《Witch's Psyche》


 CH 1: Arrival From an Old World

    Unnatural sunlight beamed on Kait and Vassee as they ran out from under the tree line and into an open field.


    Are they still behind us?


    Kait looked back, only to see the faces of a few soldiers armed with bows behind the tree line, quickly approaching.


    Through a gasping breath, her friend began to speak, ¡°Kait, we-we need to stop. There.¡±


    Kait looked back to see her friend was pointing to a boulder near the center of the field. ¡°Okay,¡± she reluctantly agreed.


    They took cover behind the rock, each of them exhausted and sweating profusely, hardly able to keep running. If it weren¡¯t for the impending death hanging over their heads, they wouldn¡¯t have even been capable of coming as far as they had.


    Her friend glanced toward what they soon realized was an encroaching army, which had begun to surround them from afar. Vassee slowly turned her head back to Kait. ¡°It¡¯s over, Kait¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Vassee, no! We can¡¯t¡­we can¡¯t give up now! We¡¯ll outrun them!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, Kait. But there is a spell I know. One that can save one of us.¡±


    ¡°J-just one?¡±


    Vassee nodded. ¡°After you use it, you¡¯ll wake up far, far in the future.¡±


    She took off her necklace and presented it to Kait. It was some sort of spiral-like ceramic, one Kait knew little about. She had noticed it occasionally flashing with a yellow light as they ran for the past two hours, but she didn¡¯t know what it did.


    ¡°Take it. When¡­only when you don¡¯t have any other choice, use it by calling out my name.¡± Vassee looked back. ¡°I¡¯ll fight back while you run.¡±


    Kait¡¯s eyes widened as she took the necklace into her hands. ¡°Why¡­why me? Why do I have to leave?! You¡¯re the greatest witch to have¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, Kait. Please. Run away and continue living.¡± Vassee stood, then walked in front of the rock, facing the hundreds of soldiers with a furious gaze. Kait, used to following orders, didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and made a run for it. ¡°I love you, Kait,¡± she heard as she closed her eyes and ran with every ounce of strength she had left.


    As Kait ran, she could hear the destruction her friend caused in the distance. Screams and rumbles resounded through the forest as Vassee fought to keep Kait alive.


    Kait wasn¡¯t that special. She wasn¡¯t that powerful, or skilled. So why did Vassee decide she was the one who needed to keep living?


    After a few minutes, that sickly sunlight suddenly disappeared, leaving Kait under the moonlight. She hesitated at the sudden darkness but continued to push forward.


    Not long afterward, the sound of the battle¡ªand Vassee¡ªfaded away.


    Then, the necklace in Kait¡¯s hand shimmered yellow.


    She could hear shouting behind her. Some soldiers had sidestepped her friend and ran straight for her. She couldn¡¯t keep going.


    Kait reached the apex of a hill, where she could see the brilliant sunset in the distance, as well as the moon above.


    She collapsed into the dirt.


    This is it.


    With all her strength, she pushed up, but she fell again, kneeling before the open sky.


    It¡¯s my only choice.


    She took the necklace and looped it over her neck. Suddenly, thousands of voices echoed through her mind. Though their voices were discordant, she could pinpoint one, shouting out to her, calling to be heard.


    Live, Kait.


    A squad of soldiers holding drawn bows reached the top of the hill.


    ¡°Witch¡­¡± one of them said, panting and out of breath, ¡°¡­does your order have any last words?¡±


    Kait grasped the necklace on her chest and used all her remaining strength to stand and turn.


    Why¡­why me?! she wondered hopelessly.


    More and more soldiers aimed their bows toward her, and the artificial sunlight returned.


    Can¡¯t someone else bear it?


    She opened her mouth. ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Isn¡¯t this betraying everything they fought for?!


    Arrows cut through the air and slammed into Kait.


    Do I really want to live?


    While she still could, Kait desperately yelled, ¡°Vassee!¡±


    I¡­want to¡­to live for them.


    Suddenly, the dirt from below began to wrap around her in a current. The soldiers stepped back in fear as the ground turned into a whirlpool of mud, spiraling up to envelop the last witch, swallowing her into a cocoon.


    Her next breath wouldn¡¯t come for hundreds of years.


    Taylor heard a knock on the front door.


    It must be mom bringing back that guest dad was talking about.


    He stood from the kitchen table and jogged to the door, curious about what this person was like. She was a girl, apparently, and someone important to his dad¡¯s archeology career. Plus, they said she was some sort of magician.


    He had been fortunate enough to have personally met three other magicians in his life, all of whom lived in his hometown, but despite that, meeting yet another was a rare and deeply intriguing opportunity. After all, learning about magics he hadn¡¯t heard of, let alone seen with his own two eyes, was something that didn¡¯t happen often. That, and magic was just cool.


    He heard keys click into place so he waited for his mother to open the door herself.


    Taylor couldn¡¯t help but be excited; the prospect of living with a mysterious magician left him very curious.


    The door swung open.


    His mom quickly walked through, holding the door open behind her as she slipped off her shoes.


    A woman stepped in from behind her.


    She couldn¡¯t have been older than twenty years old, and had short, curly red hair. She wore clothes that Taylor recognized as hand-me-downs from his father, a pair of jeans and a gray and white nylon jacket, with a brown shirt visible underneath, as well as a chain indicating the existence of a tucked-away necklace. She also wore a gold and blue wristband and hauled a large, aged camping backpack over her shoulder.


    She shook the snow off her tennis shoes before kneeling to methodically untie each with a few quick motions as Taylor¡¯s mother shut the door.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the girl said once she had set them aside, looking toward Taylor with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Kait. Nice to meet you!¡±


    He waved, smiling welcomingly as he tried to hide his curiosity. ¡°And you can call me Taylor. Nice to meet you, too.¡±


    His mother stretched, tense from driving. She was dressed very professionally, with a greenish-blue suit and short, light blonde hair that was neatly combed into parting. ¡°Well, this is it; our home.¡± She said. ¡°That¡¯s Taylor, of course, and Hailey is upstairs. Try not to trouble her too much. She¡¯s¡­going through some things.¡± She rubbed her neck as she paused, thinking. ¡°Taylor, I need to get ready for a meeting, can you show Kait around the house?¡±


    He nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yeah, I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for driving me, by the way, Clera,¡± Kait said as his mother began climbing the stairs in front of the door.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Kait immediately began looking around the living room. She slid a finger across the TV. ¡°This is a¡­television, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Taylor squinted as Kait wiped a fingerprint onto the screen.


    She turned her head. ¡°And that¡¯s¡­a ¡®coffee¡¯ table. And a couch?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± Taylor raised an eyebrow, unsure how to react as she pointed to different objects and practiced their names.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to remember it all,¡± she said as she looked out the window behind the TV. ¡°Are all houses this big these days?¡±


    He slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Most of the houses in our neighborhood are bigger than usual, though.¡±


    ¡°Neighborhood¡­¡± she repeated, ¡°like, your town?¡±


    ¡°A subdivision of one. You can see the rest of Conifera off in the distance.¡± He pointed toward the mass of buildings just a few miles away. His neighborhood was filled with large houses, many of which boasted large, plant-filled lawns. The local culture valued a natural aesthetic.


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    Kait nodded as she followed his gaze. ¡°I saw that on the drive. It¡¯s impressive.¡±


    ¡°I¡­guess so.¡± It wasn¡¯t a particularly large city, though.


    ¡°Is there a castle? Manor? Someone in charge?¡±


    He shook his head, quickly acclimating to the strange questions. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s the Mayor. Also the federal government, if that¡¯s what you mean. Why don¡¯t you know these things?¡±


    She looked away from the window, her lips twisting in thought. ¡°So nobody told you who I am?¡±


    ¡°I was told that you¡¯re important to my dad¡¯s research, and also that you¡¯re a magician, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± She lowered her eyes in thought. After a short pause, she raised them. ¡°And I guess you¡¯re wondering what kind of magician I am?¡±


    Taylor smiled wryly. ¡°Yeah, I kinda am. It¡¯s not every day you get to meet a mage, you know?¡±


    She slowly nodded again. Kait paused to take one last look at Taylor. He had straight, light blonde hair just like his mother, and was dressed similarly to Kait, with jeans and a tee-shirt. He didn¡¯t hesitate to lock eyes with hers as she glanced at him, raising a quizzical eyebrow as she did. Kait suddenly shrugged. ¡°Not much to be done about it! I¡¯ll tell you, but can you promise to do one thing for me before I do?¡±


    ¡°Sure? Why not.¡±


    ¡°Can you keep it a secret? Your dad said it¡¯s kinda a big deal, so I shouldn¡¯t let it get out who I am.¡±


    He scratched his head. ¡°Yeah, no problem, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Kait raised an eyebrow, watching Taylor¡¯s reaction closely as she said, ¡°I¡¯m a witch.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s mouth reflexively opened in shock, then he bit his lip, his eyes narrowing. ¡°A¡­witch?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah, a witch.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re not joking, are you?¡± he said with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re seriously a witch?¡±


    She nodded again, taken aback a little by his reaction. ¡°Yep,¡± she said for lack of any better response.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± he lowered his gaze. ¡°That lines up. My dad studies ancient magic after all¡­It¡¯s just¡­how? I thought the ritual to gain witchcraft was lost in the Renaissance era, after they were all killed off the Crusades of Kallaran. Without that¡­I mean, it shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Though, he thought to himself, as far as I¡¯m concerned, anything is possible when magic¡¯s involved.


    Taylor suddenly felt a pang of guilt as he saw something he said had caused Kait to recoil. ¡°Yeah¡­a-about that¡­¡± Kait averted her eyes. So everything I went through¡­it¡¯s just a footnote in the flow of history. ¡°I¡­I guess I should just come out and say it, since we¡¯re going to be living together, and¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°¡­let¡¯s face it, I¡¯m really needy as I am. Uh¡­you see, I¡¯m actually from the¡­um¡­¡®Renaissance.¡¯¡±


    Taylor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± he said with utter disbelief.


    Kait opened her mouth before suddenly stepping closer to the stairs, glancing up them suspiciously. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said as she looked back from whatever distracted her. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a bit complicated, and I can¡¯t tell you everything, but basically, I¡¯m a fish out of water. A lot has changed since I fell into stasis¡­¡±


    Taylor blinked, his eyes widening as he tried to understand what she meant. ¡°So you came from the past¡­¡± he said. ¡°Wow,¡± he added, at a loss for words.


    After a moment of silence, Kait crossed her arms uncomfortably.


    ¡°W-well, we can talk more about that later. I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you. How about I give you a tour of the house?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great.¡±


    Taylor first showed her the living room and explained its purpose as the place where his family would watch movies and television shows and sleep on the sofa. Then the kitchen further back, connected to it, with its toaster, oven, digital clock, and table with stools in the center.


    He also showed her the basement, which was used mostly for storage, then led her up to their second story.


    The first room they came across had a closed door. He motioned to it. ¡°That¡¯s Hailey¡¯s room, my sister. She¡¯s been holed up in there for almost two months now.¡±


    ¡°Months? What is she doing in there?¡±


    He scowled. ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t bother going out of your way to interact with her. She doesn¡¯t want to talk with anyone.¡±


    Kait nervously glanced at the door. ¡°I¡¯ll-¡±


    A voice suddenly yelled from behind the door, ¡°Oh, shut up, Taylor.¡±


    He turned his head and walked off.


    Kait followed, glancing back at the door. ¡°Is something wrong between you two?¡±


    He looked back, then down, pain painted over his face. ¡°I already told you. She doesn¡¯t want to talk to anyone, so there¡¯s no point in talking to her.¡±


    Kait grimaced but remained quiet as he opened the next door.


    ¡°This is your room.¡±


    It was an empty room with a dresser and bed. It had a window on the end but otherwise was bare bones. He motioned to Kait¡¯s backpack. ¡°You can set that down in here. We just cleared out this room for you, since we were using it as a storage room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Kait set her backpack on the bed, its heft visible as it squished down the comforter. ¡°Nice bed,¡± she noted.


    Further down the hall and to the right were two more doors. ¡°That¡¯s my room and the bathroom, then down that hall is our parents¡¯ room and Mom¡¯s office. My dad also has his own office downstairs, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that since he¡¯s been on an excavation for a while.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Well, thanks for the tour.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    They both turned suddenly when Hailey¡¯s door opened across the hall. A not-so-pleased expression graced the girl¡¯s features. She wore loose, worn pajamas with a colorful tetris-like design, and her brown hair was a frazzled mess. She ignored Taylor as she walked toward them, stopping in front of Kait.


    ¡°Uh¡­hey, I¡¯m Hailey. You can talk to me if you want, I guess,¡± she said unsteadily, her eyes wandering like she didn¡¯t know where to look.


    Her brother bared his teeth, frustrated, but silently looked away. At least she¡¯s willing to talk to someone. His expression melted a little. I can¡¯t¡­I shouldn¡¯t stay mad at my sister. Especially not after everything she¡¯s been through.


    Kait glanced between the two, perceptive of their expressions, but she didn¡¯t hesitate to speak. ¡°Hello! And I¡¯m Kait. You can talk to me if you want, too.¡±


    Hailey stared at Kait for an awkward period of silence, as if she was expecting Kait to say something in particular.


    Kait lowered her eyes, speaking with a leveled voice toward Hailey. ¡°It¡¯s rude to eavesdrop, especially before you introduce yourself. I¡¯d rather if you didn¡¯t do that next time I¡¯m talking to someone.¡±


    Hailey frowned, cocking an eyebrow with displeasure. ¡°Didn¡¯t know it was such a problem. Anyway, I¡¯m going to go back to my room. You can tell me if you need anything.¡±


    Their guest smiled as Hailey walked back, her voice regaining its amiability. ¡°Of course!¡±


    Hailey left the two alone again.


    Taylor sniffed. ¡°Okay¡­¡± he said with a halfhearted frown. ¡°Want some food?¡±


    Kait rubbed her belly. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m famished. That ¡®plane¡¯ ride was an exhausting way to fly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, planes can suck.¡± Taylor began to walk down the stairs, the witch following behind. He paused, though, then looked back up. ¡°Uhh¡­Hailey! We¡¯re having lunch if you want some!¡±


    No response.


    He shook his head and made his way to the ground floor.


    Hailey stood from her bed and rubbed her eye with her knuckle. Moonlight filtered from her window. She¡¯d heard her mother and Taylor walk past her door a while ago, meaning they were asleep, or at least in their rooms, so she opened her door and walked downstairs.


    She tried to be quiet as she walked into the kitchen, which was lit by a single light over the sink. She yawned as she stepped past the kitchen counter, then froze, her eyes widening as she looked to her left.


    Sitting at the counter, looking up at her with bags under her eyes, was Kait.


    Ugh, I forgot about her.


    ¡°Oh, hi. I didn¡¯t see you there,¡± she said, pausing for a moment.


    Kait nodded, then set her chin onto her hands, her eyes fluttering drowsily.


