.” Giuri replied.“Say no more, I totally understand. The exact same

thing happened yesterday when I tried to ask out Jarrik Fezro. I asked him, looking all cute and everything, and then he just drops the bomb saying he wasn’t interested in girls. Ugh.” Madison replied.

“It’s a shame.” Giuri said.“Why?” Saku asked, pulling her bright, blue hair into

a bun.“He’s really hot.” Giuri replied.

The doors to the university swung shut with a soft

thud. Jason sighed, breathing in the warm, summer air. The breeze carried the scent of the ocean and sand. The sun was setting, casting a brilliant, tangerine light on everything in sight. The wispy clouds in the sky appeared to be made of fire, streaking across the sky. Fireflies lit up across the grass and air, blinking periodically.

Jason strolled along the sidewalk, studying the landscape. “The trees here are nothing compared to what’s back east. They’re all just… green. At least in the East we had cherry blossom trees.” The buildings were also different; they were similar to massive cubes rather than Eastern buildings, and each one had multiple levels that had different tasks. People and Jinrui walked about in groups or pairs, chatting pleasantly to each other. Children’s laughter filled the air as he passed by the park on the university campus.

“I have three hours to get home, complete some homework, eat, and then I have to go back to start my shift.” Jason thought, mentally planning in his night in his mind. “Oh, that’s right. I don’t have homework. I’m so far ahead from what he’s teaching he hasn’t assigned me any. Well, that’s fantastic. Now I have some time to relax a bit, probably take a quick nap.”

He opened the front doors of the apartment complex, the bell tinkling as the door disturbed it. The room was completely empty, aside from the young woman at the front desk. She looked no older than sixteen, her blonde hair covering one of her eyes. She looked up from the book she was reading, “Ah, hello Jason.”

“Nice to see you Sara; has it been really busy today?” Jason asked, stopping at the steps.

“Surprisingly, it hasn’t. From what I’ve heard through rumors that have passed through, international travel has slowed recently. You can read it in the newspaper that’s

right there at the front door.” She pointed to a stack of neatly rolled papers sitting in a small bin.

“That’s interesting. I don’t need to return this?” Jason asked, picking one up.

“Nah, you can keep it. Newspapers are thrown out after a week anyway, and those have been there for a few days now.” She said, returning her attention to her book.

“Thank you.” Jason said, starting up the stairs.“Yeah, no problem. Have a nice night, fuzz butt.” She

smirked.Jason laughed, shaking his head. “See you around.” After a minute or two, he arrived at his door. He

unlocked it with a small shot of energy. The door clicked, and swung open, revealing a tidy apartment with two mats in the center of the room. They were around a small, indoor fireplace with a teapot. He set his bag on a hanger by the door, along with his jacket, leaving him his faded jeans and light grey a-shirt.

He lit the candles in the living room and sat down on one of the mats. Taking another match, he ignited the small kindling underneath the pot, creating a small fire to warm the fresh water inside. He unrolled the newspaper, looking at the headlines for today. “’Man saves woman from drowning’… ‘Immortal Steven Young to celebrate eight-hundred seventy fifth birthday’… congrats to him… ‘New scientific breakthrough allows for humans and Jinrui

alike to live for five hundred years’… Neat, twenty years longer than the previous longest lifespan… Ah, here it is, ‘International travel slows as the Kizendow incident repeated’…” Jason’s eyes narrowed, flipping to the article.

It read:“The incident of Kizendow was a true tragedy. In one night, the village

tucked away at the base of Mount Fuji was devastated; killing all but one inhabitant. He miraculously survived, supplying vital information to the government of the details of the demon that attacked the village January 27th, 2994. His name was Johnathan Salensky, a snow leopard Jinrui that worked for the law enforcement in the East. His comrades say he was one of the best Aquamancers they’d ever seen.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to interview him, as he is approaching the last few days of his life. He may have survived the encounter with the demon that annihilated Kizendow, but he never fully recovered. He is now staying in the Atlantic Hospital for Critical Care in what used to be known as Atlanta, Georgia located on the Western Continent. Visitors, except immediate family and close friends are prohibited.

“What happened at Kizendow illustrates a rare and tragic event. The information Officer Salensky gave the enforcement squad suggested that a young boy, previously known as Alexander Univad, was the one that destroyed the town. Salensky claimed that the boy was possessed by a dark force greater than a Perditio Spirit.

“Science doubted this claim until now. Sightings of this demon, possessing the form of Alexander (description on the left side of the page), have been noted in the West. Since the tragedy of Kizendow, there have been two more massacres, one located in the Centre, in a town called London, and the most recent one occurring in the Northern West, in a large village named Augusta. Survivors reinforce what Salensky told authorities, their descriptions matching his own. They also claimed that the demon appeared to be searching for something it could not find.

“The demon itself appears to possess incredible, almost divine power that no regular human could hope of achieving. We fear, however, these divine powers are just the beginning.

“Any information regarding the Kizendow Demon should be reported to the officers immediately. Any information kept in secret is strictly forbidden, and is punishable up to ten years in prison.”

Jason set down the paper, looking out the window at the glow from where the sun had set. “So they finally have leads, then?” he said quietly. “I wonder if he’s still in there… calling for help?”

He finished preparing his tea, holding it in his hands for a few moments as it cooled. He slowly took a sip, pondering the events described in the newspaper. “Wait! They said Johnathan was on his deathbed! I’ll check in and see if I’m allowed to visit.” Jason drank the tea in one gulp, running to the door. The candles blew out on their own, leaving the room engulfed in darkness. He threw on his jacket, locked the door, and jogged down to the front room.

“Oi, where’re you going?” Sara called.“I’m going to visit someone!” he said, running out

the door. The Atlantic Hospital for Critical Care (AHCC) was not too far from where Jason was staying.

He jogged for a minute or two before arriving at the large, concrete building. The grounds were stunning; they held an array of gorgeous and aromatic flowers, lit up by soft, golden candles. He hurried up the steps, passing a happy couple expressing joy over their new baby.

The doors opened smoothly, allowing him entrance into the front room. Various patients with minor maladies sat in the waiting room, waiting patiently for their doctors to attend to them. The receptionist looked up from his paperwork, asking, “You seem to be in a hurry, is everything okay?”

“Yes, I’m just here to see Officer Johnathan Salensky. I’m a good friend of his from a while ago.” Jason said, slowly catching his breath.

“Can I get your name?” he said, pulling out a notepad.

“Jason Deverla. I’m a foreign student attending the School of Order in the Western Young’s University.” Jason said.

“Hmm… he does have you down as a close friend, so you may see him. He doesn’t have much time left; his family is visiting in a few minutes to be with him one last time. He’s in room A-122 down the hall and to the left.” He said, finishing his statement.

“Thank you.” Jason walked briskly down the hall, passing room after room after room. It almost seemed like an eternity before the end of the hall came. Turning left, he slowed down, preparing himself for what he’d experience. He finally arrived at room A-122. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Johnathan was lying in bed, a brace around his neck, staring at the ceiling. His normally lively blue eyes were

filled with regret, stealing the playful shine away from them. Looking over, he smiled. It was a sad smile, but nonetheless filled with happiness. “Jason.” He took a deep breath, his voice raspy and broken, “I knew you’d come to see me eventually.”

Jason returned the bittersweet expression, “How could I not? You were there for me in my darkest hour; it’s only right that I be here for yours.”

“Death’s embrace is not something to be feared. Yes, I will be leaving this place, but I’ll always be with you in spirit.” Johnathan smiled.

A memory flashed before Jason’s eyes at his words:“I stared down at the blood dripping from my arms

onto the floor. My arm was shaking as the pain flooded my system. Tears, too many tears, were flowing. I couldn’t seem to stop crying. “Why? Why didn’t I die with them?” I whispered, gripping the knife more tightly.

The darkness hung around me like a wave of water pushing me into the depths. I couldn’t breathe; I was stuck beneath the surface, a plea for help escaping my lips that no one could hear. All I knew was this pain; this agony was my world. It was my escape.

“But it doesn’t help! Nothing helps!” I whispered furiously yet again. “I’m… alone…”

“That’s not true.” said a soft voice in the darkness. “There are countless others out there that admire you;

you are one of the greatest Stateramancers this world has ever seen, and don’t you forget it.”

I looked up, my hood falling off my head, revealing soft candlelight. Johnathan was smiling, his eyes filled with compassion and love. “If I’m so strong, than why wasn’t I able to save them?” I pleaded.

“Some things were simply not meant to be. Your life doesn’t end when it drags you down. Your ending is not upon you when you’re defeated. They always used to say, “The arrow is always pulled back before it can soar.” This is life holding you back, telling you that it’s not over; your time will come.” Johnathan said, reaching from his wheelchair to set his hand on my shoulder.

“How do you know? How do you stay so optimistic when you were bound to a wheelchair the rest of your life?” Jason whispered.

Johnathan looked away. “I’m not sure. A couple years ago, I was a severe alcoholic. I used to use it as an escape from my feelings of resentment. I understand how you feel right now; I always tortured myself over the fact that I wasn’t able to save my comrades. They died right before my eyes, and there was nothing I was able to do. Guilt overtook me, and I soon fell into a vicious cycle of depression and drunken rages. The people I cared about left me, and I was alone.

“One night, I decided to end it all. I took a knife and ran it through my chest. I was drunk at the time, meaning

I had no perception of accuracy, so it missed my heart by only a couple of centimeters; just enough for me to live.

“I did this after I had been kicked out of the bar for drinking too much, and soon someone found me, bleeding silently to death. They rushed me to the hospital as quickly as possible, and when I came to, only the doctors were there; my loved ones were gone. I was furious with them for saving me at first, but a thought soon entered my mind one night when I couldn’t get to sleep.

“It said, “Johnathan, is this really how you want to spend your life? Getting drunk every night and nearly killing yourself every other week?” My reply was no, but I didn’t know what else to do.

“Soon, I was in therapy, and managed a year of full abstinence. This is when I was allowed to adopt you. They saw that I was ready for responsibility again, and I decided to take you as my adopted son. My heart broke every time I saw you at the hospital, with them treating your cuts and misery. I made it my goal to help you. The people who suffer the most are often those who make the world a better place for those around them, Jason.”

I set down the knife, feeling faint. “I never tried to help anyone.” I said, averting my eyes.

“You didn’t try, but you certainly succeeded. You may not have realized, but you helped me in ways that cannot be properly explained. You didn’t give me escape,

Jason. You gave me hope. You may feel alone, but remember that I will always be with you in spirit.”

Jason wiped away the tear that had formed in his eye.

Johnathan laughed weakly, “Ah yes, that phrase does strike a sensitive chord in you, doesn’t it?” He coughed a couple of times, breathing heavily after each one. “I’m so glad I had the chance to take you in Jason. That stifling orphanage was no place for a bright mind like yours.”

“I’ll never be able to express how thankful I am for that.” Jason said.

The doctor came into the room, carrying a clipboard. “Excuse me; I’m just required to be here when a patient dies. I will not disturb.” She waited silently at the side of the room.

Johnathan closed his eyes. “I never did marry and have children, but in the end, that wasn’t required. I got you, and that’s everything I could’ve wished for and more.”

Jason couldn’t stop the tears flowing from his eyes. “You were more of a father to me than my real one was, Johnathan. If anyone’s to thank, it’s you.”

“I’m happy…to hear…that.” His breathing slowed. The bright crimson candle next to his bed flickered, and then extinguished in a small wisp of smoke. He wore a soft smile that pierced Jason’s heart like a dagger.

The doctor wrote some things down, and then stood, placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “At least he died happy. He would always tell me stories of your time together, saying how happy he was to call him your adopted son. He told me that when you went away to college, it was the happiest moment of his life. He loved you very deeply.”

Jason nodded, too choked up to speak. The doctor smiled, “If you’ll excuse me, the hospital

needs to take care of his death.”“Of course.” Jason stood and stepped out of the

room, the door clicking shut. It seemed to echo around in Jason’s heart, breaking its already fragile walls with each reverberation. He leaned against the wall, trying to contain the wave of grief crashing over him. Soon, it was too much to handle.

He sank to the ground, his heart shattering into a million pieces. A comforting hand was placed on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up to see whose it was. He remained sitting against the wall, trying to calm his aching soul. The sweet scent of roses and pine trees filled the air, bringing blissful comfort and glad tidings. The pressure dispersed, and the lovely aroma faded along with it. Looking up, he saw a small emerald on the ground in front of him. It was set into a silver amulet in the shape of a leaf.

He stood up on shaky legs, picking up the amulet. A small carving on the back of the leaf read, “A light among

lights is lost; a light amidst the darkness is the only way for its true glory to shine.” There was no saying who it was from. He slowly put it on, letting it drop down his a-shirt to come to rest on his fur. It brought a feeling of peace. Looking around, he looked for anyone that might have dropped it; the halls of the Hospital were completely empty aside from a few doctors bustling about.

He walked slowly back to the front desk. The receptionist looked up, his visage growing somber when he saw Jason. “He passed, didn’t he?”

Jason nodded.“It’s a shame. His family never did come by. I’m sure

he was happy to see you, though?” he asked.“Very. He died with a smile on his face.” Jason

replied.“That’s always good to hear when talking about the

passing of loved ones. Have a safe trip home, Jason. May Life be with you to give you happiness and hope.” He returned to his tasks.

Jason didn’t reply. He walked out the doors, pulling his hood over his head. “I expected this; I knew I would probably be hearing his final words in person, and if so, why does it hurt so much?” The night was no longer beautiful; it was cruel. The moon seemed to mock him as it ascended into the sky, proving that it could fly, but Jason was bound to the depths of his own infernal misery. The children’s laughter that had rung in the air not thirty

minutes ago had disappeared, leaving the air still and reticent.

The walk back to his apartment seemed to take an eternity; each step a torturous decent into madness. He was numbly aware to Sara calling to him. She was saying something, but her voice seemed like a distant echo of the past, coming to haunt him in the present. The ascent up the stairs felt as though he was walking up the steps to a waiting gallows, the rope was ready to take him… and he was ready to allow it.

His door clicked shut behind him. It was utterly silent in the room, the pale moonlight filtering in through the dusty window. It was probably time to go to work… but Jason couldn’t bring himself to move. He stood leaning against the door; everything was void.

He had tried remained strong his entire life, telling himself he could survive anything. If he could live through his father, he could live through death as well. He repeated that phrase again and again in his head, but it soon became an empty statement. Holding no meaning, it simply echoed around like a drop of water deep within a cave.

Looking over, he saw the bottle of alcohol that sat on his wall; a standard housing gift for all the rooms. Jason had never tried it before, as he never needed it until this moment. He was held strong by the memories of his life with Johnathan. Now, however, whenever he thought of his adopted father, all he could imagine was his face as

he died right before Jason’s eyes. “He died happy! I should be grateful for that… He died knowing someone was there for him…” The more Jason thought, the more confused he became. His confusion turned to grief, and soon enough, he had uncorked the bottle and took his first drink.

It stung his tongue and burned his throat as it went down, causing him to cough and gag. “Ugh, why do people like this?” he mumbled. He managed to down another swig, “I guess because it takes the pain away.” His feelings began to numb, his mind clouding over. With each passing minute, it grew easier and easier to drink, until the entire bottle was gone.

His vision swam, and his body grew warm as the blood vessels accepted the alcohol. He smiled, “I guess I know why people like this stuff…” he said, his words slurring together. He strode over to the living room, bumping into the wall as he went. “I need more of this stuff; it’s truly a miracle worker…” He thought, slumping to the floor. He lay flat on his stomach, his tail swishing playfully as he stared out at the moon. “I should probably go to work.” He tried to stand, but fell over. His body simply refused to cooperate with that his brain was telling it to do. “Or I could just stay here…” he mumbled, flipping over onto his back, “The floor’s awfully comfortable…”

His exhausted, drunken brain began slipping away, drifting off into the void of slumber. A faded memory jumped into his mind before he passed out:

“I sat on my bed in the orphanage, completely alone and in the dark. My best friend had become the darkness; it seemed to understand me. I could hear the other kids playing downstairs, screaming in delight.

“No, I think I’ll stay up here where I’m alone. Interaction isn’t for me… A sudden pounding came on the door, “Jason, dear, the other kids are wondering where you are. Why don’t you come down and play with them? It’ll do you good to socialize with others. You can’t stay up here forever.”

“What is she talking about…? Of course I can. The darkness is my friend; it knows me. It was my escape vessel; it could take me places I could only dream of. I laughed quietly, setting down the crimson stained knife. The pain in my arm was beginning to numb, but it still felt algid and biting. Blood slowly dripped from the fresh wound onto the floor.

“There’s that woman calling again… Why would she want me to unlock the door? That’d be dumb; the darkness would leave…

“The door opened, creaking on its ancient joints. Gasping, the woman ran to take the knife from me. “Jason, what—“ it was as if she’d seen someone die… she might as well have. “We need to get you to the hospital immediately.”

“Apparently, I had lost a lot of blood, judging by the large pool that had built up around my feet. I hadn’t even noticed, honestly. The darkness comforted me.

“I was dimly aware of travelling to the hospital, but suddenly, there I was, doctors rushing all about, a couple were bandaging my arm. Why would they do that? The darkness told me that it would take me away; it had whispered in my ear that I was going to be free. Why didn’t they let the darkness take me?

“Why?” I whispered.

The doctor wrapping my arm stopped, looking at me quizzically.

“Why?” I repeated.

“Son, what do—“

“Why did you let me live?!” I cried, “The darkness was going to let me be free, and you just brought me back and chained me to my misery!”

The doctor shot an extremely worried look back at the Dobutsen pediatrician, who nodded, saying, “I’ll get his psychiatrist.”

“Jason, lad, you’re going to be okay. The darkness isn’t your friend, we are. These lovely people that are watching over you, they’re your real friends. Not the darkness.” The doctor told me.

“Lies!” I cried, “When have people ever been there for me? You don’t want to help me, you just want the benefits! No one would ever help me! The darkness was the only thing to accept me… I want to stay with the darkness forever.”

“Lad, where are your parents? We need to call them in and have them talk to you.” The doctor said.

I began screaming, shaking my head as furiously as I could. “Don’t make them come here! Don’t let them know where I am!” My anger began to build, and Ordo began to leak from my body.

“I need a suppressant! He’s going to snap!” the doctor yelled.

Suddenly, a needle pierced my arm from another side. My brain almost instantaneously grew fuzzy and muddled. I was dimly aware of the psychiatrist returning.

The doctor asked him, “Why doesn’t he want his parents here? He seemed to violently react to that statement alone.”

“Jason Deverla?” the other voice sighed, “He has a long history of brutal child abuse from a religious extremist father. He had a mother, but she bowed down to her husband as if she were a slave. He was often beaten for showing any emotion at all, and over the past few months I’ve observed him, it seems he reacts violently to any mention of his parents. It must be as compensation for his lack of feeling when he was younger.”

“You mentioned religious extremist. Which one, exactly?”

“An ancient one called Christianity. I belong to this myself, and I can assure you that he’s an extremist,

taking his ideals way too far. People like his father tend to put it in bad light. Religion aside, what would be the best course of action here?”

“Wait until he wakes up again. He’ll be calmer, and just don’t mention his parents…”

Jason awoke, drooling on the floor. His head

pounded, and he had an awful, bitter taste in his mouth. Groaning, he sat up, squinting at the dim, dawn light. “No one ever told me about this part of it…” he said, standing. An instantaneous wave of nausea slammed into him, creating a massive convulsion. He sprinted as hard as he could to the bathroom, but couldn’t make it. Spewing the contents of his stomach onto the floor, he sank to his knees, coughing and retching.

He looked outside; the sun was just barely peaking over the horizon. He had an hour to clean himself up and get to school. Groaning, he stretched his back, extending his arms above his head. “Crap.” He said aloud, standing up. His aching brain clicked, and he remembered he had totally spaced going to work; his boss was not going to be happy, but at least his reason was… somewhat valid.

A few minutes later, he’d cleaned up the mess he made in the hallway, and poured himself a glass of a bubbling, clear drink in a blue bottle. It was mandatory to have hangover relief whenever there was alcohol nearby. He sniffed it; it smelt like medicine.

“I guess I have to have some.” He thought, taking a sip. The carbonation tickled his tongue as it went down. Surprisingly, it had a very pleasant flavor… one of citrus and strawberries. Downing the rest of it, he washed his glass in the basin, dried it off, and set it back in his cupboard. His head still pounded intensely, but at least his stomach was settling down.

His legs were struggling to stay up, shaking vehemently. He was forced to sit down. “Why did I think that was a good idea?” he thought somberly, thinking of the night before. A heavy weight seemed to press on his chest; the same feeling he had when his suicidal urges began. “No, no time for that. Get ready to go school you lazy mutt.” He told himself, slowly standing to avoid vertigo. It was barely successful.

He walked into the bathroom, lighting a small candle off to the side of the door. “I should have my sub-Affinity be Ignis. That’d be nice balance of power, I’d think.” He mumbled to himself, stripping off his musty clothes. He turned on the shower, the water flowing out in a fast torrent. Steam began to fill the room, wrapping Jason in its comforting embrace.

The water was blissfully warm against his fur. He stood facing away from the shower, his eyes closed, and his ears lying flat on his head. He suddenly remembered the chain around his neck, examining it. The emerald shimmered beautifully in the flickering, bright candlelight. He reread the inscription on the back of it, trying to make sense of what it meant. His persistent headache jumbled

his thoughts, making it a far too exhausting task to use any form of problem solving at the moment. He let it rest back on his chest, dismissing it.

He remained in the shower for a few minutes longer, simply enjoying the peace of being totally carefree. He soon lathered down his entire body with shampoo, smiling. “This is something humans don’t get to experience; the joy of practically becoming a snowman of bubbles.” He laughed. He washed them all off, watching the water become a pale brown. “Nasty.” He said, slightly grossed out.

He turned off the water, and instead turned on the air. Warm air came blasting from the floor and showerhead, whisking away the water on his body as if it were never there. He smiled, despite the headache. He put on his dark red bathrobe, tying the belt and extinguishing the candle to the bathroom. He walked into his bedroom, opening the closet and staring passively at his various outfits. “I could wear that… or… no, don’t want to seem too flamboyant.” He set his neon pink shirt back on its hanger. “Why do I even have that?” He wondered, staring at it. Shrugging, he finally decided on a red, plaid shirt. Underneath he put on a simple grey t-shirt. He finished with a fresh pair of boxers and black jeans.

By the time he’d dressed, his headache had been reduced to a dull throb, but his heart was still heavy. “I’ll survive through the day, at least.” He mumbled, slinging his backpack around his arm.

Locking the door behind him, he walked slowly down the stairs; each step sent a throb through his brain. Sara was at the receptionist desk, almost done with the novel she’d been reading. “Oi.” She greeted him. Taking another look, she smiled, “I didn’t know you were the one to drink.”

Jason shrugged. “How could you tell?”“The way you ran in last night suggested you were in

complete disarray and depression. Your posture and bloodshot eyes tell me either didn’t get enough sleep, or you got drunk because of last night. What really gave it away was the way you just came down those steps; very carefully. Honestly, it looked like you were treading through broken glass.” She explained, waving her hand.

“You’re quite the observer.” Jason noted.“I’m getting my tertiary graduate in psychology and

social behaviors. Only three years of school left, which means only three years of this job left!” she said excitedly.

“How long have you been in school for?” Jason asked.

“Five years. Five… desperately long, emotionally agonizing years.” She sighed.

“Agonizing?” Jason laughed, “But school is like a bicycle!”

“Yeah, except the bicycle’s on fire… and you’re on fire… and everything else is on fire… and you’re in hell.” She said.

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll take you up on that…”Sara laughed, her green eyes twinkling. “You

wouldn’t understand the struggles, nerd.”“Nerd is a compliment, thank you.” Jason retorted,

starting out the door.“Whatever, fuzz butt. Have a nice day.” She called.Jason nodded, waving his hand. Shaking his head and

smiling, he walked along the road to the university. Normally, it took him a half an hour of walking to get to school, and the sun seemed to rise faster than ever. Jason sighed, pickup up his pace. The cool, morning zephyr felt absolutely wonderful on his face. The smell of flowers permeated the air, and birds sang their joyful songs.

Soon, he joined with the other students hurrying to their classes. Giuri appeared by his side, smiling. “Hello there, Jason.”

“Hey there, Giuri.” He said, returning the smile.“You look beat.” She said, narrowing her eyes, “Did

you get enough sleep last night?”“Not really.” Jason said, looking away.“Well, maybe I’ll have a chance to beat you in

school.” She laughed.

Jason smiled weakly, trying to put on a happy visage. It wasn’t working too well.

Giuri frowned, “This has to be something more than simple exhaustion.” She said, putting her hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Come on, you can tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Jason said, blinking slowly.

“Fair enough. Your business is your business. Just know I’m here for you if you ever need to talk.” She said.

Jason stifled a sob, remembering those words from the night before. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I wonder what we’ll be learning today.”

“Eh, probably just reviewing and practicing the defensive forms again.” She shrugged, happily accepting the change of subject. “We’ll just get to sit back and relax.”

“I doubt that. There’s still a lot we have to learn if we’re going to graduate from Statermancy training.” Jason noted.

“Like what?” Giuri asked.“Statermancy is the element most in tune with our

problem solving abilities, right? The final test is actually said to be one of the most brutal final exams in all of Technomancy. The only one to rival it is Pyromancy.” Jason explained.

“Why’s that?” she asked, gulping.

Jason continued, “From what I’ve heard, read, and deduced through logical thinking is that we’re stuck in a maze. Not only does it test our physical capacities, by introducing Hikages into the maze that we have to defeat, but it also tests our logic and special thinking. We must make calculated decisions, or we fail.”

“We have to fight Hikages?” she asked, her eyes growing wide.

“Not wild ones; those are far too dangerous for mere college freshmen like us. They have Malumancers adept in Summoning come and produce tame ones that challenge our strengths and exploit our weaknesses, each of which the professor learns throughout the year as we train.” He finished, opening the door for Guiri.

“Thank you.” she said, “So, how long is this final test? And how can we tell if we passed or not?”

“The test is around a week long. We’re given the necessary things we need in a three man cell.

“There’s a strict system this maze follows, according to my sources. Our class is divided into three partnered groups, who each start in a circular fashion around the center of the maze. Your goal is to get to the center by the end of the week, not get there first. Whoever does get there first will be awarded greatly, and probably given top spots in the next class. Those that don’t make it repeat the maze a month later, and keep repeating it until they finally make it.” Jason said, finding his seat in the classroom.

She thought about the information for a moment. “I’m guessing they change the maze each time?”

Jason nodded, “Most likely.”“I’ll be looking forward to that.” She said

sarcastically.“We all will be.” Jason said, smiling. “But don’t worry,

if we get put on the same team, we’ll be just fine.”“You mean we don’t get to pick our teams?” Giuri

asked, sitting in the seat next to Jason.“Nope. In life, we can’t pick who we work with, so

they want to make sure we can at least do our required tasks with people we may or may not like. We are allowed, however, to join our groups with other ones.” Jason shrugged.

“So we can create a super group?” she asked.“In theory. Groups that are too large become hard to

control and design attacks with.” Jason replied.“Have people ever… died in the maze?” She asked,

worry creeping into her voice.His eyes darkened. “It’s extremely rare, but yes. A

Malumancer’s Hikage went berserk and he lost control of it. It had a unique ability called “shadowstep”, a technique that when the caster touches someone, it can instantly teleport behind them. It was also extremely dangerous because of all the tentacles it whipped around at terrifying speeds. Do to this combination, one group

was not able to overcome their encounter with it, and were killed.”

“How awful.” She whispered.“Don’t worry,” he replied, “That was decades ago,

when this university was in its infancy, and it’s grown a lot since then.”

The teacher strolled in the door, adjusting his pearly, white vest. “Hello class. Welcome to your second day of Advanced Order Training. Today will be the same as yesterday; you’ll just be practicing defensive tactics. Jason and Giuri, since you are the only two who have completely mastered all the defensive forms I can teach you, just fill your time with sparring or advanced attack techniques. Put simply, I just don’t want you sitting on your tails. Now, to the training grounds, all of you.”

The class silently got up and went to the training grounds. Giuri and Jason walked out last. “So, Jason,” Giuri asked, “Can you help me finalize one last defensive technique?”

“I’d be happy to. Which one is it?” he asked.“It’s the crystal wall technique. I am able to create

the crystals perfectly fine, but I can’t seem to make them stronger. They’re too brittle.”

“Interesting.” They took their positions at the side of the room, away from the main practicing going on, “Show me.”

She nodded, breathing deeply, the symbols of Ordro and Vitreus appearing around her hand. Slamming her fist into the ground, massive crystals sprung up around her, forming a large, interconnecting wall. “Try and hit it with something.”

“Got it.” Jason summoned a large, shuriken-like band of Ordo. It spun rapidly, emanating a slight humming. Twisting his body to give the projectile momentum, he hurled it with all his strength at the wall of crystal. It zipped towards it, but suddenly veered left, striking the wall behind Giuri, breaking into thousands of shards.

She looked behind her, then back at Jason. “What was that? I thought you were aiming for me!”

“I was.” He said, holding his head. The headache had returned with vengeance. Squinting, his growled and shook his head. “I’ll try again.” The spinning energy reformed, slightly weaker than before. Performing the same maneuver, he tried to launch it in a straight line. It failed, miserably, reflecting off the side of the crystalline barrier.

Giuri dispelled the barrier, letting the crystals fade away. She was shaking her head, sighing as she walked to Jason. “Something’s off with you. Yesterday you were performing that technique flawlessly. I know this isn’t sleep deprivation; we were trained long ago to deal with that.”

Jason looked away. “I thought you said you wouldn’t keep asking about my personal life.”

She sighed, “Normally I wouldn’t. However, this is affecting your performance, and the success of my friends is something I like to be involved in. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m not saying anything here.” Jason snapped.“Alright, just tell me later, okay?” she asked, looking

into his eyes.He sighed, suppressing his frustration. “Fine.” He

folded his arms, “If I can’t throw anything straight, what should we do?”

“I’m going to get some headache remedies from the nurse. You can just stay here and meditate or watch the others.” She left the room, her tail flicking.

“You do that.” He mumbled, sitting down. He pressed on his head with his fingers, massaging it slowly. “Stupid body not being able to recuperate properly.” He watched the other students performing, some succeeding and others failing, their various defensive forms, critiquing them in his head.

The teacher noticed he was sitting down, and that Giuri was gone. He strolled over and nealt by Jason, “Everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine sir. I just have a massive headache; Giuri’s gone to get me some medicine so we can continue training.” Jason replied.

“Nice to have friends like that, eh?” the teacher laughed, “Call me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, sir.” Jason smiled. He looked over to see Giuri walk in the door holding a small, neon-green pill.

Handing it to Jason, she said, “Here; take this with some water, and the headache will be gone in five minutes.”

“My thanks, Giuri.” He said, taking the pill and the glass of water she also had with her. He set the pill on his tongue; it had a faint taste of limes. Gulping it down, he walked over to the trash can and dropped the cup in. “Five minutes?” He asked.

Giuri nodded. “I’ll be over where I was, practicing. Just tell me when you’re ready.” She strode over to where she’d been, summoning a single massive crystal in front of her. She clenched her fist, Ordo swirling around it, and slammed it into the crystal. It managed to hold firm, but on the second strike, it shattered into thousands of glittering shards.

The pounding in Jason’s head slowly began to subside, minute by minute, until it was gone entirely. He breathed a sigh of relief, standing up and walking over to Giuri. “I’m ready.” He said.

“Same thing as last time.” She smiled.“Yeah.” Jason nodded, assuming his stance. He

replicated the swirling, spiked mass of energy. Twisting his body, he hurled the projectile at Giuri’s wall. It sailed

in a near perfect line this time, striking the crystal exactly where Jason had planned it to. The entire thing burst in a dazzling blast of energy, shattering Giuri’s wall like a ball on a thin sheet of ice.

Slightly dazed, she groaned as she sat up. “Well, don’t try and kill me, fluff brain!” Her knees were slightly shaky as she stood.

“Sorry.” Jason called, “I get a little excited sometimes.”

Giuri sneered, using her fingers to make air quotations, “A little.” She said. Sighing, she summoned the wall again, “Let’s try that again. This time, try not to seriously injure me.”

“I’ll try a different attack.” He said.“No. Use that one; it seems to be the only one I can’t

defend against.” She said.“Alright.” Jason repeated the attack, throwing it more

slowly than previous. It still flashed with blinding speed, only this time it didn’t explode as violently. The crystal wall seemed to break as if it was made from glass.

Giuri sat up, completely furious. “Why won’t this wall remain standing?” she yelled.

“I’m not precisely sure. It seems you’re performing the technique flawlessly, but when it comes time to defend against it, it simply cannot handle this projectile.

Let me try something.” Jason replied, summoning a massive sphere of energy.

Giuri sighed and summoned the wall.“Just as I thought. Her technique is completely

flawless. This should prove what I’ve been thinking all along.” Jason thought, stamping his foot and pushing forward. The sphere was launched forward, hissing loudly as it cut through the air. It slammed into the wall, exploding in a loud crash. The wall, however, remained completely intact.

Giuri looked surprised. “How… how did I stop that technique?”

Jason nodded to himself. “It’s just as I suspected Giuri. The order shuriken is meant to shatter defenses. The design of the technique is to focus the energy on a single point of weakness, and then forcing all its energy into the point. Against something as rigid as a crystal, it shatters easily through its weak spots. The crystal wall is completely useless against the order shuriken. Really, your crystal wall is flawless.”

“What about your crystal wall, can it stop the shuriken?” she asked.

“No, it can’t. Actually, it probably never will be able to, considering no one has the level of control required to make the crystalline structure without weaknesses. A defense is only as strong as its weakest point.” He replied.

“Interesting.” She said. “Well, with that over, we should head outside and have a full duel.”

Jason smiled. “Are you sure you want to go against me?”

“Oi! Don’t underestimate your opponent, it’ll only end badly!” she snapped, walking out the door.

Jason followed, laughing, “I’m not underestimating you; I’m only seeing it how it is.” He turned to close the door, but was suddenly slammed into the wall. Grunting on impact, he fell to the floor, coughing.

“Also, never let your guard down.” She smiled.“You’re going to pay for that.” Jason grunted,

standing. He summoned another shuriken, launching it at Giuri as hard as possible. It screeched through the air, cutting a few strands of fur off Giuri as she leapt to the side. Jason twisted his body, pulling it back as though it were connected to invisible strings. Giuri laughed and sidestepped. This sent the shuriken hurtling towards Jason with horrifying velocity.