    Hailey resumed what she was doing without questioning the witch, grabbing a chair and sliding it as far as she could from her before making a bowl of cereal.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kait said suddenly. ¡°Do you know how late it is?¡±


    Hailey glanced at the clock. ¡°Twelve-thirty.¡±


    ¡°So how late?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me, dude,¡± she said as she poured in the milk.


    ¡°Like, how late is ¡®twelve-thirty¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Midnight.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Kait sighed. ¡°Why are you up this late?¡±


    Hailey raised an eyebrow questioningly. ¡°Why are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kait admitted, allowing Hailey to deflect her question. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep until I¡¯m about to drop these days.¡±


    ¡°Sucks to suck, I guess.¡± She took a bite of cereal, completely disinterested in the witch.


    The two fell into silence as Hailey ate her bedtime breakfast and Kait shut her eyes.


    Hailey¡¯s eyes fluttered, then¡­


    Kait looked up after feeling something strange flutter in her heart, only to see Hailey¡¯s expression, her eyes glazed-over as if she¡¯d left her body.


    A moment later, Hailey blinked. ¡°W-what¡­¡± she muttered before looking at Kait. ¡°You said you were a witch, right?¡±


    Kait nodded with some confusion. ¡°Uh-huh?¡±


    ¡°But you were joking when you said you were from back then, right? No way you¡¯re¨C¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± Kait said innocuously before narrowing her eyebrows. ¡°What made you ask?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re actually from hundreds of years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Kait frowned. ¡°I should¡¯ve made that clear to you, since we¡¯ll be living together for a while. Sorry,¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°What made you bring it up?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing.¡± Hailey quickly finished her cereal before setting it into the sink and rushing upstairs, all under Kait¡¯s observant stare.


    What was that? Back in the kitchen, Hailey had suddenly seen a vision of Kait, running with some girl from an army, and then¡­was that the point where she was sent to the present?


    No, that was dumb. It was a fortuitous daydream, that was all. Not that she cared one way or another.

 CH 2 Long Forgotten

    A week later¡­


    Taylor watched Kait from across the counter as she made her breakfast. He never thought he had much finesse when it came to making cereal, but Kait made him look like a master.


    She accidentally slammed her bowl on the counter, then looked at him with an expression that begged for forgiveness.


    He averted his eyes in response.


    She poured in the cereal, clumsily spilling some of it on the counter in the process. When she pulled the milk from the fridge, she gave the bottle a disapproving look but shrugged. She tried to open it but couldn¡¯t seem to unscrew the lid, putting more and more effort into the task.


    ¡°Lefty loosey, righty tighty,¡± Taylor said suddenly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You need to turn it left to get the cap off.¡±


    Kait sent him a mystified look. ¡°Left? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Do I¡­¡± She attempted to pull the lid off by tugging it to the left, to no avail.


    ¡°I mean counter-clockwise.¡±


    ¡°Counter-clockwise?¡±


    ¡°Like the opposite of the way a clock moves.¡±


    She flicked her gaze between the digital stove clock and his face. ¡°What does one of those have to do with a lid?¡±


    Taylor shook his head with an exasperated smile. ¡°Just¡­gimmie the bottle.¡±


    She handed him the jug of milk, and he unscrewed it with a flick of his fingers before handing it back. Kait sighed. ¡°Now I just feel¡­dumb. I¡¯m getting used to that, though!¡±


    She poured the milk as carefully as she could, making sure not to spill any.


    For a moment, her hand hovered above the bowl.


    I forgot the spoon¡­


    Embarrassed, she began shuffling through the kitchen¡¯s drawers, searching for the silverware. Finally, she opened the oven. She quickly closed it, and her arms drooped in defeat as she turned to Taylor with a pleading look.


    He pointed. ¡°The long drawer to your right.¡±


    After finding a spoon, she sat back down. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Kait ate her food in silence before eventually saying, ¡°Thanks for putting up with me. I know I¡¯m a hassle.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a whole lot better than my sister. She¡¯d just suffer in silence. And now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what happened between you two?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°We had a fight before you got here. That¡¯s not the problem, though. Recently¡­¡± He looked around, making sure nobody was listening in. ¡°One of her friends died. It was pretty traumatic for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s just¡­she can¡¯t just stay in her room forever. Her friends are asking me if she¡¯s alright, and¡­I don¡¯t like seeing her like this.¡± He shook his head in frustration. ¡°Anyway, I just want to help her in any way I can, but she¡¯s too stubborn to accept any help, from me or anyone else, you know?¡±


    ¡°Veiara was just like that. I wonder if¡­¡± Kait sighed, then shrugged with a strained expression. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re someone.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, right. So why are you up so early?¡± Taylor asked, quickly changing the subject.


    Kait stared at him with a sour expression, but it quickly melted as she took another bite. ¡°The person paying for me to live at your house suggested that I clean theirs for¡­um, ¡®money.''¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Taylor narrowed his eyes in confusion. ¡°But why aren¡¯t you just living there?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    Quickly gulping down his remaining cereal, Taylor looked at the clock. ¡°Oh, I need to go to school.¡± He stood from his chair and walked toward the front door.


    ¡°Oh, wait! I just need to know how I find¡­¡± Kait took a piece of paper from her pocket. ¡°378 Tuskstrait Avenue.¡±


    He slipped his shoes on. ¡°Sorry, but could you ask Hailey? If not her, you can try Mom, but she¡¯s asleep.¡±


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    ¡°Hailey¡¯s asleep too, isn¡¯t she?¡± Kait started after him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have a hell of a time convincing her to help, but I only have a few minutes to catch the bus.¡± He slung a backpack over his shoulder, ready to dart out the door.


    ¡°No doubt I will¡­¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you later, but for now, I gotta dash.¡±


    Left alone, Kait didn¡¯t have much of a choice beyond opening Hailey¡¯s door and waking her up.


    ¡°Sorry, but can you help me, Hailey?¡± she said as the girl grumpily turned her head.


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°I need help finding an address.¡±


    ¡°Ask Taylor, I¡¯m asleep.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at school.¡±


    ¡°Ask Mom.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also asleep.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­give me a moment. I¡¯ll get up.¡±


    Kait waited outside her room, but after waiting for some time without hearing any movement from Hailey¡¯s room, she opened the door again to see Hailey peacefully sleeping once more.


    ¡°Hailey! I need your help.¡± She shook the girl awake again.


    She seemed barely able to hold her eyelids open. ¡°I¡¯ll be up, I¡¯ll be up, okay? Just give me a moment.¡±


    The witch tried to wait patiently outside, leaning against the door¡¯s frame as she listened for Hailey¡¯s movement. After a minute, Kait rolled her eyes. She quickly walked downstairs, snatched a lighter, and held it up as she stepped into Hailey¡¯s room again.


    From beneath her fortress of cushions, Hailey muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll be up soon¡­just give me a moment.¡±


    Kait raised the lighter, flicking it to life. She spoke with a strange enthusiasm, jumping in place as she said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be up in no time.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for having some faith in me.¡±


    Kait smiled. ¡°Now get up, you lazy kid!¡± Suddenly, the fire leaped from the lighter and landed on Hailey, seeming to seep into her before dissipating.


    Hailey opened her eyes, slowly blinking at Kait with an indignant, tired expression. She then threw her cushions off herself, suddenly energized. ¡°Who are you calling a kid?! You¡¯re barely four years older than me!¡± She then lunged from the bed toward Kait.


    Hailey tried to push Kait down, her hands pressing against her shoulders, but the witch hardly budged; she was far stronger than the coddled teen. Hailey blinked as she landed, confused. Kait, whose enthusiasm had suddenly left her, grabbed the younger girl, then chucked her back onto her bed.


    She clicked her tongue as she looked over her. ¡°Are you up yet?¡±


    Hailey began laughing, choking out words between laughs. ¡°Y-yeah, I am, for-for some reason.¡± She sat up, still chuckling. ¡°So, what did you need again?¡±


    ¡°I need help finding an address.¡±


    ¡°You can just look it up on the internet. Oh, do you know how to use that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Don¡¯t I need a ¡®phone¡¯ or something? Not to mention I¡¯m not exactly literate in Terainian.¡±


    ¡°Right. Just give me a moment to find mine¡­¡± Hailey struggled to find her phone in the cluttered room but eventually remembered it was in one of her jeans pockets. ¡°Here it is¡­can you tell me the address?¡±


    Kait unpocketed the piece of paper clumsily, causing her loose-fitting jeans to slip a little. She readjusted them. ¡°I really need to buy some of my own clothes. It¡¯s 378 Tuskstrait Avenue.¡±


    Hailey tapped her phone a few times, then turned it toward Kait. ¡°This the place?¡±


    Kait squinted. ¡°What am I looking at?¡±


    ¡°A map of our neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that line is the path I need to take to get there?¡± Kait pointed to an orange line on the map.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll walk you there since it isn¡¯t that long a walk. Besides, I don¡¯t think I could go back to sleep. Just give me some time to get dressed.¡±


    Kait cleaned her cereal mess while she waited. As she finished, Hailey walked down the stairs in a heavy coat and jeans. The spell was starting to lose its effect, but she would probably stay energized for a while. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Kait strapped on her backpack. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Hailey looked Kait down, noticing she wasn¡¯t very warmly dressed. ¡°So¡­you are aware its twenty degrees out, right?¡± Terainia grew frigid near the winter since they lived so far north.


    ¡°What do triangles have to do with anything?¡±


    Hailey rolled her eyes. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s cold. You know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I know.¡±


    Hailey opened the front door, revealing gently falling snow. Cold air blasted through, so she quickly closed it. ¡°Let¡¯s get you a jacket.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can just cast a spell to stay warm.¡±


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°If I¡¯m going to walk outside, I can¡¯t be seen walking around with a T-shirted hypother-maniac. You¡¯re going to wear a jacket or coat whether you like it or not.¡± She walked back upstairs.


    ¡°But those things feel so weird. What are they even made out of?¡± Kait rubbed her arms as if she were cold.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just give you one of my ugly sweaters.¡±


    ¡°Ugly? I mean, I¡¯m not picky, but you could at least give me something that looks nice.¡±


    Hailey let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°No¡­It¡¯s like, a joke¡­it¡¯s not actually ugly, it¡¯s just¡­whatever, you¡¯ll see.¡± She lazily threw something out of her bedroom and down the stairs. The sweater seemed handmade with crochet and was striped with blue and pink zig-zags.


    Kait picked it up off the stairs. ¡°Oh, this looks cute!¡±


    Hailey shrugged as she walked back to ground level. ¡°My grandma made it a few years ago. She¡¯s not making any more, so don¡¯t rip it.¡±


    Kait dropped her backpack and threw the sweater over her head. She hugged herself, soaking in the texture. ¡°How does it look?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Hailey gripped the freezing doorknob, shaking a little.


    Kait waited for Hailey to open the door, but she didn¡¯t. Her eyes narrowed in concern as time passed. ¡°Are you alright, Hailey?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She didn¡¯t move her hand.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kait apprehensively asked. Why is she hesitating? She opened it just a second ago¡­


    ¡°Yeah, sure¡­just a moment.¡± Hailey walked up the stairs and came back down with sunglasses hiding her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 CH 3 Fading Time

    After following Hailey down the snow-covered streets in silence for a few minutes, Kait tried to start a conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need it now, but do you want to see the spell I mentioned?¡±


    Hailey snapped out of her aloof stupor. ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    Kait picked a stick up from the sidewalk. She began to run in place alongside Hailey, gripping the stick like a baton. ¡°As long as I keep running like this, I won¡¯t get cold.¡±


    Hailey glanced at her. There was an aura of heat around Kait that made the light move and bend. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Kait said, not realizing that Hailey was referring to the light refraction. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a little too hot to keep it up with this sweater on¡­¡± She dropped the stick and stumbled into a regular walk.


    ¡°How does that work? Why do you need a stick to heat yourself up?¡±


    Kait raised a finger. ¡°You see, the stick is a baton, symbolic of the heat you feel in a race.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Hailey looked away, lost in her thoughts.


    After a moment, Kait frowned, staring intently at Hailey. ¡°Could I touch your forehead for a second? I need to check something.¡±


    ¡°What? I mean¡­sure?¡±


    Kait put two of her fingers to Hailey¡¯s forehead for a second, then removed them. ¡°Yep, I had a feeling you were¡­¡±


    Hailey kept looking at Kait, waiting for an explanation that never came. A few minutes later, the phone¡¯s path ended. ¡°It¡¯s just down this street,¡± she said as they took a turn onto the street in question. She looked between Kait and the house with wide-eyed surprise. ¡°Is this the place?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Huge, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a house but a mansion. And it was one that Hailey easily recognized. ¡°Wait, how did you get a job with the Snowley family?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s the person who paid for me to stay at your house. Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! They¡¯re famous in our town!¡± She shrugged. ¡°But whatever. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯m going back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine from here, thanks. See you!¡± Kait waved to Hailey, and they parted ways.


    A bus passed Hailey on her way home, and without thinking, she hid behind a lamppost.


    Even though she wore her hood up and had a pair of sunglassess, Hailey thought someone on the bus might recognize her, nervously holding her hands to her chest as the bus passed. Pathetic.


    When she returned home, Hailey lounged on the couch and began watching a show on her phone, but exhaustion eventually took hold of her, and she could hardly pay attention to it.


    Since she died¡­I haven¡¯t seen Linne or Tera, have I?


    She checked her text messages, only to see that none had been sent in their group chat. There were still four phone numbers registered. Hailey read the most recent text.


    Abbie: {We¡¯re meeting in the library again after school.}


    Hailey hastily pressed the phone¡¯s sleep button, closing her eyes in pain.


    No, I did see them. During the funeral, I didn¡¯t even speak to Linne. And Tera...I wish I hadn¡¯t spoken with her.


    She hesitated over clicking the button again to continue watching something, but instead, she set down the phone and fell into a sleepless limbo for the next few hours.


    When Hailey finally decided to get back on her feet, the room was illuminated by the sunset. Just how long had she been laying there? She stepped into the kitchen to see that Taylor was frying eggs and cooking something in the oven. She hadn¡¯t even noticed him come back from school.


    Taylor turned his head and greeted her in a cheery tone, ¡°Have a nice nap?¡±


    Hailey scratched her head lazily. ¡°Sure.¡± A pinch of guilt laced her voice.


    She was relieved to see that Taylor didn¡¯t notice. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    She sat on a stool. ¡°So¡­what are you making?¡± Hailey asked, noticing how hungry she was.


    ¡°I¡¯m making Kait an omelet.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s in the oven?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just some potatoes. They¡¯re done in two minutes, so you should stick around to eat some.¡± It almost sounded like a passive-aggressive order to Hailey, trapping her in the kitchen if she wanted food.


    ¡°I guess I will,¡± she grumbled. She watched the oven timer drop closer to zero seconds. 1:53


    ¡°What do you think about Kait?¡± 1:46


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡± 1:42


    ¡°Have you done much with her?¡± 1:35


    ¡°I walked her to her work today. That¡¯s it.¡± 1:26


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know¡­I¡¯m surprised you walked out with her.¡± 1:10


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± 1:05


    ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t seen you out of the house at all recently.¡± 0:58


    Hailey didn¡¯t respond. She was surprised, too, now that Taylor brought it up. 0:50


    ¡­0:40


    ¡­0:30


    Taylor flipped the egg as Hailey began shuffling through drawers. 0:20


    He frowned, thinking about something. 0:10


    Before Taylor could process what was happening, Hailey preemptively took a potato from the oven, put it on a plate, and dashed up the stairs.


    In surprise, he turned to her as she ran off. ¡°Hey, Hailey! Your friends¡­¡± The timer on the oven beeped loudly as he spoke, causing him to trail off. He sighed despondently as he stopped the timer. Maybe it¡¯ll be easier if I don¡¯t say.


    Hailey closed the door behind her, then placed the plate on her dresser. Her hands shook weakly. The potato was still hot enough for faint wisps of steam to trail out from it, brushing by her face uncomfortably.


    She had forgotten to take a fork, but she was hungry, so she grasped the potato and bit into it.


    The potato began burning her mouth and she panicked and spat it back onto the plate. She set it back down and placed the plate on her dresser. She fell prone on her bed and waited for it to cool down, her mind drifting off. Before she knew it, she was too tired to even reach up and eat the food.


    Pathetic.


    When Kait returned, she saw Taylor leaning against the countertop while his mother ate a mashed-up potato at the table.


    Taylor waved. ¡°Hey, Kait!¡± he said excitedly. ¡°How was your work?¡±


    She waved to Taylor¡¯s mother before she responded. ¡°Hey, Clera. It was fine, but I¡¯m not used to cleaning these weird houses you all have these days, so I just worked on the gardening,¡± Kait said with a note of exhaustion.


    ¡°Did you garden very often before?¡± Taylor asked.


    ¡°Sort of. I worked on a farm when I was younger.¡± Kait leaned against the counter beside Taylor.


    ¡°So what about once you became a witch?¡± Clera asked suddenly.


    Kait raised an eyebrow. ¡°I became a witch when I was four.¡±


    The two stared at her with surprise. ¡°Four?¡± Taylor said with disbelief.


    She nodded. ¡°Yeah. Is that weird?¡±


    Clera nodded. ¡°Most people who become magicians don¡¯t test for their magic until they''ve graduated high school¡­or, around eighteen I guess,¡± she clarified for Kait.


    Kait raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really? Back in my day, becoming a witch later than the age of twelve was considered too late.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, actually. I assume it takes a lot to learn a versatile magic like witchcraft.¡± Clera said, confusing Taylor.


    Kait nodded. ¡°That twelve years old thing was always a superstition, in my opinion.


    I mean, it¡¯s definitely difficult to learn, but a year or two of good training could make anyone a good witch.¡±


    ¡°But if you became a witch at four, does that mean you¡¯re really good?¡± Taylor asked.


    She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that good.¡± She chuckled. ¡°But my friends used to say I was modest.¡± She paused, glancing down. ¡°But I was part of the¨C¡± Kait suddenly reeled over the counter, her eyes dilating as she placed a hand on her neck.


    Taylor leaned toward her with worry. ¡°A-are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Kait slowly regained her composure. ¡°Y-yeah. I just suddenly¡­got chills. Anyway, since I was a kid, most of the time I spent outside of farmwork was split between practicing my witchcraft and emotional control, so I¡¯m¡­I was probably one of the better witches.¡±


    ¡°Emotional control? What¡¯s that?¡± Clera asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­Since we witches use our emotions to fuel our spells, we need to regularly practice our control over them. If we don¡¯t, our magic can become really volatile.¡±


    Clera narrowed her eyes. ¡°Volatile?¡±


    Kait nervously nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­sometimes, if our emotions are out of our control, we can unconsciously cast spells.¡±


    ¡°Is that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Not really. It can just be a little hazardous sometimes.¡±


    Clera frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been keeping up with practicing your emotional control, then?¡±


    Kait opened her mouth, but it was another moment before she spoke. ¡°Things have been so crazy for me that I¡­haven''t practiced it since I woke up from stasis.¡±


    Clera raised her eyebrows disapprovingly. ¡°I see. Well, Kait, I understand that you¡¯re struggling to cope with the new world you¡¯re in, but I can¡¯t in good conscience let you stay in my home if your magic is ¡®hazardous.¡¯¡± Taylor and Kait looked at her with unease as she thought her next words through. ¡°I expect you to practice your emotional control from now on.¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to.¡±


    Clera stood from her seat and began to rinse off her dish.


    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± Taylor asked slowly.


    ¡°Now?¡± Kait looked down, her expression unsure. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I meant, like, in a few minutes,¡± he quickly corrected himself.


    ¡°Ah. Well, I was going to go stargazing with a new spell I made¡­¡± she said quietly. ¡°But I guess I¡¯ll practice my emotional control while I do that.¡±


    Taylor looked to the side, then suddenly said, ¡°Could I come with you?¡±


    Kait interlocked her fingers with uncertainty. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just, if you come, I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Clera said, waving off their concerns. ¡°Just make up for it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡±


    ¡°And make sure Taylor doesn¡¯t come back too late. In the meantime, I need to finish up some work.¡± Clera walked up the stairs, leaving the two alone.


    ¡°Um, I made an omelet for you if you want it,¡± Taylor said noncommittally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what an omelet is, but if it''s food, I do.¡±

 CH 4 Stars of a Past

    Kait led Taylor to the mansion, toward where she had planned on stargazing. When they arrived, Taylor stared at the huge house. ¡°So Lulikan really is the one paying for you to stay.¡±


    Kait looked at Taylor. ¡°You knew? Your sister had no clue.¡±


    ¡°Lulikan¡¯s dad is a good friend of Dad¡¯s. I remember him from when I was really young.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t mention that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hailey hasn¡¯t ever been interested in our parents¡¯ past and work, so she probably just forgot.¡±


    A row of trees surrounded the perimeter of the estate. Terainia¡¯s citizens were enthralled with a ¡®natural¡¯ aesthetic, so it was rare to see a mansion built of brick and stone like the one in front of them, especially since earthquakes were common in the area.


    They walked to the left of the mansion, where the garden was. A black metal fence surrounded it, so Kait pulled a key from her pocket to unlock its gate.


    The garden itself was impressive, though not too large. A koi pond stood in the middle, with a few lily pads floating atop the water. Well-trimmed bushes lined the fence, and a path wound through the garden and around the pond. A variety of vibrantly colored flowers were planted along the path¡¯s edge, and a bench overlooked the pond. The garden also connected to a small grassy hill, which curved up toward the tree line.


    ¡°Do you take care of this whole garden?¡±


    ¡°I just do basic maintenance, like feeding the fish and trimming the plants. Another person comes in every once in a while to take care of the advanced stuff, like choosing what to plant and dealing with the aesthetics.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still really impressive.¡±


    ¡°No need to flatter me,¡± she said sincerely.


    Kait led him to a door beside shelving filled with gardening tools.


    ¡°This is where I get the fish¡¯s food.¡± She took a green plastic bag from the shelf and skipped to one of the benches, patting the seat next to her, and Taylor followed her to sit down.


    The pond shone with the reflection of an almost full moon. Kait took a handful of brown grains from the bag and scattered them into the pond, placing the bag aside. ¡°The fish love this stuff.¡± She stared intently at the pond, so Taylor did too.


    A koi swam to the floating grains and pecked at the surface. Kait grabbed a stick from underneath the bench, then began walking around the perimeter of the pond, poking the water with it. ¡°The fish know it¡¯s lunch when I poke them, though this is more like a late-night dessert.¡±


    Kait eventually returned to the bench as the fish rallied to the floating food.


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t I cast a spell!¡±


    ¡°A spell? Sure, why not?¡±


    Kait searched around the pond for a moment, then picked up a minuscule crystal a few feet from her. ¡°This should do. For this spell to work, first, I need to feel relaxed, then I need a prism just like this to act as what we call a ¡®focus.¡¯¡± She presented the tiny crystal to Taylor. ¡°Finally, I need the reflection of the moon, since that¡¯s what I¡¯m modifying.¡± She threw the crystal at the moon¡¯s reflection in the water. As it splashed, a rainbow of colors spread out in a prismatic, dazzling aurora.


    Taylor gazed in amazement, ¡°Whoa. It would be cool if I could do magic like that, too.¡±


    The light slowly lost its color and returned to normal. ¡°Hasn¡¯t magic been documented better in the last few years?¡± Kait asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you try and see if you have an affinity?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡­there are so many kinds of magic most people don¡¯t even try to find what magic they can use.¡±


    ¡°They can use?¡± Kait noted Taylor¡¯s wording. ¡°You made it sound like everyone can use magic.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Everyone can.¡±


    ¡°They can?! I thought only a few people could use magic at all!¡±


    He nodded. ¡°The running theory is that The Consciousness blesses everyone with the affinity for a few, but since there¡¯s over a thousand, and it takes a costly ritual to learn if you have an affinity for any particular one¡­that may as well be the case.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I thought there were only a few hundred types.¡± Kait scratched her head. ¡°But you know, mages can test to see if other people have the same magic as them.¡±


    ¡°Right, Taila mentioned that a while back¡­¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Wait, but does that mean¡­¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°Since you¡¯re so enthusiastic, do you want me to check to see if you have an affinity for witchcraft?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Kait raised her thumb and pressed it against Taylor¡¯s forehead. As she did, she idly asked, ¡°Does your family have a history of affinities for witchcraft branch magic?¡± She then closed her eyes in concentration.


    ¡°Witchcraft branch?¡± he said without understanding. ¡°Um¡­my family comes from a line of Fortune Readers. Is that what you mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the witchcraft branch, yes. I was just asking because it would mean you are more likely to have an affinity for¡­¡± she trailed off as she opened her eyes and removed her thumb. ¡°Nil.¡±


    Taylor raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nil?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. It means ¡®none¡¯ in Terrenian. I meant that you don¡¯t have an affinity for witchcraft. You might have an affinity for some other witchcraft branch magic, though.¡±


    ¡°How would I tell what¡¯s a witchcraft branch magic?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Any magic that works with souls to any capacity would count. You could probably just look it up on the¡­¡± she struggled to find the right word, ¡°¡­internet.¡±


    ¡°Got it. But wait, when you spoke Terrenian¡­¡± He paused, squinting his eyes. ¡°¡­I just realized that it makes no sense. How do you know how to speak Terainian like me?¡±


    Kait pointed to a custom wristband she always wore on her left arm. It had the whole Terainian alphabet weaved into it. ¡°I enchanted this to translate for me. It was a really complicated spell to make.¡±


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Taylor said with awe. ¡°You can do that? That¡¯s possible?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Of course. See?¡± She slid the armband off and began speaking very naturally, ¡°Ais really util.¡± She slid it back onto her arm. ¡°It¡¯s really useful. If Terainian and Terrenian weren¡¯t so similar, it would have taken me months to make. It turned out really well; it even translates wordplay like puns.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­wow.¡± Taylor leaned back, smiling. ¡°Just what else can you do? That¡¯s some incredible magic just by itself. My aunt couldn¡¯t do that in her dreams with fortune reading.¡±


    ¡°For one, I can do a lot more than that,¡± Kait bragged. She glanced at the pond and nodded once she¡¯d confirmed that the koi had finished most of their food. ¡°Follow me.¡± She stood and helped Taylor up as well. She returned the fish food to the shelf and picked up two towels from a plastic bin.


    She handed one to Taylor. ¡°Take this, I¡¯ve got one last magic trick for the night!¡± Kait walked to the grassy hill, beckoning Taylor to follow.


    Before she hit the tree line, Kait fell onto her back with her face toward the sky. Taylor did the same. ¡°What¡¯s the cloth about?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. So¡­you know how the stars are so dim because the town is too bright, right? Since I learned that, I wondered if I could see the stars again if that was all I could see. Go ahead and blindfold yourself.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say¡­¡± He nervously wrapped the blindfold around his eyes, then felt a finger press against the bridge of his nose. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to a new sight.


    Everything was pitch black¡­except he could see the sky fully, the many stars of the galaxy shining brilliantly through the city¡¯s light.


    ¡°Whoa¡­this is awesome,¡± Taylor said.


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯d honestly rather if we were quiet, so I can think a bit.¡±


    ¡°S-sure, I can be quiet.¡±


    Kait looked at the starry sky, and yet¡­she felt nothing.


    Some time later, she sat up, her blindfold falling to her lap.


    I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t keep looking.


    She remembered what they had said about stars when she was a child. Her family, her mentor¡­they weren¡¯t up there. They were gone. Her friends¡­she put a hand over the necklace resting beneath her shirt. They weren¡¯t there either.


    No. She was alone in this world.


    She felt cold.


    Neither a smiling Taylor beside her nor anyone else saw as she held her head on her palms and began to silently cry.


    It¡¯s all over. You need to stop thinking about it. You need to get a hold of yourself.


    She shivered, yet when the time came to leave, she wiped her tears and pretended the cold didn¡¯t bother her.

 CH 5 It Feels Like a Void

    The next day, Taylor and Kait woke at the same time again and had breakfast together. Outside the window, frost sheeted the ground.


    Kait sat at the table, eliciting a curious look from Taylor. She made her cereal as quickly as she could without making a mess. Once she finished, she looked at Taylor uncertainly.


    He nodded, approving of her cereal-making skills. Kait fist-pumped the air in victory.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re up early again. I wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± Taylor said.


    ¡°Yep. I know I haven¡¯t been sleeping correctly, so I¡¯m just going to start forcing myself to sleep by waking up at the right time. ¡®Alarm¡¯ clocks are useful!¡±


    ¡°I guess that would work,¡± Taylor took another bite. ¡°So why were you sleeping so late in the first place? Didn¡¯t you all wake up at sunrise back in the day?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me feel like an old person!¡± Kait turned her head.


    ¡°Sorry, I was so very callous, please forgive me!¡± he joked.


    She waved it away. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It just feels ridiculous when you make me sound old.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, when is your birthday?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know my exact age, but my foster mother made it the fourth of December.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Mine¡¯s on the thirteenth. So why did you stop waking up early?¡±


    Kait quickly opened her mouth, but hesitated. She lowered her eyes in guilt. ¡°I¡¯d prefer it if you all didn¡¯t pry so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to know, so I thought it would be worth asking.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°The reason I was sleeping in so late¡­in the back of my mind, I kind of¡­feel¡­empty. Like I don¡¯t truly exist. It¡¯s difficult to explain. Like, sometimes I look at someone, and I just¡­start crying.¡± She looked down.


    Taylor held his hands up defensively. ¡°O-oh, I mean¡­you didn¡¯t have to¨C¡±


    ¡°A-and I don¡¯t know what to do. I even purposefully make my emotions do all the talking!¡± She placed her hand on her chest. ¡°It makes me strong in a lot of ways! But once that-that emptiness boils to the surface, it just turns into tears!¡±


    Taylor slowly reached to grasp Kait¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Kait¡­really, I¡¯m s¨C¡±


    ¡°I can take it, though!¡± Her sudden yell made him recoil in surprise. ¡°I hate myself for it. Sometimes I can¡¯t even feel bad for what happened¡­¡±


    Kait trailed off, growing crosseyed, then her head suddenly fell onto the table. At the same time, Taylor struggled to keep his eyes open as he lost strength in his muscles, and collapsed in his chair a second later.