He performed a side kick, shattering the technique on his foot. With the same momentum, he summoned a barrage of crystals, sending them at his opponent. Hundreds of tiny shards whistled through the air.

Most sailed over head or to the sides, but others simply crashed into Giuri’s hexagonal shield. “You’re going to have to be less predictable than that!”

“Alright!” he said. Two symbols appeared around his hand; Ordo and Ignis. Combining, they turned into Potentia, or rather, pure energy. Lightning suddenly crackled around Jason, causing his fur to stand on end. He moved with fluid movements, carefully directing the lightning through his body, but keeping it away from the heart.

Giuri’s eyes widened. “When did you learn that?!” she asked, panicked.

“A while back. I may not have a sub-Affinity of Ignis, but we still have access to all the primal elements. I can easily combine Ignis with my main Affinity to create this!” He snapped his arm forward, launching out a bolt of pale blue lightning. It hissed and cracked as it flew through the air towards Giuri.

She leapt desperately to the side, diving into a roll. The lightning slammed into the ground where she was, exploding and tearing a hole into the training ground’s pavement. “Two can play at this game!” she called, forming a large icicle. She hurled the glittering point and Jason.

“Ice?!” Jason thought, his eyes widening. “That’s right! It’s a combination of Ordo and Aqua… smart.” He spun, trying to avoid the spear. It barely nicked his arm, making a small scratch on the surface of the skin, but it was enough. Gelum instantly seeped into his body, slowing it down. His movements became groggy.

Giuri was laughing triumphantly. “If any amount of Gelum gets into a body with any amount of water, it can instantly take over. You’re done for!” she yelled, hurling a small ball of Ordo at Jason.

“Take you own advice!” he yelled, jumping several feet in the air to avoid the sphere, “Never underestimate your opponent!”

“How…?” she stuttered, completely caught off guard.“Potentia counteracts the effects of Gelum by

making you more energized. Instead of being faster, I’m now at normal speed until the effects wear off.” Jason laughed. He surrounded his body in a swirl of Ordo, lashing out with tendrils crackling with Potentia.

Giuri dodged, back flipping over the tendril. She began a desperate dance to avoid the tendrils. “One hit… that’s all it’ll take. One hit and I’ve lost.” She thought. She summoned small blades of ice along her arms, blocking a couple of the tendrils, and advancing. “He seems to be a mid-range attacker. Maybe if I get up close…”

Jason noticed she was creeping closer. “This isn’t good. She’s realized that this is a mid-range attack. Up close, it won’t do very well. Time to change strategies.” He dispelled the tendrils, pulling in the energy around him. He formed them into body armor, two blades extending out the gauntlets on the arms. When he looked up, he noticed Giuri was almost upon him, swinging the icy blades with gusto.

He blocked them, narrowly. Twisting around, he drove his blades inward. Giuri flipped backward, kicking the advancing blades skyward. Jason leapt into the air, twisting his body and kicking outward. A small sphere of Ordo was launched from his foot, nearly hitting Giuri in the back.

She pushed off with her hand at the last second, landing gracefully on her feet. She suddenly took a deep breath and exhaled, blasting out a sparkling, pale blue mist.

“Crap.” Jason thought, dodging away from the advancing mists. Giuri remained inside, obscured by the reflecting light. “Is this just a smokescreen, or something more?” Jason wondered, keeping his distance. “I’m not sure I want to find out. I should just stay back—“ his thought was cut off by a sudden whistling. Hundreds of ice shards flew from the mist, each one glittering spectacularly. Jason jumped and spun, summoning a large surge of Potentia. It popped and cracked around his body, shattering most of the shards coming towards him. “Too bad ice is such a poor conductor.” He thought, twisting around one that managed to get through the field, “I could’ve sent a current through all of them…”

Slowly, the icy mists dispersed. Giuri had been using them to create the shards. She laughed, “Not bad! Not many people I’ve fought manage to escape that technique.”

“It’s rather formidable, I’ll admit.” Jason smiled deviously, “But it’s nothing compared to what I’ve created.”

“Created?” Giuri asked, shocked.“Yeah! I’ve become powerful enough to begin

inventing my own techniques.” He replied, focusing his energy.

“That’s insane! You’re a prodigy, dude.” She said, astonished, “But, what is it?”

Jason merely smiled in response, extending his arms. He watched Giuri take an instinctive step back. “Crystal siege!” he yelled, bringing his arms down. He then clapped his hands together, forming a small shield around himself.

Daggers appeared in the sky, shimmering devilishly. They suddenly began to rain down harder than hail on a windy day. Frantic, Giuri summoned a hasty shield above her head. The points began stabbing into it, making small cracks that grew larger with each one cracking the surface. She grunted with effort, trying to mend the shield before it shattered. It was a futile effort; the shield was at its breaking point.

Just before it shattered, the barrage stopped. She instantly dispelled the shield, directing her next attack at Jason… who had disappeared. She was taken aback; her surprise cost her the duel. A quick jab from behind made

her entire body go rigid, and she fell on her snout. “Ouch.” She complained.

“Sorry, but I just won.” Jason said, catching his breath. He released the stunning technique, and helped her up.

She chuckled, “That you did. How’d you disappear so quickly though? One second you were there, the next,” she made an exploding motion with her hands, “poof, you were gone.”

Jason smiled, “I performed the phasing technique unique to Stateramancers. When you were distracted by the siege, I disappeared into the ground. That’s when it stopped, but by then it was too late for you.”

Giuri shook her head. “So that technique was more of a distraction that it was an attack?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah. I knew you would see the crystals coming, and block them. That’s why, “he paused to pick up one of the ones that hadn’t shattered yet, “they’re blunt. In a real battle, however, they’d be pointed and ready to do some damage to anyone caught without protection.”

She scoffed, “Careful, your genius is showing.”He shrugged. Jason’s eyes looked a little unfocused,

and he was having a difficult time breathing. Giuri frowned, “How much energy did you expend

performing that technique?”

“Quite a bit. That’s actually the first time I’ve done it, so I’m not very efficient at it.” He said, bending over.

“Your first time? You’ve got to be kidding.” she muttered, “A move like that takes an insane amount of control and concentration.”

“Yep.” He replied.Giuri sighed, looking at the noon day sun. “Wow, that

took longer than expected. It’s just about lunch time, you want to head in? We can head down to the café and grab some stuff to eat.”

“That’d be great; I didn’t get any breakfast this morning… I was too busy hurling my intestines onto the floor.” He awkwardly laughed.

“You mean you had a hangover?!” she asked.He nodded slowly.“I can’t see you as the type to get drunk, but aren’t

you a little young?” she asked. “I can tell you are definitely not twenty one yet.”

“And you are?” Jason snapped playfully.“As a matter of fact, yes, I am.” She pulled out her

identity card. Sure enough, right under her name it listed her age: twenty one.

“Oh.” He replied.“How old are you anyway? Nineteen?” she asked,

opening the door.

Jason nodded in thanks, “No, I’m seventeen.”“Yeah, you are a prodigy.” She muttered, “But you’re

way too young to be drinking! Brains don’t stop developing until twenty, usually. You’re going to squander your talent.”

“I was a mess last night.” He mumbled, looking away. They joined the other students walking to the café area.

“That’s right, you never did tell me what happened.” Giuri said.

Jason sighed, “Must I tell you now?”“Yeah, because I’ve been dying to know.” She

replied.“I’d rather not.”“Please?”“No.”“Come on, at least a—““Leave it be Giuri!” he shouted, turning a few heads

in the crowd. His fists were clenched, and a tear was forming in his eye.

“I’m-I’m sorry. If you had just told me it was that personal, I’d have stopped asking.” She mumbled, looking away.

Jason shook his head, “No, it’s my fault for not expressing my feelings about it.”

They continued their stroll to the café, listening to the jumbled voices of the students. A few groups broke off, heading down various hallways. Soon, it was only Jason, Giuri, and ten other students who were headed to the café. The only few speaking were off to the side, enjoying a pleasant conversation about the weather. Finally, Giuri broke the silence, “So about what you told me last night, when I asked you out, when did you know?”

Jason smiled, shaking his head, “You seem to love to discuss personal affairs.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, that was completely uncalled for.” She stammered.

“No problem. It’s a fact I’ve come to accept anyway, so I shouldn’t mind talking about it.” He sighed, “I found out when I was ten. There was a boy from Kizendow, his name was Alexander, and I just found him to be the most amazing person I’ve ever met. He was the first person to befriend me back then, and I sort of fell for him after that. He was nice, smart, but often a little absent minded, but most of all, he was caring and loyal.”

“Kizendow… you mean the village at the base of Mount Fuji? The one that was destroyed?” Giuri asked.

Jason nodded, his face darkening. “The exact one.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. I wasn’t aware that you were in close connection with the village.” She said.

They sat down in a booth at the café. It was next to a window, and looked out over the main grounds of the campus. Students milled about here and there, mock fights breaking out. Laughter filtered through the window. Jason looked sadly out the window. “It was the second week in school, January 26th of 2994. Alexander walked home with me, as he normally did. I had a feeling, a slight nudge in my brain, that something wasn’t right. I dismissed it, of course… and that night was the last time I ever saw Alexander and the other students from Kizendow, which actually happened to be the bulk of the school.”

“That’s awful.” She breathed. “I can’t imagine what that was like.”

“I was never the same again. I ran away from my parents, and wound up in an orphanage.” He rubbed his arms, rolling down the sleeves to cover his scars.

Giuri noticed them, but didn’t say anything. “How’d you end up way out here in the West?” she asked instead.

“I was given a recommendation by the government. They had noticed my brilliance in class and told me I’d be fit to go here…” he trailed off, “And here I am.”

Giuri started to say something, but was cut off by the waitress bustling over. “Excuse my tardiness, but lunch is

always such a rush. What can I get for you two?” she pulled out a scratchpad and a pen, smiling.

“I’ll just have some coffee; mocha, preferably.” She smiled.

Jason thought for a moment, glancing at the menu near the window. “I’ll just have some jasmine tea.” He concluded, tearing his eyes away from the alcohol section.

“Alright, I’ll have those out in a few minutes.” the waitress bounced, hurrying off to server another table.

They waited in silence for their drinks to arrive, looking out the window and watching the students wander about their various activities. When the waitress arrived, she smiled, “Here you are: one mocha and one jasmine.” The glasses clinked on the table, steam rising slowly from them.

“Thank you.” Giuri smiled back, passing Jason his tea.

The waitress bustled off, fixing her hair as she went.“We haven’t exactly gotten to know each other yet.”

Giuri started, turning to Jason, “What do you like to do for fun?”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Fun… All my life I was either in school, doing homework, working, or practicing my Stateramancy. I don’t exactly know what else I’d do.”

“You’re kidding!” she said, taken aback, “You mean you never played with anyone when you were younger?”

“My parents never allowed it. When friends did come over, which was twice, it was strictly for Technomancy training.” He shrugged.

“Alright, do you read for fun?” she asked.“I read textbooks for school.” He replied.Giuri tsk-ed, “Well… how about any musical

instruments; do you play any of those?”Jason shook his head.“What about… drawing? Are you artistic?” she asked.“Not anymore.” He said, his expression darkening.“Not anymore? What do you mean by that?” she

asked, leaning in and taking a sip of her drink.“I used to draw a while back, before Kizendow was

destroyed. After that day… I stopped doing anything, really. I would lock myself away in the room I stayed in at the orphanage and just sit in the dark. I barely breathed. Then, once I got further into school, I didn’t have time for it.” He explained.

“You should draw something for me sometime.” She suggested.

“I’d rather not. I haven’t drawn anything in seven years, so I doubt it would turn out well.” He sighed, taking a drink from his cup.

“Natural talents don’t have time limits. They’re always there, and it’s just up to you to expand on it or not.” She smiled.

He shrugged, averting his gaze back to the window.“He’s not in a very talkative mood, that’s for sure. I

want him to lighten up, though. Being depressed isn’t a good way to live life.” She thought, frowning.

Jason finished his tea, setting his cup aside. His purple eyes were heavy with sadness and fatigue. His ears seemed to lay flatter against his head than normal.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.” She smiled.

“Yeah.” Jason replied quietly.Giuri finished her drink in silence, pondering about

the events of the day so far. Jason simply listened to the conversations around him, too afraid of his own thoughts to sit and wonder about things. The people around were pleasantly engaged in light conversations, talking about the weather, a small political matter, or their family lives and funny things that had occurred. The day was cordial and calm, and so were the people milling about in it.

Such a state of peace had not been seen in hundreds of years.

Jason closed the door, sighing. His eyes were heavy,

and his body ached from the events of the day. He went

to work in three hours, and this night, he was determined not to miss it. He still wasn’t assigned homework, so he wandered to his bedroom to take a small nap. Stripping down to his boxers, he slid under the covers of his bed, still getting used to how high off the ground the bed was. “Back in the East, they just laid on mattresses on the floor, not elevated three feet in the air.” He thought grumpily.

He stared at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. He was physically exhausted, but for some reason he couldn’t get to sleep. Giuri’s voice echoed in his mind, “You should draw something for me sometime.”

Jason scoffed. “Draw something. I haven’t done that in forever, but okay, I might as well give it a shot.” He sat up, removing the covers and meandering into his office space where he was going to keep his school projects, should he have any. A small box labeled “Art” sat in the corner, still packed. Sighing, he strode over and opened it, wondering what was inside. He didn’t remember packing this…

Inside, on top of a Styrofoam sleeve, lay a small, handwritten note. Jason cocked his head slightly, wondering who it was from. He opened it and read the message:

“Dear Jason,

You seemed like you were going to leave your art behind, so I took the time to pack the ones I could easily fit for

you. You should never forget old memories, at least, not the good ones. Have fun at college.

-Johnathan.”

Jason choked back a sob. “I can’t believe he did this.” He whispered, opening the Styrofoam sleeve. Inside were three framed pictures.

The first was a pencil drawing, shaded and detailed. It depicted young wolf, bound by chains and crying out for help. It was in the middle of a cell; no one would hear its cries.

The second, also a pencil drawing, depicted the same wolf, broken free from its imprisonment, and strolling along with another wolf. They were smiling, and wandering through a lush forest with the sun shining down on them.

The third hit Jason the hardest. It was the only with color; the grass was a vivid, jade green. The rest was pencil, providing an outstanding contrast. The same two wolves from the previous picture were lying together. The original wolf was asleep, resting his head on the other’s chest while his companion kept watch.

Three words were at the bottom of each picture, “Imprisoned”, “Freedom”, and “Guardian” respectively. The drawings themselves were gorgeous; every detail of the fur drawn to likeness, every expression carefully considered.

Jason took them out and hung them on his wall, using the nails in the box to secure them to the wall. He smiled sadly; he remembered when he drew them; Alexander had been with him for the last one, when they were supposed to be training, but they were actually just playing games. A nostalgic memory flashed to his mind:

“Alexander laughed, knocking over my rook with his knight. “I can’t believe you left that open!” he said, taking the piece he had captured and setting it by the other three handns he had.

I looked up from my drawing; it was nearly done. After a few hours, I only had the grass left to do. “Hmm?” I mumbled, distracted.

“You’re too distracted!” Alexander complained. Noticing the drawing, he leaned in. “I wanna see it!”

I flushed, hugging it close to my chest. “When it’s done!” I whispered furiously, “And don’t scream it that loudly, my parents will think we’re up to something.” I moved my leftmost handn forward two spaces.

“Fine.” He muttered. After a moment of thought, he advanced his queen diagonally to the right. “Chess counts as studying, doesn’t it?”

“It does for Stateramancers.” I replied, positioning my knight to protect my king, “Stateramancers are deeply rooted in strategy planning and intellectual pursuit, so I don’t see how it can’t count.”

Alexander tsk-ed. “You saw right through my plan.”

“You’re playing chess against a natural strategical genius, Alex. It’s going to take more than a queen to take me out.” I muttered as he took one of my handns with his bishop.

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved off my response. “Just make your move.”

I smiled and sent my other knight forward. “Check.” I stated, leaning back.

“You dirty puppy.” He said, frowning. He furrowed his brow in concentration, thinking deeply. He then moved his remaining rook to take the knight. “Why’d you put it there?” he asked, smiling.

I knocked over his piece with my queen. “That’s why. You forgot my queen was sitting here.” I pointed to the square she’d been sitting on.

“Crap.” He said. “Well, no guts no glory, I guess.” He made a dramatic flourish with his hand, picking up his bishop and moving it back to protect his king.

I sighed in frustration. “That was actually a smart move.” I noted. With his bishop positioned where it was, it was impossible to kill a piece without sacrificing it. Also, his other bishop and his queen were getting ready to attempt a checkmate on my king, completely safe from my attacking pieces; it was due to a mistake I had made early on. I now had to act quickly, lest Alexander infiltrate my defenses and start causing problems. I moved my remaining rook left.

Alexander advanced with his queen, exactly like I had planned.

My face remained passive; I couldn’t give anything away about my strategy. I moved my knight back, out of his queen’s path. It also set me up nicely for the strategy I was going to employ.

Alexander seemed oblivious to the advancing assassins; he was getting too excited about me leaving an opening. He moved his queen to my right, just barely out of reach of my handns.

“Two more moves,” I thought to myself, “Two more moves and I’ll be ready.” I carefully placed my other knight forward, guarding my bishop.

“I believe this handn belongs to me.” Alexander said with a triumphant smile, capturing one of my handns. I now only had three to work with; a shameful number, really.

“So it does.” I mumbled in reply, moving my rook forward. It remained safe behind his wall of handns, but his king was also protected by that annoying bishop. “Next turn…” I thought.

Alexander smiled deviously, advancing one of his handns to attack my queen.

“That’s okay.” I shrugged. Picking up the piece, I paused, making him believe I was going to retreat. “Nope.” I thought, smiling. I moved it diagonally to capture his rook.

“Well, that was a retarded move.” He stated, taking my queen with his bishop. “How’re you going to win now?”

“Like this.” I said, moving my rook. Without the bishop, my rook was free to attack. I grinned and looked up, “Checkmate.”

He paled, his eyes widening in surprise. Double checking the positions, he sighed and sat back. “Dang it, I thought I had you with that one. Why’d you sacrifice your queen though?”

“I knew it’d cause a big enough disturbance that you’d use your bishop to attack it, and thus leave me open to move in for the kill.” I said.

“This is why no one plays chess with you.” he said, frowning, “You always slaughter them.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smiled.”

Jason opened his eyes, wiping away a sad tear. He pulled the remaining paper and pencils from the box. He had a variety of graphite pencils, but only a small selection of colored ones. Despite the limited use, people still told him that he’d been able to produce the most stunning visuals with his colors. “That was such a long time ago.” Jason thought, flipping one of the pencils over in his fingers. “Maybe… maybe Giuri is right.”

He sat down at the desk, brushing off the paper. His brain seemed dusty, almost like the gears in his brain refused to turn. He couldn’t think of anything to draw,

and soon gave up in frustration. He walked to the kitchen, wanting a small snack, and noticed the bottle of alcohol had been restocked. “That’s right.” He thought, “The people who tend the rooms have access to all the rooms in this apartment complex.”

He pulled out a glass, setting it on the table and opening the bottle. It had a musty, bitter smell to it that flooded Jason’s hypersensitive nose. Coughing, he shook his head, placing it back. “Disgusting.” He thought. He went to place his glass back in the cupboard, but something deep within his brain stirred, urging him to take another chance with it.

He couldn’t fight it, and had soon poured himself a glass of golden liquid. He took a sip, restraining a cough as it burned his throat. Oddly, there was something pleasant about it, as if it were actually soothing instead of stinging. He took swig after swig, and soon found it relatively easy to down three glasses.

Soon, he was strolling around the apartment, laughing to himself with the bottle in his hand. His drunken mind told him to watch out for the time, but he ignored it completely. He sat at the window, humming to himself completely off key.

Eventually, he momentarily snapped back into reality, realizing he was nearly late. “Crap…” he said out loud, his voice slurred, “I’m almost late.” He staggered to his room, throwing together his night guard outfit. It was a simple, black shirt with a grey, leather vest, and darker

grey leggings for maneuverability. He then stumbled to the door, running into the table along the way. Cursing, he threw on his jacket, fetched his wallet from his backpack and strolled out the door.

He nearly fell down the stairs, startling Sara. “Oi! You’re headed off to work in that condition? Your boss won’t be too happy.”

“Nothing ever happens anyway. I think my boss would rather us show up than not, you know?” he said, his eyes unfocused.

“Well, if you get fired, don’t blame me.” she waved him off.

Jason had trouble maintaining a straight path as he made his way to the school. Several times it felt as though he was going to run into something, but ended up not. People gave him curious looks as he passed, wondering what a drunk Jinrui would be doing in a guard’s uniform. “I’m going to be in a hell of lot of trouble for this.” Jason thought, “But the boss man wouldn’t really care, would he? Nothing happens on the job anyway.”

Staggering through the doorway, he met up with his fellow guard, who rasied his eyebrow. “Please tell me you aren’t drunk, Jason.”

“So?” he asked.His partner sighed. “It’s very unprofessional, but not

quite enough to get you fired. After the slaughtering of Kizendow and the other two villages, people have been

more and more wary of joining the enforcement division. We need all the people we can get. If we do run into trouble, let me handle it.”

“Yes sir, captain sir.” Jason saluted, smiling.“Drunk people.” He muttered to himself, walking

forward and locking the building. “You should know the drill; patrol your side of the building every two hours. Considering you’re a Jinrui, I’d expect you to find anything suspicious.” He twirled his nightstick in his hand, striding away with a haughty gait.

“How’d I get stuck with you again?” Jason muttered to himself, walking away to start his shift. He walked up the large, wooden steps leading to the second story of the building. Shadows lurked in the corners of the building, almost defying the brightly flickering candles in lamps hanging from the walls.

The School of Ignis, the one Jason had been assigned tonight, was stained with black soot. Ash and smoke clung stubbornly to the walls, giving everything a much darker and ominous presence compared to the other schools. The smell of charcoal was thick in the air, and small fires flickered in an out of existence all around him. The schools themselves were rumored to be imbued with the element they taught; it was to enhance the students’ learning capacities.

He giggled drunkenly as he chased down a small fire that seemed as though it was urging him to follow it. Focused on catching it, he hadn’t realized where it was

taking him. The passages grew ever darker, the soot growing around his feet as result of years of neglect. The wooden walls gave way to blackened stone bricks, cracked from age.

Soon, the fire vanished, leaving Jason engulfed in the suffocating blackness. Straightening his back, he summoned a small sphere of Ordo to float around him, providing him with a pale, white glow. “Now where am I?” he wondered. He studied the passage, shivering as the cold, damp air tried to penetrate his thick fur and clothes. Strange carvings raced along the walls; they seemed to be a writing of some kind, not just hapless scrawls. He wasn’t exactly paying attention, and so ran into a wall.

Rubbing his nose, he swore at the obstacle. It was a large, concrete wall with a very old window half buried behind the tunnel. Curious, he placed his hand on the concrete and pulsed energy into it. It gave way easily, shattering and exploding out in front of him.

He waited for the dust to subside before entering, ducking his head. It seemed to be an ancient office with a rotted door off to the side that held a stairway. He looked at the thoroughly decomposed desk, finding a strange contraption on top of it. It seemed like a large book turned on its side. Only, it didn’t have paper; it was made of plastic and glass, the flat side containing a small number of buttons with strange symbols on them; the same ones in the passage. He pressed one.

Nothing happened besides a small clicking sound. “Strange.” Jason muttered, pressing the buttons randomly. “Is this what someone used to entertain themselves?” He looked around, his eyes narrowing. “What is this place anyway?” Ever so slowly, realization crept into his foggy mind.

Gasping, he turned in circles. “This is…” He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, “This is an ancient city! One that was buried by the War of Six Nations!” Excited, he tore through the miraculously preserved documents, sometimes literally, examining their contents. Sadly, all of them were written in some strange language, so he couldn’t make out a single word of what they said.

Taking more care to not destroy the papers, he noticed a small note written on the strange, plastic book-on-its-side. It was faded neon pink, and was written in the language he could actually understand. It said, “Four gods discovered; write article.”

Jason stared at it for a moment, digesting the word “discovered”. “What does this person mean “discovered”? The Four have always been watching over us! Weird.” He put the note back, wandering to the stairwell.

Many of the steps had rotted away, revealing a large room underneath the one he was in. Carefully hopping down onto a steel beam, he examined the lower room. As he leaned forward, the beam creaked, and then snapped, sending Jason plummeting downward. His drunken mind

couldn’t react quickly enough, and he ended up landing on his back, knocking the breath out of him. Coughing, he sat up, looking around the dark room. Aside from the small bubble of light around Jason, the room was engulfed in an almost tangible darkness.

After catching his breath, he stood up and walked around, carefully avoiding weakened spots and piles of rubble. He turned backwards, stepping over a small pile of metal. A large crack echoed through the room when his foot hit the ground. Freezing, he slowly looked behind him to see what he had stepped on.

A human skull.Crying out in terror, he stumbled backwards. He

leaned in, examining the skeleton it was attached to. It belonged to a small child, probably no older than four. A larger skeleton had its arms wrapped around it, almost like a mother protecting its child…

No, exactly like a mother protecting its child. Jason gasped, realizing what must’ve happened here. “Petramancers probably came in and sunk the building…” he said aloud.

“No, not exactly.” A rich, deep voice said behind him.Jason yelped, turning on his heel and blasting the

dark figure with a large blast of Ordo. It simply dissipated before it struck the target, vanishing like mist on a warm day. He readied another attack, but froze when a large, steel scythe pressed against his neck.

“There will be no need for that.” The voice said.“Who are you?” Jason asked, his eyes trying to make

out the dark figure that stood before him.“You mean you don’t know? You watched me take

the people you loved from you; you’ve seen so much carnage in your life.” The hooded figure said, lowering the scythe.

Jason shook his head, “I must be dreaming.”“People often assume they are, when visited by a

god.” It said.Jason’s eyes widened. The word “god” echoed

through his brain, and it suddenly made the connection. The scythe, the hood, the dark figure: Death himself was standing before Jason. Gasping, he fell to his knees, bowing deeply. “My apologies, my lord. I mistook you for someone who posed a threat to me.”

“You mean I do not pose a threat?” Death asked.Jason flushed, his heartbeat racing. “I-“ he failed to

find the right response. “What the hell do you even say to a god?!” he screamed in his head.

“There isn’t much you can say to us that we don’t already know, Mr. Deverla. But do not worry; I am not here to take you with me. Your time will come eventually.” Death said, stabbing his scythe into the ground. “I am here to send you a message from Lord Time. Why he did not come himself, I do not know, but we

must do whatever he dictates; he is the Creator, after all.”

“Of course, my lord.” Jason said, rising. “What is it?”“Your mind how it is will not suffice.” He said, waving

his hand. It was a skeleton’s hand, of course.Jason’s mind suddenly cleared, and his vision

stopped shifting. His body felt balanced and refreshed. “Thank you, my lord.” He bowed.

“Please, do away with the formalities.” He said dismissively.

“Yes.” Jason nodded.“The message I brought to you from Lord Time is not

so much a message, but rather a request. Lord Time wishes you to seek out a certain young man, who actually happens to be just like you.” Death said.

“Just like me?” Jason asked, curious.“Yes. From what I heard about him, he’s a powerful

Technomancer with rare abilities.” Trailing off, Death muttered, “Lord knows how she gave birth to something like him.”

Jason was intrigued by his statement, but he found it rude to ask. “Where may I find him?”

“That’s something not even I know of. You see, my relationship with the other gods is somewhat… shaky, at

the moment. In all due time, though. I have important duties to attend.” Death said, preparing to leave.

“Wait.” Jason called.Death turned in the darkness. “Yes?”“You said that this wasn’t caused by Petramancers. If

that’s true, than what happened here?” Jason asked, gesturing around him.

Death paused, looking around. Finally, he faced Jason, “My children happened.”

Chapter III: Gods Among the Masses

“Where the hell have you been?” Jason’s partner yelled, his face red with fury. “I came looking for you to report, and you had completely disappeared! I couldn’t even sense you with my Ventumancy!”

“Erm…” Jason started, not exactly sure how to explain that he’d been talking with a god… and actually lived.

“You know what, never mind. I’m informing the boss, and he’ll decide what to do with you. Drunk people cannot be allowed on the force.” He spat, “It simply cannot happen. I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

Jason nodded, completely ignoring his partner’s lecture. He was still trying to make sense of the last thing Death had said to him, “My children happened.” The words echoed through his mind, confusing him the more times it reverberated. He started, looking up into his companion’s furious, grey eyes.

“Are you even listening?!” he shouted.“Not really…” he muttered, looking off.“By the Lord Time, you look like you’ve seen Death.”

He muttered.Jason’s eyes widened noticeably, but his companion

had his back turned, and didn’t see the reaction. Shaking his head, he took on a new voice of authority. “Look, I promise not to come in drunk again. Let’s just finish the night shift and return to our station.”

“Oh, suddenly you want to take command?” his partner snapped, “I’m not going to be ordered around by some drunkard, you know.”

“I’m not drunk anymore!” Jason said impulsively. He scoffed, realizing how futile and stupid it sounded.

“Yeah right.” His partner said, waving his hand. He began on another lecture about decision making.

Jason rolled his eyes, purposefully ignoring his lecture, and instead thinking deeply about Death’s final comment. “Does that mean Death has biological children of his own, or just mortal ones so wicked that he regards them as his own?” He shook his head, “No, it takes a lot more than sinking a building to earn the favor of Death.

“But why did Lord Time choose me?! Wouldn’t someone else be much more fitting for the task? Giuri, maybe, or how about one of the Immortals?! They’re far more powerful than I am, and smarter too!” Jason sighed angrily.

“You’re going to get angry at me now?” his partner retorted. “Well, I didn’t want to get stuck with the likes of you anyway, you filthy animal. Honestly, I don’t know why people like your kind so much; they’re stupid, ill-tempered, dishonest, and perverted. I want to go back in time and—“

A solid bolt of energy slammed into him from behind, blasting him forward. Growling furiously, he turned to face Jason, who had taken on a murderous glare. “You think you humans are any better?” he snapped, “You could barely handle accepting people with different colored skin! At least we didn’t go on rampant genocides simply because someone didn’t have the eye and hair

color we liked! Don’t even get me started on all the crackpot religions you created!”

“Disgusting dog!” his partner yelled, calling forth his energy. “We accidentally created your kind; if anything, you belong to us! We should’ve killed you while we had the chance!” He leapt into the air, spinning. Waves of wind whistled away from his feet, exploding on the ground as they missed Jason.

He back flipped, narrowly avoiding the attack. “You really want to go against the second greatest defender in all Technomancy, wealking?” he called, gracefully landing on his feet.

“I’d like to see you hit a Ventumancer first!” he laughed, hovering in the air.

“That can be arranged.” Jason smiled devilishly, summoning a large group of crystals and hurling them at his opponent.

The Ventumancer swore loudly, swerving out of the way and diving to the ground, sweeping the floor with a wide kick. A blast of wind stirred soot from the floor. Jason blocked it easily with a hexagonal shield. He clapped his hands together, focusing his energy. He suddenly slammed his fist into the ground. Thousands of tiny, diamond shards sprung from the ground, whistling at towards their target.

His opponent carefully dodged every one, getting grazed by only a few. A small drop of blood fell from his arm where a crystal had sheared off a tiny bit of skin.

“Ha!” Jason laughed, “Ventumancers are merely the cowards of Technomancy! You’ve got no firepower, so instead you avoid the fight and let your opponent wear themselves out!” His voice suddenly dropped to a low growl, and his eyes darkened, “Let’s see you dodge this, twinkle toes.” Lightning crackled around him, disturbing the soot wherever it made contact with the ground or walls. His fur stood on end, making him jumpy and itchy to fire the bolt at this sorry excuse for a human.

His opponent’s eyes widened, and he fled down the hall, flying across the floor.

Jason swore loudly, and took off running, the lightning obediently following him. “Get back here coward!” he screamed.

Gabriel, however, was too fast and quickly disappeared down the passage. He rounded the corner, and then snuck into the air vents, easily maneuvering through them. He used these to spy on people regularly, and had become quite adept at it; he even memorized where each passage would take him. “If I can’t fight him head on, then I’ll go from the sides!” He thought, bursting through the grate above Jason’s head.

Jason, however, seemed ready for him, and blasted a bolt of lightning at him. Swearing, he blasted himself to the side with a gust of air, landing roughly on the ground

and staining his skin with soot. “How’d you know about these vents?”

“Please. You can’t fool a Stateramancer, Gabriel. We see everything.” Jason said, lightning sparking around his feet and tail.

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “My only chance now is the avoidance method. He can’t strike me fast enough, that’s for sure. But I can’t outthink him, nor am I stronger…” He dashed to the side, flooding his body with Aer. His sense of sight heightened, illuminating the dimly lit corridor. His body felt lighter, as if it were a feather. He could now easily dodge every attack that disgusting creature threw at him.

Jason glared at Gabriel, realizing he must’ve infused his body with Aer. He was moving too fast, and his sight seemed too heightened to be normal. “The rare ability to infuse yourself with your particular Affinity. Something I don’t have, but apparently he does.” He thought. “I just need to think ahead of his speed…”

Jason summoned two order shurikens, hurling one directly at Gabriel. He smirked, dashing easily to one side. What he didn’t realize is that the other one had been hurled directly at the spot he’d moved to. His eyes widened, and he narrowly dodged the attack. The shuriken grazed his nose, taking some skin with it.

Cursing at the close call, he glared at Jason. “He’s starting to realize my attack patterns. He did it that quickly? Like a true Stateramancer, I must admit.” He

ducked under the next attack, but was ready for the next one… or so he thought.

The shuriken made a small gash in his calf as he pulled it away too late. “This animal’s too good.” He admitted begrudgingly. “Time to take the offensive.” He slammed into the ground, blasting a massive wall of air outwards in all directions. Paintings were knocked from the wall as the pressure slammed into them, and windows cracked.

Jason easily blocked the pressure wave with a crystal wall. “Your pitiful breeze can’t make it through my crystal, Gabriel.” He said with triumph.

“Oh?” He took a deep breath, and thrust his hand forward. A concentrated blast of wind shot forth, distorting the air around it. It screeched as it shot through the air.