    Suddenly, Taylor felt cold wind rush past him as the house seemed to quickly shift and darken. After he broke out of a shocked trance, he began yelling in fear as he looked around himself.


    While there wasn¡¯t anything but empty space around him, Kait also fell beside him, strangely calm as she closed her eyes and chanted, ¡°Consciousness give ka partle ta halt urs fall¡­¡±


    Taylor, on the other hand, panicked, flailing his hands and causing himself to flip in free-fall, slowly rotating while he yelled, ¡°THISTLE, THISTLE¡ªSpirits, save me!¡±


    Kait grabbed Taylor¡¯s wrist and pulled him closer.


    ¡°Kait, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Taylor continued to yell. Kait couldn¡¯t recognize the words, but she got the gist of ¡®discordant scared screams.¡¯


    As she finished chanting, they slowed down and eventually reached a standstill, where Kait matted her hair back down and straightened her skirt.


    Taylor let out a deep, nervous breath. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on here¡­but jeez, please, please get me out of this creepy place,¡± he motioned to the endless void surrounding them. The only reason he wasn¡¯t more scared was that Kait seemed calm.


    She pointed at the wristband on her left hand. ¡°Ja can¡¯t parple.¡± She motioned towards her throat.


    Taylor vaguely understood what she was saying; for some reason, the spell that let them communicate wasn¡¯t working.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Kait put a hand over her mouth in thought, then pulled him closer. She grabbed Taylor¡¯s waist, which caused him to start squirming uncomfortably and throwing out words Kait didn¡¯t know in a flustered and slightly squeaky tone. ¡°What?! Why¡¯d you do that?! K-Kait?¡±


    She began balancing their kinetic energy. By the time she had properly balanced it, Taylor had finally stopped his whining.


    She almost chuckled at how he¡¯d grown flustered, but she couldn¡¯t muster the humor, as the spell that had taken them into the void had consumed almost all her emotions.


    ¡°Okay¡­so how are we getting out of here?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t obvious, but the fall through the black void had wracked Kait¡¯s brain with adrenaline. Acting calmly in a situation like that was difficult, and it only put more stress on her. The adrenaline itself was a massive detriment to her ability to cast magic because she could hardly feel what emotions she had left with her mind so clouded, or, more precisely, so calm.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Kait knew she could easily get them out once her adrenaline had faded, but it would take a while. She preferred to be faster about it since she knew Taylor had better things to do.


    She knew a few ways to muster emotion through adrenaline, though. A ¡®feeling¡¯ wasn¡¯t necessarily an emotion, such as the feeling of touching a rough surface, but if a feeling like ¡®pain¡¯ was strong enough, it could become an emotion¡­and she could probably use that to wake herself up.


    Taylor saw Kait slow-motion punch her own face while speaking to him in an instructional tone. ¡°Kipa ki facee.¡±


    Is she telling me to punch her? Taylor raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Eaavy,¡± she apologized in advance. She didn¡¯t see any way to do this without his cooperation, so she had to take somewhat more drastic measures to convey what she meant. Suddenly, she sent a punch hurling toward Taylor. A moment before impact, she stopped.


    Taylor blinked rapidly, flinching from the sudden move. ¡°D-do you need to punch me?¡±


    Kait shook her head as she mock-punched her own face, then pointed between his fist and her face.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s what I thought¡­¡± he slowly said, an expression of distaste growing on his face as he looked at his fist. ¡°S-sorry!¡± he said as he threw a punch toward Kait as instructed.


    Kait didn¡¯t even flinch as his fist flew toward her, but a moment before it hit, Taylor pulled his arm back, swiping through empty air instead.


    Kait stared at Taylor with annoyance as he slowly opened his eyes, then averted them in embarrassment.


    ¡°Kipa ki facee!¡± Kait said again.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know if I can punch you¡­¡± Taylor muttered with defeat. He¡¯d shut his eyes after throwing the punch, not wanting to feel the guilt of hitting Kait. He¡¯d hit a friend before and knew how much it hurt.


    Kait didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d said, so she stood idle, waiting to be punched.


    Without much of a choice, he raised his fist again, then threw it at Kait, closing his eyes. His fist hit something, then he heard Kait make a grunt of pain. When he opened his eyes, she was rubbing her cheek with a look of disappointment.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± He held his dominant arm, his own fist stinging from the glancing blow. ¡°I don¡¯t want to punch you¡­¡±


    Kait sighed. She could hardly feel Taylor¡¯s weak attack, to be honest, but she wasn¡¯t going to make him try again. It probably wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience for Taylor to punch a friend, and there wasn¡¯t any good reason to force things, anyway.


    She raised her hands, telling him to stop, then moved into a sitting position to meditate.


    They floated around the void for ten awkward minutes, Taylor growing more nervous as time passed. After around ten minutes, Kait stretched to get her blood pumping and channel the feeling of wakefulness. Using that emotion, she stretched her body out as though she had just awoken and yelled¡­


    Something had roused Hailey from her sleep; an emotion she couldn¡¯t place her finger on. She had never woken up from an emotion before, but this one had hit her like a ton of bricks, even though she couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    As she walked down the stairs, she saw the strangest of sights. Kait and Taylor were passed out on the kitchen table. She apprehensively approached Taylor and shook him as hard as she could.


    ¡°Taylor, are you asleep?¡±


    When he didn¡¯t wake up, her eyes widened in fear.


    In panic, she threw his body to the ground, cushioning his head¡¯s fall with her leg. She held two fingers to his throat and placed her ear on his heart in a frantic search for a pulse. His heartbeat was normal and he seemed fine. She sniffed. Just in case any gasses were threatening them, she opened the front door, letting in the cold air.


    Hailey walked to Kait, laid her on the ground, and did the same for her.


    ¡°Wake the fuck up!¡±


    Hailey¡¯s head was, unfortunately, directly above Kait¡¯s as she woke up yelling. Her positioning resulted in a potent head smash that sent her reeling to the ground, squirming and crying in pain. ¡°GAHH! THAT HURT SO¡ªWhat are you doing?!¡± Hailey writhed on the floor with her hands on her head.


    Kait wasn¡¯t doing much better, though she had a greater tolerance for pain. Despite her groans, she crawled to Taylor, using the table as a support, then picked up an empty bowl still left on the counter, filled it with a bit of water from the faucet, and trickled it over Taylor¡¯s forehead. He woke up feeling like he¡¯d had a bucket of cold water crash over his head. ¡°By grass blades, that¡¯s so cold!¡±


    Hailey rolled to a wall and leaned on it, pained but relieved that her brother wasn¡¯t in danger¡­oh, and Kait too. ¡°Consider yourself lucky,¡± she groaned.


    Kait threw herself onto her chair with a massive yawn, calming herself while waiting for the pain to fade away. She relaxed in the chair, and a moment later, Taylor followed, climbing back into his own.


    Taylor massaged his face. ¡°I have way too many questions.¡±


    Hailey pitched in with a much more aggressive tone, ¡°Me too! Don¡¯t go scaring me like that¡­¡±


    Kait waited for the pain to fade away before saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine with answering questions, but why were we just on the ground, and why does Taylor not have a shirt on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called first aid, but you wouldn¡¯t know much about it since you¡¯re such a naive old lady!¡±

 CH 6 Fortune Lies Within

    Hailey sat on one side of the kitchen table, facing Kait. Taylor had already run to school, ten minutes late because of the whole debacle beforehand. Kait had apologized for the trouble and sent him off with a spell to keep him warm, and while Taylor was satisfied with that, Hailey found ¡®transporting her brother into the void¡¯ to be a topic worth discussing further.


    Hailey shivered a little, hugging herself for warmth. ¡°So what was that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was an¡­unconsciously cast spell,¡± Kait responded. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t in control of my emotions, I cast a spell without meaning to. Usually, I can control what a spell does, but if I cast one unconsciously¡­I can¡¯t control what emotions the spell uses, and so it can be volatile. Unconscious spells usually aren¡¯t directly harmful, though,¡± she continued. ¡°They do what the caster wants in an efficient and to-the-point fashion. You could call it a monkey¡¯s paw scenario.¡± Kait had found that those spells were poetically comparable to being entirely open and direct. One could easily hurt another simply by saying what they wanted to. ¡°Spells like that¡­most often, they are just hazards. A little harmful, but not too dangerous.¡±


    Hailey crossed her arms, frowning. ¡°Hazardous? You threw Taylor into a void. Is that really just a ¡®hazard?¡¯¡±


    Kait opened her mouth, then averted her eyes. ¡°I intend on practicing my emotional control the moment I get the chance. If I can start doing that regularly again, this shouldn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Hailey briefly considered asking what ¡®emotional control¡¯ was, but she shrugged. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care, but I¡¯ll tell Mom about this.¡±


    Kait nodded glumly. ¡°Sorry, again. I don¡¯t want to cause problems for you or anyone else.¡±


    Hailey waved it off with a shrug as she stood. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going back to bed. See you.¡±


    ¡°And I need to buy some new clothes¡­¡± Kait muttered.


    Hailey paused when she made it to the stairs. ¡°Do you have money? Heck, do you know how to buy things?¡±


    ¡°I can figure it out,¡± Kait assured her as she walked to the door. ¡°I can¡¯t rely on you all for everything, you know.¡±


    Hailey shrugged again and walked upstairs as Kait left, waving back toward Hailey as she did.


    Hailey couldn¡¯t fall back asleep. That weird emotion was still bothering her. Whenever she tried to figure out what the emotion was, she felt like she was blockaded by a chunk of ice. Sure, technically it could be called an emotion, but functionally it was just a gnawing sensation.


    She stood up from her bed, feeling incredibly dizzy. Had Kait done something to her? Either way, she didn¡¯t want to keep resting in bed just to feel like a sack of garbage. She chuckled grimly. If I were one, I¡¯d be right at home. Her expression fell. I have to do something about this. She threw on a heavy coat.


    Stumbling outside, the blast of frosty air made her feel like throwing up. Something was definitely wrong. That emotion was making her unable to think, hurting her from the inside-out. Where was Kait? Could she fix this?


    She tried her best to look composed as she stumbled down the roads toward the nearby strip mall. If she couldn¡¯t find Kait, maybe another magic user could help, like the fortune reader.


    Eventually, she found her way to the fortune reader¡¯s shop and entered, a small bell ringing as she opened the door.


    The waiting room¡¯s walls were covered in painted murals depicting the fortune reader¡¯s ancestors, and chairs draped with colorful tapestries lined the front of the building¡¯s glass wall. On the other side of the room, curtains hung in a doorway for people to walk through to the back. Hailey sat down to wait.


    She wondered if fortune reading really was passed down or if the whole ¡®ancestor¡¯ thing was just meant to be cool. If it really was passed down, maybe she could take a ritual to learn it. While she thought, Hailey nervously put her hand in her pocket, rubbing her thumb against the ten dollar bill inside to make sure it was still there.


    Wait¡­I just walked outside by myself for the first time¡­in a long time.


    ¡°Next!¡± a woman happily called from behind the curtains.


    Hailey stood then walked through the curtains. Behind, there were two doors. The one on the left was open and painted to look like a galaxy, which Hailey walked through.


    The room within was fairly small and decorated nicely. In the center was a wooden table with three chairs set beside it, and set against the walls were nightstands. On them were items used for fortune-reading. There were the usual suspects, such as a tarot cards, a crystal ball, and an assortment of animal bones, but there were also more unusual items, such as a violin bow, circuit boards, a variety of incense, and a small bowl filled with water.


    A woman in her thirties sat in the chair farthest from Hailey, wearing purple and black clothing that was far baggier than it needed to be, with a little black bowtie on the collar. Hailey always had a sneaking suspicion that they were pajamas; they looked far too comfortable.


    ¡°Hey, aunt Taila¡­¡± she said hesitantly.


    ¡°Oh! Hailey, it¡¯s nice to see you! How are you doing?¡± Taila, the fortune reader, walked to Hailey, giving her a big hug. ¡°I missed you. Are you doing better after¡­what happened?¡±


    She instantly regretted coming. She hadn¡¯t properly considered what it meant to see her aunt for the first time in nearly two months, plus she felt like leaning over and barfing already. Her voice gave out a little as she said, ¡°Uhh, feeling better, I guess.¡± She awkwardly patted her aunt¡¯s back.


    Taila took a step back. ¡°So why¡¯d you come here? Do you need a reading, or did you come to see your dear aunt?¡±


    ¡°The former¡­¡± Taila took a seat and motioned for Hailey to sit in the opposite chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why I did¡­uhh, I guess I¡¯m feeling weird.¡±


    ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. There¡¯s, like, some sort of emotion that isn¡¯t really an emotion in my head, and It¡¯s making me feel dizzy.¡±


    Taila smirked. ¡°Are you in lo¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Hailey suddenly lashed out. She wrapped her arms around herself, touching her skin to ease the feeling of sickly vulnerability. ¡°It feels wrong! What in grass blades is going on in my head?!¡± Most of her family was used to her snapping when she was stressed, but she always felt terrible when she acted that way. It felt like she couldn¡¯t hold herself back.


    Taila leaned back in surprise, then leaned her chin on her warmly clothed hands and closed her eyes. A moment passed, then she smiled. ¡°Well, give me a moment. I think I know just what to do!¡± She stood and walked out of the room. A minute later, she returned with a plastic box and placed it on the table. Opening it, she removed a thin slab of concrete and two wooden blocks. She arranged the slab¡¯s ends to be held atop the blocks. ¡°Give it a karate chop!¡± She motioned to Hailey with an excited chop of her own arm.


    Hailey shrugged then smashed the slab with her hand. It broke surprisingly easily. She shook off the pain. ¡°Is that good?¡± she asked timidly.


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    Taila gently removed the split slab from the blocks. She moved a monocle of sorts from her sleeve to her left eye and inspected the area where Hailey had broken it. ¡°I figured you could channel your emotions into the slab to show how your emotion manifests into physical movement when I exercise my magic.¡± Taila scrunched her face up in shock, running a thumb over the crack of one half of the slab, then on the other. ¡°Wow¡­that¡¯s not supposed to happen. Are these defective slabs? I¡¯ve never seen someone break one of these so perfectly! Look!¡± She pushed one of the slab¡¯s broken sides into Hailey¡¯s face, showing a perfectly smooth face as if it were butter cut by a hot knife. ¡°What is this?!¡±


    Hailey pushed Taila¡¯s hand from her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the reader.¡±


    Taila sat and took a deep breath, regaining her composure. She placed the monocle back into her sleeve, then put her chin on her hands again. ¡°Have you come into contact with any magic users besides me in the last few days?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hailey said innocuously.