Jason cursed, leaping to the side into a roll. His wall shattered into thousands of pieces once the blast made contact, hurling fragments everywhere. “I’m using too much energy… This is a Ventumancer’s exact goal. I have to use close combat to preserve it.” He summoned a pair of crystal blades that hooked around his forearms, and leapt at Gabriel.

“Using melee combat on a Ventumancer?” he yelled, smiling maniacally, “I may get to kill you yet!” He easily deflected Jason’s blade, and kicked with his other foot that was descending at inhuman speeds. Jason barely managed to block it, but was thrust downward into the

floor. It cracked as he landed; surprisingly, he didn’t break anything, but his bones still screeched in protest. “He’s right though. One doesn’t simply use melee attacks on a Ventumancer. Lord, what was I thinking? I’m going to have to think way ahead…” he thought.

He fled backwards, avoiding Gabriel’s next attack. Jason swept his arms in large arcs, summoning a cloud of Ordo around him. Thin tendrils crackling with Potentia whipped out at Gabriel.

Gabriel looked momentarily shocked that a Stateramancer was able to use such a technique, but quickly recovered, dodging each tendril sent his way. Laughing as he danced between them, he yelled, “You have no hope of hitting me, Jason. This is exactly what we’re trained to dodge!”

“Ah, but I don’t need you to get hit now do I?” he thought. When his tendril sped past, it left a small spark in the air. It was unnoticeable by anyone who couldn’t control Potentia… meaning Gabriel couldn’t see it. “Perfect.” Jason thought, keeping his face passive. It was just like playing chess; you couldn’t give anything away. Once all the sparks were in position, Jason called off the attack, dispelling the tendrils. He was breathing heavily, his hands on his knees.

“Done already?” Gabriel laughed. Adrenaline was clouding his sense of touch; he couldn’t feel his silver hair standing on end.

“Not quite.” Jason said, straightening his back. He took a deep breath, waiting for Gabriel to fly straight into the trap. “You may be fast,” he started as Gabriel launching himself forward, “But no one can dodge something like this.” He clapped his hands, and the field burst to life. Lightning arced in every direction, ensnaring Gabriel in its wrath. He screamed in pain as electricity coursed through his veins.

Slowly, the technique died, leaving the air humming with energy. Jason sank to his knees, gasping. Gabriel’s limp body fell to the floor, scattering soot on impact. His body jerked as excess Potentia flowed through it to the floor, and his breathing came in short, ragged gasps. Standing, Jason limped over to Gabriel, staring down indifferently. “That’s why you don’t go against me, fool.” He said, picking up his companion’s body and slinging it over his shoulder.

He looked around at the damaged school. Windows were shattered, their frames hanging limply in the holes made for them. Pictures and paintings had been scattered about; some were badly damaged from Gabriel’s wind blasts. Jason threw Gabriel’s unconscious body on the floor, and then kicked it down the stairs, smiling as it thudded on the hard, stone steps. He then went to work fixing what he could along the walls, hanging up paintings and securing unbroken windows.

After he fixed what he could, he simply left Gabriel’s body at the bottom of the steps, sighing and sitting in the front desk. “Boss man isn’t going to be happy about this,

that’s for sure. I’ll be lucky if I can keep my job.” He muttered to himself, leaning his head back. He closed his eyes, slowly recuperating from the skirmish. “I need to look into Death’s comment more. I wish he could’ve just told me what it meant.” Suddenly, he snapped his head up, opening his eyes. “Actually, why don’t I just go back there and see what clues I can find.” He started to get up, but stopped, realizing he had no idea how to get there again.

Scoffing, he sat down in his chair, frustrated. He then stood up again, sighing. “Might as well go look for it.” He mumbled, walking off to the stairwell. As he passed Gabriel’s body, he said, “Stay here, ugly.”

He quickly climbed the steps, wandering down the hall that he had taken previously. He looked around at the exquisite paintings and ornate, stained-glass depictions of terrifying landscapes. One showed a massive mountain with a large plume of ash over it. There was a small town under it, and the people were running away from the mountain, terrified. “Strange…” he mumbled, looking closer at the painting, “Why would they be running from a cloud?” Shrugging, he walked away, searching out the tunnel he had taken previously.

He came to an intersection of three hallways, looking to the right and left. An almost imperceptible, but familiar smell hit his nose from the left. “It must be this way…” He thought, following the scent trail.

Suddenly, he came to a small classroom. He stuck his nose in the air, trying to find the scent, but it had simply… vanished. Disappointed, he tried the door to the classroom. The metal knob was algid and dusty; it looked as though no one had touched it for years. The door seemed to be stuck; its hinges were rusty and worn. Sighing, he leaned back and side-kicked the door, blasting it off its hinges and splintering the wood. A cloud of dust billowed off the door, making Jason cough.

Inside was not the typical classroom set up. Instead, the chairs had all been pushed to the sides; most were broken and lying in pieces. The carpet had been removed, leaving a large concrete slab with nails sticking out of it. That wasn’t the strangest thing in the room. That title belonged to a circle with a five pointed star drawn in the center of it. Smaller circles were drawn where the points touched the circle, and in those were a random assortment of items: A small, human skull, a crow feather, still pristine despite the room’s obvious neglect, a small coffin with a cross, a miniature scythe, and a statue of a black and white ram with a dagger in it.

Jason’s eyes narrowed, noticing that the symbol was drawn in a dry, dark brown substance: blood. “What is this doing in a school?” he muttered, staying clear of the symbol and walking along the walls. Various skeletons were hung about the room; some looked as though they had met grisly fates.

Jason’s heart began to beat faster. He could sense something in this room… the feeling of dread was almost

tangible. He shivered, a chill running down his spine. He needed to notify someone of this.

As he turned to leave, he saw a figure in the far reaches of blackness at the other end of the hall. The eyes were the color of blood, glowing amidst the shadows. Something was hanging from it, barely lit by the moonlight spilling in from the window. It appeared to be… a scarf. Gasping at the burning pain that suddenly flared on his chest, he looked down, ripping off the necklace. It hummed with a vibrant, green energy that slowly faded. The metal had become scorching hot. He looked up at the mysterious shadow, but it had vanished. “Well now I’m just seeing things.” He muttered, putting his head in his hands.

He strolled out of the classroom, marking it with the mandatory symbol of danger. He needed to know the history of this room, and what happened there. He blew on his necklace, putting it back on when it was finally cool enough to touch. “What did this thing just do?” he complained, studying it in his hand. It looked as though nothing had happened; there was no glow, and the emerald had remained where it was.

He carefully retraced his steps back to the front room. Gabriel was sitting with his hand pressed to his temple, glaring furiously at Jason. “Where were you?”

“I found something of concern, but I don’t want to bring it up with you. You’re far too low to do much about

it; you’d probably piss your pants anyway.” Jason retorted.

“Are you calling me a pansy?” he started, standing up.

Jason karate chopped him in the neck, causing his knees to buckle and face-plant on the floor. “I beat you once, and I could easily do it again, with the condition you’re in. Stay down.”

Gabriel groaned, sitting back up.“Anyway, it’s probably just the remnants of some

kid’s sick joke.” Jason said dismissively. A feeling in his gut, however, tugged at his brain, telling him it wasn’t. “There’s something more to that… That crow feather. How was it still in perfect condition after all the time it must’ve been sitting there? Also, were those bodies real? Was I looking at the remnants of a homicide?” His mind wandered back to the image of the red-eyed shadow, and the reaction it had provoked from his necklace. “There’s definitely something more to this.”

“Lord!” the boss man gagged, looking into the room.

“What the hell happened here?”“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out, sir.

Based on the information I gathered from it, which isn’t a lot, I can’t conclude it was merely a deranged, homicidal maniac who performed this.” Jason said, stepping carefully into the room.

“You can’t conclude that it was a maniac?” he said, shock widening in his green eyes, “I would think that this is perfect evidence to prove that!”

“Normally, yes, but look at this feather.” Jason bent down, pointing to the crow’s feather. “How many years has this been built?”

The boss man thought for a moment, scratching his blonde beard. “Around five hundred years.”

“It’s safe to assume, than, that this feather has been sitting here for at least that long. Any preservation technique used on it would’ve worn off centuries ago. Also, using the revealing technique, I can’t see any Ordo…” Jason trailed off, looking around.

“Jason?” the boss asked.“Actually, my revealing technique is being… altered,

somehow. I can’t see anything.” Jason replied.“Altered?” the boss was shocked.“Yes. Normally, I would be able to see certain

elements coming from various materials. The feather itself should inherently be made of Volatus and Aer, but the images are being, distorted and lost.” The glow from his eyes faded, and he looked back up at the boss. “Something is deeply wrong here. No amount of energy on this planet is enough to conceal what materials are made of.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” The boss replied, “There are some curses in the line of Perditio that can distort the make-up of objects. They are, however, strictly forbidden, as they also can serve dual purposes.”

“Such as?” Jason asked.“Certain Perditio traps can also kill people in grisly

ways. Their bodies become mangled, distorted, even torn apart. It’s not a fun thing to look at.” He said, his face darkening.

“You look like you’ve seen it happen before, sir.” Jason said, standing.

“I have; during the aftermath of the War.” He said, “Mind you, I’ve only hit half my life just recently. At the ripe old age of 347, I am nowhere near old enough to witness the War itself. However, the aftermath continued for three hundred years after the War was over. Nearly two decades of fighting is all it took to cause a clean-up that took over three centuries.”

“So you’re one of those who decided a long life was for them?” Jason asked, smiling.

“Yep. Many people don’t want to live to six hundred, but I decided “why not?” you know? The average life expectancy nowadays is only two hundred, too short for what I want to accomplish, personally.” He smiled.

“May I ask what that goal is, sir?” Jason said, stepping out of the room.

“It’s the old classic policeman dream. I would like to see this world rid of all evil and suffering. People still live in poverty, you know, over in the Centre. Living in a desert does a number on those poor people, and they just can’t get the supplies they need.” He sighed, looking off into the distance.

“Hopefully we get to see that someday, sir.” Jason nodded.

The boss set up a barrier in front of the room, restricting access to all beings. Dusting off his hands, he turned and strolled away with Jason. “So what about yourself? Would you like to live to be my age and beyond?”

Jason looked away. “I’m not sure I’d want to. Living with the memories of my past is already difficult enough. I don’t think I’d want to create more chances to create more like them.”

“My apologies if I struck a sensitive chord there, kid.” The boss apologized.

“No worries, sir. What happened at Kizendow simply could not be stopped.” He said.

“You’re a survivor of Kizendow?” he asked, astonished.

“No sir, not exactly. I lived in the neighboring town, away from the slaughter that took place, but most of my previous friends were from there.” He replied.

“I guess that’ll explain why you turned to alcohol to escape those memories.” The boss said.

Jason’s ears flattened in shame, and he averted his eyes.

“It’s nothing to be sorry of, kid. Even the strongest willed men and women would succumb in your position. I don’t blame you for becoming an alcoholic, but just make sure to leave it out of your professional life, eh?” he replied, putting his hand on Jason’s shoulders.

“I’ll be sure to do that, sir.” He laughed weakly.“Also, about that skirmish you had with Gabriel last

night. I’m not sure I trust his opinion so much, but he said that you attacked him without any proper reason to. He claimed to be minding his own business when you lashed out at him. Is that true?” the boss asked.

“Not in the slightest. It is true, however, that I started it. However, I only did so because he was insulting and disrespectful. I couldn’t exactly contain my anger at the things he said.” Jason sighed.

“Ah, that’s right, you come from the East. Over there, you can settle things with duels, correct?” the boss sighed, “That being said, you should’ve taken it outside. The school was severely damaged. Also, this will serve as your only warning. I know you grew up with that custom, but it is not typically practiced over here in the West.”

“I assure you that most of the damage was due to Gabriel’s violent air attacks. Stateramancers can’t exactly

cause that kind of destruction on a scale like that, sir.” Jason said.

“True.” He nodded in reply, “But just make sure it doesn’t happen again. You’re free to go; we’ll look into the room further. Tonight when your shift starts, I’ll be pairing you with a newbie to the force over in the School of Terra. Show her the ropes, and try not to get too comfortable with her.” He winked, walking over to Gabriel, who was resting his head against the wall, an icepack on his head.

“That won’t be a… problem… sir.” Jason trailed off.He laughed. “Ah, I see. Way to keep up stereotypes,

Jason.” He strolled up to Gabriel and started a conversation with him.

Jason flushed, his eyes widening. He stood completely shocked that he would say something like that. “Stereotypes?! Not all of us are that way!” he wanted to shout. Looking down, he walked out of the building, “I just happen to be this way…”

The sky had become a dark grey, ready to welcome the first rays of sunshine. Jason strolled home, yawning several times along the way. The early morning air was cool and damp. Early birds chirping in the trees were the only sources of noise.

After around twenty minutes, he could finally see his apartment complex down the road. “I have two hours to take a nap. That should be plenty. I wonder—“ His

thought was cut off as a force suddenly pulled him into the ally he was walking by. He screamed, clawing desperately at the ground. He was slammed against the wall, his breath getting forced from his lungs. Gasping, he struggled vainly against the force holding him against the wall.

A figure appeared before him, silhouetted against the soft, golden light coming from the road. Sanguine eyes lit up from the darkness, and a sudden breeze picked up, causing the figure’s red scarf to billow. “Wh-Who are you?” Jason struggled, kicking vainly at the figure.

A bright, pearly smile appeared, the corners curling unnaturally high. It said nothing, but advanced. The shadow wore fur boots that appeared to be dripping with blood.

“Get away from me!” Jason screamed, summoning a large bolt of Ordo and launching it at the shadow. His eyes widened as the bolt lit up the features of the demon. Alexander, his long lost friend, was standing there before him, eyes redder than blood. It caught the bolt, dispelling it easily. “Alexander?” Jason whispered, horrified.

The demon stopped, the smile seeming to fade for a moment. It quickly returned, and it began walking towards Jason again. “Jason Deverla…” It said, Alexander’s voice echoing through the alley, “To think I’d ever see you again. Whatever happened to that one that got away… what was his name… Johnathan?”

Jason growled, “What have you done with Alexander?!”

“You mean the boy that wandered into the woods late at night to set me free? I devoured his soul and took over his body. It was quite pleasant to hear his screams of agony and pleads of mercy. You pathetic mortals always seek mercy before you die. My father was busy that night.” It said.

“Father…?” Jason said, his eyes widening. “That means…”

“Oh? What have you realized, mortal? Tell me. I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll make no difference in your execution.” It leaned in, its nose brushing Jason’s. He nearly gagged on the scent of blood and carrion on its breath. “Your body is quite nice; I’ll be more than happy to take it.”

“Your one of the children of Death, aren’t you?” he spat.

The creature backed up, its eyes narrowing. “How could you have known that?”

Jason laughed. “You’ll never hear it from me.” he glared, shouting, “Give Alexander his body back! Your father must still have his soul.”

“Oh, see now, there’s a tad bit of a problem there. Normally, my father picks up the souls that have escaped from people’s bodies. However, when I’m through with

my prey…” it smiled devilishly, and whispered, “There’s no soul left to pick up. At least, not a whole one.”

“You disgusting—“ he gasped in pain. His necklace felt as though it were burning through his skin. He choked down a scream, unable to rip the searing metal free of his chest.

“Oh?” The demon reached down his shirt and pulled out the metal charm. “What—“ its question was drowned in its sudden scream of agony. It hissed, retreating. “Where did you get that?!” it screamed, holding its smoking hand.

“That’s none of your concern!” Jason yelled.“It doesn’t matter. Nothing can save you now.” It

advanced once more, placing its frigid hand on Jason’s chest, just above the furiously glowing necklace.

Jason gasped in pain. His heart was burning, but not because it was hot. A searing cold had pierced his heart, feeling as though it was going to tear it apart. Tears sprang to his eyes.

The demon cackled maniacally, throwing its head back. “Once I’m through with you,” It screamed, “I’ll slaughter this whole village!” Its hand suddenly vanished into Jason’s chest, sending a new, far more intense wave of agony into his system. His blood felt like it was boiling from the algid intensity in his heart.

Suddenly, a massive burst of light sent the demon flying backwards. It screamed, clutching a bloody stump

that used to be its right arm. Hissing, it suddenly disappeared, and the force holding Jason dissipated as well. He sank to his hands and knees, coughing uncontrollably. His vision was swimming, and soon even his arms couldn’t support his weight. He collapsed onto the cold pavement, his mind clouding over. He could hear distant pounding that was almost like footsteps.

Or maybe it was the sound of his own dying heart.

Jason slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the nearly fluorescent light coming from nearby candles. His head was throbbing, and his chest felt like it was one fire. Coughing feebly, he tried to sit up, but was quickly pushed down by the person sitting next to his bed. It was Giuri, who had been waiting anxiously for him to awake.

“Don’t try to move, Jason.” She said, “You just went through hell, and I’m not sure if your body can withstand the stress of moving.”

He calmly did as she suggested, resting his head on the pillow. He looked around the room, his foggy brain piecing together the scenery. “Wha—“

“Don’t try and talk, either.” Giuri interrupted, “It’ll cause unnecessary movement within your chest.”

He sighed, slowly nodding. He winced at the pain that shot through his neck.

“See?” she sighed, “Well, I bet you have a lot of questions, so I’ll start from when we found you, or rather, that Sara girl found you. She told the officers that she was getting ready to end her shift for the night when she heard something coming from down the road. It sounded like screaming, so she went to investigate. She said as she slowly walking down the sidewalk, there was a massive explosion. Something came out of the smoke and disappeared, so she ran to go and see what had happened.

“That’s when she saw you, lying completely unconscious on the pavement. Honestly, she thought you were dead. That necklace you had was humming and glowing viciously, so she called in the officers to help. Soon, you were put in the hospital, and now you’re waking up a couple weeks later.”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Two weeks?!” he screamed in his head. “What the hell happened there?”

Giuri shook her head. “We still don’t know what happened in that alley, but we’re investigating as thoroughly as we can. As far as we can tell, you were hallucinating, and lashed out at something, but used too much energy to do so. Still, that necklace remains a mystery. It was sent to a testing facility, but don’t worry; you’ll get it back.”

Jason wanted to refute her; he kept yelling in his head, “No! No! It was one of Death’s children! I swear; it took over Alexander’s body and is using it as a vessel!”

On the outside, however, he simply looked discouraged that his necklace was gone.

“In a few days, you’ll be able to speak with law enforcement. You can tell them what happened, and they’ll decide what happens from there.” She paused, glancing out the window, “You haven’t missed much in school; we’re still going over advanced movements. Though I must admit,” she said, looking back, “Duels have been rather boring without a proper opponent.”

Jason smiled.“Well, I’ll just leave you here. I have a job I need to

get to,” she opened the door to leave, but paused and looked back, “Stay safe, okay?” With that, she closed the door with a soft click.

Jason listened quietly to the sounds from outside his room: people wandered about, dealing with various maladies and talking about their personal lives with friends and family. He noticed two pairs of footsteps walking towards his door, so he feigned being asleep. They walked in, talking about an event that had happened up north.

The young doctor spoke, “I heard it was pretty catastrophic. There was no damage to the town, but the loss of life was extremely high.”

The other replied, picking up some things left in the room, “Do you think it was the same demon that slaughtered Kizendow and the other two villages?”

“No,” the younger doctor said, checking the candle next to Jason’s bed, “That demon left nothing behind. It slaughtered all of the inhabitants, and destroyed most, if not all, of the buildings in the village. This case was different. Most in the Kizendow and other cases were burned or mangled; the murders in New York were different. They seemed… almost deliberate, as if they had been planned.”

“What do you mean?” the other doctor asked.“There were some that hung from trees in nooses.

Others looked like they had brutally slaughtered each other. Unlike Kizendow, this village was a lot larger and more important. I heard it had over a million inhabitants; each one of them dead in disgusting ways. There were eyes gouged out, throats torn apart, organs spilt on the streets. The clean-up crews almost couldn’t handle it.” He replied, his voice heavy.

They closed the door softly, continuing their conversation out of the room in hushed voices. The older doctor spoke, “What about the demon? Did anyone see it?”

“No one saw it and lived, I know that. It’s a complete mystery, unlike the Demon of Kizendow. Jason Deverla and Johnathan Salensky were the two people that claim witness to it. No one else…” Their conversation died out as they walked further away.

Jason opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. “Another child awakens, I presume. No village just falls to

chaos like they just described by happenstance. I hope there aren’t others… Still, I should create a log of these demons.” He sighed, “No one’s going to believe me anyway. Children of the Gods are unheard of by themselves, and one coming to visit a mortal? That’s just insane, not to mention it was Death AND one of his children.

“Looks like I need to find that person Death spoke of, but where do I even look? I need to read up on the lore of the Gods… maybe their history can give me a clue to who this mysterious young “hero” is… if he is a hero, that is. Still, I’ll need my necklace; it seemed to repel Death’s child… I wonder why. What is so special about it?”

He clenched his fist in frustration. “I don’t have time to be sitting around! I need to get out there and find this person. But… who is he? Death mentioned something about “Lord knowing how she gave birth to him”… what does that mean? Could he be speaking about one of the other gods? That could possibly be it. But who’s she?”

He scoffed, looking out the window. A small, green sapling trembled in the noon breeze. Suddenly, his mind made the obvious connection, “She” as in Life! Of course he was talking about Mother Nature! One god having children is rare as it is, but two?! That’s downright absurd… but gods don’t lie, that’s for sure. At least, why would they need to?

“This whole situation is completely insane. I’m just a regular wolf trying to make a living for myself, trying to

escape my past, and suddenly here I am caught in the middle of an impending apocalypse.” He chuckled quietly, “No, that’s ridiculous. An apocalypse? I must be on something right now… Still, what happens if those two children get together? Could there be more… and what is their purpose? There’s always some motive, more than just for laughs or for the hell of it.

“Think back to that room… is it possible that they’re behind that? If so, that means they’ve been on this Earth for a while. But… why haven’t they destroyed everything by now?”

Jason sighed, growing increasingly confused and angry. “It’s all too confusing. I’ll think about it when I get out of here. Right now, I just need to focus on regaining my strength.” He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. His body seemed to be tired just from waking up, so he happily allowed himself to fall back asleep.

His crutch clicked noisily on the ground as he

hobbled out of the hospital. After three days he was finally allowed to leave, but he was told to check back in every two weeks for a couple months for physical therapy. The bright sun shone down; it was now the middle of summer, so the sun was sweltering. Jason let his tongue roll out of his mouth, panting slightly.

He passed by an older gentleman sitting on a bench underneath a tree. Looking up, he chuckled, “Bad weather to be a wolf, eh?”

Jason laughed, “It is. It also doesn’t help that I was raised in a colder place, so I’m not yet adjusted to heat like this.” He sat down next to the man, shaking his hand.

The gentleman was wearing a grey beret. He had a slight Central accent, and his simple, brown eyes sparkled happily. He sat his hands over his cane. “Yep, it gets rather hot here. But you’re a Technomancer, aren’t you? I can tell by your physique that you do a lot of physical training. Also, you’ve just got that look in your eye.”

“That look?” Jason asked.“Yeah, the look of determination and pride. Not many

people who aren’t Technomancers have that certain look to them, lad.” He laughed. “If I may, what kind are you?”

“Stateramancer.” Jason replied.“You’re a sorry excuse for one!” the old man said

suddenly.“Sorry?” Jason asked, taken aback.The old man laughed, “I’m just pulling your leg, lad.

But if you’re a Stateramancer, why are you complaining about the cold? Can’t you just create some ice to cool yourself down?”

Jason rubbed the back of his neck, “Not really… at least not yet. I was never great with Aqua. I prefer Ignis over all the other elements.”

“Ignis, eh?” the old man said, raising his eyebrow. “I had a friend who blew himself up using that element. It’s dangerous, lad. I guess it’s a good thing it isn’t your main Affinity.”

“What about you? What Affinity are you?” Jason asked kindly.

“I’m a weird one, lad. I’m one of the rare humans without Technomancy. Believe it or not, I actually knew the Immortals growing up. I’m good friends with a couple of them.” He laughed.

Jason’s eyes widened. “I must say it’s an honor to meet you, sir. I can’t imagine what it was like back then, with all those wars and suffering.”

“It was awful, is what it was.” He chuckled darkly, tapping his cane on the ground. “You know, back then, the place we’re at now was once a great country. People came to seek asylum from their oppressive countries, they came to seek out opportunities that weren’t provided by their governments. It was called the United States of America. I traveled here from a place called England, a place from the Centre. I can still remember the look on my face when I saw Lady Liberty…” he trailed off, smiling.

“I’m sorry, I am not well acquainted with the terms you’re using. Remind again what a country is? And who was this Lady Liberty? Was she famous?” Jason asked.

“A country… was a section of land that a government bought and owned. It had citizens, its own form of government, and rights to certain sections of lands. They used to quarrel all the time, fighting over frivolous things like oil, or religion.

“Lady Liberty was a statue that a country named France gave the United States as a gift. It stood as a symbol of freedom; something that was unique, back then.” He said.

“You mean all the countries didn’t fight against one another? There were alliances?” Jason asked, cocking his head.

“Yeah, that’s correct. Ancient things like NATO… er… the UN. No need for them now, seeing as we have a single, unified government.” He replied. He then shook his head, “None of them lasted long. Eventually, especially after the United States figured out Technomancy, the other countries grew fearful and jealous. Spurred on by their fears, Russia, another country in the North, launched a nuclear attack on ol’ America. They were no match for the Immortal of Ignis though. He quickly absorbed the blasts of each and every bomb. After that, the United States had no choice but to retaliate, and they quickly reduced Russia to rubble. That spurred more fighting, and eventually the secret of Technomancy spread, allowing other countries access to this amazing power.

“Alliances soon formed, and the Six Nations were born. Then, all-out war came screaming into our lives. Seventeen years of bloodshed… billions of people died, lad. Old legends tell that the oceans themselves ran red with the blood of the innocents.

“Then, at the end, we humans realized what we were doing was stupid; we had almost wiped ourselves off the face of the Earth just because someone was jealous of something someone else had. After a few years, the Immortals were named to head the new government, and clean-up continued for three centuries afterwards.

“You can’t imagine the things I’ve seen in my long life, lad. Gruesome endings of innocent people, orphaned children that had to be left for dead because there was nowhere for them to go, and the very Earth itself cried at the loss of life. Humans stopped looking towards the old notion of God; they all agreed that the man amongst the clouds no longer existed. How could he? What benevolent, omnipotent ruler would allow his people to slaughter each other so?

“The new Dark Ages had fallen; nearly all technology had all been eradicated during the War. Depressing times those were… more and more people lost the will to live during that time. It’s like a tangible evil had fallen across the world. Then, we discovered something, a century later after the War that brought humans and Jinrui alike out of the deep. We discovered the Four Gods of the Universe: Death, Life, Time, and Space. It was Life herself that made their presence reality; She came down to Earth

and told us how sad She was to see Her beautiful creations fighting how we did.

“She helped us rebuild our civilization.” The old man smiled and closed his eyes, making the symbol of Life with his fingers, “I even got to meet Her in person, lad. Brilliance she had, like none I’ve ever seen. Flowers seemed to turn their heads in shame at her beauty and grace, and peace, perfect, pristine peace was felt amongst all living beings when She smiled. I wish everyone could experience Her glory, lad.”

“I haven’t met Life Herself, but…” Jason trailed off, shaking his head. “No, you probably wouldn’t believe me.”

“Lad, I’ve seen everything there is to see. Whatever you say is nothing compared to the horrors and charms I’ve witnessed.” He replied, setting his wrinkly hand on Jason’s shoulder.

“I was on patrol a couple weeks in the School of Ignis. I had arrived to work drunk, and soon found myself chasing after something I can’t quite remember. Soon, however, I found myself in a buried, ancient ruin of a city. I assumed it was Petramancers who had performed the task, but suddenly, Death Himself showed up and warned me of something.” Jason laughed softly.

“Visited by Death? And you’re still living?” the old man said, taken aback, “In all my years, I’ve never heard anything more unbelievable.”

“I told—““No lad, I believe you.” he interrupted. He motioned

for him to continue.Jason sighed, “He told me that I was given a task by

Lord Time; I am to search out a specific young man. I don’t know why, and I don’t know how… but I’ll try. I then asked him about the city… and he said something I couldn’t quite wrap my head around until recently. When I asked him, he just turned and said, “My children happened.” then disappeared.”

“You mean Death had children? Even I can’t believe that far.” He grumbled.

“Neither could I… until that morning after my shift. I was walking home… when I was suddenly abducted by one of them. It was going to kill me, then slaughter everyone in this town. I can still feel its grip on my heart as it tried to pull out my soul…” Jason shivered, wrapping his arms around himself, “Then, something happened. I can’t exactly remember what, but I remember a large flash, then I woke up here.” He nodded to the hospital.

“You’re not lying.” The old man said, his eyes full of shock.

“How can you tell?” Jason asked, smiling. He was curious about how someone without Technomancy could tell when someone was lying.

“When you get to be my age, you’ve seen all the tricks when people lie. No matter how good they are, you

just can’t beat an old geezer’s experience. You’re telling nothing but truth, lad.” He leaned back, smiling. “The notion of a god having children… now that’s the strangest thing I’ve heard in my long life.” Something in the doorway of the hospital caught his eye. “Looks like I have to go. It was a pleasure talking to you.” he hobbled away, meeting up with the nurse in the doorway.

“No. The pleasure was all mine.” Jason said quietly. “Someone actually believed me?” he thought, standing up. Shaking his head, he headed home, preparing himself for the long, hot journey ahead of him.

Along the way, he passed the school library. He looked inside, stopping, and debating whether he should make the trip up those intimidating steps. “I wonder if they’ll even have what I’m looking for… It’s a possibility, but is it worth the energy the doctor told me to put into healing?” He shook his head, and decided to make the trip.

He ascended the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace, and had to catch his breath whenever he got to a level surface. Finally, after several minutes of struggling, straining, and gasping, he made it to the front doors. They seemed to recognize his disability and opened for him, swinging wide. The librarian at the front desk smiled and asked, “Hello sir. Is there anything specific that you’re looking for?”

Jason pondered for a moment, then nodded, “Yes, actually. Could you lead me to the aisle that has lore on the Gods? Specifically Death and Life.”

The librarian stood and put her hands on her hips, pursing her lips. “Hmm…” she hummed, looking about the room. “Ah, that’s right. Follow me.” she said, walking slowly over to a small corner of the room. Jason followed as fast as he could, but she still ended up waiting for him at the aisle. “Not many books are made on the Four, as we don’t exactly know a lot about them yet. There is this small section here that’s devoted to Death, but most of what you’ll find is from the Quattuor Locis Churches.” She explained.

“Thank you.” Jason said politely.“My pleasure.” She smiled, walking back to her desk.Jason leaned on his crutches, looking down at the

section on Death. None of the books caught his eye; most of the authors of these books he’d heard about from theology in school way back when. They all didn’t provide logical explanations or solid arguments; school told them they were to be thought of, but not necessarily trusted. However, one did catch his eye. It was a small, black, leather bound book with a small skull clasp holding it closed. The letters were written in an ancient language; the same one he had seen from the ruins of that city underneath the School of Ignis.

He undid the clasp, flipping to the front page. “This is no use,” he thought disappointedly, “I can’t translate this

language.” he sighed, pulling out his student card. “Maybe there’s someone in that church she spoke of that can.” He hobbled back to the front desk, giving the librarian his card.

She looked at the cover, raising her eyebrow. “You can speak Arabic?” she asked, logging the information on his card onto a document.

“Arabic?” Jason asked.“It was an ancient language that was lost during the

days of the War of Six Nations. Being a librarian, we’re actually required to have a good knowledge of culture, language, and social behaviors.” She explained.

“I don’t know it, but maybe there’s someone that can?” he asked.

She furrowed her brow, handing him the book and his card. “It’s due back in three weeks, on the 25th.” Sighing, she said, “I know a translator who might be able to decipher it, but he lives in the Centre, in a small town named Dublin. You may have to wait out the school year to meet him, though I doubt you can get permission to travel there; international trade has been tight recently from the attacks.”

“I’ll look into it. Thank you.” Jason said, hobbling from the library. As he descended the steps, he thought about what she had told him, “All the way in the Centre? That’ll take at least two weeks’ time to arrive, not to mention at least a month of translation, if not more, and

then the trip back!” He struck out angrily at a nearby leaf, but nearly fell down the steps in the process. He flailed his body wildly, regaining his balance, but looking ridiculous while doing it. A kid with their mother looked up at Jason, giving him a funny look. He narrowed his eyes in response.

Sighing, he continued down the steps. “There’s no way I’ll be able to travel there, not in the condition I’m in. Not to mention that tightened security. Well, with that out of the running, maybe I can find someone here in the Church she was speaking of to translate it.” He looked around. “It’s a small town, is it not? Maybe there’s one just outside school grounds…”

After thirty, horrid minutes, Jason finally made it to his apartment, panting. Sara winked at him when the doors opened, and said, “Hey fuzz butt. Don’t you wish you had Gelum under control yet?”

“Ha ha.” Jason said, “It’s not that I don’t have it under control… it’s just… personal reasons.”

“Oh? Like what?” she asked, leaning her head in and raising her eyebrows.

“Like I would tell you.” he poked her in the forehead, smiling.

“Rude, Jason.” She scoffed. “Anyway, whatever the reason may be, it oughta be good, I guess. Have a nice climb up the stairs.” She waved.

“Sure.” He waved one of his crutches back, taking a deep breath and embarking on the journey up the steps. By the time he had climbed two flights of stairs, his legs felt like they were on fire. His back ached, and his head throbbed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the library.” He said, opening his door. The blissful, cool air from within washed over him like an ocean wave, breathing life into his body. He sighed happily, closing his eyes and simply standing in the doorway.

Soon, the pressure equalized, and the small breeze stopped. He hobbled inside, closing the door and carefully hanging up his backpack. He adjusted the strap on his a-shirt, sitting down in his reclining chair. His physician had it installed because it was still too much effort for Jason to stand up after sleeping. He didn’t like it; it was made of a brown felt, but had a rough texture that he didn’t approve of. “Not to mention it totally clashes with everything else in this apartment. I have a style, people! You can’t just mess with someone’s fashion sense.” he thought, throwing his hands in the air.