    She stood up and threw her hand onto the table, rattling the slabs. ¡°REALLY?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re not talking about Jaine, that necromancer, right?¡±


    Hailey rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see that guy again.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then what sort of magic user are they? How skilled are they?¡± She leaned closer to Hailey as she spoke. ¡°Did they cast magic on you? Where do they live? And can I talk to them?!¡±


    ¡°Too many questions, auntie.¡± Hailey placed her hands on Taila¡¯s shoulders and guided her back into her seat. ¡°Kait is a witch. She¡¯s been living with Taylor, me, and m¨C¡±


    ¡°A witch?!¡± She shot up from her chair again, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Chill, Tai-,¡± Hailey paused. Well, it was a reasonable reaction. Witchcraft was thought to be a lost magic, one whose users were killed off four hundred years ago in a crusade. Anyone would be dumbfounded by the revelation that witchcraft had been rediscovered. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but she, like, used a spell to put herself in stasis for hundreds of years and woke up two months ago.¡± She frowned. Was I supposed to say that? Seems like something you¡¯d want to keep secret¡­Well it¡¯s just Taila, I¡¯m surprised Dad didn¡¯t tell her about¡­Actually, in retrospect, that¡¯s not very surprising.


    Taila stood, then sat down and shriveled in her chair, sliding down it so far that her face was leaning against its backrest. ¡°You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°Lying isn¡¯t a very funny punchline,¡± Hailey responded with a sigh.


    ¡°Get me to her after this, alright? And don¡¯t bother paying me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    Taila stood again, then picked a violin bow from one of the nightstands, setting it in front of Hailey. ¡°Pluck a string off it,¡± she said. She sat back down and pushed in her chair. Hailey plucked a horsehair from the bow, then awkwardly held it up. ¡°Now, let go.¡±


    Hailey let go of the hair, and it floated, straightening in midair, then began moving like a wave. ¡°Cool.¡±


    The fortune reader stared intently at the hair. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­it¡¯s saying¡­I think it¡¯s saying you¡¯ll be in bed for a long time. Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Not sure how floating hair makes you say that, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. That¡¯s been most of my days for the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°You sure you aren¡¯t sick? It says you¡¯ll be bedridden.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am. Can I leave now?¡±


    ¡°Not without me, you can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You said you would show me to that witch. Kait, you said, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever agreed to that. You can take the money if you want.¡± She held out the ten dollar bill.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m going straight to your house, and I¡¯m not taking no for an answer!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work?¡±


    ¡°No need for work when there¡¯s a new spellcaster in town! A witch at that! Witchcraft is the first root to fortune reading, you know.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    Taila shut down the shop, ushering a waiting customer out with profound ¡°sorrys¡± and asking them to return the next day for a free reading. Then, once prepared, she set off with Hailey.


    ¡°I¡¯m so excited!¡± Taila exclaimed


    ¡°Whoa. That¡¯s. So. Good. To. Hear,¡± Hailey said, already bored.


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s a witch! What sort of things can she do?¡±


    Hailey ignored the question. ¡°I don¡¯t get it? Don¡¯t you have a life? It¡¯s just a spellcaster. She¡¯s got nothing to do with you, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, I, for one, don¡¯t want anyone stealing my business in the future, so I need to assert dominance!¡± She gave Hailey a wry smile. ¡°But really, it¡¯s rare I get the chance to collaborate with a new spellcaster.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I guess I have to give you the run-down,¡± Taila said, obviously looking for any excuse to explain. ¡°Spellcasters can do a ton of unique things by combining their talents.¡±


    ¡°What sort of things?¡±


    ¡°Well, for example, if a pyromancer and a cryomancer were to do a ¡®collaboration,¡¯ they could make ice-flame.¡±


    ¡°Cryomancer is an ice mage, I assume?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ice-flame is like fire, but it¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Instead of burning things it crystalizes them.¡±


    ¡°And now I don¡¯t get it again, but it does sound cool.¡±


    Taila raised a finger. ¡°It also happens to be banned by the Terainian Convention for causing incredible collateral damage.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please at least comment on my pun!¡±


    ¡°Most produce unique results that can¡¯t be reproduced in any other way.¡±


    ¡°Please, put ice on the wound, not salt!¡±


    ¡°For example, if a chronomancer and a kinemancer collaborate, they can slow down time for certain objects.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cold,¡± Hailey said, getting carried away with her puns. ¡°Although¡­that¡¯s how Kyndl and Kyle stop time?¡± she asked, referring to a famous celebrity duo.


    ¡°Yeah! Just imagine what sort of things I could do if I did my own collab with a witch! It would be the first time in recorded history!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, but there are more than a thousand magics. Surely there are plenty of other unique magic users to collab with in our town.¡±


    ¡°First, there are very few other trained mages in our town. Second, witchcraft is known as a versatile magic. Versatile magic can be used in a ton of different ways. It¡¯s usually tough to learn, though. Don¡¯t they teach you this stuff in school?¡±


    ¡°You were homeschooled by a fortune reader. My school might not be good, but at least it doesn¡¯t waste time talking about random magic facts.¡±


    Taila folded her arms. ¡°I feel a little offended.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt the school is apologizing.¡± They arrived on Hailey¡¯s home street.


    ¡°Is that her?!¡± Taila pointed to Kait, who was jogging toward the house.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her.¡±


    Taila started running towards her, waving. ¡°Helllloooo!!¡±


    Once Taila had run far enough away, Hailey muttered to herself, ¡°Is she really that cool?¡± She let out a pained chuckle. ¡°Gosh, I suck¡­¡±

 CH 7 Fearful Deception

    Kait jogged back to the door of the Jouls¡¯ house, a stick in one hand and a plastic bag filled with clothes in the other, but she came to a stop as an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out. ¡°Helllloooo!!¡±


    She looked over her shoulder and saw an older woman wearing robes she recognized, with Hailey trailing behind her. Kait raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hey?¡±


    The woman came to a stop in front of Kait, shoving her face uncomfortably close. ¡°Are you the Kait I¡¯ve heard so much about?!¡±


    She wrapped her arms around herself as the spell keeping her warm dissipated. She cast aside the baton stick that was bewitched to keep her warm and stared at the woman, evaluating her. She probably wants something from me. ¡°Um¡­yes. But¡­I¡¯m super cold. If you want to talk, why don¡¯t we go inside and warm up?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Absolutely! I¡¯m cold, too.¡±


    A minute later, Kait and Taila sat on couches opposite each other. Hailey sat on a chair in the kitchen, subtly grimacing in pain as she leaned against the table, her head turned back toward the conversation. She would have gone to her room, but she needed Kait¡¯s help. I guess I just need to bear through this conversation¡­


    She watched as Kait and Taila settled down.¡°So, you¡¯re a witch?¡± Talia asked.


    Kait sighed. ¡°Yep.¡± She glanced meanly toward Hailey, though the younger girl didn¡¯t seem to understand why.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Taila said with giddiness before audibly muttering, ¡°Though, I guess you couldn¡¯t be that good since you¡¯re so young and probably didn¡¯t have time to learn too much¡­¡±


    Kait shook her head. ¡°Hardly, I¡¯ve had my whole life to train.¡±


    ¡°Your whole life? Then you must be a great witch,¡± Taila said, looking Kait up and down to appraise her age.


    Kait waved her off. ¡°I¡¯m not that great.¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Taila frowned in disappointment. ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t be able to perform a great ritual, then?¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Great ritual? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You know, like flying on brooms, enchanting items with powerful effects, cursing people, that sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kait said with confusion. She smirked confidently. ¡°Oh, of cour¨C¡± Kait was suddenly cut off as she lurched over, her eyes widening in a combination of dread and pain as she put a hand to her throat. ¡°I¡­¡± she began, her voice sore, quickly hiding her expression as she raised her head, ¡°Of course, I can m-maybe do some of that.¡±


    Hailey raised an eyebrow. Why is she lying like that? And what just happened?


    Taila wasn¡¯t sure what to say for a moment, but quickly asked, ¡°A-are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Kait said with a suddenly harsh tone. ¡°I just¡­tried to hold in a cough.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­well, could you show me some of your magic? I¡¯d love to see what you can do.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. I feel a bit sick. Sorry, but could you leave me? Maybe some other time.¡±


    Taila opened her mouth, and just as she was about to speak, Hailey suddenly said, ¡°And I¡¯m kinda in pain right now, so I¡¯d prefer if you two did a magic show later.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± Taila said with disappointment as she looked between the two. ¡°But would you be interested in doing a collaboration later? It¡¯s not every day that I¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kait said sharply, standing from the couch. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Taila stood and opened her mouth to protest, but caught a warning glance from Kait. She reluctantly sighed.


    As Kait walked up to the second level and Hailey passed by Taila she opened her arms. Hailey reluctantly accepted the woman¡¯s hug. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Taila said. As Hailey leaned away with a nonplussed expression, she continued, ¡°Get better, alright? Everyone wants to see you happy again.¡±


    Hailey stepped back, averting her eyes, then rushed up the stairs toward Kait.


    Hailey followed Kait¡¯s into her room.


    Kait looked back at her with confusion. ¡°Um¡­what¡¯s up?¡±


    Hailey pressed a hand to her forehead in pain. ¡°I¡­¡± she considered asking about her emotion for a moment, which had only grown more intolerable as time passed, but she instead asked, ¡°What happened there, with you?¡±


    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Kait asked, her expression inscrutable.


    ¡°You suddenly lurched over like you were about to barf,¡± Hailey said. ¡°Plus that was a bald-faced lie you told Taila. At least a white one.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Not that I blame you. Sorry you had to deal with her; Taila can be really overbearing. Sometimes I wonder if she needs to grow up.¡±


    Kait looked at Hailey like she was an idiot.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You do realize this is your fault, right?¡±


    Hailey quickly gained a smile. ¡°Sis, no way I could¡¯ve known things would turn out this way! She asked me a question and I answered!¡±


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    ¡°You were meant to keep my witchcraft a secret!¡± Kait argued back.


    Hailey paused, her expression turning indignant. ¡°How the muck could I have known that? She¡¯s mom¡¯s sister, I assumed she¡¯d know you were here, and I¡¯m in crippling pain right now!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you didn¡¯t know you were meant to keep my witchcraft a secret?! You were there for my conversation with Taylor!¡±


    ¡°I was eavesdropping! There¡¯s a very big difference, girl! I thought you¡¯d come upstairs and explain it all to me but instead, you got all passive-aggressive about it!¡± Hailey growled back.


    ¡°If you really wanted to hear what I had to say, why didn¡¯t you meet me at the door instead of eavesdropping?! Do you realize how rude that is?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s rude to you, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to Taylor! Call me petty if you want, but seeing him just pisses me off. Every time we talk it¡¯s all about how I should get out of my mucking room!¡± she yelled.


    Kait clenched her hands, slowly breathing in and out. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize that was the problem,¡± she said, restraining herself. ¡°I just¡ªDon¡¯t ever, ever eavesdrop on me if you can. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jeez, I guess she¡¯s just really sensitive about it. Hailey held out her palms defensively. ¡°Okay, sorry. I won¡¯t do it again. You okay now?¡±


    She let out another deep breath. ¡°S-sorry. I didn¡¯t want to get into this argument with you, it was stupid. What did you ask me again?¡±


    Hailey finally relaxed as she spoke. ¡°I wanted to know why you lurched over and lied like that.¡±


    Kait averted her eyes. ¡°I¡­It¡¯s not your business.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hailey said slowly. ¡°Then that¡¯s out of the way, but¡­¡± She sighed, her chest hurting from the emotion. ¡°¡­The main reason reason I wanted to talk to you was because since you and Taylor fell asleep¡­I-I¡¯ve had some weird emotion attacking me.¡± Kait¡¯s eyes slowly widened as Hailey spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but it feels really, really bad. I can hardly think. What is it? What did you do to me? A-and what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Kait averted her eyes. ¡°Hailey¡­I-I¡¯m sorry, I should have told you. I forgot¡­¡±


    ¡°Forgot what?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember, yesterday? When we walked together?¡± Hailey slowly nodded, so Kait continued. ¡°Well¡­I tested to see if you had an affinity for witchcraft.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­and you mean¡­I have an affinity for witchcraft?¡± she said hesitantly, holding back a smile. When Kait didn¡¯t meet her eyes, Hailey frowned. ¡°But there¡¯s a catch, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Sort of¡­¡± she said. ¡°Where¡ªwhen¡ªI grew up, everyone was tested for their witchcraft affinity early in their life. It was traditional to test for it when we were five¡­so I never had to personally experience it¡­.¡± Hailey nodded, unsure where Kait was going with what she was saying. ¡°¡­But there¡¯s something strange that happens when an uninitiated witch is near an initiated witch for a while. We called it unofficiation. When someone undergoes unofficiation¡­I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors, but to my understanding, it can cause a lot of¡­bothersome side effects.¡±


    ¡°Like what? Why didn¡¯t you tell me this earlier?¡±


    ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t know it would happen so soon. I didn¡¯t know it would do anything like causing you pain either. All I know is that it occasionally causes the uninitiated and initiated¡¯s minds to meld together, unintentionally causing them to share memories, emotions, senses and other things like that. Initiated can also draw on the uninitiated¡¯s emotions to fuel their own spells as well, which I¡¯ve heard can get messy. Anyway, since initiated witches have control over their magical energy, they don¡¯t experience the same effects.¡±


    Hailey took a moment to take it all in. ¡°So all of those memories I¡¯ve been seeing, where I was you¡­¡±


    ¡°Memories? You¡¯ve actually been getting memories?¡± Kait asked with surprise.


    ¡°Yeah. Since the first day we met.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that?!¡±


    Hailey shrugged. ¡°I dunno. You were the one who went off on me because I listened in on a conversation in the middle of my house, so can you blame me for not wanting to talk to you about it?¡±


    Kait¡¯s expression froze. ¡°W-wait, what have you seen in those visions?¡±


    ¡°Weird stuff,¡± she said simply.


    ¡°Shit. T-that could be bad,¡± she said, holding her head as she began to pace through the room. She quickly paused, though, her expression turning confused. ¡°If you¡­maybe it¡¯s a loophole? Maybe The Consciousness doesn¡¯t notice when you see them¡­¡±


    ¡°The dreams are vague, though,¡± Hailey said. ¡°And really discordant. It¡¯s kinda like I¡¯m only seeing the memory as well as you can remember them.¡±


    Kait sighed, relaxing just a bit. ¡°Oh. Well, that¡­might be fine.¡±


    Hailey rubbed her face, annoyed by how vague Kait was. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t see the problem here. How about you make me a witch, then we don¡¯t have to talk about this mud again? You do know the ritual to become a witch, right?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I-I do, but I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°The muck¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, when I lurched¡­¡± Kait looked down. ¡°There are things I can¡¯t tell you. One of those things includes why I can¡¯t. So¡­I-I need to figure this out.¡±


    Hailey sighed. ¡°So what, you can¡¯t get rid of this dang emotion? I¡¯m stuck with it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I think I can fix that if I do that thing I mentioned; using your emotions for my own spells¡­are you sure you want me to do that, though? I haven¡¯t done it before, and it might go away on its own.¡±


    Hailey just looked at Kait boredly, as though her answer should have been obvious.