The voice of his boss echoed in his head, “Way to keep up stereotypes.” It said. Jason chuckled, “Yeah, I guess so.” He pushed the recliner back, staring at the ceiling. “Well, I have no homework to do, I can’t practice forms, I have no books to read… what am I going to do?” he said out loud.

He let his head fall to the side, looking into his bedroom. Sitting on his desk, in plain sight, was a sketchbook with a colored pencil set nearby. “Why not?”

he said, slowly standing up. He shuffled into his room, gathering the drawing supplies and returning to his recliner. Once he sat down, however, his mind drew a blank. He sighed, flipping the pencil between his fingers. “Hmmm…” he mumbled, his eyes narrowing at the paper.

Slowly, a dull ache crept into his head as the pain medicines wore off. “Why didn’t they give me any medication?” he thought, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple. “I could really…” his though trailed off, and he looked to the kitchen… where a new bottle of alcohol sat waiting to be opened. “Yeah, I could go for some of that stuff.” He murmured, shuffling into the kitchen. The bottle opened with a satisfying pop, and he took a large swig, grimacing at the burning. “Still not used to that feeling quite yet.” He said, stumbling back to the living room and plopping himself onto the recliner. It groaned under his weight, creaking loudly.

He frowned, looking dejectedly at the furniture. “You’re making me feel fat. Shut up.” He told it, tipping the bottle and swallowing another gulp of alcohol. He laughed weakly to himself as the intoxication set in, his mind going fuzzy. “Fuzzy like me…” he smiled. The throbbing in his head slowly went away as his senses grew muddled. “Wonderful!” he said loudly, raising a toast to the ceiling.

Soon, the bottle had been completely downed, and Jason was left in a giggling mess doodling on a piece of paper with a bright pink pencil. “Something… something

to draw, eh?” he mumbled, his unfocused eyes wandering around the page. He tore it out, grabbing his darker graphite pencil and setting to work, inspiration coming from drunken bliss.

He was dimly aware of what he was doing; he was simply spilling his artistic guts onto the page. Eventually, the mid-day faded to dusk, and that dimmed into the night. He stood and lit candles when it got dark, but quickly returned to his drawing, working furiously in an inebriated stupor. As he finished his drawing, Jason was faintly aware of nodding off to sleep.

“Ugh, here comes the best part of being drunk: the

ha—“ his sarcastic comment was quickly silenced by a convulsion from his stomach hurling his already empty stomach into the toilet.

Giuri shook her head, tsk-ing. “I honestly guessed I’d find you like this, your head in a toilet.”

“Oi,” Jason started, “I won--” Another bout of vomiting cut off his reply.

She smiled devilishly, patting his back. “You really shouldn’t get drunk in your current state. It cannot be good for you, Jason. You’re body needs sober healing, not drunken masking.

“I was in pain.” He complained.

“Since when have you become such a wuss?” she asked, lightly slapping his ear.

He twitched it casually, coughing. “I’m not a—“ More retching.

Giuri shook her head. “I’ll take you up on that.” She stood up, “I’ll be right back; I need to get a present for you that I left in the kitchen. Don’t move!”

“Yes ma’am, Giuri ma’am.” He said, slurring his words.

“Don’t call me that!” she called from the kitchen. “Formalities are not my thing.”

“Whatever you say…” he choked back a laugh, “…ma’am.”

She walked back in, smacking him in the neck. This triggered another round of coughing, but she simply stared at him dismissively. “I don’t need any funny business from you.” She removed his necklace from a little box, handing it around his neck. “There! See? It’s your necklace. The scientists couldn’t find anything special about it, so they said you could have it back!”

“They couldn’t find anything special?” he asked, gingerly sitting down beside the toilet. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let me rephrase that.” She said, holding up a finger, “They couldn’t find anything that would want to kill you on it.”

“How kind of them.” He said.“It is kind, actually, and you should thank the doctors

when you see them again.” She said, putting on her haughty attitude.

“When?” he said incredulously, “What do you mean when?”

“It means what it obviously means, Jason. You’re going to be seeing the doctors again, and you can’t have alcohol in your blood when you do it!” she replied.

“Well, what time am I going back?” he whined.“Sometime next week. I’m taking the liberty to see

that you have appointments made and kept. Think of me as… your mother.” She said, smiling.

“Ew no. That’s weird.” He said, grimacing.“Fine, then I’ll just be your caretaker.” She replied.“Sure.” He said, putting his head back in the toilet

bowl. He let his arms hang limp, resting his chest on the lip of the seat. He began to moan loudly and pitifully, sounding more like a dying cat than the canine he was.

“This is why you don’t get drunk. You’ve become addicted.” Giuri said.

“It’s the alcohol that’s addicted to me, Giuri.” He moaned.

She sighed. “This is your downside? Glad I didn’t end up dating you.”

There was a small period of silence from within the bowl. Jason didn’t move, but responded, “Ouch.”

“Also, no guy is going to want to date you in the state you’re in now, Jason.” She said.

“Stop bashing on my non-existent love life. It hurts my feelings.” He whined.

“Non-existent? Now whose fault is that? You’re just too afraid to actually go out and get a date!” she retorted.

“I thought you were here to help me.” he said.“Call it constructive criticism.” She waved her hand.He took his head out of the toilet bowl, sighing.

“When did the doctors say I could go back to school?”“In two months.” She replied. She laughed at Jason’s

crestfallen expression. “It won’t be that bad, Jason. Plus, you have more time to draw me things.” She walked out of the bathroom, picking up the drawing he did last night. “Like this; absolutely stunning, by the way.”

“Really? Let me see.” He said, extending his arm.“You mean you haven’t seen it already?” she asked,

quizzical.“I was far too drunk last night; I can’t remember

even sitting in that nightmare of a chair.” He looked down at the drawing, his eyes widening. “You’re right; this is stunning.”

The picture was in his typical one-color style. This time, it was Death sitting in a graveyard on a rainy day. He was admiring a rose that He’d picked up off the ground. The color, however, wasn’t the regular one hue. The rose stem and leaves were a deep viridian, complementing perfectly the dynamic crimson of the petals. In the background were the ruins of a far off town that seemed long forgotten. It was a simple image, yet the connotation was powerful.

“Who knew that you could draw like this…” Giuri said in awe.

“There was… one person.” Jason said, looking at his feet.

‘”Your friend Alexander?” she asked carefully.Jason nodded. “I used to think he was gone; now I

know it’s far worse than he’s just dead. That demon, Death’s child, and the one that destroyed Kizendow, stole his body and destroyed his soul. It’s like it wanted to screw with me. When I was attacked, I couldn’t think straight because I couldn’t believe it wasn’t him…”

“That’s… awful. I can’t imagine what that was like.” Giuri said.

“I can barely imagine it myself.” He said quietly.“I once lost someone I loved as well.” She said,

looking away. “It was my brother. He was always so full of life and joy, even though he was depressed and suicidal. Whenever I was sad, he would always comfort me. He

would stay by my side, and when I asked him why he was so happy, he replied, “I’m not happy, and I never will be. However, it’s always the saddest people that make others happy, because they know what it’s like to feel worthless, and they don’t want anyone else experiencing the same pain as them.

“One night, while asleep, my brother came and woke me up, holding me in his arms. He was crying, but I was too tired to figure out why then. He whispered to me, “No matter what happens to you, always be the joy in someone else’s life, dear sister.” Then, he left without saying goodbye.” She trailed off, her eyes growing heavy with sadness.

“He took his life, didn’t he?” Jason asked quietly.She nodded. “I was so angry with him for doing it; I

was angry that he left me alone. You see, my parents were killed by thieves a while before that, so it had just been me and him… and soon it was just me.”

“Where did you go?” Jason asked.She shrugged, “I wandered. I was an unwanted child;

deep within a religious community, I was out casted because my family was the only one to not believe what the rest of the community believed. I traveled south, begging in the streets. Amid rain, snow, or blistering sun, I was forced to live on the streets and beg for food.

“Then, one night when I was ready to give it all up, a nice young man found me and took me into his home. He

treated me nicely, but his parents were not very fond of Jinrui, so they looked upon me as if I were a common house dog. I was to sit in a room all day, no food, water, or entertainment. If I could make my own, they were fine with it, but I couldn’t use any of their possessions to do it.

“The young man, however, helped me greatly. He gave me my start into education. I trained and trained all day, rarely resting. Then, when I was sixteen, I was kicked out of the house; it was the last time I ever saw that young man. I was still grateful to the family for putting a roof over my head, and even more grateful to the young man. I got a job, lived in an apartment, and soon caught the attention of the government, who decided to send me to this University.”

Jason looked down, contemplating.“I’m sorry, I ran away with that story.” She said,

wiping her eyes, “My point was that alcohol cannot solve your problems, Jason. I’ve come to terms with my past. It’s the only way to be happy.”

“How can I come to terms with my past if everything I did seemed to be my fault?!” he snapped angrily.

“What? Why would you think that?” she asked.“My parents told me beat me because I was a sinner,

and that I needed to be forgiven. They claimed it was my fault that I allowed the Evil One into my life.” Jason said, his voice rising, “I never had any siblings to comfort me, and I was always the odd man out. I was alone, Giuri.

Then, I thought I was going to be saved by Alexander. He’d dragged me out of the pits of despair, but then he died. He’s dead, and his memory still haunts me to this day!” Small bursts of energy were beginning to swirl around his feet, alarming Giuri.

“Jason!” she said, setting her hand firmly on his shoulder, “None of that was your fault! Your parents were crazed, and what happened at Kizendow was a tragic accident. No one saw it coming, and it couldn’t be prevented.”

“None of it was my fault?” he asked, his eyes brimming with tears, “Then why did I spill my own blood onto the floor multiple times when I was younger?” He held out his arms, which were laced in scars barely visible underneath his fur.

“Because you thought there was no other choice.” She said calmly, averting her eyes.

Jason sighed, “I-I’m sorry…”“No, it’s okay. It’s good to vent from time to time. My

brother was in the same position as you were, Jason. He struggled with self-identity. His whole community told him that it was wrong to feel the way he did about other guys. He was conflicted with their view versus his own. As a result, he ended up not being able to handle it. His body was found along the banks of a river near our village.”

“I’ve never had a problem with self-identity.” Jason said.

“No, but that’s not my point. You can’t let the horrors of your past dictate how you’re going to live in the future. Learn from the past, Jason, don’t try and live in it.” She stood, “If you’ll excuse me, I have to leave for my job.” Walking out the bathroom door, she paused, looking back, “Take care.”

The front door clicked shut, leaving Jason curled in a ball on the floor. He remained in that position, his heart numb. “She’s never shared her past with anyone, and now I guess I know why… To think someone so proper came from such humble beginnings.” He slowly stood, stretching out his legs and leaning on his crutch. He picked up his picture, setting it on the nightstand next to the recliner, and went to his room to change his clothes.

He needed a distraction from this morning, and his quest to find a translator was the perfect one.

Jason stood at the foot of the Quattuor Locis Church

of Death. It was a simple, but large building. The bricks were dark grey, and had various symbols carved into the foundation of the building. It was an intimidating building, having several steeples that shot up to the pale blue sky like black needles.

Jason hobbled up the steps, his book in hand. A young priest greeted him, opening the door and saying, “Greetings, how may we be of assistance today?”

“I’m looking for information on Death and his connection with the other gods.” Jason replied, bowing respectfully.

“Well, you have certainly come to the right place. What relationship are you looking for, exactly?” he asked.

“Death’s relationship with Life. I want to know if they had a child together or not.” Jason said.

“Really?” The young priest furrowed his brow. “I don’t know of any connection like that. I’ll refer you to the High Priest. Please, sit here while you wait.” He disappeared into another room.

Jason gingerly sat down, resting his crutches on the side of the seat. The small church was very dark, and had depictions of Death painted along the walls, showcasing his raw, and awesome glory. In each one, he was shown as a hooded reaper with a large scythe striking down the souls of innocent people. Blood was the main highlight of the paintings. Jason narrowed his eyes, “That’s not how he came across to me when I met him. He was calm, dignified, and even… courteous. I don’t want to tell these people what to believe, but…” His thought trailed off as the High Priest entered.

He wore a long, black and white shawl with a skull pendant. He had strange, swirling symbols under his eyes and along his hands. Darkness seemed to seep through his cloak. Smiling, he extended his hand out to Jason, who reluctantly accepted his handshake. “Hello, young one. I am High Priest Trelekan, human representative of Death.

I was informed by young Rasuk here that you were seeking Death’s relations with Life. Come, allow me to show you.”

Jason stood and followed as fast as he could. There were few followers in the building, but the ones that were in attendance looked up and acknowledged Jason’s presence before quickly returning to work. All the candles were either black or purple, casting eerie hues along the walls and people. The High Priest led him to a library, picking up an old, dusty book. The title read, “A Forbidden Connection: the Rumor of Death’s Affair with Life.”

“Death had an affair?” Jason asked.“Indeed, my dear boy. Allow me to explain His

history.” He said.“Please.” Jason sat down on a nearby pew, listening

with intent.“The tale of Death is an interesting one to say the

least. In the beginning, there was nothing but the four forces that guide the Universe: Time, Space, Life, and Death. By fusing Their powers, Time and Life created the Universe, allowing Space to give it form. Death gave it the necessary darkness to separate the good from evil. After the Universe was created, They took on forms very much like our own. Time, however, remained formless, existing everywhere in every time.

“Life soon married Space, and created the animals and plants you see today. She was unhappy with Her work, however, because She wanted a creature that could think and feel. She grew tired of the primal instincts of the wild animals, and decided to create humans.

“After the humans grew more and more advanced, Death noticed one beautifully stunning woman named Rachkelia. She was beautiful indeed, with her raven black hair and gorgeous purple eyes. However, she was a terribly wicked woman. Her evil far surpassed that of the rulers of past, such as Stalin, Hitler, or Ivan the Terrible. It was said she burned people for the fun of hearing their screams, and then proceeded to eat their children in front of their kin. Her name was so cursed, people removed it from history.”

“Did she die?” Jason asked.“No, she married Death himself, and achieved

immortality. She was said to be so wicked, not even Death dared make her angry. Instead, He married her, inspired by her beauty and evil.

“Soon, He grew bored of her, and ended up murdering Rachkelia in her slumber. It was not an easy thing to do, now that she was immortal, but He managed to do so nonetheless.

“Before He killed her, however, He had fallen temptation to Life’s beauty and grace for reasons we know not. Death never had the eye for the particularly stunning, but together, They had a child. This child was

damned, as it was born out of wedlock, and sentenced to the Earth to live among humans as one of them.”

“You mean if someone found him, they wouldn’t know he was a god?” Jason asked.

“No. His divine status was revoked. He is cursed with immortality, but can still be murdered by another of his status.” The High Priest replied.

“Do you have any idea where he might be?” Jason asked eagerly.

“I’m afraid not. We have been searching for hundreds of years, and have never found anything that supports his existence. We lost many followers because many believed he didn’t exist.” The High Priest said sadly.

Jason sighed. “Do you know of any other children He may have had?”

“You mean with Rachkelia? No, my dear boy, they never had children.” He shook his head.

“I think that may be where you’re wrong, sir.” Jason replied. “Do you know of the attack on Kizendow?”

“I am aware of it.” He nodded.“That was performed by one of Death’s children. It

took over the body of my friend, and used it to slaughter Kizendow and the other two villages.” He said.

“What makes you so sure it was the child of Death?” he asked, rightly skeptical.

“I wasn’t, until just recently. I was hospitalized after the same demon attacked me. I could tell it wasn’t just an insane Malmancer, because it possessed abilities far more powerful than anything I’ve ever heard of. Also, it still possessed the body of my friend, and he was an Aquamancer. I know that for fact.” Jason explained.

“Of course; Hikage cannot control elements outside their current host’s control. You said it had untold powers; what exactly were they?” he asked. “Is it possible that it actually is a Hikage with abilities we have not seen yet?”

“No, I don’t think so. It didn’t have the raw, primal rage a Hikage is told to possess. For one, it was too intelligent; it spoke in coherent sentences, and even told me it had plans of some kind.” Jason said, shaking his head.

The High Priest looked troubled, his eyebrows furrowed into a dark scowl. “This is disturbing news…”

“Sir,” the young priest beside him said, tugging on his sleeve, “Doesn’t that mean… that he was correct?”

The High Priest’s eyes widened. His skin paled further than it already was. “By the gods… Why have you come for information on these children?” he suddenly asked, placing both his hands on Jason’s shoulders.

“Death appeared to me one night and told me I had a quest from Lord Time to find someone; a hero,

apparently.” Jason said. “That sounded idiotic.” He thought.

“So it’s true.” The High Priest said. He looked faint, stumbling backwards into a nearby pew. Sitting down, he put his hand on his head. “This is… dire news.”

“Sir?” Jason asked, nervousness creeping into his heart.

“The apocalypse is upon us, boy.” He said, looking up. “If what you say is true, that means that one of our old elders, High Priest Daniel, was correct in his revelation of the world. He spoke of four children, immortal beings that embody the four pieces of the apocalypse: death, chaos, destruction, and fear.

“We excommunicated him for speaking such blasphemy, but it appears he was right after all.”

He looked up at Jason, a mixture of emotions burning in his eyes. “Find this hero, boy. He is our only hope at this point.”

“Where do I even begin looking?” Jason asked.“I know not.” The High Priest sighed, shaking his

head. “But you must go! Now! We will do all we can, though I doubt it’ll be much.”

Two young boys trekked through the sludgy water.

The youngest, his blue eyes sparkling happily, was carrying a large butterfly net. They each wore bright

yellow rain coats, and had a remarkable family resemblance.

The older brother was looking around, trying to get the bugs from his blonde hair. “Remember to keep an eye out for them frogs.” He said to his younger brother.

The younger one turned, “Yeah, yeah.” He swung the net down on a green object that turned out to be just a plant. Filthy swamp water splashed on the two boys. They burst into a fit of laughter, splashing each other with the algae-clogged water. The youngest took off as fast as his legs could carry him in the water, screaming with joy as his older brother chased after him.

The older one caught the younger brother, squeezing him in his arms and screaming, “I caught you!”

“No fair! You’re taller than me.” The younger one said indignantly.

“That’s how it is in life, dummy.” The older one said, poking his brother in the side. “People will always be taller than you, but you can still beat them, can’t you?”

“You got that from mom!” the younger one cried.“So?” the older one responded. He sighed, allowing

his younger brother to hop on his back. “Anyways, let’s head back; mommy said we should be home by sunset.” He pointed to the brilliant, orange sun.

“Fine. We didn’t catch any frogs though.” The younger one complained.

“We’ll come back tomorrow.”The younger one groaned. “I hate curfews.” He said.“We all do, but we still have to follow them, dummy.”“Stop calling me that, Freddy.” The younger one

complained.Freddy laughed, “No, I don’t think I will.”“You’re mean.”Freddy rolled his eyes, huffing loudly as he walked to

the shore. The two boys suddenly heard something move within the water; something large.

Unaware of the danger, they turned excitedly, thinking it was a frog. Rising out of the water was a large, insect-like creature. It appeared as though it were made of liquid darkness, oozing ethereal, black fluid onto the surface of the water. Its four, blazing yellow eyes narrowed in devilish excitement.

Freddy screamed, panicking and turning to flee. His foot, however, caught on a stick, and he fell into the water. He pushed his younger brother away, “Go, Harry! Run!”

A large spear of shadow pierced the young boy. His blood-chilling scream echoed through the forest, disturbing nearby birds. His body went limp, and his eyes lost their vitality and shine. The creature lifted his body and dropped it into a large opening that was apparently its mouth. There was a sickening crunch, followed by the

grinding and snapping of bones. A tongue whipped out from its mouth, tasting the air… tasting for the little one.

He stood completely petrified. His brown eyes were widened in shock and terror, and tears streamed down his face. Finally, he gathered his wits, turning and screaming. He dashed away as quickly as he could, screaming for his mother.

Those cries, however, would never reach her.Several thick needles of the monster shot from the

water, spearing the young boy in his arms, legs, and back of the neck. He shrieked in agony; pain was consuming his soul. Suddenly, he felt tension in his shoulders and hips… almost as though he were about to be torn apart. His voice died; his vocals chords had been destroyed. He heard a revolting tearing sound, and the pressure in his arms disappeared. The same happened with his legs.

New pain flooded his body; he shouldn’t have been alive. His vision went black, but he could still feel the torture burning in his mind. A face appeared, smiling eerily. A young boy stepped from the shadows, his face, all but his smile, concealed.

“Wh-who are you?” the young boy sobbed in his mind.

“Me?” the demon said, feigning shock, “Why, I’m Jeven, of course!”

“Where’s my brother? What did you do to him?!” he screamed.

Jeven sighed, “The younger ones are always the harder ones to deal with.” He muttered to himself. “Your brother is no more. He doesn’t exist. I took everything about him… and consumed it.”

The young boy stared in horror. “This is just a nightmare!” He shook his head, repeating the phrase over and over.

“Stop!” Jeven screamed. “You only wish it was a nightmare, twit.” He smiled, regaining his terrifying expression, and stepped from the shadows. He looked like a normal young boy, except his eyes were… missing.

Where his eyes should have been, there was instead hollow pits. Blood trickled from the corners. His brown, unkempt hair was stained, coming off at weird angles. His teeth were serrated, and narrowed to points. He leaned very close to the trembling boy. The poor thing gagged at the smell of rotting flesh on his breath. “You’re never leaving me now. Thank you for your contributions to the cause.” He giggled sadistically.

The boy’s vision went black once again, but he could still feel the pain… the horrid torture that never seemed to die. He tried to scream, but found his voice no longer worked. He tried to give up; he willed himself to die.

But he was trapped.Forever.

A boy in an antique suitcoat wandered out of the swamp. His shiny dress shoes and knee-high tan socks were soaked from the water, but he didn’t seem to mind. He dusted off his forest green shorts. Smiling, he stood and faced the nearest town. The boy’s eyes were merely hollow pits, sanguine fluid constantly dripping from the corners, as though he were crying bloody tears. Jeven breathed deeply, the faint scent of human in the air. There was something else, however… something… animal.

He shrugged. “Whatever it is,” he said brightly, “I’ll be sure it ends painfully.” He took a deep breath, feeling a wrenching in his gut, and then opened his eyes.

He stood before a small river town, his hands on his hips.

The guards on the wall looked at him curiously; they hadn’t seen his hollow eye sockets. “How goes it?” one of them called. He had the features of a lizard, but stood on two legs and had many characteristics of a human. Jeven sniffed indifferently. “It lives, so it must die.”

“I’m sorry?” the other guard said, leaning over the wall. “What wa—“

Jeven suddenly appeared in front of him, thrusting his hand into the man’s heart. His bloodied fist appeared out the back, clutching the man’s still-beating heart.

The other guard screamed, drawing a large sword made of a mysterious, green rock that sparkled. Jeven

retracted his arm, still clutching to the man’s heart, and raised his eyebrow. Slowly, the blood soaked into his arm, and the rhythmic beating of the organ slowly faded. Two small orbs of light blazed into the hollow pits of his skull, and his smile became wider.

The reptile-human guard charged, yelling. Jeven vanished, and reappeared an instant later on the creature. Soon, with a flurry of blood, scales, and cloth, a mangled, unrecognizable corpse lay before the boy. He cackled, his cold voice echoing over the village.

Peaceful villagers turned, squinting at the figure that stood on the wall. The blood from his victim soaked into him, causing the orbs to flare brightly. Horrified, they scrambled away, screaming in fear.

In a flash, thirty of them fell. Jeven tore through street after street, slaughtering everything living. The villagers barely had time to react before their lives ended in a flash and spurt of blood. By the time one villager fell to the ground, tens had died. He laughed maniacally, standing atop the steeple of a nearby church. The entire village, the several thousand inhabitants in it, had been slain in a matter of moments.

He watched in glee as the most recent victims toppled to the ground, their lives ebbing away. Shimmering streams of red flowed through the streets, and an absolute silence was cast over the town. Not a single thing breathed, and not a single thing lived… at least, not here.

Jeven smiled, closing his eyes and walking through his collection of souls. They all screamed and cried as agony tore them apart again and again. To him, it only felt like a few seconds. To them, they had been reliving this pain for thousands of years. Young Jeven never killed his victims; he simply stole their souls and tortured them.

A soft presence appeared behind him; another one appeared shortly later. Jeven turned, facing his sister and… his brother? Jeven cocked his head at his older sibling. It wore a bright red scarf and regular teenager clothing. Its eyes were red, and its brown hair fell flat on its head. “What happened to your previous body?”

The sibling shrugged, “I found a new one wandering in the woods. My previous one was the one I was sealed with, Jeven; I couldn’t keep that around.”

Jeven nodded and turned to his sister, bowing his head. “Dreleka.”

His sister stood fairly tall. She wore a frightening, torn black dress. Her skin was pale, and her veins were black as well. Her raven hair fell in front of her face, blowing in the breeze. Her dark red eyes stared indifferently at her younger brother. “Hello Jeven. You did quick work on this lowly village. Who knows, maybe you can surpass me one day.”

“I believe I already have, dear sister.” He said. The red glow in his eyes slowly faded, and began breathing heavily.

Dreleka chuckled. “Don’t make me laugh. You need your blood-lusting ability to do anything, brat. However, I do not need any sort of special abilities. People obey my will no matter who they are. Also,” she said, turning to her younger sibling, “What happened to your arm?”

Jeven raised his eyebrow, laying eyes on his sibling’s right arm. It was a charred stump.

“I tried to attack the friend of the boy whose body I now possess. It had a pendant on it… and it warded against my soul-stealing ability.” It said, looking away.

“Well, that’s two people you’ve managed to not kill; first that ridiculous cat, and now some pathetic canine. Honestly, you really suck at this.” Dreleka smirked.

“I’d like to see you get through it, sister.” The sibling said with an unmoving expression. “It was hand-crafted by Life; we can’t do anything to that kid.”

“What do you mean? Life gave an insignificant mortal a necklace and now he’s invincible?” Jeven asked.

“Apparently so.” The sibling nodded.“We’ll see about that.” Dreleka said, striding out to

the edge of the roof. “In the meantime, we need to finish our initial task. The one we started so long ago.”

“Remind me, why do we need to perform that ceremony?” Jeven asked.

“In due time. I hate repeating myself, dear brother, so I will not say it without Cryla among us.” Dreleka responded.

Jeven groaned, and the other sibling remained silent and void of expression, but slightly raised their eyebrow. “Do we have to retrieve Cryla?” Jeven complained.

“Of course, imbecile. All four of us need to be present for this plan to work; for my plan to work.” Dreleka said.

“Remind me why you’re the one getting to do it?” Jeven asked.

“Because, she’s the oldest. Therefore, she has first-born rights that the rest of us don’t possess. Also, she’s the most powerful out of all of us, and has a naturally demeaning presence and loves to insult people.” The other sibling responded, its expression flat.

“Well put… uh…” Dreleka trailed off, wracking her memory for the name of her younger sibling.

“Remember Dreleka, I switch bodies so often my name and gender was lost. I am a nameless wanderer.” It replied.

“Are you also a poet or something?” Dreleka asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Of course not. I am—““Shut up.” Dreleka snapped, interrupting her

younger sibling’s sentence. “You drone on and on sometimes, child. It’s very tiring.”

“Then don’t ask me questions. I am the holder of knowledge in this group, so therefore, I have answers to most questions you can ask.” It said.

“Do you know the meaning of life?” Jeven asked, smirking.

“I once heard the humans say it was “42”, but I never understood why. To me, it would make more sense to kill others and consume their souls than sit around and drink a mysterious brown fluid that supposedly gave them energy in the morning.” It said in a monotone voice.

Jeven sighed, slumping his shoulders. “Why did I expect any other response from you?”

“Because—““It was a rhetorical question!” Jeven snapped. “Lord,

you really are the annoying one. Someday—““Quiet!” Dreleka yelled, slapping Jeven. “You are

both annoying. I shall summon you if I find Cryla. Meanwhile, you search for her as well; go separately! You’ll cover more ground.”

Jeven sat up, rubbing his face. “Dreleka, I don’t know why you cause me pain, but I just love it.” He licked his lips.

“Ugh.” She replied, vanishing into thin air.Jeven looked at his other sibling, who was walking off

into the nearby swamp. “Obviously she won’t be there. Why would Lord Time seal us together?”

“You never know, Jeven. The shifting of the planet’s crust due to the frivolous war the humans instigated caused a lot of things to be moved around. Just follow Dreleka’s orders.” It replied, not looking back.

Jeven sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know why I follow her. She can’t kill me anyway.” He vanished, leaving the town soaked in the blood of its villagers.

“What?” Jason looked up from his tea cup.Giuri adjusted the newspaper she was reading,

ruffling the pages. She sighed sadly and repeated herself, “There was another slaughter in the West, in a small village named Hangov. The tragedy occurred two weeks ago, according to crews on the scene. The town itself was not destroyed, but there were no signs of life in the entire village.

“Authorities gave shut down international travel and have instated a global emergency. The government warns all citizens to keep a lookout for any strange behavior among family members and friends. The suspects of the slaughters have not been found, and authorities are desperately searching for anyone with leads…” She looked up, “Would you like me to read more?”

Jason shook his head. “No, that should be enough.”Giuri sighed, looking out the window. Birds chirped

happily in the golden noon rays, and the breeze outside

stirred leaves into small vortices in the courtyard. “Do you think it was the same one that attacked New York?”

“Possibly. Does it specify the causes of death of any of the villagers?” Jason asked.

Giuri scowled, looking over the article. Then, she nodded and read aloud, “Victims showed no signs of suicide, unlike the New York slaughter just recently. This shows evidence of yet another demon. The victims themselves showed fatal wounds along their internal organs.”

Jason shook his head. “No, it’s not the child that attacked New York.”

“I’m sorry, did you say child?” Giuri asked.“Yes.” Jason nodded, “I have reasonable evidence

that Death had children; the exact number is not clear, but because of this recent slaughter, I’m guessing at least three.”

Giuri sat with her mouth open, her eyes wide. “You’re not addicted to drugs are you?”

“What? No!” Jason responded. A few of the heads of other customers turned at his loud reply. He sighed, and said in a hushed voice, “Giuri, I know I sound crazy, but I’m telling you the truth when I say Death visited me.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s just a delusion.”“No it isn’t!” he said, “Try the lie detecting technique

on me; I’ll prove I’m not lying.”

“That’s why I said it’s a delusion. You believe in something that doesn’t happen!” she said.

“But—““No, Jason.” Giuri said, standing. “I don’t want to

hear about this again. I’ll see you in class.” She strolled off, shaking her head.

Jason sighed angrily, pounding his fist on the table. The waitress that had taken their order had returned with the check, and approached awkwardly. “Tough breakup?” she asked, setting the check on the table and gathering their plates.

Jason smiled and shook his head. “No, we’re just friends, is all.”

“That’s a shame.” She replied, “She’s really pretty. You’d make a great couple.”

Jason chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah…”“Honestly!” the waitress said, beaming. “You should

ask her out some time. I’m sure she’d say yes. I mean, you’re pretty handsome yourself.” She winked.

“Thanks, but…” Jason trailed off.“But nothing, my dear. I’m sure a strapping young

man like yourself has no problem picking up the ladies.” She continued as Jason filled out the check.

“She actually asked me out some time ago, when we started school.” Jason replied nervously.

“Oh? And you turned her down?!” the waitress said, sitting down. “Why would you do such a thing? She’s perfect for you! Oh,” she said, looking off excitedly, “Just imagine the adorable pups you two could have.”

Jason’s face felt as though it were on fire. “Another reason why I’m glad I don’t have skin. They can’t see me blushing…” he thought as the waitress rambled on about how adorable he and Giuri would be together.

“So, why exactly did you turn her down?” the waitress asked, turning to Jason and staring him dead in the eyes with her frighteningly bright blue ones.

“Erm…” Jason mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t… uh… I’m not into…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Not into foxes? I can understand that.” The waitress said, “But that’s not a good enough reason.”

“No, no… it’s because…” he looked down and whispered, “I’m attracted to guys.”

The waitress flushed, her eyes growing wide. “I-I’m so incredibly sorry. I just assumed… and talking like you were… I—“ she sighed, “Um, well, thanks for your services… and best of luck, I guess.” She gathered the plates and fled to the kitchen.

Jason sat uncomfortably in his booth. “Why does everyone think I’m dating Giuri?” he asked himself, staring at the ceiling. “I mean, sure, we’d make a cute couple, I guess, but it wouldn’t be real. Even in this age of

understanding, it’s still awkward to talk about.” He sighed, looking down at his lap and twiddling his thumbs. “I have a few minutes to get to class...”

Standing, he walked out of the café, his hands in his pockets and head hung low. Deep in thought, he didn’t realize where he was going, and suddenly collided with someone. Staggering back, he stuttered, “Ex-excuse me. Sorry…”

A young husky Jinrui turned around, raising his eyebrow. “Watch where… Hey, I’ve seen you before.” He extended his hand, smiling. “The name’s Marcus, Marcus Zykeria.”

Jason was momentarily caught off guard. Marcus’s gorgeous, crystal blue eyes stood out starkly against his black and white tuxedo markings. The fur on his head was much longer than the rest of his body, making it look like he had a human haircut. His spiky bangs brushed over his eyes, and the ends were dyed red. “Jason Deverla…” Jason said, shaking his hand.

“That’s right. So you’re a Stateramancer?” he asked.Jason nodded, distracted by Marcus’s eyes.“Hey, are you alright?” Marcus asked, smiling. “You

look like just got knocked out or something.”Jason blinked, clearing his head. “No, I’m fine.”“Well that’s good to know.” Marcus laughed. “If you’ll

excuse me, I’ll be heading back to the School of Ignis.”

He readjusted his backpack, and strolled off, his tail wagging contentedly.

Jason watched him go. He stood nearly as tall as Jason, but didn’t have the same mass. “He looks so confident…” he wondered. He sighed, smiling stupidly. “Wow…” he muttered. He shook his head, slapping himself on the cheek. “Nope. Don’t get distracted by him. You have school to focus on.”

Jason begrudgingly walked back to class. When he walked into the classroom, Giuri walked over and asked, “What’s up with you? You look half angry and half star-struck.”

Jason’s eyes widened, and he stood up straight. “What are you talking about? I’m perfectly normal.” He walked away haughtily, assuming his position on one of the dueling circles.

Giuri scoffed, “Sure.” She rolled her eyes and assumed her position in front of Jason. “I’ll be sure to go easy on you, crippled.”