    ¡°Uh¡­alright. Let¡¯s see, how to use this emotion¡­¡± Kait put a hand to Hailey¡¯s forehead for a moment. She then ran downstairs and appeared back up with an ice cube in her hand. She placed a hand on Hailey¡¯s forehead. A moment later, the cube grew, turning into a basketball-sized cube that she struggled to hold in one hand. ¡°There you go. Did that fix it?¡±


    Hailey blinked. ¡°Wow, it was that easy?¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°Yep. As simple as that. The emotion felt like a chunk of ice, so I used it to make one bigger.¡±


    ¡°Weird. Well¡­thanks, I guess. Did you need me to help figure out that big problem you were worrying about, or¡­¡±


    Kait shook her head as she struggled to hold the ice. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out sooner or later¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°I just hope I don¡¯t have to leave.¡± Hailey nodded along with her. ¡°But¡­what should I do with this ice?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, but it¡¯s your responsibility now. See ya!¡± Hailey rushed into her room, leaving Kait alone with the two foot tall chunk of ice.

 CH 8 Shove

    When Taylor returned from school, he walked into the house only to see Kait lying on the couch with a despondent frown. His eyes widened in concern. ¡°Hey, Kait, are you alright?¡±


    She snapped out of her gloom quickly, easing his concern with a smile. ¡°Hey. Why¡¯d you think I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    Taylor let out a sigh of relief but glanced to the side. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­your expression reminded me of Hailey.¡±


    Kait stood from the couch, then stretched her arms. ¡°How so?¡±


    He responded quietly, ¡°You looked similar to her after¡­what happened to Abbie.¡±


    Kait frowned in confusion. ¡°Abbie?¡±


    ¡°Her friend.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s d¨C¡±


    Kait suddenly held out a hand in apology, another on her heart. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so sorry! I was being so stupid there.¡±


    Taylor shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s fine. No skin off my back, but Hailey¡­she¡¯s probably more sensitive about it¡­¡± Taylor cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing fine, at least. I also wanted to tell you that Hailey¡¯s friends are coming over. They¡¯ve been asking to see her for a while.¡±


    ¡°What do you think is going to happen when they talk to Hailey?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she will hole up in her room, but she can¡¯t keep them waiting forever.¡±


    Kait sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡± She put a hand on Taylor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hailey won¡¯t do that. You¡¯re cutting straight to a confrontation. She¡¯s going to tell you and her friends off.¡±


    ¡°But she needs to talk and get out of her room!¡±


    Kait debated between allowing Taylor to make his mistake or telling him off. She had a feeling that Taylor could at least make progress with his good intentions, but she still opened her mouth to protest. She caught herself before she gave him advice, though. I shouldn¡¯t get invested like this. This isn¡¯t my problem. ¡°I understand, Taylor. If that¡¯s what you think needs to be done, do what you must.¡±


    His expression only grew more nervous as she walked up the stairs.


    ¡°Hi, Abigail, Linne.¡± Taylor greeted Hailey¡¯s friends at the front door a few minutes later.


    Abigail had a confident smile and wore a pair of trousers and a nice, heavy coat. She raised a plastic grocery bag in greeting. ¡°Yo, Taylor.¡± She took a step into his house. ¡°It feels like forever since I last talked to you.¡±


    ¡°The last time I saw you out of school was a year ago. I didn¡¯t even know Hailey still talked to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we aren¡¯t all that close,¡± she admitted.


    Linne followed her in silently, nervously raising a hand to greet Taylor. She wore a scarf and a heavier coat than Abigail, as well as an ample amount of jewelry which conflicted with her reserved posture. She was also much smaller than Abigail. ¡°Where¡¯s Hailey?¡± she asked nervously as she pulled down her hood.


    ¡°Hailey¡¯s upstairs. I meant to tell her yesterday that you two would be coming over, but¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Abigail quickly responded. ¡°Why don¡¯t we call her out then?¡±


    ¡°She probably won¡¯t want to see you,¡± he warned them.


    Abigail shook her head. ¡°What else would we do, then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, if I¡¯m honest.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s say hi.¡± Abigail glanced back as she walked up the stairs, prompting Linne then Taylor to follow. As she reached the top, she frowned. ¡°Which room is hers again?¡±


    ¡°The one right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Um¡­Linne, you know her better, do you want to go first or should I?¡±


    The smaller girl averted her eyes. ¡°You can go first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Abigail gritted her teeth as she looked back to the door. She took in a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Yo, it¡¯s me, Abigail! Hailey, are you there?¡±


    No response.


    Taylor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he stared at the door. ¡°As I said, she probably doesn¡¯t want to see any of you.¡±


    Abigail shook her head. ¡°Do you want to talk?¡± she asked the door.


    No response.


    She pulled a bag filled with candy bars from her grocery bag. ¡°We brought you some Wishie-Washies¡­¡±


    A creak.


    ¡°Hailey, I haven¡¯t seen you in, like, two months. Are you alright?¡±


    Linne, as quiet as she was, looked down, knowing that Abigail wouldn¡¯t get through to Hailey. She could tell that the girl was only trying to be friendly for the sake of being friendly and knew that Hailey would be able to see through it.


    And unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t even respond.


    ¡°I¡¯m just gonna put them in your room then¡­I¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡± Abigail reached for the handle and twisted it a little, hitting a lock. ¡°Darn.¡±


    Linne shook her head. I-I need to get through to her! She suddenly moved Abigail aside, then shouted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hailey! I didn¡¯t come to the library that day, a-and because of that¡­I could have saved Abbie b-but I¡­¡± She paused. ¡°It¡¯s all my¨C¡±


    She heard Hailey¡¯s voice for the first time in two months. ¡°Shut the thatch up.¡±


    They froze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you could¡¯ve done anything about it,¡± Hailey said.


    After it seemed like Hailey wouldn¡¯t say more, Linne reached for the door handle, but Abigail grabbed her hand, frowning sadly. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave her alone for today.¡± She looked at Taylor with a forced smile. ¡°We can just come tomorrow, right?¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°Probably.¡±


    Abigail shared a look with Linne, and the other girl hung her head in defeat.


    As she reached the front door, she raised her hand in goodbye. ¡°We¡¯ll be back tomorrow. See you!¡±


    They dropped off the bag of Wishie-Washies as they left.


    From Hailey¡¯s door after they were gone, Taylor heard her voice again. ¡°Give them to me.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°The Wishie-Washies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not even going to speak to them, then snatch their candy?!¡± Taylor didn¡¯t know whether to be disgusted or filled with pity.


    Hailey didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Well, thatch you too,¡± he said with little passion. Still, he slowly walked down and returned with the Wishie-Washies.


    Taylor heard a click, then saw Hailey hold her hand out of the door, hiding her face as she grasped at air, waiting for him to place the bag in her hands. When he did, she tried to drag the bag into her room. He didn¡¯t let her take it so easily, though, and held on, pulling it back. Just as he gave up the tug of war, he caught a glimpse of her face through the gap.


    ¡°Just give it to me!¡± She finally wrenched the bag from his hand and shut the door with a click.


    Taylor sighed, unsure what to feel after what he¡¯d seen.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    She was crying.


    Kait let out a deep breath as Taylor walked back down the stairs. She sat in her room, meditating on her feelings, but as she heard Hailey¡¯s anger, anger of her own began to boil to the surface, a fire in her heart.


    Why would you mistreat your friends like that?!


    Kait¡¯s expression remained outwardly calm, although it took a conscious effort for her not to scowl.


    Can¡¯t she see they¡¯re just trying to help?


    It occurred to Kait that Hailey could just be a jerk. She threw the thought away as preposterous. After all, Hailey had seemed reasonable when they had spoken just a few hours ago.


    I need to calm down. This shouldn¡¯t be affecting me like this¡­


    She focused for the next minute on shifting her emotions. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be Hailey. She¡¯d been left in her room to brood for months, and nobody had come to see her that whole time. Her brother was being pushy, and her friends felt¡­Kait wasn¡¯t sure. She didn¡¯t know them well enough, but those two girls seemed a bit off.


    But they were still well-meaning! It was so irritating. If Kait had friends willing to go out of their way to help her back in her day, it would have been such a blessing! But instead, Hailey seemed to have no gratitude. If anything, she was angry at them for trying to help.


    I need to stop that! It¡¯s none of my business. I just¡­I just need to ignore it. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me.


    She needed to think about something nice, nostalgic. Like¡­her friend, Vassee. Ever since they had become friends, Vassee had always been there for her. She helped her become part of the Royal Coven by putting in a good word, helping her study, and supporting her emotionally. Heck, Kait hadn¡¯t even known before then what it felt like to have someone she actually liked in her life.


    Of course, all of that was before she learned that Vassee was actually the princess, and accidentally found herself being appointed as her bodyguard, and before¡­


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    It didn¡¯t matter!


    Kait began to tear up.


    Vassee was dead. She was only a memory. The feeling of trust, the feeling of meaning Kait had felt when she was near her¡­it was difficult to imagine that she could feel that again.


    I need to stop caring! I need¡­Kait lost her composure, gritting her teeth as she held back sobs. I need to move on.


    As Kait tried to reign in her emotions, a thought came to her mind.


    You¡¯re just like Hailey. Avoiding connections, holding yourself back.


    She let out another deep breath, staring at her hands. I need to calm down.


    Taylor paced around the house, his thoughts racing. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what to do. Hailey had been shut in at home for nearly two months, and if she couldn¡¯t overcome whatever was holding her back before she inevitably had to return to school¡­he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, but he was worried for her.


    And if she couldn¡¯t even speak to her friends face to face¡­


    He heard someone descending the stairs and turned to see Kait just as she called to him. ¡°Hey.¡± She looked rather calm.


    He stood still despite his preference to pace. ¡°Hi, Kait.¡±


    She walked into the kitchen and began preparing cereal. ¡°Long day?¡±


    ¡°Well, it sure hasn¡¯t been a short one. What have you been doing? You¡¯re usually not in your room for so long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to practice emotional control, but¡­¡± She laughed. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t think straight.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s difficult to say. I tried to practice my emotional control but it¡¯s been so long that it¡¯s difficult to process everything. Things aren¡¯t the way they used to be.¡±


    ¡°What you you mean?¡± Taylor asked.


    ¡°Imagine that you have so much work to do that it¡¯s difficult to even start. Does that make sense?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a bit too familiar with that feeling.¡±


    Kait finished readying her cereal and took a bite. ¡°Right. Just apply that feeling to trying to process emotions, and you can imagine the sort of block I hit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s got to suck, especially since it''s so important to your witchcraft.¡±


    ¡°It sure does.¡± She swallowed another bite. ¡°Back to the subject, though. You had a problem with your sister, I presume?¡± she asked, despite having heard the whole conversation.


    Taylor nodded glumly.


    ¡°How do you feel about some more stargazing?¡±


    ¡°Again? I guess.¡±


    ¡°No doubt you want to talk about what happened, so you can vent all you want while we walk. We¡¯ll leave once I¡¯m finished eating, okay?¡±


    Kait opened the gate to the garden.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it went,¡± Taylor finished.


    Kait continued down the path as she sniffed the air, soaking in the floral scent.


    ¡°Any comment?¡±


    Kait placed her hands in her jean pockets. ¡°What comment are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Could you help me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. What help are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Advice, mostly.¡±


    She fell onto the bench and stared at the koi pond while Taylor stood, too stressed. ¡°How about I say what I think about you, instead?¡±


    Taylor nervously narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You care a ton about the people around you, and you love helping those people. You¡¯re more emotional than you let on, you¡¯re determined, and you will do whatever it takes to provide something of value, even if nobody asked for your help.¡±


    Taylor shivered at the description of himself and crossed his arms like he was cold.


    Kait cleared her throat. ¡°So you surely aren¡¯t going to give up on helping your sister, either.¡± She smiled. ¡°Alright, sit with me.¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t relax but sat beside the witch.


    ¡°Look, things might seem difficult, but¡­honestly¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not good with family stuff. Probably because I never had one, at least not one like yours.¡± She raised her head to stare at the moon. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen if you push the issue, but I guarantee, as long as you show your sister that you really care about her, you can come to an¡­understanding. ¡±


    ¡°So what, I just tell her nice things till she walks out?¡± he asked with indignation.


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that as long as you try to communicate your feelings genuinely, and also accept hers, you¡¯ll both come to understand each other better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Kait grabbed Taylor¡¯s arm and tore it out of its reserved position.


    Taylor blinked. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Kait shot a relaxed smile toward Taylor. ¡°Just a little spell.¡± She gripped Taylor¡¯s hand. ¡°Now, repeat after me¨C¡±


    He suddenly tensed. ¡°W-what?!¡±


    ¡°I said, repeat after me. I need to hold your hand for this, so pretend you aren¡¯t skittish and do what I say.¡±


    Taylor pursed his lips, nervous. ¡°Y-you got it.¡±


    ¡°First, take a deep breath.¡±


    The two both took deep breaths.


    ¡°Now, fall just a little in your seat and breathe out.¡±


    The two slacked a little as they sighed, Taylor squirming uncomfortably.


    Kait placed her other hand on Taylor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Relax. No need to be tense. Let¡¯s take another deep breath.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­¡±


    The two each took a second deep breath.


    ¡°Now, repeat what I say. Right now, what I can¡¯t do, I can¡¯t do, and what I can do, I don¡¯t feel like doing.¡±


    ¡°R-right now, I can¡¯t do what I can¡¯t do¡­and what I can do, I don¡¯t feel like doing,¡± he repeated.


    Kait turned her head away. ¡°Now, stare straight at the moon.¡±


    Taylor looked up.


    ¡°Now, just relax and stare at the moon.¡±


    As Taylor squinted a little from the moonlight, his body relaxed, and his eyes started wishing they¡¯d close.


    Near his ear, he heard Kait whisper, ¡°The stars are beautiful today, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a spell, there wasn¡¯t a certainty of ¡°right advice,¡± there wasn¡¯t even fear under the moonlight. All he felt was light, heat, snowflakes melting on his skin, and a longing for the new day to bring his dreams.


    Yet again, Kait found herself feeling alone in the silence.


    Tears fell from her eyes. She could still remember Vassee¡¯s voice in her ear as the moonlight shined on them. She could still remember how enthralled she was by the sight and sound and how cathartic it felt.


    Why¡­why did she need to be the one to stay alive? That spell and her necklace were made for Vassee, but she sacrificed it all to give Kait a second chance. She wanted to be able to forget it, to stop wishing it was her who lived instead, but¡­


    Kait resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands and sob. She didn¡¯t want to wake Taylor up. She glanced at him. He still had friends and family. Hailey still had friends and family.


    Kait enjoyed being part of that family, if only as a spectator.


    But I¡¯m not¡­and I shouldn¡¯t keep pretending I am.

 CH 9 Snowy Day

    The next day, Kait enjoyed her bread peacefully, staring absently at the blizzard outside.