“Oi! I got off my crutches a week ago! My physique is in peak condition.” He said.

“I wasn’t talking about your body, fuzz butt. I was talking about your mental condition.” She laughed.

Jason stared at her with a flat expression. “Ouch.”She shrugged.

“It’s on, then!” Jason yelled, jumping in the air towards Giuri.

“Come at me, bro.” she said, blocking his kick with her arms. She twisted, sending an ascending kick at Jason.

He used her arms as a platform and jumped, narrowly dodging the attack. Summoning two crystal blades, he descended and jabbed.

Giuri nimbly jumped out of the way, summoning two crystal blades of her own. They were longer than Jason’s, and only had one blade on each arm.

Jason stood, brandishing his blades. The dual blades were spaced only a few centimeters apart on each arm, and sparkled menacingly in the candlelight. Jason suddenly sprinted, seeming to fly across the ground, and reached Giuri in a matter of milliseconds.

She flung her blades up to stop his attack. Crystal rang through the room, and small shards broke off of both blades as they chipped each other. Growling, Giuri planted her foot on Jason’s abdomen and thrust, kicking him back several feet.

He quickly recovered, standing and laughing. “You’re going to need more than brute strength as a Stateramancer, Giuri.”

“Oh don’t worry. I’m intelligent enough.” She smiled grimly.

“Oh?” Jason asked, raising his eyebrow. “We’ll see.” He advanced head on. When he reached Giuri a moment later, he dodged her sweeping attack, stabbing one of the blades into the ground and swinging around it. She narrowly blocked his foot, and thrust down with her elbow. He snapped his head back, watching Giuri’s elbow fly straight through the place it had been not a second before.

He rolled backwards, coming into a crouch. Giuri yelled, and jumped at Jason. He blocked her easily with a side kick to the face. Grunting in pain, she rolled away. Standing, she wiped a small bit of blood off her face.

“If you don’t go in with the intention of killing, you won’t win.” Jason smirked.

“Oh, I know.” She said, blocking his next attack with her blades. She twisted her hands, grabbing hold of Jason’s wrists and slamming him on the ground. There was a loud thud as he hit.

Gasping, rolled out of the way of Giuri’s downward stab, and kicked her in the gut as he pushed off the ground into a backflip. Landing roughly on his feet, he clutched his side, trying to regain control of his breathing.

Giuri coughed, standing on unsteady legs. “These fights are brutal.” She said.

“I guess it’s good we have a Healer here.” Jason replied.

“In that case, let’s get down to business.” She said.

“I thought you’d never asked.” Jason smiled. They sprinted at each other, blades raised. Sparks flew from their crystal armblades as they clashed. Giuri spun, blocking Jason’s blade at the same time she swung down with her own.

Suddenly, in a small flash of light, Jason disappeared. In his wake was a small wisp of Ordo. Giuri’s eyes widened, and she looked around, startled. “What the hell…?” she trailed off.

“Got you!” a voice yelled from behind. Jason roundhouse kicked Giuri in the back, causing her to fly forward and faceplant.

“What did you just do?” she said, straining to get up.Jason winked.This infuriated her. She sprinted at Jason with fury

blazing in her eyes. Jason’s eyes widened, and tried to block her attack. However, she was far too fast, and the blade quickly slipped between Jason’s. Suddenly, the same thing happened, and he disappeared in a mist of Ordo. Giuri swore furiously, and flipped around.

This time, Jason appeared out of the ground, punching her square in the gut. She fell over backwards, coughing. “I’m calling a draw.” She laughed weakly.

“A draw?” Jason asked, “I obviously won that one.”

“Fine. Just help me up.” She said, extending her hand. Jason laughed and took it. “Just… what the hell did you do?” she asked, punching Jason in the shoulder.

“A little trick that only Stateramancers know.” Jason said. “You know how each Affinity has its own unique abilities that only people of that Affinity can use?”

Giuri nodded.“Well, I discovered the unique ability for Ordo. We

are apparently able to turn all matter into energy, but not in the way Pyromancers do it. When a Pyromancer does it, they are only converting their own mass to energy, and releasing it in a violent explosion.

“Stateramancers are able to this with other objects, and our selves. However, it’s more controlled. Essentially, we become energy, and are able to pass through solid objects.” He explained.

“So… you turned yourself into energy and dispersed yourself into the floor?” she asked.

“Not the floor. I did it with the air.”“Wow. What amount of skill does that take?” Giuri

asked.“A lot.” The teacher said, walking over. “Only a

handful of Stateramancers are ever able to master that skill.” He shook Jason’s hand and asked, “Young man, where did you learn that?”

“Well, when I was injured, actually. I spent a great deal of time meditating and reading up on powerful Stateramantic abilities. It took a lot of practice, and a fair bit of near death experiences.” He explained.

“Remarkable. With that technique down, you are virtually unstoppable. Solid objects can no longer affect you, and you cannot be contained in any prison or container. Also, you can now travel at remarkable speeds, if done correctly.” The teacher explained. “I believe I have nothing left to teach you.”

“Oh… well, then what should I do?” Jason asked awkwardly.

“Speak with the University owner. Have him give you your final test, and then you’ll be able to advance to the enforcement core. From there, they’ll train you in various skills that you’ll need on the battlefield.” The teacher replied.

“Way to go, showoff.” Giuri laughed.“Sorry… it just happens, you know?” he smiled.“No, I don’t. I’m not Mr. Prodigy over here.” She said.Jason shot her a feigned hurt look. “Well, thank you

for being my teacher. I'll be sure to stick around for the rest of the day, but I guess I’ll be off tomorrow.” He smiled.

“That’s very nice of you.” he said. The teacher then turned, and strode back to his other students to give them instruction.

Giuri sighed, walking over to stand by Jason. “I would challenge you to another duel, but with that ability you have…” she shook her head, “I’d lose.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself, Giuri.” Jason shrugged.

“I’m just being realistic. Like the teach’ said, you can’t really beat someone with that ability.” She responded.

“True, I guess.”“Anyway, how about you tell me how to do that

ability?” she asked excitedly.“Erm…” Jason paused, trying to remember how he’d

finally accomplished it. “To be honest, I can’t remember exactly how I did it… I just… did.”

“That is the worst advice ever.” She said.“Alright, alright.” Jason pondered for a moment.

“Think about it like this: you know your body is solid, right?”

“Well, yeah.”“Wrong. It’s actually not solid at all. Ancient

teachings said that all matter exhibits properties similar to that of a wave. Meaning, all matter is energy.”

“What?” Giuri asked, raising her eyebrow. “I’ve never heard that before.”

“It’s true. How else would a Pyromancer be able to detonate themselves like they do? They’re no different in anatomy than the rest of us are, besides the fact their bodies are designed to manipulate heat, but that’s beside the point. So, all matter exhibits this wave property; I just learned to expand on it.” He said.

“Expand on it?”“Indeed. I realized when I was meditating, that I

would notice my body… uh… fade slightly, like I was suddenly going to drop through the floor. That’s why I said that it took me a few near death experiences to figure this out.” He explained.

“You’re basing your entire technique on the ramblings of some ancient scholar?” she asked.

“Not just some scholar Giuri. He was a mastermind... I think his name was Einstein. Along with a bunch of other scholars, they managed to create some weird field of science that even I can’t exactly understand.” He said.

“You sound delusional.” She said flatly.Jason sighed. “I guess so, but the principle is still

there. Imagine your body is energy, and is about to fall through something.”

“How would I imagine myself as energy?” she asked.

“Maybe that wasn’t the right word… shadow?” he said, shrugging.

Giuri cautiously sat, assumed meditating position and breathed deeply. She tried his suggestion, but didn’t feel anything besides the dusty air on her nose. “This isn’t working.”

“Well, I would’ve told you that much. It takes extreme focus, but I’m sure you’d be able to do it.” Jason said, smiling.

“You think so?” she asked.“Definitely.”Giggling, she sat back. “Well, now I’m going to be

sad.”“Why’s that?” Jason asked, sitting next to her.“I won’t have my dueling partner to challenge me. All

these other people are far too easy. I’d destroy them in seconds.” She said, glancing at the other classmates. One tabby cat Jinrui tried a feeble attempt to perform a complicated attack, but failed miserably, falling on his face. Giuri laughed. “I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet?” she murmured to Jason.

The young feline shot Giuri a furious look, causing her to snicker more.

“Oh, don’t laugh at them!” Jason said playfully, swatting her on the shoulder.

“Why not?” she asked, “It’s funny.”Jason rolled his eyes.The teacher turned and said, “Ah, Jason, there is one

thing I wanted to ask you.”“Yes?” he asked, standing.“Have you determined what your sub-Affinity is going

to be? That was one thing I was going to teach all of you come the end of the year, but since you’ll be advancing early, I figured I should talk to you about it now.” He asked.

“I’m torn, actually, between two Affinities, sir.” He said.

“They are?”“Ignis and Terra.” He replied.The teacher thought for a moment. “I think Ignis

would be the best route for you to take. There are many skills down the line of Ignis that would be very beneficial for a Stateramancer. It’ll also provide you with an extra spurt of power. Stateramancers, while very well rounded, often lack in their raw destructive power, so Ignis would be a great fit.”

“Why not Terra, sir?” he asked.“Terra is mainly a defensive element. It would

provide you, especially, with an extra foundation to your defenses that would make you truly unbeatable, but I

would recommend against it. They’re style is too foreign, and Stateramancers need to think on their feet, not slowly and deliberately like Petramancers need to. It would slow you down, my boy.” He replied.

“I see. I guess I’ll choose Ignis then.” Jason said.The teacher nodded. “That would be wise. In order to

pass it off as a sub-Affinity, you must train with the other Pyromancers.”

His thoughts immediately jumped to Marcus. “Uh… oh, sounds great.” He stammered stupidly.

“I’ll be sure to send your attendance over to Mr. Saunders. Report to him tomorrow, and who knows, you could be an official Fulgurmancer by the end of the year.” He said, smiling.

“Fulgurmancer, sir?” Jason asked.“Ah. A Fulgarmancer is one who has mastered both

Ordo and Ignis, either or can be a sub-Affinity. The names for the other combinations are Sanomancer, for Aqua and Terra…” he trailed off, “Actually, it would be easier for you to read it. Wait here.” The teacher ran from the classroom.

Giuri walked over and asked, “Where’d he run off to?”

“He’s getting me the names of all the Technomancers with two mastered Affinities.” Jason replied.

They waited for a couple minutes before the teacher came back, clutching a rather old document. “Here.” He handed it to Jason.

Jason looked down and read the chart on it:“Aer and Aqua = Motusmancer

Aer and Ignis = Lumancer

Aqua and Ordo = Gelumancer

Aqua and Perditio = Tempusmancer

Ignis and Terra = Cinimancer

Ignis and Ordo = Fulgarmancer

Ordo and Terra = Vitreumancer”

He looked up. “Some combinations are not listed here.”

“That’s because some combinations incompatible. For example, due to your Ordo Affinity, you can never learn Malumancy, because it simply is not biologically possible.” The teacher explained.

“I see.” Jason said, thoughtful. “What about those rare few that can use all of them to their fullest powers?”

“Such people do not exist.” The teacher said. “They are merely stuff of legends.”

Jason nodded as the teacher walked away. Turning to Giuri, he said, “Well, I guess I won’t be seeing you around anymore.”

“Oh, you’ll still come to lunch with me.” she smiled, her eyes narrowing. “But, it is sad that you won’t be my classmate any longer. It was really nice getting to know you.”

Jason laughed. “It was.”It really was.

Chapter IV: AgonyJason sat in the School of Ignis, twiddling his pencil.

The other students were in their respective groups they had made several weeks previous. It was three weeks since he had “graduated” from the School of Ordo, and he was doing rather well. Summer had slowly dragged into autumn, causing the leaves to burn like fire on the trees.

A small breeze picked up outside, stirring leaves and various dead flowers. It was morning, and the sparkling dew outside was slowly drying up in the sun.

Sighing, Jason put his head down, pondering on his own thoughts. His depression was acting up recently, and he still had a wicked hangover from getting completely wasted the night before. “I’m not ready for this.” He thought dismally. Without Giuri in his class, he had been out casted from the others; it wasn’t because he was a freak or anything, but simply because they were already in small cliques that weren’t keen on making new friends.

He looked back up, resting his head on the desk. His eyes slowly drifted over to Marcus. He sat in the front of the class in a red hoodie with a strange symbol on the back. It was a circle with two interlocking water drops. One was black, the other white, and each had a small dot in the heads of the opposite shade. He wanted to ask what it was, and what it meant, but he was too shy to talk to him. Jason sighed again, “He’s just… too attractive. I can’t just simply walk over there and talk to him!” He banged his fist softly on the table.

He tried to see what Marcus was doing, but he couldn’t see past his shoulder. He motioned as though he were turning a page. “Probably reading, then. I wonder what he’s reading…” Jason thought, squinting. Someone turned to talk to Marcus, causing him to shift around and talk to the guy behind him. Jason briefly caught what the title said, “Ancient Religions and Why They Existed.”

Jason sniffed. “What an interesting read. I’ll have to ask him about it.” He instantly felt defeated after thinking that. “Only problem is I can’t!”

Mr. Saunders walked into the classroom, looking very sharp in his dusky, grey suit. His tie was a vibrant crimson, and his eyes were a near deadly orange. He adjusted his dirty blonde hair, that was pulled into a pony-tail, and smiled to the class, raising his hand in a friendly gesture. “Good morning, everyone. Today, we’ll be heading outside to practice more Pyromancy, as usual. This time, however,” he scanned the class, eventually

locking eyes with a repeated offender, “Try not to burn your fellow classmates.”

The young girl in front blushed, averting her eyes. The day previous, she had been sparring against another student who was not very adept in Pryomancy. As a result, she accidently severely burned them, sending them to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Jason laughed darkly. That was nothing compared to Malumancy. So far this year, there had been three reported deaths of the students. Each one had been the result of a training accident. One unfortunate soul had been sent to Lord knows where, another had been blasted apart on the spot (resulting in a very messy cleanup that took a couple weeks to scrub the blood from the ceiling), and one simply just… died. That woman’s story was quite intriguing. She was in peek fitness and health, with no history of health problems in her family. Then, one day, she suddenly died. Right then and there; no scream of pain or anything.

She just died.Jason shuddered. “Honestly, it’s rather fortunate that

I can’t learn Malumancy.” He stood, adjusting his jacket. He was looking down at the floor, when he suddenly collided with a rather solid surface. Grunting, he looked up to see Marcus turning around and laughing.

“You just love running into me, don’t you?” he said.

Jason flushed, feeling his face get hot. His mind drew a blank, and he stammered, “Uh, sorry.”

“No problem.” He said, waving his hand.Jason hurried off, expecting Marcus to meet up with

his other friends, and was mildly surprised when he suddenly appeared right by him. “So Jason, I thought you were a Stateramancer.”

“Why is he speaking to me?!” Jason’s inner mind shrieked. “Oh, yeah, that’s my main Affinity. I actually… somewhat graduated from the School of Ordo, and was told to study here for my sub-Affinity.” He explained timidly.

“Really? You’re that amazing?” he smiled.Jason momentarily stopped breathing. Nodding

embarrassingly hard, he said, “I guess so. My teacher recommended me here. He said it would fit well with my personality.”

“Wow. I’ll never be that good.” Marcus smiled sadly, “I’ve always been the mediocre one in class… so, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about a whole other subject to study.”

Jason looked at Marcus quizzically. “What do you mean you’re mediocre? You’re amazing!”

“Nah, not compared to other people.” He said.Jason couldn’t think of anything to say. “What can

you say to the guy you’ve got the hots for standing right

next to you?” Without thinking, Jason randomly changed the subject, “So… do you like bread?” He instantly averted his eyes, internally screaming.

Marcus sputtered. “Do I like bread?” he laughed, “Well, yeah, I guess so. My favorite’s Central Bread. Yours?”

Jason struggled for a moment. “He’s actually going along with this? Wha-ho-WHAT?” Turning, he said, “I prefer Eastern, because that’s where I grew up.”

“You grew up in the East?” Marcus asked, “What was it like?”

Jason looked away darkly. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Marcus let out a small gasp, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was a soft spot for you.”

Jason nodded, but didn’t say anything.Marcus changed the subject. “Childhood aside, what

do you like to do for fun?”“I like to draw…” Jason said quietly.“No kidding? I’ve always wanted to be an artist. You

should show me some of your works sometime.” He said.“Yeah…” Jason replied offhandedly. “Why is he being

so nice to me? Nobody besides Giuri has actually come and talked to me… But she came to ask me out, so that doesn’t really count…” Jason’s eyes widened, “What if he

came to ask me out?! I don’t think I could handle that! Oh Lord no…” Jason started to get extremely nervous, and his hands were shaking.

Marcus seemed to notice this, and asked, “Everything allright?”

“Fine!” Jason replied, hurrying off.Marcus looked confused. “Okay…” he said, his eyes

narrowing suspiciously. “Wonder what’s up with him… I just wanted to say hi.” Shrugging, he opened the door and strolled out into the cool, autumn air. He could smell the mild scent of salt on the air. The mild breeze tickled his fur, and brushed the pleasant scents around. Small birds chirped in the burning trees, their songs mingling joyfully with the conversations among the students.

He looked over and saw Jason standing awkwardly by himself, hood drawn, and purple eyes staring at the ground. “Maybe I should try again…?” Marcus asked himself. He shook his head, “No, he made it apparent he wants to be left alone.”

He turned his attention to the teacher, who was speaking briefly on some advanced forms. After his lecture, he divided the students into pairs, and told them they had until lunch to spar. He walked over to Marcus, brushing his sandy bangs out his hair, and asked, “You have a partner?”

“No, sir.” Marcus replied.

The teacher looked around, noticing Jason. “I want you to be paired with him. He’s new, but he’s a quick learner. Being almost top of the class, I’m sure you could show him a couple things.”

Marcus walked happily towards Jason, excited to get another chance to speak to him. Jason noticed him walking up, and quickly looked elsewhere. Marcus smiled, “Teacher says you’re my dueling partner.”

“What?” Jason asked, his eyes growing wide.“Don’t worry. I’m not that good, so you’ll probably be

able to take me down.” Marcus admitted.“Oh. I guess.” He replied.They both assumed their respective positions,

bowing. Marcus took a deep breath, feeling the energy flowing through Jason. “Holy hell. He has a lot of it.” He thought, mildly surprised. “Alright, I’ll let you take the first move.”

Jason nodded, straightening his back. He suddenly looked a bit more confident now that he was inside the sparring circle. Taking a deep breath, punched the air, sending out a small ball of flame. Marcus blocked it easily, kicking out. A large jet of flame roared from his feet, crackling in the cold air.

Jason parted the flames, spinning a circle of fire around himself. Minute orbs flittered into existence around the ring, leaving small, glowing trails. The energy concentrated in the orbs was impressive. Jason swept his

hand to the side, hurling the small spheres outward. They whistled through the air.

Marcus ducked, dodging the majority of them. One, however, struck him in the side, exploding. He was thrown backwards, skidding on the ground. Smoke trailed from where the orb had struck him. “Good thing for these protection enchantments,” Marcus said, getting up and brushing himself off, “I would’ve been cooked.”

“Sorry!” Jason called.“Don’t be!” Marcus yelled back, sending a large

sphere of flame at Jason.Marcus heard Jason swear quietly, and dive to the

side. The orb smashed into the barrier around the sparring circles, erupting into a violent torrent of flame. Jason redirected the flames, surrounding himself in them. His eyes reflected the whirling effusion of fire, appearing many times more menacing than Marcus had ever seen. Jason thrust his arm forward, causing the flames to fly outward in a large jet.

Marcus braced himself for the oncoming firestorm, curling his hands into fists and holding them in front of his face. He spun and ducked, sinking to his knees and parting the flames. They swirled around him like angry dragons desperately wanting to sear their prey. He looked up to see Jason perform a wide, sweeping maneuver. The flames from the last attack began to grow, swirling around both duelists in a swirling inferno. “What is he—“ His thought was cut short by a huge wave

of flame sweeping him off his feet. He could feel the heat of the flames as they licked at his fur, but never touched it thanks to dueling safety parameters.

Lifted into the air, his arms began instinctively flailing. He was several meters above the ground, held aloft by the sheer power of Jason’s pyre. Marcus twisted, stabbing his arm into the tower of flames holding him up, and dispersed them. He let out a blast of flame to slow his decent, but still landed roughly on all fours.

Jason’s eyes widened in shock. “How’d you do that?” he asked.

“It’s a little trick I know.” Marcus winked. “I figured out how to redirect the flow of energy coming from another person, but only if it’s Pyromancy.”

“Amazing.” Jason breathed.Marcus laughed, “Well don’t hold back now!” He

jumped, twisting and hurling a wave of flame at Jason. He quickly redirected the attack. Marcus paused, feeling a large shift in the energy balance of the air. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end, as if… electrified.

Glowing coils of electricity roiled around Jason’s body, crackling and fizzing. Marcus gasped. “That’s right. As a Stateramancer with a sub-Affinity of Ignis, he can perform electrical conduction. I have to stay out of the way of this one…” He quickly shifted from his defensive stance to his evasive stance, readying himself for the moment Jason would unleash his storm.

Jason shifted, thrusting his pointed fingers forward. A large bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips, roaring as it sprung to life. Marcus was ready. Time seemed to slow as he threw himself in the air with a powerful jump. He felt the lightning crackling below him as it flew past. He landed softly, hearing the bolt strike the barrier behind him. Suddenly, less than a moment later after setting his feet on the ground, a large bolt of lightning sprang from the ground, tearing apart the pavement.

Marcus swore loudly, attempting to dodge it, but he was far too slow. It arced to his leg, and then coursed through his body in a matter of moments. He collapsed to the ground, his body paralyzed and wracked with spasms. “No wonder this guy graduated.” He thought.

Jason walked over and set his hand on Marcus, redirecting the excess Potentia into the ground. He then quickly removed his hand, sticking it back in his pocket.

Marcus laughed weakly, sitting up. Smoke curled around his ears where the lightning had arced from the surfaces of his skin. “I told you you’d beat me easily.”

“You put up quite the fight yourself.” Jason noted.“Yeah, well…” Marcus trailed off, looking at the

ground.The teacher strolled over, beaming from ear to ear.

“Well done boys; that was quite the skirmish. Jason, I’m honestly surprised you know how to control Potentia that

well. I hear it’s a rather dangerous and uncontrollable power.

Jason shrugged. “It is a bit dangerous, yeah. Although, I didn’t seem to have nearly as much trouble with it as I did with the Stateramancy unique ability.”

“You mean that technique where you’re able to phase through solid objects.” Marcus asked.

He nodded, avoiding eye contact.Marcus raised a suspicious eyebrow as Jason walked

away to a nearby bench and sat down. “Did I say something to him to get him to hate me? That’s it, I’m going to talk to him.” He got up, but was quickly stopped by the teacher.

“Marcus, I need to talk with you a moment.” He said.“Oh, alright.” He said, wandering off with Mr.

Saunders. He looked back at Jason, feeling sorry for how depressed he looked. “Could you possibly talk to me after class? I wanted to go speak with Jason; he looks so down.”

“While your intentions are noble, I’m afraid this matter cannot wait.” The teacher replied. He waited to speak again when they were out of earshot. He led Marcus into a deserted hallway, looking around.

“What is it you wanted to talk about, sir?” Marcus asked, getting slightly irritated.

“It’s about a couple weeks ago, and you don’t have to call me ‘sir’, Spence. I’m your uncle for crying out loud.” He said.

“Fine.” Marcus muttered. “But it wasn’t my fault!”“What do you mean it wasn’t your fault? You

purposefully used the poor girl! She loved you, and you discarded her as trash. Was it too much to ask to just spend one night with her?” his uncle asked.

“Yes! My grandparents set me up with her! I never chose her to be my girlfriend! Why should I have to pay respect to anyone that doesn’t deserve it?” Marcus hissed.

“Respect is not something earned, boy. It’s something everyone deserves until they don’t. She gave you absolutely no reason to treat her the way you did.” His uncle retorted.

“Like hell she did!” Marcus said, his voice rising. “She always walked around with her arrogant aura; she always flaunted herself as though she was better than anyone!”

“What are you talking about?” Mr. Saunders asked. “She was the most humble girl I’ve ever met. She was always very polite, and very loving to other people. She was head of the charity organization! How could that be any more selfless?”

“She’s just doing it to boost her ego and image.” Marcus replied.

“Where are you getting all these negative emotions, child?” his uncle asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

“That’s none of your concern.” Marcus growled, pushing him aside and returning outside. He didn’t wait to hear his uncle’s reply. “Who does he think he is that he can just interrogate me on my personal life? And why now?! Why did he suddenly pull me aside just today, when she left two weeks ago?”

“She’s dead, Marcus.” A voice said behind him.His heart seemed to stop. “What?” he said quietly,

turning around.“You heard me. She was found hanging in her

apartment a few days ago. I was going to tell you that her funeral was in three days, but it seems you couldn’t care less.” His uncle replied darkly, stalking past to resume his class.

Marcus’s world seemed to grind to a halt. “She’s… dead?” Dread filled his soul. “Oh Lord… what have I done?” He sank back on the wall, falling into a fetal position. Emotions of confusion and terror blazed in his mind, and before he knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. “It was never meant to go that far…” he thought.

“No, but it’s still your fault.” said a small voice in his head. It never yelled; it only whispered his darkest fears in his mind, degrading his soul.

“I know that. But why did you let me take it that far?”

“Because you’re worthless. You’ve never fit in, you’ve never been loved. It’s your fault your parents left, you know. You drove them mad; they hated you. Your mother took her own life so she could finally be free of your tormenting. Your father left because he saw you as nothing.” It urged.

“Get out of my head!” Marcus screamed in his mind.The cold, dead voice laughed. “You cannot get rid of

me, for I am part of you.”

Marcus clenched his eyes shut, shuddering. He could hear the students milling about outside, laughing joyfully and practicing their forms. His sorrow began boiling into rage, a violent, crimson haze that enveloped his mind. He clenched his fists tighter and tighter, desperately fighting the rage threatening to consume him.

“Yes. Let it ache, you worthless mutt. Allow your anger to take over; it will save you from your pitiful existence.” The voice whispered louder.

“Marcus?” a voice echoed in the distance, breaking through the fog.

He growled, lashing out. His hand struck nothing, but a force suddenly grabbed his throat. The haze began fading, and he slowly came back to reality. Gasping, he clawed at the hand gripped around his throat. It suddenly released, leaving Marcus coughing on the floor.

Jason stood over him, his eyes mingled with concern and fright. “Marcus?” he asked again.

After a fit of coughing, he sat up against the wall, avoiding eye contact. His hands were bloody from his claws digging into the pads, crimson fluid dripping onto the ash-stained brick floor.

“I’m sure you’re not all right.” Jason said, not making an attempt to force eye contact, “I just came to apologize for being a little rude to you for these past few days… and, um… Yeah, sorry.” He sighed and stood, “I’ll see you around.”

“Wait.” Marcus said, his voice raspy.“Yes?” Jason asked, turning around.“Thank you…” he mumbled.“For what?” Jason asked, raising his eyebrow.“I guess… I guess you just saved me right then.” He

admitted, ashamed.“Oh. It was nothing, really. I came here on a

somewhat selfish reason…”“Whatever the reason, I’m glad you came.” Marcus

smiled weakly.Jason didn’t say anything. He stiffened and walked

off in a hurry, nearly tripping over his own feet.“Oh look. Another person to let down.” The voice

whispered.

“Shut up.” Marcus replied, standing. He shook his head, adjusted his jacket, and walked away to the café. His throat was desperately dry, and his stomach growled.

“You can’t keep me away forever. Someday…” the voice paused, “You’ll be mine.”

Marcus sighed as he entered his apartment. A voice

called from another room, “Oi! You home, Spence?”“Yes, Gadolin.” He replied.“I’m Tynan!” the voice called back.“No you aren’t. Your twin is at football practice.”

Marcus said.“Dang it. I was really hoping to get you with that

one.” Gadolin entered the room, holding an old comic book. He was a hyena Jinrui, bearing an ever present, and disturbingly creepy smile. His brown eyes shined mischievously as he fingered the two golden earrings in his left ear. He wore a loose, unbuttoned shirt, and boxers with dollar signs on them.

“Put some clothes on.” Marcus said, glaring.“Right, ‘cause we got the homophobe over here.”

Gadolin grinned.“I am not a homophobe! But I’m not gay either, so

put some freaking clothes on.” Marcus retorted.

Gadolin chuckled. “I’m just pullin’ your leg, bro. Plus, I’m not so sure about you not being gay.”

Marcus flushed. “What makes you say that?”“I’ve seen the way you act around lovely women,

dude. You’re always so awkward and untrusting.” Gadolin replied from the other room. There was a quick zip, and he came out wearing a pair of aged cargo pants. Marcus could still see his ridiculous underwear. “Granted,” he said thoughtfully, “You’re like that around everyone, so maybe you’re asexual.”

“Ha, ha.” Marcus said in a mocking tone.“Relax!” he said, clapping Marcus on the back.

“Everyone knows you’re as straight as a rainbow!”Marcus shot him a furious look.“Oh, that’s not the saying. Oops.” He shrugged.

“Straight as a pole?”Marcus sighed. “Whatever, Gadolin.” He threw his

backpack in the corner.“Sheesh. You seem to be more uptight than usual.

What happened at school today?” Gadolin asked.“I was informed by my uncle that Sabrina committed

suicide. She hung herself.” Marcus replied wearily.Gadolin’s eyes widened. “No kiddin’?” he sat down,

sighing. “Well, that is a new record for you, Spence.

Breaking a girl’s heart so badly she went and killed herself.”

“This is not something to laugh about!” Marcus yelled. “What if I get charged with depraved heart murder? What if I get sued? I can’t deal with financial retributions like that! I just lost my job, so I’ll be put on watch soon.”

“Don’t worry. My bro and I will be happy to help you out. Anything you need.” He said, returning to his room.

“As much of an idiot you are, Gadolin, I’m happy to have you around.” Marcus sighed.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m like the annoying brother you never had.” Gadolin paused, then swore softly. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t bring up family life around you.”

“It’s alright.” Marcus mumbled quietly, sitting on the sofa with his copy of “Ancient Religions”. He opened up to the chapter he was reading, setting his bookmark beside him.

It read:“Christianity is one of the oldest religions known to man today. Any

before the founding of this religion were lost during the War.

While not much is known about this religion, we do know that it was monotheistic. They believed in a supreme ruler that created the world in seven (technically six) days. It was difficult to discover that they were monotheistic, because so many different sects had been formed. The most famous ones in history, or rather, the most infamous ones are Catholicism, Protestants, and Mormons. They are the three sects that managed to grow the largest before the discovery of the Four.

Catholicism went extinct shortly after the war. They believed in a book called the Bible, which was said to have been written by ancient men named prophets. These men were revelators, inspired by their god to write this book. They also believed in a man named Jesus Christ. They believed him to be the son of God, and that he was the savior of the world. Through him, and only him, were mankind saved. This “God” they believed in was said to be made of three people: The Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Together, they formed something named the Holy Trinity.

While mostly peaceful in the era before the War, the Catholics bore a bloody history. Responsible for many wars and crusades that crippled the known world at the time, they performed many heinous acts in the name of religion. During the War, they were the main target (aside from the people of Mormonism) for those in the Central East. The reason is unknown, but many scholars believe that the Islamic religion (the main belief of the Central East at the time) had many feelings of hatred towards Christians because they believed in the same god, but in different ways.

Protestants are very similar to Catholics in their beliefs, but there are some key differences. First, they believed the Scriptures (the Bible) to be the sole word of God, and nothing else had the proper authority to save mankind, other than Christ. Another key difference is what happens after death; both believe, however, that unbelievers are sent to Hell. Catholics, long ago, generated doctrine on the afterlife that was long since lost to history.

Mormonism is the most prominent Christian faith today, being one of the two surviving Christian religions. The main difference between it and other Christian religions is they believe in an alternate book called “The Book of Mormon”. Scholars suspect this is where the name came from, but they are unsure. They have similar faiths as the other Christian religions, but differ in various ways. First, they don’t believe in the Trinity; they believe the three beings to be separate. Second, they do not believe that faith is all it takes to go back to their god. The rest of their religion has been lost, and the remaining followers are trying desperately to salvage what remains.”

“YO!” said a loud voice, startling Marcus. He jumped, nearly falling off the sofa, and dropping his book. He quickly retrieved it, looking up to see Tynan enter through the door. Appearing exactly like Gadolin, there was a key difference that allowed Marcus to tell them apart: he wore Sapphire studs instead of golden rings in his ears.

Tynan laughed, “Made you drop your book, now did I?”

Marcus simply glared at him, trying to focus back on his reading.

“Ty, I wouldn’t harass him right now. He’s had a rough day.” Gadolin said.

Tynan sniggered, choking back a chuckle. “Rough… get it? Because he’s a dog?”

“Shut up.” Gadolin said.Tynan put his hands up defensively, setting his ball

on the floor.Marcus had never seen a football before, so he eyed

it curiously. It was completely spherical, seeming to be made of various hexagons stitched together. A cool, spiky pattern was printed onto the shiny surface, and it bounced willingly as it hit the ground.

Tynan caught Marcus looking at his ball. “You wanna try it some time?” he asked, picking it back up and holding it out.

“Nah… I wouldn’t be that good at it anyway.” Marcus replied.

“Suit yourself. Oi, I gotta clean up and get outta here. My date is arrivin’ in thirty minutes.” He said to Gadolin.

He snorted. “What’s his name?”“Her name is Kiera. She’s a smokin’ hot kitsune, and

she’s really nice.” Tynan said, stalking into the bathroom.“You got hooked with a kitsune? How?” Gadolin

asked, following him.“Oi, privacy please!” he called.“Relax, we’ve been naked together in enclosed

spaces far too often. I’m sure you can stand it for a lot longer.” Gadolin laughed.

Marcus looked up from his book, his eyebrow rising in suspicion.

“Dude! We got Marcus here! That’d just be weird.” Tynan replied. His voice fell lower, “Plus, he’s a homophobe.”

“I am not!” Marcus yelled.“I know that, I’m just pullin’ your tail.”“It’s pullin’ your leg, Ty.” Gadolin replied.“It makes more sense for me to be pullin’ his tail. I

mean, he’s got a pretty bushy one.” Tynan said.

Marcus looked down at his tail and gave it a wag. It certainly was fluffy, and curled slightly toward his back.

“Correction aside. I need to get ready.” Marcus heard protested sounds from Gadolin as he was shoved from the bathroom.

“You’re tellin’ me how you got hooked with her, ya here me?” he yelled, pounding on the door.

Tynan replied with a rather explicit phrase. Gadolin growled, stalking away from the door haughtily. Marcus looked up, “Remind me why you like him?”

“He’s my bro, after all. He’s rather infuriatin’ at times, but I still love the brat.” He turned to the bathroom. “Ya here that? I love ya, ya brat!” With that, he turned and walked into his room, shutting the door.

Marcus looked curiously at the door. “Why would you want to love someone that annoys you on a daily basis?”

“You wouldn’t know.” The ever present voice in his head whispered.

“I thought I told you to get out.” Marcus thought, growling.

“You can never rid yourself of me. Good luck trying, pathetic.” It taunted.

Marcus wrapped his arms around his head, containing himself from screaming. He clenched his eyes shut, and thought of whatever he could to keep his mind away from that demon.

Suddenly, a dark memory resurfaced:“I sat in the park, enjoying the sunshine on my face.

My black fur soaked up sunlight quickly, so I soon was overheated, and retreated to the shadows of an oak tree. The birds chirped happily, and I sat alone, watching the other kids play joyfully with their parents.

They ran, danced, screamed with laughter, cried with joy, and happily followed them wherever they went. I adjusted my dirty jacket, fingering one of the many holes in it. It smelt of sweat and dirt, but I had no choice but to wear it. My aunt had no money for clothes, so I was given an oversized, worn jacket that was said to once have belonged to my father. I don’t know my father… or my mother. The voice in my head told me they were dead, and it was all my fault.

I sighed, standing up and returning home… or rather, our temporary home. We could never stay in the same place for long; we kept getting moved around. I never made any friends because of this.

“You couldn’t make any if you tried.” The evil voice said.

“Go away.” I whispered, leaning against a tree for support.

“You think I’ll just let you go? Stupid child; you’ll never be free of me.” it laughed. Its voice was cold, unsympathetic, and ridiculing.

“Who are you?” I whispered louder.

“You’ll know in time.” It replied.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” I said, holding back a tear.

“You don’t want to be alone, do you?” it asked.

I shook my head sorrowfully.

“Good. Then I’ll stay. I’m your only friend, and friends have to stick together, do they not?” it whispered.

“Then why do you say such mean things?” I asked it, wandering deeper into the forest towards my home.

“They’re true, are they not? That you’re worthless, stupid, unforgivable? That your parents died because of you?”

I paused, hesitating on my answer.

“OF COURSE THEY’RE TRUE.” The voice boomed.

I covered my ears and sank to the ground. “Stop!” I yelled. “Stop! You’re hurting my head!”

“I’m hurting you?” it laughed mercilessly. “Good. That’s what friends do. They hurt each other; they degrade each other. I’m a good friend, aren’t I?” it asked.

I nodded slowly, not wanting another bout of yelling. Tears streamed from my eyes, staining the fur around them.

“See? I’m glad we could’ve come to an agreement. Move along, trash. Your aunt is expecting you, and you wouldn’t want to be late, now would you?” it asked.

“No, sir.” I replied, my voice barely audible. I forced myself to stand; I forced myself to keep moving. I don’t know why I did; there was nothing at aunt’s house, there was nobody to miss me if I were to leave. Something told me to keep moving, and it told me it would get better soon.

I wanted it to end, though. I wanted to just let go. This voice, it scared me, and I wanted it gone. It was right though; I was worthless, and ungrateful, and deserved to get beaten the way I did. Not by my aunt, no… by the voice. It was my only friend in this world.

It was everything.”

Marcus collapsed on the floor, his breathing unsteady and shallow. “Why me?”

“You know why.” The voice infallibly replied.Marcus banged his fist on the floor, struggling to

even get on his hands and knees. The voice did this often; it took over his movements, his mind, and his emotions. He protested vehemently, but was no match in this state. He stopped fighting; he couldn’t win. He already knew that, so why did he try?

“Why do I try and fight you?” Marcus asked the voice.

“Because you’re stupid. Fighting an opponent you cannot win against is like trying to escape Death. You cannot escape me; I am your Death. You obey me… and me alone. That’s what friends are for, right?” it said.

His senses numbed, and he was dimly aware of collapsing on his face, staring at the ceiling. He saw blurred movement of brown, muddled shapes. He heard a voice, but he couldn’t tell what it was saying. He wanted to ask it why he was being lifted into the air. “Am I finally dying?” he asked himself.

Then, for once in his life, the voice failed to respond.

Tynan glanced nervously at Marcus, and then quickly back at his brother. “What happened to him?” he asked.

Gadolin shook his head. “I don’t know, man. I came out of my room to find him collapsed on the floor, shakin’ like he had rabies or somethin’. I got really freaked out, and sprinted to the hospital. When we got back, he was lyin’ there… whisperin’ somethin’. I couldn’t tell what it was… somethin’ about dyin’, maybe?” he shook his head again. “Anyway, bro, sorry for gettin’ you to miss your date.”

“Nah, it’s fine. She was totally cool with it when I explained things to her.” Tynan said.

“That’s good, I guess.” Gadolin replied. He shot a nervous look at the unconscious, or dead, young Marcus in the hospital bed. The doctors hadn’t yet gotten a

candle ready for him, so they couldn’t tell whether he was alive or not. “What do you think happened to him?”

“I don’t know. I’ve overheard him at night when he’s sleepin, you know? He says some crazy things. Mumbles about death, suicide, murder, and a bunch of other things when he’s asleep.” Tynan said.

The doctor came in bearing a small, red candle. He set it by Marcus, summoning Victus, Lux, and Ignis around his arm. The candle ignited obediently, sputtered, but kept burning. They all breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was alive. “So doc, what do you think happened to him?”

“We don’t know. We’ve run blood tests, urine tests, salivary tests, and even fur tests, but we’ve gotten all normal results. He has no defects, no organ deficiencies… he really has nothing that would cause this. All that’s left is a psychiatric exam.

“You two can actually help me out right now. Has this occurred before?” he asked.

The two twins shook their heads. “No doc.”“Any abnormal behavior? Lack of sleep? Random

outbursts? Persistent anger? Easy loss of balance?”They shook their heads at each question. “I’ve never

seen him out of the ordinary before. He’s always very polite, and often is really confident, you know?” Tynan said.

“Yeah.” Gadolin agreed, nodding. “He does have occasional losses of temper, but he usually feels really sorry for it afterwards.”

“Occasional losses of temper are normal for any college student.” The doctor said, writing some things down on his clipboard. “Does he sleepwalk?”

“No doc. But he does sleep-talk.” Tynan replied.“Really? What kind of things does he say, if you can

recall?” he asked.“They’re often very dark thoughts. He seems to

blame himself a lot for things he’s done in the past, and often mentions death every now and again. Once, I even heard him talk about suicide.” He responded.

The doctor looked thoughtful, furrowing his brow. “This doesn’t add up. He shows no signs of suicide, no cuts or rope marks around his neck that we often see with other suicidal patients. Yet, from what you just told me, he talks in his sleep that is often degrading and reflects poor self-confidence. We’ll just have to talk with him once he wakes, I guess.”

The room fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Marcus began mumbling something. “Why’d I listen to you?” he said, falling silent afterwards.

They all looked at each other nervously. “What do you think he means by that?” the doctor asked the twins.

“Beats me.” Tynan said.

“Same.” Gadolin agreed.“What do you know about his childhood?” he asked.“Almost nothin’.” Tynan responded. “He never talks

about it, and hates it when people mention family around him.”

“Speaking of family, can you tell me where his parents live?” the doctor asked. “We’ve gone through his records, but they’re awfully vague. I’m honestly surprised he was ever able to get into the University with how unclear his background is.”

“He’s never mentioned his parents before. As far as I know, it almost seems as though he grew up without them.” He said.

The doctor’s mind seemed to click. “I think I know this patient. Excuse me for a moment.” He ducked out, letting the door click behind him.

“Know him? Isn’t this the first time he’s ever been to the hospital?” Tynan asked Gadolin.

His brother shrugged.They waited in silence for the doctor to return. Their

eyes kept flickering to the candle pulsing steadily at the side of the bed. A constant red flame was all it took to determine whether Death had visited the room or not.

The doctor returned, holding some new papers. “It’s as I thought. This young man’s name is Marcus Zykeria, is it not?”

“Yes doc.” Tynan said.“Yes. He has a single record. It’s extremely vague,

and doesn’t give specifics. It says here he was an orphan, at what age is unclear. After that, he was forced to stay with his only living blood relative, his aunt. She was a sweet thing, but was addicted to so many substances I’m honestly surprised she lived to the age she did. Anyway, they moved around a lot because she couldn’t hold a job, and she ended up dying in her sleep a couple years after taking young Marcus in.” he explained.

“What happened after that?” Gadolin asked.“We don’t know. We haven’t had such a mystery

patient in hundreds of years. In all due time, we’ll get our answers.” He sighed. “In the meantime, you two should return home. He’s not going to wake for a while, it seems, so we’ll keep you updated.”

“Thank you, doc.” Gadolin said, shaking his hand.“Yeah, thanks.” Tynan said, shaking his hand as well.They left the room, shutting the door with a soft

click.

Marcus was in a dark room. The cold, damp air chilled his naked body to the bone, seeping through his normally warm and thick fur. It was utterly silent, other than the occasional drip of water on stone. He tried to move, but heard the sound of chains, and felt their

resistance on his aching wrists. They cut into his arms, causing blood to seep from the gashes. He tried to scream, but suddenly found his mouth was gagged. His heartbeat began to race.

Suddenly, through the pulsing in his head, he heard a soft click. A door opened, cold, pale light spilling in. He squinted, looking at the mysterious figure entering the room. They were silhouetted against the almost caustic gleam of the lights outside.

The figure bent down, smiling softly. It had canine teeth, and algid blue eyes. It reached a shadowy hand up to Marcus’s mouth. He resisted, twisting his head. The figure grabbed him by the neck, and slowly pulled out the gag. Marcus tried to scream, but the figure snapped his mouth shut. It put its finger to its lips, smiling. “Hush, child. I’m here to set you free.” It said. The voice was soothing and tepid, calming Marcus’s racing heart.

The chains fell away, and Marcus fell to the floor, unaware just how scrawny and frail he was. His ribs could be clearly seen, even in the pale light filtering through under the door. What muscles he had were small, and unprotected. He tried to stand, but quickly fell over. The newcomer, however, caught him as he toppled, cradling him in its arms. “You’re safe now; don’t try and push yourself.” It said.

“Who are you?” Marcus’s voice gasped, raspy and broken.

“You don’t recognize me?” it whispered into his ear.

The voice. It was the voice!

Marcus’s body flooded with adrenaline, and he sprang out of the voice’s grip, rushing for the door.

“You can’t escape me!” It whispered.

The door disappeared, and the rest of the room began melting away. Walls flowed into nothingness like they were made of water, and the bars evaporated into dust.

Marcus tried running someplace… any place that wasn’t here, but was caught by something. It cut into his skin, feeling like a tiny sun had erupted into flame on his thigh. He gasped in pain and fell over. Barbed wire circled around him, tightening closer… and closer. It wrapped around his wrists and ankles, slicing deep into bone. It forced him to his knees, and his blood ran like a crimson stream. He looked up, trying to see through the tears into the face of the demon standing before him.

It stood cloaked in shadow, smiling eerily. The barbed wire cut deeper; each breath was agonizing. “I thought I told you…” it whispered, caressing Marcus’s chin and forcing his head up to meet its eyes, “… that you cannot escape.”

It moved its face closer. “How many times… do I have to make myself clear?”

The pain of the wire had become too much. Marcus screamed as the wire snaked through his veins, a blood-curdling scream that echoed in his head. The image

standing in front of him melted away, and the wires faded, but the tremors and agony remained. He looked down at his bloodstained wrists and body.

It was silent again.

Marcus curled into a ball, sobbing. His tears mixed with his blood, staining his fur further than it already was. The soft patter of feet greeted his ears, but he ignored it. The pain was overwhelming his body; his mind was slipping.

“Are you okay, mister?” a child’s voice asked. It sounded familiar.

He looked up to see a small pup standing in front of him. The black and white fur, striped into a tuxedo pattern… those crystal blue eyes… the tail that had a unique curve… it was the younger Marcus. His eyes widened, and he slowly uncurled, but didn’t stand.

“Who are you?” Marcus whispered. He knew full well who he was, but his shaken mind didn’t believe what it saw.

“My name is Marcus, sir. I’m you.” he stuck out a tiny hand, his eyes wide and hopeful. “The voice in your head says it will get better soon. It says you have it, and that’s all you need.”

Hatred and vile revolt boiled in Marcus’s soul. He soon found himself shaking, and roared, “Why? Why did I listen to you?!”

His younger self quickly put his hand behind his back, tears forming in his eyes. They were tears of fear and anguish. “I-I’m sorry…” he mumbled.

“No. Don’t tell me that! You had a chance to end it, end it all!” Marcus screamed. “Why didn’t you take it?! Do you see what you turned me, yourself, into? This! This is what happens to you!”

“Because I trust the voice.” His past self mumbled quietly.

“You trust it? Why would you trust something that causes so much anger, fear, and pain? Why didn’t you free yourself from it?!” Marcus asked.

“I-it told me no-not to…” he stuttered. His voice had shrunk, and become barely audible.

Marcus sat back, crying uncontrollably. “Why did I listen to you?” he whispered, his voice shaking.

“Because the voice speaks truth. The voice is always right, and it’s helped me in difficult situations. It kept me alive after Aunt died.” His past self mumbled.

Marcus looked away, laughing without mirth. He was disgusted. Disgusted that he was that brainwashed… that he had been that brainwashed…

“Look at yourself. So obedient.” the figure from before said, appearing behind Marcus and placing its hand on him. “Why can’t you go back to being as loyal as

he, hmm? It was so much easier back then, wasn’t it? When you followed me, you lived, did you not?”

The older Marcus looked back at his younger self, who had sat down and began examining a rock with a depressed, dull expression.

“You stole my life from me.” Marcus whispered.

“I saved you from your own life.” It replied.

“I have nothing to live for. When the chance comes, I’m freeing myself from you.” he growled, standing defiantly.

The voice laughed. “If you have nothing to live for… what do you have to die for?”

Marcus looked away, ashamed.

“Of course you have nothing to die for. You’ve never accomplished anything. You’ll never amount to anything. You’ll go on, living your pitiful existence in silence.” It said.

“Why should I follow your word?” Marcus said, glaring at the figure.

“Because my word is law, do you not understand? I am what you’ve always wanted; a friend. Someone to call your own.” It whispered, putting its arm around Marcus’s shoulders.

He trembled at its frigid, dead touch. “You’re no friend.” He whispered.

“Oh?” it chuckled, “And you think you know what a friend is?”

Marcus opened his mouth, but closed it. Truth was, he never knew what a friend was. The only one he’s ever had was the voice. It led him; it guided him; it kept him alive.

“That’s what I thought.” It laughed coldly. “Now wake up, boy.”

The dream began to shatter around him, and everything went black. There was a single phrase echoed throughout the dark: “Don’t say a word.”

Jason looked around the class, noticing Marcus was

absent for the seventh day in a row. “Strange.” He thought, standing and walking out of the classroom to head to lunch.

The substitute looked up from her papers, calling, “Make sure to be back in time, though I’m sure you already know that. We’ll just continue your assignment after lunch.”

Jason nodded to himself, making a small mental note. “I wonder where he’s run off to.” He thought, admiring the new paintings on the walls. After his skirmish with that idiot Gabriel, the school had to make new paintings. They were utterly breathtaking, depicting mountains of ash and great spheres of flame falling to the earth.

He exited the building, heading across the courtyard to the café. Giuri stood outside the entrance, waiting for him to arrive. “Hiya.” She said, waving.

“Hello. How was your day?” he asked.“Boring, as usual. Yours?”“It was a bit dull today.” He smiled, “but it was nice

to take a break from training.”“I hear Pryomancy training is extremely dangerous.”

She said, sitting down in their usual booth.“Not as much as Malumancy. There have only been

minor injuries in Pyromancy training. However, I heard that another person died in training; that makes four!” he said.

“Really?” she asked.“Yeah. It was quite gory, just like that poor girl

Venika. Cleanup crews are having to scrape her off the walls as we speak.” He replied.

Giuri instantly looked queasy. “You had to tell me that before lunch.”

He laughed softly. “Sorry.”“It’s nice to see you in a better mood.” She said.Jason stopped scratching at the new scars he had

made recently. They still itched, but were covered by a relatively new bandage. “Yeah… I guess it is.”

“Are you sure you don’t want someone staying with you? I’d be happy to move in with you.” she offered.

“What about your other friends?” Jason asked.“Oh them? We’re not exactly friends anymore. They

got really jealous that you became friends with me, and not them, You see, they’re not exactly convinced that you’re gay… they say they need solid evidence.” She smiled awkwardly.

“Eh?” he asked incredulously. “What do they want, to watch me make out with some dude?”

“Apparently.” She shrugged.“Well, that’s too bad for them. No one around here is

gay, or even bisexual, so there’s no chance of that happening.” He muttered.

“What about the pansexuals?” she asked.“Nope. I’ve actually never met one before.” He

shrugged.“I’ll keep a lookout for you then.” She replied.“No, that won’t be necessary. I do not play

matchmaker.” He said.“Come on! Just one blind date?” she laughed.“No!” he said fiercely.“You’re no fun.” She said, waving her hand at him.

“Sorry I’m not willing to throw my feelings into the wind and try to meet new people. You know how well I do with new people.” Jason said.

“True. You know, I knew a girl who actually started crying once she found out about you. She’d had the biggest crush on you, and then you had to just go and rip her heart out and smother her dreams.” She said.

“Funny, Giuri.” He rolled his eyes.The waitress approached, bearing a pen and a smile.

“Hello there. What drinks can I interest you in?”Giuri spoke first. “I’ll have some hot chocolate with

extra whip cream please.”Jason glanced at the menu. “I’ll just have some

Jasmin tea.”“Alright. I’ll get those to you as fast as I can. I can

take your order when I get back.” She bounced, hurrying away to serve another table.

“You order that every time.” Giuri complained.“Because it’s really good. You want to try it

sometime?” he asked.“No. I’ve heard that tea tastes like soap.” She

replied, grabbing a menu.“What?! Who told you that?” Jason asked, looking

around. “I’ll beat them to a pulp!”

“Over tea? Don’t you ever get sick of it after a while?” she asked.

“Sick of tea?” he exclaimed, “That’s like being sick of breathing!”

Giuri sighed, exasperated. “Sometime I like you better when you’re depressed.”

Jason regarded her with a flat expression. “Very funny.”

“I’ll be here all week.” She replied from behind the café menu.

Jason shook his head and looked over the menu. There were many thing that caught his hungry eyes, but one thing in particular stood out among the rest. "What do you think about this: a sushi roll with salmon, cream cheese, and avocado covered in a spicy mayo sauce?”

Guiri looked up. “Sounds disgusting. Sushi never appealed to me.” she retreated behind her menu, looking at various types of steaks.

“Remind me why I’m friends with you?” Jason asked.“You offered.” She replied nonchalantly.“Fine. I’ll just get them for myself. I can eat several

plates of them in one sitting if I feel like it. You can just get your… mouse or something.” He said, tucking the menu away.

She looked up, furious. “Are you saying that because I’m a fox?”

Jason’s eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. “N-no! I meant it as small portion sizes… because a mouse is…” he trailed off, sighing.

“Mhm. Sure.” She said, putting the menu away.They sat in a slightly awkward silence that seemed to

only be broken by the voices of other conversations around them. Jason looked around, while Giuri watched people playing outside. A small movement in the corner of his eye caught Jason’s attention. He looked over and saw…

Marcus! He shuffled silently into his booth, completely alone. His sleeves were down, despite it being a rather warm day for mid-autumn. He had his signature red hood pulled over his face, shadowing his eyes. A waitress asked him if he wanted anything, but he politely declined, saying he was still thinking.

Giuri caught Jason eyeing Marcus, smiling. “Found someone already?”

Jason glared at her. “No!” he said loudly. Heads turned curiously. He ducked his head down, “Alright, maybe.”

“I thought so. He’s just your type too: moody looking, brooding, and would you look at that, he smells like a male canine.” She said, pointing her nose in Marcus’s direction.

“Oi, what is that supposed to mean?” Jason asked.“You smell like a dog. He smells like a dog. Is there

anything else to it?” she asked.“Yes, I already know he’s a canine, thank you.” Jason

sniffed. “Anyway, something doesn’t seem right with him. Can you tell?”

“He looks like a guy who wants his privacy; doesn’t seem so wrong to me. Although, it is kind of suspicious that he’s wearing that stifling hoody even though it’s rather warm in here. Even you have yours taken off.” She glanced down at Jason’s scar-riddled forearms.

He noticed her glance and reflexively put his hands in his lap. “I don’t think so. I think something might be wrong.”

“What makes you say that? Oh, thank you.” she nodded to the waitress bearing their drinks.

Jason nodded. “My gratitude.”“My pleasure. Would you like anything to eat?” she

asked, readying her pen.“I’ll have this… Las Vegas Roll, I think it’s called.”

Jason said, pointing to the menu.“Very nice choice.” The waitress said. She turned to

Giuri, “For you?”“I’ll just have a steak; rare, please.” She responded.

“Alrighty then. I’ll have those out as soon as possible.” She smiled, speeding away.

“Anyway, what makes you say that?” Giuri repeated, taking a cautious sip of her drink.

“The other day, I was being a little rude to him because… well, I was really depressed that day, and didn’t want people around. He wanted to talk to me, but I kind of freaked out and tried to avoid him… he’s hot, okay? Anyway, I realized how rude I was being, and decided to go apologize. I did, but when I found him, he was in the fetal position and shaking pretty badly. I asked him if he was okay, but he suddenly lashed out at me. Naturally, I defended myself, and managed to break him out of it, but then I left after telling him I was sorry.” Jason explained.

“Hmm. Maybe he has a huge crush on you and you turning him down made him really upset?” she wondered out loud.

“I don’t think so. Why would he lash out and try to physically hurt me?” Jason asked.

“That’s a good question.” She said thoughtfully. “Maybe he’s got anger management problems?”

“That’s what I thought, but when he attacked me, his eyes were really unfocused. I’m not just talking that he was dizzy or anything, I mean he looked like he was possessed. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that anger just doesn’t cause a reaction like that.

At least, not normal anger.” He said, staring at Marcus. He sat looking out the window, one hand on the table.

“I think you’re just being a bit obsessive. You’re infatuated; it’ll make you do stupid things.” She said. “I mean, I was infatuated with you once, and somehow I listened to my friends and asked you on a date.”

“I guess that was just a happy coincidence then?” Jason asked.

“I think you missed the joke.” She replied.“I didn’t see one.” He said dismissively, looking back

at Marcus.“Stop staring at him, he’s going to notice that you’re

watching him.” She said.“So?” Jason asked.“So?! What do you mean ‘so?’ It’s not polite to stare

at people like that!” she cried.“Sure.” He said.She sighed, frustrated. “Why do I even try with you?”“That’s a good question.” He responded. He took a

sip of his tea. It was finally cool enough to drink. “I think I’m going to talk to him later.”

“What a bold move.” She said.“What?” Jason asked, looking at Giuri.

“I’m saying that’s a bold move, especially for someone shy like you. Normally, when people have a crush on someone else, they don’t go looking for opportunities to talk to the person they’re infatuated with. It’s just natural tendency to wait for them to come to you.” she explained.

“But if everyone does that, how are relationships formed?” Jason asked.

Giuri paused, looking up from her drink. “Good question. I mean, there are occasions when people go looking for them.”

“This is one of those occasions.” Jason affirmed.“Um, sure.” She said, raising her eyebrow. “Are you

bipolar?” she asked after a moment.Jason stopped, raising an eyebrow. “No…”“I was just wondering because you’re making a very

impulsive decision. Bipolar people do that kind of thing. They go from periods of severe depression to periods of hyperactivity. The overly excited stage is usually marked by impulsive or downright stupid behaviors.” She said.

“Where did you learn that?” Jason asked.“Believe it or not, before I became a Technomancer, I

actually wanted to be a psychiatrist. I know the mind pretty well from my early years of teaching.” She said, finishing the last of her drink.

“You learn something new every day.” Jason mumbled. “Anyway,” he got up, finishing the last of his drink, “I’m going to go speak with him.”

“What about our meals?” she asked, turning around.“I said I’m talking to him, not leaving.” He said.He strode confidently to where Marcus sat. He

paused at the entrance to the seat, “Hello.” He greeted Marcus.

He looked up; his normally excited and confident blue eyes were icy and dull. “Hi.” He said, an edge of impatience in his voice.

“I guess we already introduced ourselves.” Jason chuckled awkwardly. “Anyway, I just wanted to come over and invite you to our table.”

For the briefest moment, his eyes seemed to shine with excitement, but for some reason, it was quickly extinguished. The light disappeared faster than a candle in the pouring rain. His eyes snapped angrily to the side, and slowly positioned back at Jason. “I’d love to, but I should get going.” He got up and left without saying another word.

Jason narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Just as I thought. Something is definitely wrong with him. I could faintly smell… blood? Yeah, it was definitely blood. Wasn’t terribly fresh… perhaps around three days old. Also, something is off with his personality. He seems so

defeated… rather than his normally confident air of authority.”

He got back up and returned to Giuri, who was curiously sniffing one of his sushi rolls. He sat down, chuckling. “Would you like one after all?”

“Ew.” She said, retracting her head. She cut up her steak and took a bite. “So, how was your little date? I saw him get up and leave the moment you sat down, so I’m guessing not well?”

Jason downed one roll. “Mm, this is really good.” He said after swallowing. “But yeah… it didn’t go over well. And it wasn’t a date!”

“Yeah yeah. What did you find out, though?” she asked.

“I found something suspicious. He smells faintly of blood; probably his own, from the way it smelt.” Jason explained.

“Really?” she asked, her eyes widening in mild shock. “You think he’s depressed?”

“I don’t know.” Jason sighed. “He never really reads depressed whenever I see him. Rather, he just seems irritated and moody whenever someone talks to him.”

“He always looks like that.” Giuri said. “Besides, maybe he just wasn’t in the mood for social interaction today.”

“Then why come to a busy café when you know that everyone will be here for lunch?” Jason asked.

She looked off into space, thinking. “You bring up a good point.” She looked back at the place Marcus had been sitting. It wasn’t even one of the corner booths; it was rather open, and seemed directly in the line of sight of her and Jason’s table. “That is a very good point. Look, if you see the booth he was in, it wasn’t even secluded.”

“You’re right. If he came to not interact with people, why did he choose that spot?” Jason echoed.

“Dang it, Jason.” She said, turning back to him, “Now you’ve got me curious.”

“I try.” He shrugged.“Anyway, we should probably start heading back to

class.” She said, finishing the last of her steak.“Wait!” Jason complained, shoving two sushi rolls

into his mouth. “I ha’en’ fi’i’ed mah su’i wo’s.” he said.“Eat them on the way.”He gulped them down, his eyes watering with the

stinging pain. Coughing slightly, he said, “I have to write the check anyway.”

“Oh yeah. Here, let me take care of that.” She said, waving down the waitress.

“Oh.” Jason said, mildly surprised.

She quickly finished writing the check, handing it to the waitress as Jason shoveled down more and more rolls. “That’s disgusting.”

“Your ‘oss.” He mumbled.“Come on.” She said.Jason picked up his remaining two rolls, cradling

them like newborn children. Swallowing, he asked Giuri, “Are you sure you don’t want one?”

“I’m quite sure.” She said.Jason held it out, egging her on with his eyes. She

sighed angrily, “Fine! I’ll try it.”“Yay.” Jason said, eating the other one. He watched

excitedly as she put it gingerly in her mouth, chewing slowly. Grimacing, she struggled to swallow it. Her body shuddered, and she nearly gagged as it went down. “Ugh! How do you eat that?” she exclaimed.

Jason shrugged. “They’re really good. Not like my mom used to make though.”

“I think that’s the first time you’ve mentioned a good memory of your parents around me.” she said.

“Well… I don’t have any good memories of my father, but my mother was a kind enough woman. I realize now that I can’t blame her for being the way she was. Due to her religion, and my father’s abusiveness, she kind of gave up trying to be equal, and instead

submitted. My father was the real reason why I hated my home.” He said, looking off into space darkly.

“Oh.” Giuri said, looking down. “I wouldn’t really understand. I grew up in a relatively rich family, and my parents loved me dearly. They always wanted the best for me, and supported me in everything I did. Yeah, they were strict, but I knew it was for the best.”

“Can we trade parents?” Jason laughed.“There’s no way in hell I’d want yours.” She smiled.“Yeah, he was pretty awful.” He responded.“Well, I’ll see you around, then.” She said, wandering

off towards the School of Ordo. Jason almost instinctively followed, but quickly remembered he no longer attended there. Sighing, he turned and walked back to the School of Ignis. He past groups of students who were perfectly fine with being late to class. They talked about mundane matters, and why the weather was the way it was.

Suddenly, someone brought up the incident of Kizendow, causing Jason to slow down.

“… kidding. I heard that they have new leads on the Kizendow case. There was another slaughter the government’s not telling us. This one was truly horrific; the cleanup crews couldn’t even recognize what were bodies anymore. Rumors say that there were four perpetrators this time. They didn’t get a good description, but it seems like there are four of them: two guys and two girls.”

“Where did you hear that from?”“My dad’s a government official. He’s in charge of

investigations like this, but he doesn’t exactly like me talking about it with friends.”

“You’re probably right.”The conversation turned to more trivial things again.

Jason picked up his pace, thinking deeply. “Looks like my theory was correct after all: four kids, one of them being the one that tried to kill me in the alley, have assembled and are slaughtering more and more. I wonder where that last town was… hopefully nowhere close.

“It’s only a matter of time before they get here, however. The School of Ignis harbors something they want; that strange symbol in that one room. I wonder why they need it… What are they planning to do, and why are they slaughtering all these people? For the fun of it? No, there has to be a deeper reason…”

He hurried into the classroom, taking his seat and fishing his pencil from his bag. He had already completed his assignment, so he decided to doodle on his notebook. He had drawn several sketches of different forms and anatomies. An idea suddenly popped into his head. Smiling, he began working at it furiously, but carefully.

After an hour or so, he finally finished the rough drawing. “Not terrible.” He said, examining it. It depicted a young wolf Jinrui sitting in the corner, hunched over. His back was split wide open, and blood ran to the floor, the

only color on the drawing. Coming out the back were pitch black demons with glowing red eyes. They wore different masks, each portraying a different emotion: confusion, anger, suffering, despair, and hopelessness were shown.

He sat back, raising his eyebrow. “Now… why did I draw that?” he asked himself quietly. He shook his head; he didn’t exactly know, but it was mysteriously relieving to have it down on paper. Setting his drawing notebook aside, he looked down to the front row. Marcus’s seat sat vacant. Jason’s eyes narrowed, “Where is he? He’s willing to come to a café but not class?” He looked around, and suddenly saw a familiar face sitting on the other side of the room. It was Marcus; he had simply moved to the back row.

Jason caught Marcus staring at him. Marcus instantly looked away, acting as if he didn’t exist. Jason sniffed, “I wonder what his deal is.” Jason took out a small note of paper, writing down a message.

“Hey,” it read, “what’s up?” He waved his hand, transforming it and sending it through the air. It appeared in a small wisp on top of Marcus’s desk.

Mildly surprised, he looked around to see who could’ve sent the note. Unable to locate anyone, he wrote back.

Jason summoned the paper back, reading the message: “Not well, I’m afraid.”

“Willing to talk on paper, but not in person, are we?” Jason thought, writing the next message: “That’s too bad. Would you mind telling me what’s wrong? I promise not to speak with anyone.”

He sent it. Marcus responded, and Jason retrieved it. It read: “It’s telling me not to tell you.”

“It?” Jason wrote back.“I’m sorry, I’ve said too much.” Marcus responded.

Jason looked up to see him leave the classroom through the back door.

“Now I’m worried.” He thought. He got up, leaving his stuff where it sat, and hurried out the back door. Marcus was a few seconds ahead of him, but Jason quickly caught up, catching him on the shoulder. “What do you mean by it?” he asked.

“You sent the note?” Marcus asked.Jason nodded.Sighing, he closed his eyes. “I have nothing to say. I

have no idea what you’re speaking of.” He turned to leave, but was stopped by Jason.

“Look, normally I don’t go out of my way to help people; I’m a rather reclusive person. For some reason in hell, I’ve decided to help you out, because obviously something’s wrong. You can tell me.” Jason said.

“Why should I trust you?” Marcus asked, his voice rising.

“You see these?” he said, raising his arms. His wrists were covered in white bandages, and the older scars could be seen through his fur. “I didn’t realize it when I talked to you at lunch today, but I smelt blood on you. You’re suicidal, aren’t you?”

Marcus looked away angrily, his hand clenching into a fist. “Only recently.” He whispered. His voice was strained, almost like someone was choking him.

“I’ve been there my entire life, Marcus. You can trust me.” Jason said.

“It tells me to never trust anyone. There’s only one thing I trust...” Marcus replied, shaking free of Jason. “…and it’s not you.” He walked away, leaving Jason with his arm extended, and hurt in his eyes.

“Then just answer me this: What’s that one thing?” Jason called.

Marcus paused. Jason expected to see annoyance or hatred in his eyes, but that was very different from what was actually burning there. His eyes were pleading; they seemed to be calling for help. His voice, however, was cold and full of impatience. “Myself.” He said, walking away.

Jason watched him leave the building. “That look… that look he gave me…”

What did it mean?

“We sure made quick work of that wretched place.” Cryla bounced happily. Her bright, rainbow dress fluttered happily in the wind.

“Must you wear that dreadful outfit?” Jeven asked, squinting coldly at it.

“Hush.” She said, picking a flower and burning it.“I will have no squabbling this time. We are not

young gods anymore; this time, we will crush the humans, and I do not want any distractions while we do it.” Dreleka said, looking out over the valley. A small, bustling village lay before them. The students of the University milled about, wandering to their respective homes and apartments.

“Oh, come on Dreleka deary. Let’s have some fun with this!” Cryla giggled, catching a bird from its nest and snapping its neck. “Here Jeven.” She tossed the limp bird to the young boy, smiling.