    Suddenly, Taylor yelled, ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m going to be late!¡± A minute later, he practically tumbled down the stairs, ready to leave despite his bedhead. Kait said nothing as he panicked, and once he¡¯d slipped on his shoes, he opened the door.


    He quickly shut it, then pulled his phone from his pocket. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s a snow day. Whew.¡± He turned around only to see Kait watching him passively. ¡°Erm, hi.¡±


    ¡°Sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah?¡± He blinked, his mind finally catching up with the present. ¡°W-wait, how did I even get back home?¡±


    ¡°I floated you back,¡± Kait said innocuously. She set down her bread, then took a bite out of a whole, cooked potato while blankly staring at Taylor.


    ¡°You know, you could smash that potato¡­¡±


    ¡°Ai kwnow,¡± she said before swallowing.


    ¡°How does ¡®speaking through a mouthful of food¡¯ translate through that spell of yours?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    ¡°Then who do I ask?!¡±


    ¡°Not the courier!¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve expected a weird response like that,¡± Taylor muttered. ¡°Anyway, you floated me back? How does that work.¡±


    Kait shrugged again. ¡°Magic.¡±


    ¡°I-I know, but can you seriously make people levitate?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± she said. ¡°I can fly, you know.¡±


    ¡°You can fly? I was sure that was just a myth.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your dad a witch archaeologist? Shouldn¡¯t you know this stuff?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s more of a Renaissance one but everyone knows the myths about witches flying on brooms. I just thought it was an exaggeration since I¡¯ve never heard of any other magic that can do that.¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s true. Though I find it weird that we¡¯re already myths. It¡¯s only been four-hundred years, right?¡±


    ¡°Dad said that The Crusaders of Kallaran destroyed most of the records on the witches. Apparently, that¡¯s why we know so little about them.¡± He paused. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s not a problem when you¡¯re around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said uncertainly.


    Taylor took the seat opposite her then yawned. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s a snow day.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like school?¡±


    ¡°Who does?¡±


    Kait took another bite out of the potato. ¡°Anyone who goes to a witch¡¯s school, I suppose. School days were my favorites.¡± She looked out with a distant expression. ¡°Might I ask you for something?¡±


    Taylor placed bread in the toaster. ¡°Ask me what?¡±


    ¡°Could you teach me some Terainian?¡±


    He leaned against the counter. ¡°I¡¯m not against it, but can¡¯t you just use spells to get by?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I can¡¯t read, and if for some reason I can¡¯t cast magic¡­¡± she grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ll be lost.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s your life. I¡¯m sure you know best. But I don¡¯t know if I¡­actually, I think I can teach you some.¡±


    Kait stared Taylor dead in the eyes. He averted his own. Suddenly, she burst into laughter.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?!¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all, Taylor.¡± Kait took another bite out of her potato, grinning mischievously. The toaster suddenly popped up, causing her to jump in shock. ¡°Oh, fuck! What is that thing?!¡± she yelled.


    Taylor blinked with a disgruntled expression. ¡°A toaster. And what is a ¡®fuck¡¯?¡±


    Kait glanced to the side. ¡°Uhh¡­it¡¯s just a¡­phrase.¡±


    ¡°Another weird phrase?¡±


    ¡°Oh, theis glam easl!¡± Kait said in her native language.


    She and Taylor sat on the floor of her room, which was just as plain as it was on the day she¡¯d moved in.


    Kait stared at the notebook before her, where her alphabet wristband was sitting. She cleared her throat. ¡°Thae yealow frug jumped.¡±


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t all that bad,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Your accent isn¡¯t even that thick.¡±


    She clenched the wristband. ¡°It seems like I already know how to speak Terainian, but I¡¯m just, you know, four hundred years outdated.¡±


    ¡°Just, huh?¡± Taylor chuckled.


    After they exchanged a few more phrases, Kait said, ¡°Hm¡­either way, I think that¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    ¡°No problem. It was¡­fun.¡± Taylor stood and began walking out, but he stopped in the doorway and spoke with a subdued voice. ¡°Hey, Kait?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If I needed help, would you help me?¡±


    She considered the question seriously. The way he¡¯d said it, he wasn¡¯t talking about some small favor. I shouldn¡¯t get involved. ¡°I¡¯d¡­I woul-would.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It really means a lot.¡±


    As he walked out, she put a finger to her lips with a surprised expression. She hadn¡¯t meant to say yes, not so unconditionally.


    But I want to help.


    ¡°Thanks. It really means a lot.¡± Hailey heard Taylor say, muffled behind a wall.


    Hailey sat on her bed with a downcast expression. She reached into the bag of Wishie-Washies at the base of her bed without looking, only to be greeted by nothing but thin plastic.


    ¡°Thatch it all,¡± she cursed as she lifted the bag up and flung it across the room, only for the air to stop its momentum just a few feet from her. She glared at the bag with disdain, then reached out with her foot to kick it futilely another half foot. She took a step off her bed, toward the bag, and paused to gaze hatefully at it.


    Then she stomped on it. She stomped her heart out, mouthing, ¡°Thatch it all!¡± over and over as she imagined the plastic bag turning to shreds underneath her foot. The bag was, unsurprisingly, impervious.


    Hailey finally kicked the bag into her hand, then threw it. Somehow, the bag rebounded off the air and landed at her feet. She stared at it, her expression turning pained, then she gave it a pathetic heel-kick as she walked back to her bed, sending it gliding across the room and into the door.


    Out there, people were living their best lives, and inside¡­


    I¡­I just need time.


    But she didn¡¯t feel that way. She felt horrible, and not because of something as simple as grief.


    As if! I¡¯ve been in my room for almost two months and I don¡¯t feel any better.


    But she didn¡¯t feel ready to go outside. She felt scared, even though it was difficult to admit.


    I have time. It doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t matter at all. I can do whatever I want, and nobody can hold that against me because I¡¯m¡­grieving. No, because I¡¯m¡­I just need time.


    But I don¡¯t want to stay in here.


    She wanted to believe that she chose to hide under her blankets, that she was doing what she wanted, that she could leave and resume her life at any point. Yet she struggled to even imagine herself leaving her bed again, let alone making her way to the door.


    Suddenly, she heard Kait¡¯s voice through the wall. ¡°Hey, are you there, Hailey?¡±


    Her thoughts hit the brakes as she realized she was being spoken to.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re listening¡­I just wanted to say that you can talk to me if you want. I know you don¡¯t want to talk to Taylor or anyone you know¡­but I promise I won¡¯t judge you or try to make you do anything you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Hailey didn¡¯t respond.


    She heard Kait sigh. ¡°Well, think about it.¡± The voice faded out as Kait walked from the wall.


    Hailey silently put her back against the wall as the torrent of thoughts and emotions flooded her again, and she eventually forced herself to make a decision.


    I¡¯ll just go back to bed and¡­and figure this out tomorrow.

 CH 10 Pre-Confrontation

    Abigail took a step forward in the snow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I dragged you with me like this, Linne,¡± she said.


    ¡°I was going to go anyway,¡± her friend responded, looking forward. ¡°So don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    They trudged through into the harsh, cold wind. It wasn¡¯t the type of day where anyone should have been out of the house, but they were mutually determined.


    Linne remembered when she¡¯d seen Hailey during the funeral. Her expression¡­she didn¡¯t look sad, she looked depressed, like she¡¯d given up. Linne knew that expression, but she had felt too guilty to approach her friend back then.


    And she still felt guilty because she had known what Hailey was going through, yet she¡¯d chosen not to reach out to her.


    She swore to herself that she wouldn¡¯t abandon a friend like that again.


    Abigail wasn¡¯t as sure why she had chosen to visit Hailey. There were plenty of other things she could¡¯ve done besides trying to help someone she didn¡¯t even know that well, and yet¡­she was the one who had first approached Taylor and asked to see Hailey. With the void that Abbie¡¯s disappearance had made in their friend group, Abigail felt like it was up to her to bring everyone closer together.


    And, as silly as it was, she felt a sort of kinship toward Abbie since both of them had gone by the moniker of Abbie before. She felt like she had to take up the dead girl¡¯s unfinished business and be there to support her closest friend.


    Either way, even if it was just to feel better about themselves, they wanted to see Hailey happy again.


    Knock!


    Taylor stood from his bed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they came through the storm!¡± He ran out of his room.


    Kait poked her head out of her own. ¡°Hailey¡¯s friends?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think so.¡± He ran down and opened the door while Kait watched from the top of the stairs.


    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t mind if we do.¡± Abigail said with a smile as she rushed in alongside Linne.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?!¡±


    Abigail power-walked to the kitchen table. ¡°We promised we would be here,¡± she said like it was a given. They both had pale skin, and their hasty entrance showed just how cold they were.


    Taylor glanced at Abigail¡¯s hand, where she carried another bag of Wishie-Washies, ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Did you go all the way to the store to buy one of those?!¡±


    She breathed on her hands after setting the bag on the kitchen counter. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Lunatics.¡±


    ¡°And I worship pain, it seems.¡±


    Linne spoke up, ¡°I don¡¯t really mind the cold, anyway.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Jeez.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kait walked down the stairs and leaned against the couch, looking toward the guests. ¡°I¡¯m Kait.¡±


    Abigail looked at her with confusion.  ¡°Who are you? Hailey¡¯s big sister?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no.¡± She fluffed her red hair. ¡°I just wanted to say hi since I¡¯m living here.¡±


    ¡°Like an Airbnb?¡±


    Kait tilted her head. ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s weird. Then why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Very, very long story.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t have time to listen to it. My mom wants me back before eight.¡±


    Kait shrugged. ¡°I just wanted to tell you to say the word if you need anything from me.¡± She glanced at Taylor, meeting his eyes, and when he nodded, she walked back to her room.


    ¡°Well, I guess you all want to talk to Hailey?¡± Taylor asked.


    The two nodded nervously.


    Sensing the tension between them, he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be honest. I know nothing.¡±


    Abigail cocked an eyebrow. ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About what happened.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Abigail frowned. ¡°Where to start¡­well, it started with,¡± she grimaced, ¡°¡­him.¡±


    ¡°The guy who killed Abbie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± After a pause, she stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    She looked down. ¡°Actually, I kinda do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She sat back down. ¡°Abbie once told me that I seemed fake. I felt insulted at first, but¡­I feel like she had a point. I don¡¯t like to talk about anything that might insult someone, and I try to avoid confrontation.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m trying to say that I do want to talk about it, but I was too nervous to. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, now. Where do I start¡­um, so that guy is a serious ass.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a murderer¡­¡± Linne said with a subdued tone. She then perked up. ¡°Do you have pudding, Taylor?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Abigail rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s an apple-balls man. Is that better?¡±


    Taylor winced at the crude insult as he answered Linne¡¯s question and stood. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get you some.¡±


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Thanks. And that¡¯s better,¡± Linne said.


    ¡°Okay, so, something like a year ago, this guy had asked Abbie out,¡± Abigail began. ¡°She¡¯d rejected him because, like, she already had a boyfriend. I forget his name. Then, a month later, after she¡¯d broken up with the guy, Mr. Apple-Balls comes in and asks her out again, but he gets rejected again. She probably just didn¡¯t like him, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She continued, ¡°Now, he wasn¡¯t the dark-hooded introvert you¡¯d expect. Nah, he was the type of sniveling coward who asked tons of random girls out. I talked to him a few times, and I did not like his vibes. He¡¯s the type that only does things for his benefit. Like, when a fight broke out between two guys at my table, he just sat and laughed. In the end, I had to break them up myself because he wouldn¡¯t keep his friend in check.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Anyway, a week before Abbie¡­bit the grass¡­¡±


    While Abigail spoke, Taylor handed a pudding cup to Linne, who gleefully spooned it into her mouth.


    ¡°A week before Abbie died, Mr. Apple-Balls, who I¡¯m just going to call Jackie because I have better things to do than avoid naming names, set up his friend so they¡¯d ask Abbie out. I think his name was Jaine.¡±


    Taylor rolled his eyes. ¡°Ugh, him.¡±


    ¡°What, you know him? Did he do something bad as well?¡±


    ¡°Did he do something bad? Not as far as I¡¯m aware,¡± he responded. ¡°We used to be friends, but he¡¯s intolerable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I get that. Anyway, so Jaine asked Abbie out, and she actually accepted. We all knew he was jealous of him afterward, so don¡¯t ask me why he set them up in the first place. And that takes us to when she actually died. No one knows what exactly went down but he, one way or another, was seen walking into the room that Abbie and the rest of us usually met in during lunch. I didn¡¯t see anything, but¡­there was a gunshot, and after the intruder alert¡­we saw Hailey.¡±


    Abigail could still remember what she¡¯d caught a glimpse of from inside the building. Blood was soaked onto her jeans and hands, and Hailey¡¯s expression was blank as she shivered, being consoled by an equally shocked officer.


    Taylor reclined in his chair and took a moment to take everything in. He breathed out. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good to know...I was hoping knowing all that would help me find some instant fix for Hailey, but...¡±


    Linne shook her head, her eyes downcast. ¡°Those don¡¯t exist.¡±


    Taylor nodded glumly.


    Abigail scuffed Linne¡¯s hair, abusing their height difference to coddle her. ¡°And this little girl over here still thinks Hailey¡¯s mad at ¡®er.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Linne refuted.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I know she¡¯s not mad, I just..overthought things in my anxiety.¡±


    Abigail suddenly hugged her friend. ¡°Aww, I¡¯m so proud of you, Linne. You don¡¯t even need my help to get over the blues!¡±


    Evidently, Abigail was hugging Linne a bit too tightly. ¡°Ow-ow-ow, please let go¡­too¡­tight¡­¡± Abigail let go of her friend, and Linne began taking huge breaths to compensate for being choked.


    Taylor smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see some people haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Abigail wondered.


    ¡°It¡¯s felt a little oppressive, knowing my sister¡¯s been struggling. I feel like it¡¯s my job to help her¡­so when she¡¯s going through so much, I put the responsibility of helping her on my shoulders. Maybe it¡¯s just my brotherly instincts. Either way, thanks for being here to help. I¡¯m glad my sister has friends who are willing to support her.¡±


    Linne smiled contentedly as their conversation turned to idle chat. It felt cathartic to know they were all together to help one person. She had never needed to carry the burden of guilt on her own. With all of them living in the moment, she could have peace of mind.


    Soon, though, they would have to face a confrontation they were all scared of.


    ¡°Bedridden?¡± Clera asked, holding a phone in her hand as she spun around her office chair.


    ¡°Yep. Bedridden,¡± Taila said on the other side. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what it means, but she might be sick.¡±


    The mother scratched her head with frustration. ¡°I was hardly managing to keep a roof over our heads after Maple¡¯s last excavation turned into a muddump, then all that happened to Hailey¡­and now this. Why can¡¯t it just be simple, and why all of this now?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Clera,¡± Taila said. ¡°I can lend you some money if you want.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, if I need money, I¡¯ll ask you,¡± she stubbornly asserted.