Dreleka caught it in mid-flight, snatching it from Jeven’s grasp. “We are not giving him blood now. Might I remind you that we have that annoying young dog down there that managed to escape your grasp, child.” She nodded to the unnamed sibling.

Its blank expression remained on its face. “I failed once, Dreleka. It will not happen again.”

“Of course it won’t.” she said, igniting the corpse into black flames. The body was burnt to bone in a matter of moments. “I will be the one to kill him, dear sibling. No,

Jeven, you cannot kill him. If you should, however, I will not hesitate to banish you to the Oblivion.”

His eyes grew wide with terror. “That will not be a problem; just, please do not send me to the Oblivion.”

“Relax. If you follow exactly what I say, you will be my right hand man, dear boy.” Dreleka said, smiling softly.

“Remind me what the plan is.” Cryla said, hanging upside down from the branch she had plucked the bird off of. Her bright blonde hair hung freely, dancing in the soft breeze.

“We need to get into that school we came to long ago.” Dreleka started. “Once inside, we reclaim that room that we failed in last time.”

“What are we doing there?” Cryla asked, looking up at the sky.

“You are truly hopeless.” Dreleka sighed.The second oldest sibling giggled like a small school

girl, dancing on the soft grass in her bare feet. Wherever she touched began to smolder, and die. “Oh, so sad.” She stopped, looking down at the dying foliage.

“What’s so sad about that?” Jeven asked. “To me, it looks wonderful. Maybe if you add a touch of blood to it…”

She tittered, agreeing. Her body flickered, and she was suddenly holding a small mouse. She pulled by the

head and the tail, smiling at its agonized squeaks of pain. Flesh tore from bone, and the poor creature was ripped in half, spraying crimson fluid over the grass.

Jeven stared hungrily at the gore, but Dreleka slapped him across the face. “That is not part of the plan. We need to be silent. If what you say about that necklace is true, child, we have to be extremely careful.”

“Why?” Jeven asked, holding his face.“Because, prattling buffoon, he has the power to

resist us.” Dreleka said.“Resist? All things must give eventually, Dreleka.”

The nameless sibling spoke. “He cannot live forever; he will die tonight.”

“Yes, he will, but we must wait for him to leave. We cannot kill him like we normally do, but maybe we can get him to kill himself.” She smiled, looking in Jason’s direction.

“What makes you say that?” Cryla asked, climbing the tree trunk.

“Can’t you tell? His emotions are black, and his thoughts are ever darker. What the second youngest did to that first town on the night of its awakening broke him. He’s attempted countless times to end his own life. If he witnesses something like Kizendow in person… well, we may be able to murder him indirectly.” Dreleka said.

The nameless sibling chuckled; it was a dry, emotionless laugh. “That will not work, Dreleka.”

“Why not?” she turned.“He never managed to take his own life because he

had others around him who were willing to give up theirs for him. I don’t understand that about those creatures; humans or similar. They are willing to sacrifice so much for each other, with very little payment in return.” It said thoughtfully, uncaring about the scarf blowing in its face.

“Your lack of emotion is making you soft.” Dreleka said disdainfully.

“I will not hesitate to kill him, sister.” It said, its voice flat. “I was simply making an observation. Besides—“

“Oh, shut up already! Can’t we just get to killing people? I really, really, REALLY want to spill some mortal blood.” Jeven complained.

“Your brother is right.” Dreleka said, turning back to the town. “It is about time we begin.”

“Can I do the opening honors?” Cryla asked, smiling. She stood on the edge of the cliff, barely on solid ground.

“We all know what happened last time you did that, Cryla. Lord Time certainly isn’t omniscient, or even omnipotent, but he has a strange power in doing things. We cannot let him find us this time. If that happens, he will not take mercy on our father, and we will be sent to the Oblivion.” Dreleka said, gulping nervously.

They all looked down silently, remembering the horrid, unspeakable events of the Oblivion. Their mother had been sent there, and they had visited with their father only once… and they never wanted to return.

“Well, at least we’ll be with Mother.” Cryla sighed.“Shut up!” Jeven cried. “That place is horrid. Even I

dare not send my victims there…”“Let’s just focus on slaughtering this town.” Dreleka

said. “I’ll go in first. Make sure to take out the guards first. Cryla, lay waste to the buildings, but don’t obliterate everything. Also, do not harm that school.” Turning to the nameless sibling, she said, “Hunt down the wolf boy. Kill him at all costs, if you can.”

Marcus walked to his apartment in silence. “Why

wouldn’t you let me speak with that Jason kid? He seemed really nice.” He thought.

“Because.” The voice replied, “Nice people just want to use you. They get close to you, and then rip your heart out. You’ll be more alone than when you started if you seek them out.”

Marcus sighed sadly. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. It was amazing how silent wolves can be. Turning his head, he saw Jason running up behind him. “Hello.” He said quietly.

Jason caught up with him, walking by his side. “You go this way too?” he asked, panting slightly.

Marcus nodded, wincing as the voice screamed, “Do not speak with him, idiot! He just wants to leave you for nothing!”

“I wanted to apologize for today after lunch. I cornered you about something very personal, and I really shouldn’t have.” He stuck out his hand, smiling.

Marcus timidly shook it, staring at the bandage and scars along his arms. “How do you go about day to day? Why do you let it do that?” he asked.

“Why do I let what do this?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“You always look so happy.” Marcus said. “How do you keep it away?”

“I don’t follow.” He said.“Do not speak another word!” the voice hissed.“Shut up!” Marcus screamed in his head. Returning

his gaze to Jason he asked, “You know…”“Oh. I usually just surround myself with friends; I only

have one, but she’s extremely nice and keeps it at bay. When it starts to take over, I take my mind off of it and start to do things I love. Do you have anything you love to do?” Jason said.

“No. It took it all away from me.” Marcus replied, looking away.

“You shouldn’t let it control your life. Surround yourself with friends or family. You have family, don’t you?” he asked innocently.

Marcus relaxed his jaw, keeping himself from growling. “No,” he snapped, “I don’t.”

“Oh.” Jason responded. “I know how you feel.”“You do?” Marcus asked, looking up.“Yes. I grew up without siblings, and I ran away from

my parents at an early age. I’ve never had family to rely on, as my adopted father was never home. That’s where I got these.” He said, holding out his wrists.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Marcus asked wearily.

“What do you mean?” he chuckled, “I just want to be your friend.”

“He’s lying. He wants to use you. He wants you to suffer.” The voice whispered.

Marcus ignored the voice for the first time in his life. He didn’t just tell it to stop, he completely ignored it entirely. He was curious; why did this young wolf want to talk to him, a worthless lowlife? Didn’t he have better people to talk to? These questions made him curious. “Friend?”

“Of course.” Jason said, smiling. He reached out his hand to pat him on the shoulder, but was surprised when Marcus flinched. “I’m sorry; do you not like physical contact?” He asked, retracting his arm.

Marcus awkwardly shook his head.“Oh, my apologies then. I’ll… try not touching you.”

Jason laughed awkwardly.They walked in a stifling silence, listening to the

evening birds fly across the sky. The air was suspiciously silent, and smelled faintly of… carrion. Jason stiffened at the scent. Marcus glanced over, raising his eyebrow, “Everything alright?” he asked.

“No…” Jason said silently. Something caught his eye, and his heart slowly grinded to a halt. Four silhouetted figures stood on a distant hill. One stood behind the rest, a scarf billowing in the wind. Swearing, he raced for the police station faster than Marcus had ever seen anyone run.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” he called.Jason turned, complete terror in his eyes. “RUN!” he

screamed.“Do as he says.” The voice whispered. “Run away

from here. Let me take over… I’ll guide you to safety.”

“No! I’ll get out on my own.” He retorted, sprinting after Jason.

“What are you doing?! Turn around now! You don’t want to stay near that boy!” it shrieked.

Marcus didn’t know why he was racing after Jason, but he was. Suddenly, the scent of death greeted his nostrils; it was faint, but definite. He turned slowly to where the source of the smell was. He stood facing three shadowed figures on a distant hill. “Wh-who are those people?” he asked Jason timidly.

“OPEN UP!” Jason screamed, banging on the locked doors. Swearing, he summoned a blast of Ordo and kicked down the door, startling the officers inside.

“Hold it right there!” an officer shouted, drawing his sword. “Who are you and why are you here?”

“Jason Deverla, the only remaining witness to the Kizendow case.” He gasped. He looked up, fear leaking from his eyes into the rest of the men and women inside. “They’ve come.”

“They?” one of the officers asked cautiously.The officer in front paled. “No…” he whispered. “How

many are there?”“Four.” Jason responded.“What? I only saw three.” Marcus replied, gritting his

teeth through the voice screaming in his head.Jason and the officer turned, horror seeming to flow

from their very souls. “Three?” Jason choked, his voice

barely audible. “Was there one with a scarf?” he asked, gripping Marcus by the shoulders.

He shook his head, trying to shrug off Jason’s iron grip.

Swearing loudly, Jason raced outside, screaming, “Gather your officers and evacuate the city! Get as many people out as you can!”

“I think he’s seen us.” Jeven said, pointing to Jason below.

“Doesn’t matter. The unnamed child is taking care of him as we speak. I shall go in. Jeven, you will not gather any blood on you, you hear me? For this plan to work, you must not use that ability. Cryla, you must keep your carnage to a minimum.” Dreleka said.

“Remind me why we have to be so silent.” Cryla said, munching on a flower.

“Time will notice us if we become too loud. Yours and Jeven’s little stunts when you awoke nearly cost us. It will not happen again.” Dreleka said, stepping off the cliff. She hovered in the air, watching the officers below scramble to other stations and evacuate the citizens. “Pathetic mortals,” she whispered, “You cannot run from me.”

She opened her eyes, suddenly standing before a large crowd of people. They shrieked and tried to run, but

she laughed coldly, raising her pale hand. They all suddenly stopped, falling over. Their screams echoed away into the fading evening. “Child’s play.” She laughed in her head. Slaughtering a crowd of a hundred or so people was nothing compared to her former glory. “You see me now, father?” she screamed into the air, smiling. “Look at me! Look at what you created! Aren’t you proud?”

The air answered with silence. “No matter.” She whispered, moving on.

He’ll be dead soon enough.

Jason raced to the nearest house. “Get out now!” he screamed. There was no response from within. Swearing, he sprinted to the next house, watching the emergency signals fly into the air. They exploded, sending loud booms over the city, alerting the inhabitants of impending doom.

People stumbled out of their homes, gazing in horror as the signals faded into the evening air. The sunset was no longer golden; the glowing orb sinking below the horizon had become as red as blood, casting its brilliance onto the distant clouds. They blazed like jets of flame streaking through the sky.

Jason breathed a small sigh of relief. Maybe… maybe there was still a chance to save these people.

Marcus raced from house to house, abandoning the voice shrieking in his head to leave. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, heightening his senses. The people were evacuating, and they were doing it quickly, but there were still some that needed a gentle reminder.

“Go!” he yelled to one family.“This is just a drill, young man. There’s no need to be

so alarmed.” The old man said, hugging his wife.Marcus’s voice became dangerous. “This is not a

drill. Even if it was, why would you not follow proper protocol? Would you like to stay here and be slaughtered?”

The old couple hesitated.“The answer is no!” Marcus yelled. “Please, save

yourselves and get out of here!”They rushed off as fast as they could, abandoning

their home. The signals in the air told them it was of the highest emergency. The government would respond shortly, sending officers of the highest degree to protect the people. They would worry about supplies then. Now… now it was about survival.

Jason sprinted around the corner. He turned his head… and his heart stopped. Standing before him was the nameless child, its expression flat. “You.” He whispered.

“Yes, it is I.” it said. “I failed to kill you once.” It suddenly raced at Jason, “But that will not happen again!”

Jason dispersed his body into energy, reforming behind the startled child. “I’m not the same as when you found me. I’ve been training for this.”

Snarling, the child lifted its hand. Jason’s body instantly went rigid, and his muscles refused to move. The child inched closer. “What can you do to stop this? You cannot escape from me.”

“I don’t need to.” He spat. He suddenly disappeared in a puff of Ordo. He launched himself from the air, kicking the child straight in the back. He heard a sickening crunch, and the demon was hurled forward.

“What are you?” it growled, standing back up. Its spine reformed, cracking back into place.

“A guy who wants his revenge.” Jason snarled. He advanced, summoning a terrifying amount of Ignis and Ordo energy. They fused in his palms, creating a massive surge of Potentia. Lightning crackled around him, frying the very air around it. He whipped his arm out.

In a single crack, the lightning bolt struck the demon, heaving it several hundred meters down the street. The demon lay motionless, a large hole smoldering in its chest. Jason appeared over it, staring down furiously.

Suddenly, it chuckled. “You think you can kill me?” The gaping crater slowly fleshed together. “Only my dear siblings can murder me. You can do nothing.” It suddenly

appeared in front of Jason, kicking him in the gut. Blood droplets fell to the ground where he had once been. He struggled to stand at the other side of the street. Coughing blood, he smiled darkly.

“I have a feeling you cannot kill me either.” He called.

The nameless child raised there eyebrow. “Oh? And what makes you so sure about that?”

“You tried once. You failed that time.” He appeared in front of the child, “What’s to stop you from failing again?”

Marcus was cornered. He backed against the wall, gasping for breath.

A small boy stood in the entrance to the alleyway. He wore strange, ancient looking clothing similar to that of the clothing Marcus had read about in a book called, “World War II: Causes and Consequences.” He had hollow, bleeding eyes, and a sadistic smile that curled to his ears.

“What do you want?” Marcus asked.“My dear sister told me to wipe you from existence.

She sees you as a vital link to the life of Jason Deverla.” He cackled.

“Why? He’s never been my friend, and never will! What does she see in me?” he asked.

“He really wants to be your friend, apparently. Even I could see that…” he paused, his grin growing larger.

“Let me take over from here. I will make you live. I will make you survive.” The voice pressed.

“No!” Marcus screamed.Jeven raised his eyebrow. “I can see you’re troubled.

That voice in your head… I can make it leave. I can free you from it.”

Marcus looked up. “What?”“Don’t listen boy! He wants you dead!”

“Don’t listen to the voice, Marcus Zykeria. It wants to take you over and consume your mind. You’ve seen what it can do… You’re scared of it. I know it. I can taste your fear.” He licked his lips.

Marcus swore at the child, blasting a jet of fire at him.

Laughing, he allowed the flames to hit him. Rancid smoke curled from where the young boy was standing. Skin and tissue was stripped away and burned to nothing.

A charred skeleton stood in his place, bones clattering. Slowly, black, liquid tendrils snaked around his body. They formed into muscle, and then covered in skin. He no longer wore clothes; those had been burned away. Tsk-ing, he looked down at his nude body. “You know how difficult it was to get those? Those were my favorite.” He snarled.

Marcus’s eyes widened. “What are you?” he whispered.

“You mean your lover-boy hasn’t told you?” he laughed coldly.

“He’s not my lover!” Marcus screamed. “I don’t even know him!”

“Trivial matters aside, I guess I’ll tell you. You’re going to die anyway, and the knowledge will not change that. I am Jeven, youngest of the four children of death. My older siblings are here to destroy everything, and eventually take over the universe.” He smiled.

“How the hell do you plan on doing that? Lord Time would never allow it.” Marcus growled.

“True. He wouldn’t. That’s why we have a plan set up. My oldest sister, Dreleka, plans on killing Death and taking his place. With her divine status reinstated, and her position elevated even higher than it was before, she can then make quick work of the other gods and slaughter them all. Then, we’ll take their place, and become rulers of the universe.” Jeven stepped closer.

“And you think that plan will work?” Marcus laughed darkly.

“It has its validity… but I have my doubts. That aside, I’ve been given the task to murder you, and I will do so. Why don’t you be a good dog and sit down?” He suddenly sprinted at Marcus, flashing a small, black dagger.

Marcus spun, lashing out with his hind feet and kicking the young child in the face. His neck snapped, and he was hurled into the wall like a limp ragdoll. “You underestimate me.” he growled.

Snapping his neck back into place, he stood and laughed. “You’re a lot faster than I thought.” His smile flashed wickedly, “Why don’t we fix that?”

Marcus dodged the glinting knife, if just barely. As he turned, he noticed it descending above his chest. His foot swung from a low position, slamming directly into Jeven’s lower jaw.

More bones cracked, and the boy collided with the other wall, shrieking in delight. “I just love it when people do that!” Stumbling back into the alleyway, he said, “I’m what you’d call a masochist. I revel in pain; it’s just delightful.”

Disgusted, Marcus formed small symbols around his hand. Ignis, Perditio, and Terra combined, sparking a small sphere with strange symbols around it. He waited patiently for the young boy to rush at him, slaughter written on his face, and the gleaming obsidian dagger bearing down. He flung himself to the side, feeling the slight sting of a dagger cutting his side. Twisting his body, he slammed his open hand onto the back of Jeven’s neck. A small mark burned itself into his neck.

Gasping, Jeven fell to the ground, paralyzed. “What is this?” he shrieked.

Not caring to answer, Marcus sprinted out of the alleyway, feeling his side. It was a simple, small cut on the surface of the skin, drawing only a little blood. It was nothing.

There was sudden sizzling sound from behind him. He dove to the ground, covering his head as a massive explosion tore apart the nearest three buildings. Chunks of concrete, asphalt, and flaming wreckage of wood bore down across the blocks in the vicinity. He could feel the heat of the explosion searing his back, but it was nothing compared to what he had experienced before.

The last pieces of debris rained down, clattering loudly. Marcus stood on shaky legs, his sensitive ears ringing loudly. He took heavy, uneven breaths. “That should do it.” He said. “Wasn’t that ba—“

“How many times do I have to tell you pathetic mortals?” a voice screamed. Crawling from the flaming ruins was an incomplete, charred skeleton. Pieces slowly reformed, fleshing out at the same time. Soon, his entire body had reformed, as if Marcus had never done anything to it. “You can’t kill a god!”

Jason rebounded off the wall, snapping the bone in his left arm. Crying out, he collapsed to the ground.

The nameless sibling was smiling. Cold and sadistic was the look that filled its blood-red eyes. “Why do you continue to fight?” it whispered into Jason’s ear, pulling

his head up by the scruff of his neck. “You’re going to lose.”

Jason smiled back, his eyes equally frigid. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asked, disappearing.

“I grow tired of your games.” It said, looking around. Jason suddenly appeared behind it, but it was ready, flipping around and punching him in the throat. His eyes grew wide, and suddenly shattered. The body crystallized, shattering, and disappearing into the air. Startled, the sibling’s eyes narrowed.

“Good!” Jason’s voice called, “Because I just won!” He brought down a large piece of metal shrapnel on the demon’s neck. Blood spurted from the severed neck, staining the stones of the road. The head rolled away, and the body fell limp.

Laughing darkly, he stood triumphantly over the defeated demon. He began to run away, trying to locate his other friends, but was startled when a force hauled him back, slamming him into the road. The breath in his lungs was forced out, along with a few droplets of blood. He gasped for breath as a headless body stood over him, dripping blood onto his clothes. A distant head screamed, “You think decapitation will kill me? Are you really that stupid?”

Jason’s body was forced into the air. He struggled desperately as he ascended higher and higher. The clouds were approaching, and the ground was soon more

distant than the sky. He hung motionless for a moment, his hand reaching out desperately.

Suddenly, his heart and stomach were forced upward as his body hurtled downward. The wind howled in his ears, and he managed to twist to see the pavement a few meters below.

Then two.Then one.

Marcus advanced at the young Jeven. He screamed a war cry that was muted by his still ringing ears. His hands blazed with pure white flames; the hottest kind.

The child looked completely apathetic, picking up his discarded dagger. He slowly licked the blade, drawing in a small drop of Marcus’s bright, crimson blood that had not evaporated in the explosion. Tiny red lights sputtered to life in the sockets of his skull. “This should be enough.” He whispered.

There was a loud crack as Jason’s body slammed into the ground. The road shattered upon the impact, upheaving several large chunks of asphalt and stone.

The nameless child stared at it unexcitedly. “Well, victory is boring, after all.” It turned around, but gasped. Jason stood before it, fury and triumph in his eyes. He

stabbed his crystal covered hand into the demon’s heart, ripping it out.

Gasping, the no-longer headless child collapsed to the ground. “How did…” it struggled to speak.

“It was another clone.” Jason smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t be killed by decapitation, so I decided to go after your heart instead. That is, after you thought I was dead.”

“Then you should realize…” it whispered, standing confidently, “That my heart is not needed.” Its body flickered out of existence, suddenly reappearing behind Jason. A blurred kick sent Jason crashing down the road at deadly speeds. Miraculously, he survived, but his spine was severed, and had been forced out his back.

Screaming in agony, he managed to roll onto his stomach. His leg was fractured in several places, and his left arm was even worse. An entire bone from his left arm was missing; it had probably been torn out.

The demon appeared above him, slamming its knee into Jason’s already shattered spine. It smiled-- a true smile of the purest bliss-- at his shrieks of torment. “You have annoyed me enough, Jason Deverla. I shall make your death the longest it can be while still capturing your body for my own benefits.”

Marcus fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder. A glistening, bloody wound burned on his shoulder. “When

did he become so quick?” he thought wildly, looking over at Jeven.

The young demon ingested more and more blood; the glow in his eyes was becoming brilliant balls of crimson flame. His body started to flicker; it jumped rapidly between reality and ceasing to exist. He stood, dragging his tongue across his lips. “Your blood is simply delightful.” He laughed. “So much raw power coursing through it. Why, I’ve never had such a feast since my binding.”

He suddenly appeared behind Marcus, slamming him into the ground. Jeven quickly summoned nearby rebar rods and slammed them through Marcus’s hands, thighs, and feet. Marcus screamed as the blunt metal was forced through his skin and bones. “Now that you can’t move…” the demon whispered, “Why don’t we have some fun? Just you and me.”

The obsidian dagger was stabbed into Marcus’s lower back, at the base of his spine. It burned like nothing Marcus had experienced before. The young demon cackled, dragging the dagger up his spine. The point of the dagger grated against his vertebrae, cutting partly through the bone. The poor young husky’s screams echoed through the air. Blood stained his fur, and soaked it through. Dripping onto the pavement, it flowed onward.

“Don’t worry.” The demon whispered. “I never kill my victims.”

Marcus’s vision began to fade. Adrenaline could no longer keep his tortured body awake. He fought desperately to keep his eyes open; something would save him. He tried to call for help, but realized his voice had been lost in his anguished cries. His eyes caught the last light he’d ever see: the bloody glow of the sun.

A single whisper echoed through his mind: “You are nothing without me… I thought I tried to tell you that.”

Jeven removed the dagger, bringing it skyward to deal the final blow. “Your soul…” he snapped down his hand, “is mine!”

Suddenly, a huge blast of light launched him off his feet. He slammed into the nearest building, momentarily blacking out. He seemed regain consciousness a second later, struggling to stand. The lights in his eyes faded, and the bleeding resumed. An orange figure stood before him… a fox-wolf hybrid.

Giuri picked up Marcus’s body, grunting from the effort of two bodies on her shoulders. Jason was slung over her other shoulder. Without saying a word to the demon, she sprinted away as fast as her legs could carry the weight of the two canines. “Just until they’re safe.” She kept repeating the same phrase in her head over and over, sprinting as hard as she could.

Suddenly, the unnamed sibling appeared around the corner, their eyes full of unexpected fury. “You dare?” It snarled, “You dare interrupt me?”

Giuri gasped and stopped. She turned to flee the other way, but saw her path was blocked by the youngest child. His hollow eyes were narrowed in hatred and thirsted for revenge. “Trying to escape now, are we?”

Jason stirred on her shoulders, gasping as he shifted his back. “Don’t try to move.” She whispered. She set them both down extremely carefully. “If you can get through me,” she said loudly, “you’ll have to get through me first.”

Jeven laughed in a mocking tone. “You think you stand a chance against us? I can read your fear; all your doubts are in your eyes. You were never better than Jason, and look what we did to him! He’s lying dead at your feet!”

Giuri took a deep breath. “I only have to hold them off until reinforcements get here.” She suddenly summoned bright crystal blades along her arms, sprinting at the young demon. He readied a small, obsidian dagger. “I probably shouldn’t get scraped by that. It’s small, which means it’s most likely to be taken lightly. Judging by that look on his face… I’d say he only needs it to draw a single drop of blood.” She thought. Dancing out of the way of the dagger, she backhanded the demon, snapping his neck yet again. Then, in the same motion, sliced off his head and kicked his body away.

The head rolled away, screaming. “Why don’t you people get it?” he shrieked. The nameless child held up its hand, and the two halves joined together again, the skin fusing together once it touched. Popping his neck, he sighed, completely exasperated. “Sibling, why don’t these people listen? It’s simply annoying me!”

“Quiet. If you can’t deal with her, allow me. My ability has only just started to kick in.” The nameless child sprinted forward at ludicrous speeds, holding two serrated hunting knives that had been abandoned in the street.

Giuri turned and tried to kick the child in the neck, but it was too quick. Ducking, it drove one of the knives upward, stabbing deep into her thigh. It quickly straightened and used its momentum to land a side-ward sweeping slash across her stomach.

She collapsed on the ground, grunting in pain. The nameless child tossed the bloody knife to Jeven, who caught it gleefully.

“You’ve had your fun.” He proclaimed. “Now… it’s my turn.” The glowing spheres in his head ignited yet again, blazing in all their awful glory. He vanished, and reappeared on top of her. He was holding a large, rusted rebar with a deadly point. Spinning it grandly, he drove it into her chest, smiling elatedly as her blood splashed onto his face. “How does it feel?” he whispered, leaning in. “How does it feel knowing you’re about to die and become my personal helper?”

“Go to hell.” She growled through gritted teeth.“Already been there. I must say, it wasn’t terribly

fun. In fact, it was rather boring.” He stabbed the rebar deeper, purposefully grating the ridges on her ribs. “Where you’re going is far worse.” He smiled, his face inches from Giuri’s.

“JEVEN.” A voice screamed.He looked up, startled. His hollow eyes widened in

what appeared to be terror. “D-Drel-Dreleka! What are you doing here?” he said, stepping off Giuri.

“What does it look like I’m doing?!” she shrieked, walking closer. She was soon on top of Jeven, grabbing him by the neck and hoisting him into the air. “I thought I told you not to use that!”

“I-I had to!” he tried to argue. His windpipe began to bleed from his sister’s fierce grip.

“You had to? What pathetic excuse is that?” she grabbed the other sibling by its throat, throwing them both on the ground.

“What are you angry at me for?” it yelled.“You used your ability as well! I can sense it! We

need to leave now. Thanks to you two, the plan failed. Time will be here shortly; he can feel our presence now. You should count yourselves lucky if you don’t get sent to the Oblivion when I’m done with you!” she shrieked, grabbing them by their necks once more. “Cryla will finish

obliterating the town. When she’s done, she will soon join us.” The three siblings disappeared with a small crack.

Giuri was left to stare at the sky as her life faded away. The pain in her chest was consuming her; it felt as though the rebar had been molten as it plunged through her flesh. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Only one of her lungs still functioned, and it was nearly torn apart. She was left to drown in her own blood. Smiling weakly, she looked over at the two unconscious bodies of Jason and Marcus.

Their bones were sticking out at strange angles, and some had been burned and splintered beyond recognition. Their blood pooled around them, spilling into the drains of the street. They were alive, she could tell that much by their faint heartbeats pulsing in her ears, but just barely.

Suddenly, a hooded figure stepped over them. “Wait…” she called, her voice weak.

It turned around. The figure was a skeleton clad in black robes. A large, silver scythe was held in one hand. “You can see me, child?”

Giuri nodded, wincing at the pain exploding in her chest at the effort.

“What is it?” he asked. Death’s voice was surprisingly soothing and rich.

“Leave them. Let them live, and take me instead.” She pleaded.

“But, child, your wounds are not fatal. You can be healed if you simply wait out—“

“No.” she interrupted him. “Jason’s life is worth more than mine. He’ll get farther than I will, and he possesses something that will keep him alive.”

“Are you sure? Your sacrifice can only save one of them.” He said.

“Can you make an exception?” she asked desperately.

“You want both of them kept alive? Why do you want Marcus to be saved? You don’t know him.” Death replied.

“He’s important to Jason, I can tell that much. Without me, he’ll slip back into his old ways… and eventually you’ll claim him. He needs another anchor… a stronger one: one that will succeed where I failed. Please, take me as a sacrifice for both of them. I’m willing to go through whatever means necessary.” She begged.

“Why do you care so much?” Death asked, approaching her.

“He was my friend when no one else was. I may not have seemed like it, but I never had any real friends. Jason, however…” she coughed, blood dripping from her mouth, “He was someone I counted on more than anything.”

Death seemed to chuckle sadly. “You mortals never cease to amaze me.” He picked up Giuri in his arms. She

looked down and saw her body, pierced completely through as the life left her eyes. “Please… forgive me for what I have created.” Death whispered.

“Mistakes happen.” Giuri smiled, the pain in her chest disappearing. Blissful peace enveloped her mind. “Even for gods.”

The brilliantly beautiful glow of the sun slowly faded to blackness. A faint smile formed on her face.

Everyone told me dying was something to fear; that dying was painful… and scary. Death took the people you loved from you. Giuri realized that wasn’t true; it never had been. Death didn’t take people from anyone.

He carried them away to a better place.

Chapter V: Crimson SunsetsJason sat in his apartment, watching the sunrise.

Birds chirped happily in the crisp air. The leaves were blazing with golds, oranges, and reds. A thin frost had settled over the lawn in front of the apartment complex, giving the blades an alluring sparkle as the sun drifted slowly into the sky.

“Five years ago…” he thought. “Five years ago today… she was buried.”

His mind returned to a dark memory:“I sat silently in a black tuxedo. The other funeral

goers were dressed in black as well; it was customary. I placed my hand on the corpse of my dear friend Giuri, a silent tear falling from my eye.

Marcus pushed my wheelchair with a slight limp, taking me into the other room so I could be alone. “Wait…” I whispered, “Please stay.”

Marcus hesitated, but nodded solemnly. Sitting down next to me, he said quietly, “I never knew her much, but I feel like she did a great thing. There’s a reason we’re both alive… I think it might be destiny… or maybe just a happy coincidence.”

I laughed, wiping my eye with the back of my hand. “That sounds so cheesy.”

He smiled. “It probably is.” He looked away, watching Giuri’s family pay their respects. “Did you know her well?”

“She was the sister I never had.” I replied. “Whenever I was depressed, she always showed up at my apartment with treats in her arms and a smile on her face. She had this strange ability to tell whenever I needed something. No matter what, she was always there to lift me up whenever I fell.”

“That must’ve been nice.” Marcus whispered to himself.

“She’s the reason I’m still alive.” I closed my eyes, shuddering at the memories of blade slicing through my skin. “She saved me from dying so many times I can never begin to repay the debts. Now…” I looked at her beautiful, cherry-wood coffin, “I’ll never even have the chance to try.”

“You can have her death not be in vain.” Marcus said. “You can avenge her… I know you can.”

I shook my head. “They’re too strong. They’ve no doubt become stronger in the months we’ve been in the hospital, and all we’ve done is gotten weaker. I can’t even walk, Marcus! I may never again…”

“That’s not the same Jason I saw in the hospital.” Marcus said quietly.

“What?” I asked, looking up through the tears brimming in my eyes.

“The wolf I saw in the hospital never let his spirits down. He never once said ‘I give up’. All he did was look at the best outlook of life, saying it could only get better from there. Where did that optimistic young wolf go?” he asked.

“That Jason was naïve and short-sighted. He was blinded by false hope. The doctors fed him lies… they told him he would be fine. Then, one complication after another, they stopped telling him hopeful things. They stopped trying to cheer him up, because they knew the

inevitable. That Jason still believed their lies… their filthy lies!” I screamed.

“Shh.” Marcus said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I was never given those hopeful sayings in the first place. I was told I was lucky to be alive. They admired your determination; they admired your sacrifice! They never saw that in me… they only saw a failure, a mystery that couldn’t be solved. They gave up on me before they even tried, Jason.”

I looked away.

“My point is… it doesn’t matter what others say. Believing in yourself is the most important key in achieving what you want. The mind is a powerful tool, Jason. It can be the key to victory, guiding you through whatever you need… or, it can be the greatest enemy you’ll ever face. You get to decide what your mind does for you.”

“What about you? I thought you never believed in yourself.” I asked.

His expression darkened. “You’re right, I never did. I was controlled… but after that day… the day our village was murdered… something happened. I realized I no longer needed to be controlled; I was free… at least, more free than I had ever been. It made me realize something: friends are not there to bring you down… they’re there to protect you when you fall.”

“Why would you think that way in the first place? What friend would bring you down?” I asked.

He sighed. “I think we should be heading to the funeral service.” He stood up and pushed me outside, holding a large, ebony umbrella to shield us from the cold winter rain. We sat silently as the coffin bearers brought out her final resting place. Rain pattered sorrowfully on the umbrellas, providing the only sounds in the ghostly silence.

Everyone had already spoken their memories of Giuri before the viewing. They set her coffin in the earth, paying their final respects as honorary coffin bearers. There were stifled sobs as the earth was placed over the gorgeous, wooden coffin, covering its beauty. “Fitting a magnificent woman was placed in a magnificent coffin.” I said quietly.

There were silent nods of agreement.

“Let’s go.” Marcus whispered into my ear.

I nodded…”

Jason looked over at the painting he had done shortly after her funeral. It showed a happy, young fox-wolf Jinrui hugging a smiling young wolf Jinrui. This painting was in full color, and provided a full, dazzling array of emotions. They were painted as though posing for a picture. Jason envied their smiles. Theirs were permanent, unchanging. Real smiles never lasted long… he hadn’t experienced a real one in several months.

Jason stood and walked to the kitchen, his throat was parched. He walked with a severe limp, but even then, he was extremely grateful. The doctors had told him he was a miracle; he should have never been able to feel his legs again, yet one day, he began moving them. Astonished, they instantly put him in therapy, and four years later, he was allowed to leave.

“Four grueling years.” He thought darkly. Marcus, who was now his roommate, was off at work.

He started early, and didn’t get off until late at night, so Jason had the whole day to himself. Sighing, he poured himself a glass of water.

It had only been three months since the doctors managed to get him off his alcohol addiction, which had nearly destroyed what little life he had left. After that day, he had fallen into a vicious cycle of depression and alcoholism. Suicide attempts had become almost nightly at the time, so he was constantly kept in the hospital on very close watch.

Thanks to his limp, he wasn’t sure if he was ever going to be able to go into the work force again. For the time being, he had taken the title, “Relieved from Battle”. It was a special title for members of the law enforcement that had been severely wounded on a job, and could no longer work. The government benefits were enough to get him by comfortably, but he no longer had enough benefits left for schooling, and had been forced to drop out.

He refilled his glass, staring darkly out the window. This more western part of the West was a strange place to live in. Mountains rose into the sky, their peaks nearly fading from sight because of the clouds that constantly drifted past. The air was strangely thin; it almost reminded him of his early childhood back in the East. “Who am I kidding?” he laughed silently, shaking his head. “There’s no need to remember those memories… they’re never leaving anyway.” Sighing, he walked back to the sofa, sitting down. His spine shifted uncomfortably, sending a small zing up his back.

Growling slightly, he readjusted into a more comfortable position. “I wonder what books Marcus has…” He stood, setting his glass on the nearby coffee table, and wandering into their bedroom. They slept in a bunk bed; Marcus’s things sprawled haplessly on top. Jason huffed, setting his hands on his hips and staring disappointedly at the mess. “He’s a grown man at this point. He should learn to put his own stuff away.”

Sighing, he decided to do it himself. He gingerly climbed into the top bunk, throwing down wrappers, dirty clothes, and even a pair of old boxers. Grimacing, Jason flung it from his grip. “Disgusting.” He thought, carefully picking through his remaining things. His finger brushed along the corner of a book, slicing open the rough skin of his pad. Gasping, he looked down at the open book.

It was a black, leather journal, opened to last night’s entry, judging by the date. “Must’ve fallen asleep while writing it.” Jason thought. He debated for a moment on

whether or not he should read it. It was personal; he knew he’d be furious if anyone ever read through his personal belongings. That was the key, however: “Knew”. Jason chuckled softly, “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

He read from the top line:“Today was another mundane day, other than an

exciting experience at work.” It wrote, “I nearly fell asleep at my desk job and got yelled at by my boss. That was quite the experience; not sure if it’s one I’ll forget soon. Anyway, I was asked if I was getting enough sleep, and the truth is, I’m not, really. Jason’s incessant snoring is keeping me up at night; it’s really annoying, but isn’t it rude to ask people things like that?

It says that I should tell him. Granted, it wants everything ruined. The voice is furious that I chose to become roommates with Jason. Now that I look back at it, was it really a good idea? He doesn’t just want to use me for his own benefit? No, shut up, he wouldn’t do that. It’s telling me yes… but my mind is telling me no.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. I’m beginning to question who I really am… do have feelings for Jason, or not? Some days the answer is maybe… other days the answer is clearly no. What about my sanity? Do I still have it? Probably not, but no one’s come to take me away… you would love that, wouldn’t you? Shut up already. I am not your slave… no, you do not control me.

It’s late, so I should retire soon. On the note for future me… I just hope that you’ll be free and happy when you read this.”

Jason slowly set down the book, unsure of his feelings. Different thoughts raced through his head, crossing and mingling into a large mess of jumbled phrases. He shook his head, closing the journal and setting it under Marcus’s pillow. “Does he have feelings for me?” he thought. He laughed softly and thought, “Of course not…”

He climbed down from the bed. “But who was he talking to? He seemed to be writing at two people at once… and what did he mean by “the voice”?” He sighed, rummaging through Marcus’s personal library. Very few stories caught his eye; they were all historical or non-fictional books. “Nothing to read… nothing to read…” he thought, overturning books and looking at their summaries. Then, he noticed a rather old book that he remembered from long ago: “Ancient Religions and Why they Existed.”

“I never did ask him about this book.” Jason said softly, returning to the sofa and turning to the first page. He read the page, continuing onto the second, and had soon finished the entire prologue. “Well, I have nothing else to do.” He shrugged.

He might as well continue reading.

“I’m home.” Spencer called from the front door.“Hi.” Jason said, turning to the final chapter in the

book.“Have you just been reading that the entire day?”

Spencer asked, wandering into the living room. His silver-blue eyes were tired, and his ears lay flatter than normal. He was wearing a sharp-looking grey tuxedo with a purple tie.

Jason looked up from his book. “You look great.”“Why thank you, but you still haven’t answered my

question.” He said, rolling his eyes and strolling into their bedroom.

“I have been reading all day, actually. I wanted to ask you a long time ago, but I never really had the chance; why do you have this book?” Jason asked.

There was a short pause from the bedroom. “That is a good question, actually. I guess religions always fascinated me. Why can people believe in invisible men and women in the clouds, I have no idea. What’s your favorite one out of all of those?” Marcus called.

Jason thought for a moment. “I’d probably say the ancient Greek religion. Its stories are fascinating, and the people in it are so strong willed and inspirational. I hope to read these stories in more depth someday.”

“You might be out of luck, actually. Many of those tales were lost during the War.” Marcus replied.

“Seriously?” Jason asked. “Dumb humans and their incessant fighting.”

“Remember that the Jinrui played a small part in the war as well. Actually, not a small part, but a rather large part.” Marcus said.

“What? When did we play a role in it?” Jason asked.Marcus stepped out of the bedroom wearing nothing

but bright, azure boxers. Jason tried desperately not to stare at his finely-toned muscles and abdomen, keeping his stare locked on Marcus’s face. “During the Battle of Germany. Jinrui originated in the West, and weren’t given human-level status yet, so the army there was mainly our kind.

“We marched into the Centre, because the West at the time was the Nation of Ignis, and the main quarrel was against the Nation of Aqua in the northern half of the Centre.

“The Battle of Germany was a major turning point in the War. Jinrui were not yet known to the rest of the world, besides the Nation of Aer in the East. When the people of the world found out about the massive slaughtering in the Battle of Germany, they wondered how exactly the Nation of Ignis managed to do it. They soon found out that the West had created a new breed of super-soldiers. They were Jinrui, or, as they were called back then, anthros. Human-like in intelligence, sentience, and body structure, they were soldiers, but what made

them “super” was their raw animalistic instincts that hadn’t yet been bred out of us quite yet.

“Back then, we followed orders like true house animals. With no conscience, and heightened physical prowess, we were the ultimate killing machines, and completely laid waste to the Nation of Aqua.

“The other nations became terrified of us after the Nation of Ignis began using us to win battle after battle. We almost won the War for them, but then there was a breakthrough in the technology of the Nation of Ordo, and they created Jinrui as well, and managed to completely fight back against the Nation of Ignis.”

Jason laughed softly. “The more you know, I guess.”Marcus returned to the bedroom, finishing getting

dressed. He stepped out wearing a tight-fitting tank-top and baggy pajama pants with small flames on them. Letting out an exhausted sigh, he flopped onto the couch next to Jason. He closed his eyes and rested his head back.

Without Marcus looking, Jason couldn’t help but stare.

“I met the weirdest guy today.” Marcus finally said, breaking the silence. He smiled and looked at Jason, who quickly averted his gaze back to his book.

“Oh? What was his name?” Jason asked.

“His name was Spencer, a human. Around mid-height, and has short, dark hair.” Marcus started.

“And?” Jason pushed, looking up from his book.“Well, he’s a fellow colleague at work, so I got to

spend the day with him, but he’s a bit strange. One part of the day he’s really calm and collected. He went about his job in a timely manner, interacted pleasantly with customers, and talked about his daily life in a small-talk kind of way.

“Then, after lunch, when I met up with him again, it’s like he was a completely different person. He was completely off the walls babbling all sorts of nonsense. It was quite hysterical, but really distracting. He even changed his suit after lunch into a baby blue one with a neon pink tie.” Marcus explained.

“Really? Maybe he’s bipolar or something.” Jason said, mildly curious.

“That’s what I thought too, but based off of a book I read, if that were true, his calm side should’ve been more of a depression rather than ‘calm’.” Marcus replied.

“I’ll have to meet him to be sure.” Jason said offhandedly. He looked over and noticed that Marcus’s eyes were drooping. “Maybe you should retire to bed; you look tired.”

He snapped his eyes open and shook his head. “Nah, I’m too hungry to go to bed quite yet.” He stood from the

couch and wandered over to the kitchen. "What do we have to eat in here?”

“Um… I know there’s an apple or two.” Jason replied, thinking of the contents of the fridge.

“An apple?” Marcus asked disappointedly. He opened the fridge, narrowing his eyes. “Hey!” He said grandly, throwing his arms out to the side, “We have steak!”

“Eh?” Jason asked, running into the kitchen. He put his head over Marcus’s shoulder. He was right, after all. Sitting in the fridge was an uncooked, perfectly marbled slab of meat. “We should cook it.” Jason said, smiling.

“Totally.” Marcus replied, grabbing it out of the fridge. “There’s only one problem…” he looked up at Jason dejectedly, “I have no idea how to cook.”

“Seriously? You’re a Pyromancer! I thought that was something you all learned how to do!” Jason laughed.

“Where did you hear that from?” Marcus cried.“Must’ve been a wives’-tale then.” He said, waving

his hand. “Anyway, start the stovetop. I was given cooking lessons when I was a lot younger by my mother. That was the one thing she insisted I learn against my father’s will. Let’s see if I still remember some of the stuff I learned.”

“Wait, you like to cook your meat? That’s an injustice!” Marcus protested.

“Relax; I’m not cooking it like how humans do it. I’m just giving it a light sear on the outside to give it some flavor.” Jason said, igniting the flame on the stovetop.

Marcus’s mouth tightened in disapproval. “Alright, fine.” He finally agreed.

“Besides, you can go find me a cookbook in that library of yours so we can cook ourselves up a proper meal.” Jason replied.

“I’m pretty sure I don’t have one.” Marcus said, looking to the bedroom.

“I think I saw one today when I was going through your books.” Jason said, looking up from the now steadily burning flame.

“Why were you going through my things?” Marcus asked, running to their bedroom.

“I was just looking for a book to read.” Jason called. “No harm was done, I promise.” He looked to the side, “Other than going through your journal entry last night.”

Jason heard the rummaging of books being tossed aside and thrown about. “Oi,” he called, “Don’t be making a mess! I just cleaned our bedroom today!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Marcus replied. After a moment or two more, he finally exclaimed, “Well, what do you know, I do have cookbook!”

Jason raised his eyebrow. “I was just kidding…” he thought.

Marcus strolled out of the room, tail wagging contentedly, and stalked into the kitchen. He was looking through the “entrees” section, trying to locate a good meal with steak in it. “Mm, it’s no good. These are all human recipes.” He sighed, looking up from the book.

“That’s okay. Jinrui are very similar to humans in biological structure, so we can stomach anything they can.” Jason replied.

“Except dark chocolate.” Marcus said.“That’s just for us canines.” Jason sighed. “It’s a dark

curse.”Marcus nodded, returning to reading through the

cookbook. “Ooh, here’s something. How about we have steak with sweet potato French fries and a berry-citrus salad?”

Jason laughed. “What are we, gourmet chefs? I don’t think so. Try something a little less fancy.”

“No, this is perfect for our level of cooking.”“You mean level zero?”“Ha ha.” Marcus mocked. “Anyway, the recipe is

rather straight forward; it’s just that we don’t have all the ingredients.”

“You mean we have to go shopping?” Jason asked.“Apparently.”

“Ugh, never mind. Let’s just go out to eat, then.” He sighed.

“Aww, you mean you don’t want to learn to cook?” Marcus sneered playfully.

“No, I don’t want to go shopping. Shopping is evil.” Jason whispered, his eyes narrowing.

“Well, alright then. We’ll call it a date.” Marcus said, running off to the bedroom.

“A date?” Jason cried, extinguishing the flame on the stovetop.

“I’m just kidding!” Marcus called from the bedroom. “I know you’re straighter than a pole!”

Jason’s eyes widened. “He doesn’t know?! Oh Lord… oh Lord… oh Lord…” He took a calming breath and said, “Yeah… totally.”

“Speaking of which, when are you going to get a date? I’ve been thinking that you need some time with a lovely lady friend, and I think I’ve found some eligible women for you.” He popped his head out, “They’re really worth looking into. Most of them have outstanding personalities.”

“I don’t know, Marcus… I’ll think about it.” Jason replied. “I thought he knew!” Jason screamed in his head. “Now what am I supposed to do? He’s going to try and set me up on a date, and then I’ll have to refuse… and…” Jason swore silently.

“What was that?” Marcus asked.“Nothing! I’m just waiting for you to get ready.”

Jason said.“Look who’s talking.” He replied. “You should really

change into something nicer.”Jason looked down at his pajamas that he had been

wearing all day. “Oh.” He said, “So I should.” He extinguished the kitchen candle and limped into the bedroom. Marcus had just finished putting on his grey hoody, leaving it unzipped.

Turning around, he asked with a bright smile, “How do I look?” He extended his arms. He wore dark grey jeans, a red shirt with the Ignis symbol printed on it, and an unbuttoned, collared shirt.

“Hot.” Jason replied without thinking.“Come again?” Marcus asked, dropping his arms.An explosion went off in Jason’s mind. “Uh, I mean…

looking like a ladies magnet.” He instinctively rubbed the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly.

“Cool.” Marcus replied, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Jason nodded and grabbed his dark red flannel shirt and blue jeans. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in the shower.”

“Try not to take too long.” Marcus replied, walking out of the room.

Jason looked up from his menu, eyeing Marcus. He

fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat, his nerves building. “Someone is bound to think we’re a couple. I just know it. I mean, we’re two guys sitting together in a restaurant for crying out loud. Not that I’m in opposition, but then he’ll refuse, and it will get all awkward…” He sighed under his breath. “I just need to calm down.”

“Well, what are you getting?” Marcus asked, setting down his menu. “I was planning on getting a lightly seared steak with a chocolate, red wine reduction sauce and a side of buttered and seasoned mash potatoes and sautéed asparagus.”

“Sounds fancy. I think I’ll just get this balsamic and lime salmon on a bed of spinach and grilled vegetables.” Jason replied. “But doesn’t chocolate make you sick?”

“Here’s the thing about Jinrui that came from domestic breeds of cats and dogs. We had a lot of time to adapt to the food the humans gave us, so we’re slightly more tolerant of human meals, whereas you wild breeds never had that resistance.” Marcus explained.

“Are you trying to say that domestic breeds are better than wild breeds?” Jason asked, raising his eyebrow.

“No… just… better suited for human environments.” Marcus smiled.

Jason regarded him with a flat expression.He looked away, sighing, “You do that too well.”“Years of practice.” Jason replied.After the waiter took their orders, Jason sat

awkwardly, constantly fidgeting. Marcus noticed this, chuckling and asking, “What’s up with you? Nervous about something?”

“Well, not really.” Jason said, looking away.“Even I don’t need Technomancy to tell you’re lying.

Come on, we’ve been roommates for five years; you can tell me what’s up.” Marcus smiled.

Jason let out a large sigh, looking down. “I was just thinking of when I can get back in school.” His hand twitched involuntarily at the dishonesty.

“Well, with that limp you have, I’m not sure you’ll be able to anyway. Even with the government benefits from my job and our past service extending over your lack of work, I doubt the University will take you in as you are.” Marcus replied.

Jason nodded, downcast. He looked out the window over the small river that ran by the restaurant. Leaves drifted lazily by in the sluggish, autumn current.

“Besides the depressing, why don’t you tell me about your childhood? I realized it’s been five years and you still haven’t told me where you came from or what you’re doing here now.” Marcus said, twirling a fork between his fingers.

Jason gave him a dark laugh. “I try not to bring it up too much.”

“Really? Well why not?”Closing his eyes, he let out a silent breath. He slowly

opened them again, making contact with Marcus’s. “It’s because my childhood was just as dark as five years ago.” He returned his attention out the window.

“Oh.” Marcus said softly.“I guess I’ll tell you about it though, since it seems

you want to know so badly.” Jason said with a grim smile.“No, you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.”

Marcus said, waving his hands.“It’s fine. Every once in a while… it’s just good to tell

someone the dark memories stored in your head. It makes it easier to… let them free.” Jason said, keeping his eyes on his reflection in the glass.

“The earliest I can remember is when I was five or so. I was a little puppy who was too stupid for his own good, and followed really whatever anyone told me to. My parents were religious extremists, and they often took their beliefs too far; my father was especially… strict in

his ways. Anyway, I had run off to the back woods of where I grew up in the East. I wanted to be free of my father and his ridiculous notions of an invisible man in the clouds.”

“Your father was Christian?” Marcus asked.“One of the few that are left, yeah.” Jason nodded.

“Anyway, it was wintertime, so I was warm enough with my fur coat, but I forgot one crucial fact: snow harbors prints… it contains a trail. My father quickly realized I was out of the house… and he found me. I was dragged by my tail back to the house, screaming and crying. I honestly don’t know why I expected anything different to happen.

“He then threw me in the basement and locked the door, saying he’d deal with me later. I was never to leave the house without permission. As an upcoming Stateramancer, I was to never show emotion or care for other people. They worried that if I went out of the house too much, I would make a friend, and they’d force me into feeling kindness for others. I spent five weeks locked in that basement, never seeing the sunlight once. I was barely fed… they said it was in the proper name of their ‘God’ that they do this to their own child. Not that they cared anyway; I was simply born because their religion told them to do so.

“When I finally was allowed to leave the basement, they stuck a collar around my neck and attached it to a leash of Ordo that could snake through the house after me, but make sure I never left it. I was too relieved to be

out of the basement to care about the humiliation it brought. I would often sit on the porch and try to touch the snowflakes falling from the clouds. There, I was in clear view of the other kids playing outside. They mocked me, and some even called me a house pet. They were all human, so what did they know? They thought they were being funny…”

Jason paused for a moment, a brief smile flickering onto his face. “There was one kid, however, that seemed to take notice to my pain. He wore a bright, red scarf that was far too big for him, but he hauled it around anyway. He never once said ‘hello’… but from the way his eyes looked at me when he saw me… I’ll never forget the hope sparking in my soul.

“Years passed, and that spark was extinguished. I enrolled in the Technomancy school near my home. It was all my parents’ doing. They were teachers at other schools, and they were going to make it sure as hell that I was enrolled to become a law enforcer. Their rules grew more and more strict, and the weeks spent in the basement grew longer. I never missed school… no, they had an image to keep, so I couldn’t not show up to class without a proper reason. They had the teacher keep a close eye on me while I was at school… and my teacher was happy to tell them everything about me. That just made it worse at home; I would explode at school due to people ridiculing me, and the teacher would find out, and tell my parents. I was horrified walking home every day,

knowing that my father was going to spill blood. I never knew how; I just knew what horrors the night could bring.

“My mother was a healer, and could usually patch me up before school the next day so people wouldn’t get suspicious. That was the cycle for years… but then, everything changed when a young boy stuck out his hand and told me his name.

“’Hello there’ he said, ‘My name is Alexander, and it’s nice to meet you.’” Jason laughed, closing his eyes. “I hated him at first. He was annoying, touchy, and absurdly uncultured. I would always swear at him to leave me alone… but he never did. I never understood why he didn’t leave me be. It’s almost like he knew something about me that I didn’t know myself.

“Eventually, through some miracle, I grew to like him. I still thought he was annoying, but that eventually became the thing I liked most about Alexander. My parents and teachers had no idea I had befriended him; they thought I still hated him. I was intelligent enough by that point to never show emotion around others. Alexander always pressed me on that; he was always trying to get me to laugh or get angry. Eventually, I opened up enough to tell him about my home life, and he stopped… though not entirely. There were times when I was beaten at home because I laughed around him, or yelled at someone because of something he said. I still don’t understand why I did it; why did I allow myself to be thrown around at the expense of another’s amusement and happiness?

“Soon, we became the best of friends, and I completely opened up to Alexander. I entrusted him with my one talent; I told him to keep it safe for me, and he happily obliged. As annoying as he was, he was the sweetest kid I ever met. Selfless, brave, and sarcastic are the three words that describe him best.” Jason’s faint smile slowly faded, his expression grew dark, and his eyes looked like lead had been poured into them.

“Then, everything changed. Kizendow, the small, insignificant village at the base of a long extinct volcano was burned down, and all but one of the inhabitants were brutally murdered.”

“It was you?” Marcus asked.“No. I lived on the outskirts of a town that was a

good walk away. The person who survived was Johnathan Salensky, a snow leopard Jinrui with a big smile.” Jason replied, the faint smile returning.

“I’ve heard of him before. Didn’t he pass a few years ago?” Marcus asked.

Jason nodded. “He was like the father I never had. After I heard of the slaughtering of Kizendow, I lost control. I was completely uprooted at the thought of losing my one and only friend. My father was furious with me for losing control of my emotions like I did, but I no longer cared about what he said. From what I can remember, I attacked him with Technomancy, and fled. Honestly, I don’t know if he survived or not. I could be murderer for all I know.”

“I doubt it.” Marcus said. “If you had killed him, wouldn’t the government have found you by now?”

“With all the fuss of the slaughters, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had lost the account records somewhere. Anyway, I ran to the village as fast as I could. I wanted to see the carnage for myself. I was found by an officer who mistook me for one of the surviving inhabitants, so he had me meet the other survivor… Johnathan.

“The moment Johnathan saw me… it’s like he could read everything. He had a way with people. He could make them laugh. He could wash away the bad memories and return the light to the darkness in people’s souls. He was confined to a wheelchair after his near-death encounter with the demon of the village.”

“Wait a minute,” Marcus interrupted, “Wasn’t one of the demons we faced back in Alta wearing a red scarf?”

Jason nodded. “Johnathan told me that the demon who slaughtered everyone was actually my friend Alexander. He said he was possessed by a demon… something I didn’t believe then. I didn’t believe in the gods back then. I thought they had abandoned me. But after my first encounter with one of those children… I had to come to the conclusion that they were real.”

“So… why was Johnathan like a father to you? They didn’t send you back to face your real parents?” Marcus asked.

“I begged them not to. Thankfully, they accepted my pleas, and put me in the orphanage instead. Johnathan wasn’t allowed custody of me because he had turned into a serious alcoholic to escape his PTSD.

“I don’t have a single bright memory of that hell-hole. I was thrown aside as just another orphan that wasn’t wanted by anyone… and who could blame them? Everyone who saw me didn’t want an anorexic, depressed wolf Jinrui as their child.” Jason held up his arms and pulled back his sleeves. Soft pink scars laced the surface of his skin, appearing brightly underneath his fur. “That orphanage is where I got these. I was left alone to my own thoughts and memories, and I couldn’t handle them. I stole knives from the kitchen every night… I was rushed to the hospital on a weekly basis after I had spilt too much of my own blood on the floor.

“That’s… apparently where Johnathan found me again. He noticed that I was struggling just as he was. He’d always wanted his own kids, but he never did get around to marrying anyone. He had a slightly promiscuous side to him, and never really got close to the women he slept with. That aside, he started to see hope in me, and in himself. He set a goal to become the father I never had. Eventually, he cleared therapy, and was allowed to adopt me.

“At first, I was bitter… oh so bitter. I despised him for using me as a goal to better himself. Then, after one night when I had considered running myself through with a knife, he told me something that I’ll never be able to

forget. He told me that he hadn’t used me for selfish reasons; he had only bettered himself solely because he wanted to see me happy. He had grown up in a similar household. His mother was a drug addict, and kicked him out of the house when he was very young. He knew what it was like to feel worthless, and because of that, he never wanted me to feel that way.

“Johnathan always wanted the best for me. He sent me off to prestigious schools and got me the best tutoring for when I needed it. Then, I was enlisted by the government to come out to Alta to be in their highest ranking University in the world. I happily accepted, and so did Johnathan, even though it meant leaving me. Due to his medical conditions, he wasn’t allowed to travel…

“Then I ended up out here.” Jason finished.Marcus regarded Jason thoughtfully. “That’s probably

the longest period of time you’ve spoken continuously.”Jason sighed. “I’ve never told anyone all of that… not

even Giuri knew that much about me.”“Then why me?” Marcus asked, “Why did you tell me

that?”Jason tore his gaze from the window, staring into

Marcus’s eyes. “I don’t know. I’m searching for an answer, but none appears.”

Marcus sighed. “To be honest, you’re actually the first friend I’ve had in a long time.” He suddenly looked angrily to the side, but quickly regained his composure.

“So what about you?” Jason asked, “What’s your story?”

Marcus laughed. “Nowhere near as exciting as yours… that’s for sure.”

“I’d love to hear about it.”Marcus looked away, frowning. “Maybe some other

time.” He said softly.

Jason watched his breath billow into a silvery cloud as it escaped his muzzle. His nose picked up the faint scent of cigarette smoke and brandy. The delicate zephyr whispered through the dying leaves, like a song of Death playing a bitter-sweet melody.

He walked in comfortable silence with Marcus, enjoying the lights of the Festival of Fire. They fluttered about in the algid air like tiny butterflies made of stardust. They were colored all sorts of ways, creating a dazzling array of hues upon the frosted grass. Marcus’s wide, blue eyes sparkled in awe. “I’ve never been to the Festival of Fire before. Is it always this beautiful?” he asked, looking at Jason.

“It’s often far more dazzling, but I find this to be my favorite part; strolling through the faery lights with your friends or family.” Jason smiled.

Marcus gazed at Jason thoughtfully, a dumb smile on his face. Jason noticed he was staring, so he turned and asked, “May I ask what you’re staring at?”

“That smile.” He said. “That was the first time you’ve truly smiled in all these years that I’ve known you. I mean, I’m not trying to hit on you or anything, it’s just that I like to see my friends happy, you know?”

Jason replied with an awkward chuckle. Sighing, he said softly, “That’s because this festival reminds me of the time Johnathan and I went to see it together. It just brings up good memories.”

“So… what else happens during this festival?” Marcus asked.

“Well, after everyone is done strolling through the lights they usually have an amazing light display at midnight. After that, tradition states that we either go home and sleep or we have a massive feast at everyone’s respective homes.” Jason explained, catching one of the lights on the back of his hand. It glowed softly, but flared at the touch of life nearby. “They respond to the Victus flowing around inside us.” Jason said, nodding to the wisp.

“Is it hot?” Marcus asked, holding out his hands.“Not at all. In fact, it’s rather soothing. That was my

favorite thing about coming to the Festival of Fire. It’s tranquil and inviting, not boisterously loud like how fire is usually portrayed. It’s how fire… should be.” Jason

responded. He caught another one in his palm, smiling at its comforting, orange glow.

“Hey, it changed color!” Marcus exclaimed.“Really? That means it’s responding to the signals

your emotions are giving off through Sensus. Right now, it says you’re content, excited, and…” Jason trailed off. The wisp suddenly shifted to a pale orange. “That pink color… could it be?”

“And what?” Marcus asked brightly.“Well, you changed it when I lost my train of thought.

That pale orange means confusion.” Jason smiled.He smiled. “How do you create these things

anyway?” Marcus wondered aloud, tossing the wisp gently into the air. It rose a couple centimeters after leaving his hands, and then tenderly floated off.

“I’m not exactly sure.” Jason replied. “I think you infuse Ignis, Lux, Victus, and Sensus together.”

“Sounds complicated.” Marcus said.“Sadly, you can’t do it. The only people who can,

actually, are those with primary Affinities of Terra, Aqua, and Perditio, with sub-Affinities in Aer or Ignis.” Jason replied, sitting on a nearby bench. He tucked his tail snugly against his side.

Marcus sat down next to Jason. He left a rather large gap of space between them, as if to say they weren’t together. Jason frowned at the small divide. “Well, I envy

those that can then. These things are so beautiful.” Turning to Jason, he said, “We haven’t tested out your emotions yet!”

“Oh, I’d rather you didn’t.” Jason said, shaking his head.

“Nonsense. Let’s do it.” He cupped his hands around one floating by. He set it in Jason’s hands, smiling. “Well… you’re the emotion reader here.”

“Ironic, considering what kind of Technomancer I am.” Jason said. Sighing, he leaned forward and allowed the little wisp to read his emotions. “Turquoise means serenity,” he said, holding it up as it burned turquoise, “and this bright pink here means happiness.” It shifted colors.

Then, just as Jason had feared, it changed to a soft, lighter red: love.

“Well, what does that one mean?” Marcus asked brightly. “It looks different than happiness.”

“It is different. It means…” Jason trailed off, debating whether he should confess his feelings or not. Shaking his head, he said, “Sorry, I’m just trying to remember what it means.”

“Could it mean kindness?” Marcus asked.“Yeah, that’s what it means.” Jason replied, letting

the wisp free. They sat in silence and watched the other people in the park go about their festival business. Jason

watched a Jinrui couple pass by, swinging their youngest child between them while her two brothers raced around them. He put his hand out to the side, leaning back, but accidently brushed his fingers with Marcus’s.

Marcus retracted his hand, “Sorry.” He said politely.“No…” Jason replied softly, looking away, “It was my

fault.”After a brief moment of silence, Marcus smiled,

“What would you look for in a wife?”“Excuse me?” Jason asked, raising his eyebrow.“Sorry, that was a random question, but I’m just

curious.”Jason thought for a moment. “To be honest, I’ve

never really thought about it. I never really expected to be with anyone.”

“You’re kidding? I’m sure there are tons of girls that fall for you.” Marcus said.

Jason laughed. “There are actually. I used to be chased by them a bunch, but that was before I met Giuri.”

“Were you two together at all?” Marcus asked carefully. He knew full well Giuri was a sensitive topic to discuss.

“No, we were just friends.” Jason replied quietly.

“Oh. She would’ve been perfect for you.” he said. “You know—“

“Can we change the subject… please?” Jason interrupted.

Marcus gave Jason a quizzical look. “Um, yeah sure.”“Sorry, it’s just that I get really uncomfortable talking

about my love life… considering I never really had one.” Jason said, massaging the back of his neck.

“My apologies. I didn’t know.” Marcus replied. He closed his eyes, listening to the soft gurgle of the river behind them. “Oh, if you could be anything other than a Stateramancer, what would you be?”

“Where are all these questions coming from? You’re not usually this peppy.” Jason laughed.

“I’m in an unusually good mood tonight. I guess it’s just the excitement of being at such a beautiful festival.” He spread his arms and gestured to the small park around them.

“Alright then.” Jason thought for a moment. “I honestly have a morbid fascination with Malumancy. If given the choice to change, I’d definitely choose Malumancer.”

“Really?” Marcus said with a hint of shock in his voice. “You’d rather be a walking death trap?”

Jason laughed. “Well, when you put it like that, I guess not. I don’t know, actually. I just love how

unpredictable they are. My whole life has been a series of easily predictable events that fall perfectly in sequence how I thought they would. The only exceptions were the attacks from those kids. What about you?”

“If I was given the choice…” Marcus said, thinking. “…I’d probably choose Aquamancy.”

“The polar opposite of what you are?” Jason asked. “No way.”

“Yes way. I’ve always been jealous of Aquamancers. They have such a stable technique and easy-to-control element. Water is said to be the substance of life, while fire is the bringer of death and destruction. We’re labeled as pawns of sacrifice. Did you know that during the War, there was a general that ordered his own men to become living bombs and kill themselves for the sake of winning?” Marcus asked.

“No, I didn’t. Why would he do that?” Jason asked.“He didn’t see them as powerful enough. The only

way for a Pyromancer to be of any worth is if they’re blowing something up or burning something down.” Marcus sighed, looking up. His eyes betrayed true hurt and disappointment. “I’ll never be of any worth if I’m not used like that.”

“That’s not true. You’re plenty worthy of your existence.” Jason replied.

“Name one thing that I do that’s good. Other than my lame office job, which doesn’t do that much anyway, I’m not good for anything.” He said.

“You’re my greatest friend.” Jason replied. He laughed shortly after, “I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I hate to think about where I’d be if you weren’t in my life.”

Marcus smiled. “I guess you’re right.” His eyes snapped to one side, and his visage grew dark for a brief moment.

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “I wanted to ask you about that. Is that a physical disorder of some kind?”

“Is what a disorder?” he asked, looking up.“I’ve noticed that whenever you agree with

something positive about yourself, you always look away really angrily afterwards… almost as if you’re angry at yourself for agreeing to it.” Jason explained.

“Oh that. Yeah, it’s just a twitch.”“Marcus,” Jason said, his eyes growing serious,

“There’s something you’re not telling me. I can tell that much.”

He sighed angrily. “Not here.”“Alright, fine.” Jason said, shrugging it off. “Anyway, I

think the firework show is about to start.”

Marcus’s face lit up. “Really?” He sat on the edge of his seat, looking up through the canopy of the trees.

Jason smiled, leaning back. He couldn’t help but wonder how he changed his emotions so quickly. “Pyromancers.” He thought, “Their emotions are all over the board. It’s really cute though.”

Marcus looked back, noticing someone was watching him. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Sorry.” He said, shaking his head.

“Well, now I can’t help but feel there’s something you’re not telling me.” he said.

“It’s nothing… honestly.” Jason said, leaning forward.“We both suck at lying, I hope you know that.”

Marcus said, rolling his eyes. He turned his attention skyward.

They waited quietly for the show to start, and eventually, as the sliver of the moon reached the top of the sky, there was a loud whistle from a kilometer away. A sparkling rocket shot out of the darkness, leaving a trail of shimmering embers. Marcus gasped, watching it ascend higher and higher… until it exploded. There was a loud boom, and glittering balls of fire were launched from the rocket. They came in a blistering array of colors and shapes, lighting the night sky in patterns of smoke and stardust.

“Is it always this loud?” Marcus complained, turning to Jason.

“They’ve gotten quieter over the years. When I went and saw this with Johnathan, I had to keep my ears covered to avoid getting them blasted out.” He yelled back.

The show continued for several minutes, and the light from the fireworks cast sharply contrasted shadows along the ground. Something in the corner of his eye removed his attention from the vibrant explosions and joyous calls of children.

Jason looked over at the shadow. A young child in strange clothing stood half obscured in the shadows. The upper half of its body wasn’t visible, but Jason had a lurking, dark feeling. He felt as though he’d seen this young child before. And… why was it facing him? Was there something of interest that Jason had?

There was an explosion of red. Jason’s heart stopped as the light revealed the young child’s features. The world fell silent, and time seemed to stop.

The young boy smiled, revealing a glistening row of pointed teeth. He put his fingers to his lips, the corners of his mouth touching the empty sockets that were supposed to be his eyes.

Don’t speak a word.

TO BE CONTINUED