    ¡°You said you were going to send Hailey to a therapist? At least let me pay for that.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I need to think about this. So much is going on¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Clera. Take all the time you need. I¡¯m here if you need help.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­Bye.¡±


    ¡°Byebye! Don¡¯t forget to give Hailey some medicine just in case!¡±


    ¡°I will, bye.¡± Clera hung up, then stood. She made her way to a closet and opened it. She slowly picked out some supplements and medicines, briefly stopping to look up, ¡®what if a fortune reader says someone will get sick.¡¯ The responses she found were quite insightful, but she didn¡¯t have the recommended supplements or medicines on hand.


    She rubbed her face, rage growing in her chest. Why can¡¯t it just be simple?! She stepped toward Hailey¡¯s room, but paused. Her friends had arrived a few minutes ago, and she hadn¡¯t even stepped out of her room.


    Things didn¡¯t need to turn out this way¡­ She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, knowing that she hadn¡¯t done enough for Hailey soon enough. She should have taken her to a therapist, she should have talked to her more, she should have¡­have done something. Now, it felt like Hailey had turned into a hollow shell of who she had been. She¡¯d seen her friend die in front of her¡ªshe¡¯d gone through so much. She shouldn¡¯t have asked Maple not to return from the expedition when it had happened and just accepted her sister¡¯s help, but¡­she wished she could take back the decision, to have Maple here with her to help.


    She looked at Hailey¡¯s door. If only I could turn back time. She nearly laughed. Why can¡¯t it just be that sim¡­ Her eyes widened.


    Suddenly, she stepped back and knocked on Kait¡¯s door. ¡°Kait?¡±


    The door opened, revealing Kait behind it. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask you something,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Could you come with me real quick?¡±


    She led her to her office, where she sat down while Kait confusedly stood by the door. ¡°So what did you want to ask me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I wanted to ask you about something,¡± Clera said nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will be a strange request or¡­if I¡¯ll look silly or insensitive to ask it of you.¡±


    Kait frowned. ¡°Okay,¡± she slowly said. ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    The mother pursed her lips, not saying what she was about to say lightly, ¡°C-can you¡­are you able to erase Hailey¡¯s memory?¡±


    Kait paused to understand what Clera was trying to ask, her eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡­can. But¡­just so we¡¯re clear, I would never erase someone¡¯s memory without permission from them. And even then¡­you know there¡¯s a reason why it¡¯s a taboo subject, right? I assume it¡¯s the same today as it was in my age.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Of course. I just¡­if this is causing Hailey so much pain¡­it might just be easier to¡­you know.¡±


    Kait shook her head. ¡°It might seem easy, but memory erasure is¡­a shortcut. I think that sometimes people are better off with traumatic events forgotten, yes, but¡­a person won¡¯t ever grow if they can¡¯t overcome obstacles one at a time. And I can¡¯t erase particular memories, either. I can make her forget everything until a certain point, or just a particular person, but¡­memory erasure isn¡¯t exactly a fine art when it comes to witchcraft. Maybe another type of mage could erase a particular memory, but¡­even if I could, she would still be missing a friend.¡±


    Clera sighed. ¡°I know, but¡­is it really such a bad option? Seeing Hailey in pain like this¡­she deserves the choice.¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s not a wholly wrong choice, but before you tell her anything, just remember that it should be a last resort.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it, then¡­¡± Clera said. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She shook her head then stood from her seat. ¡°I need to fetch some medicine for Hailey¡­and think some things through. The sooner, the better. But since Taylor and Hailey¡¯s friends are going to talk to her while I¡¯m gone, do you mind making sure nothing happens between them? I just can¡¯t handle this right now¡­¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure things go well. You go do what you have to.¡±

 CH 11 Seeing Pain

    Taylor, Abigail, and Linne stood in front of Hailey¡¯s door in nervous anticipation.


    Linne lowered her eyes anxiously. ¡°Should we really approach her this way?¡± she whispered.


    Taylor tried to smile, despite knowing how haphazard the plan was. ¡°What else would we do? Either way, we need to talk to her, whether she likes it or not.¡±


    Linne nodded reluctantly.


    The plan itself wasn¡¯t so much a plan as a hope that Hailey would come out because the door was locked, and Taylor himself knew there was no guarantee Hailey would cooperate. The last time, she¡¯d told her friends to shut up, and they¡¯d meekly walked away. He had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t go the same way this time.


    ¡°Well, no time better than now to¨C¡± Abigail said before being interrupted.


    Kait walked to the group with a hand clenched. She spoke in a normal voice, clearly having missed the ¡®quiet¡¯ memo. ¡°Hey, Taylor, if Hailey doesn¡¯t unlock the door,¡± she held out a small hairpin and handed it to him. ¡°I put a spell on that, so as long as you¡¯re open to her, emotionally, you can just tap the hairpin on her knob to unlock it. That¡¯s all. Good luck!¡± She walked back into her room with a wave.


    ¡°A spell?!¡± Abigail said in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, we can talk about it later,¡± Taylor replied, looking at the hairpin strangely. She probably doesn¡¯t realize that I don¡¯t need this to unlock it. And I¡¯d rather not force my way in. ¡°Right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get distracted,¡± Linne said with a determined stare at the door.


    Taylor placed his palm against the door, Abigail patted her sides and clenched her hands, and Linne stood as straight as she could, each of them anticipating the confrontation.


    Taylor knocked. ¡°Hailey, are you there?¡±


    No response, as he¡¯d figured.


    ¡°Well, your friends and I have been talking for a while, and we wanted to talk to you,¡± Taylor said softly.


    Abigail stepped forward. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Linne agreed, ¡°Mhm.¡±


    No response.


    Abigail whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll start first,¡± then placed her hand on the door. ¡°I hadn¡¯t ever been too close to Abbie, but I felt a bit of a connection with her.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Because we had similar names. Stupid reason to be hung up about it, right?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°I know it impacted you more than it did me, and we weren¡¯t ever good friends, and,¡± Abigail looked down. ¡°I know I¡¯m not the one who should be here. Tera should. She was your friend, after all. But,¡± she looked up with a pained smile, ¡°I figure, if I died, and Linne were you, shut in her room, I wouldn¡¯t have any reservations about who helped her.¡±


    No response.


    Abigail nodded toward Linne. She took in a deep breath, then placed her own hand on the door. ¡°I still can¡¯t shake the feeling that it¡¯s my fault, but¡­I know it isn¡¯t. It isn¡¯t yours either. I-I don¡¯t know if you feel that way, but whether you do or don¡¯t, I¡¯m here for you. You¡¯re my friend.¡±


    No response.


    For a second, Abigail looked downcast, then she took a step forward and placed her head on the door, staring at the wood with a gentle expression. ¡°I want to help you. I want to know why you¡¯re so hurt. I¨C¡± She sniffled, then stepped back. She gritted her teeth, then took one more deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Hailey!¡±


    Taylor saw the two trying their best to encourage Hailey and smiled. He placed his own hand on the door. ¡°I hope you¡¯re actually in there. That¡¯d be embarrassing if you weren¡¯t.¡± He let out a nervous giggle. ¡°And I don¡¯t think there¡¯s more I can say, aside from what they said. Hailey, I don¡¯t know if you can even hear us, but I want to talk with you. I want to see you h¨C¡±


    The door lurched inward, revealing Hailey, dressed in pajamas and with a nasty case of bedhead, leaving the stunned three with their hands in midair.


    ¡°You all sure have been talking up a storm, so how about I ask you a ques¨C¡±


    Linne suddenly perked up, her hand falling. ¡°Hailey!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Linne! How about I ask you a question, Taylor? Do you think I¡¯m deaf?¡±


    Taylor let his hand fall as well. ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you think I can hear you? My door¡¯s locked. Did you think I¡¯d snuck out of my window?¡±


    ¡°Well, n¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh well. Once an idiot, always an idiot.¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t look particularly hurt; if anything, he was just frustrated.


    Abigail quickly came to his defense. ¡°Why are you treating him that way? He just wants to help you!¡±


    ¡°Just wants to help me? Bathing in his own self-importance by pushing his ¡®help¡¯ on me is just about all Taylor¡¯s good for.¡±


    That got under his skin. ¡°Really?! That¡¯s your issue with me?¡±


    Hailey ignored him. ¡°Anyway¡­Abigail. I don¡¯t give a crap about you. We were never friends, and I don¡¯t have any intention to ¡®bond¡¯ and ¡®talk¡¯ with you. You did have one good point, though; you¡¯ve got a thatch thin reason for caring about what I do. As far as you¡¯re concerned, I¡¯m a selfish black flower who loves to throw insults and couldn¡¯t care less in return.¡±


    Abigail froze, her expression quickly turning inscrutable.


    Hailey turned to Linne. ¡°Congratulations, you learned it¡¯s not your fault she¡¯s dead. Wow, I can¡¯t believe it. You really learned basic cause and effect,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°Look, friend, I don¡¯t know what you think keeps me from school, but I think you should focus on yourself before you start trying to help me. If you really feel that guilty for not being killed, maybe the person dangerous to themselves is you. I know you almost tried to off yourself two years ago just because you jumped to conclusions, thinking you were rejected because you were ¡®useless¡¯ or whatever. And I know Abbie¡¯s the reason you¡¯re still here. So don¡¯t think we are at all in the same boat.¡±


    Linne stepped back as she silently burst into tears, trying not to quiver.


    ¡°And Taylor, stop prodding into my life. Just let me grieve in peace. I heard you and Kait out there. You¡¯re so keen to brute force your way through situations. Why don¡¯t you just stop?!¡±


    Taylor growled. ¡°Maybe because you¡¯re my sister, and I want you to be hap¨C¡±


    ¡°Blah, blah, blah. If you tried to think for once, maybe you¡¯d realize you don¡¯t need some magic hairpin to unlock my door! But that¡¯s beside the point. You just want to feel like you¡¯ve ¡®helped¡¯ me, and right now, you¡¯re sure as a paper¡¯s point not helping. You¡¯re trying to throw me in the deep end and walk away while I drown!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re trying to throw me in the deep end and walk away while I drown!¡±


    Kait felt Hailey¡¯s overflowing emotions through her unofficiation. Her anxiety, her self-loathing, her regret at every word that poured from her mouth. Even experiencing it secondhand, Kait wanted to break down in apology.


    She should¡¯ve dealt with this sooner. She should have predicted this! What was she thinking?! If she didn¡¯t intervene¡­before she could think any more Kait crashed through her room and threw herself into the hall.


    Taylor gritted his teeth in a furious yet halfhearted scowl, but Kait could tell he wouldn¡¯t back down, not so long as his sister continued. Tears welled in his eyes, but he refused to let them overtake him. He began to speak in a pained, tired tone, his voice cracking. ¡°Why do you resist our help so much? Your friends only came here because they wanted to see you¡­and this is how you treat them?¡±


    Hailey¡¯s own scowl grew more mellow, uncertain. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t ask for any of your help.¡±


    Kait hesitated. If Hailey just simmered down a little more, she wouldn¡¯t need to intervene.


    ¡°SO?!¡± Taylor yelled, no longer calm. ¡°Why are you acting like this! Why did you open the door if you just wanted to make us feel bad?¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE¨C¡± Hailey stopped herself, calming as tears quickly formed in her eyes.


    Kait hesitated just a moment before rushing toward them. She had to intervene¡­she had to stop her affinity from¨C


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just say it, Hailey?¡±


    Hailey¡¯s face relaxed a little into a pained expression of guilt. ¡°Say what?¡±


    Kait hesitated, just a few feet from the group, taken aback by the sudden lack of hostility in their expressions.


    Taylor took one heaving breath, then exhaled silently. He stared at Hailey with a soft, empathetic expression. ¡°That you¡¯re still hurt.¡±


    Kait froze. I¡¯m¡­hurt? Tears formed in her eyes as emotion poured through her body. The pain she¡¯d been holding back, the sadness and guilt, were released at that moment, pouring through her body.


    Hailey looked at her brother with a defeated expression, then turned her head down, unable to meet his eyes. She slowly, lethargically, began to close her door. As she did so, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The door didn¡¯t close as a thud echoed through the hall.


    Taylor, for just a half-second, had thought the door was closed, so he glanced toward Kait, who was frozen in place as if she was about to dash forward. Her mouth was slightly ajar, her eyes wide. For some reason, just like everyone else, she was crying. Before he could process what he was staring at¨C


    Thud.


    Hailey¡¯s door failed to lock in place and rebounded, only to stop after hitting something beyond it.


    After an initial state of shock, Kait¡¯s eyes widened in pain, then she fell out of her stasis and placed a hand over a dimming necklace under her shirt as she stumbled to her knees. ¡°H-Hailey.¡±


    Suddenly, she choked out bile.


    Without another thought, Taylor threw the door open only to see Hailey, unconscious on the floor.


    ¡°Hailey¡­? HAILEY?!¡± He grabbed his sister¡¯s body and dragged her out of the room


    Linne looked about, lost and worried. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Taylor said in a desperate panic. ¡°Help Kait!¡±


    Linne ran to Kait, who was still kneeling on the ground, conscious but breathing hoarsely, kneeled over her inside-outs. Kait tried to look at Linne but threw her head down as she almost barfed again. When she got the opportunity, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me! Make sure¨C¡± she lurched.


    Linne understood and instead helped Taylor drag Hailey out.


    Abigail had frozen in confusion but began moving again. ¡°W-what, what should I do?! Is she going to be alright?!¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Kait said hoarsely, ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! Tell me what¡¯s happening!¡±


    ¡°Just remain calm.¡± Kait looked weak yet still managed to push herself off the ground. ¡°Please¡­¡±


    Everyone sat in the living room in silence, all exhausted. Abigail and Linne sat on the ground, looking at Hailey with worry.


    Clera sat directly in front of her, her hands half-clenched but open.


    Taylor stood, staring at Hailey, too unnerved to sit beside the others. He couldn¡¯t do anything. He never could.


    Kait sat in the only chair, her head hung and body devoid of energy. She¡¯d done all she could, in the worst way possible. She couldn¡¯t look them in the eyes.


    And Hailey lay on the couch, unconscious.


    They had been sitting in silence for some time.


    But, it had to be broken sometime, Taylor knew. ¡°So¡­do you feel like explaining this?¡±


    Kait sighed. ¡°This is my fault.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Taylor said with an almost venomous tone, almost reminding them of his sister.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cast the spell.¡±


    ¡°Like yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Like back¡­then.¡±


    Clera turned her head towards Kait, barely repressing her anger. ¡°What are you two talking about? What haven¡¯t I heard?¡±


    Kait remained silent, her eyes downcast.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Clera said, her voice quiet, yet anger-soaked.


    Kait crossed her arms, visibly shuddering as they moved. ¡°I casted unconscious magic.¡±


    The silence egged her on to continue.


    ¡°But this time, it was different. I learned two days ago that Hailey has an affinity for witchcraft.¡±


    Clera paused. Under normal circumstances, she would be overjoyed to hear that her daughter had an affinity for any kind of magic, but now wasn¡¯t the time for that. ¡°Okay¡­and why does that matter?¡± Clera asked while the other two girls muttered between each other.


    ¡°If a witch and an uninitiated witch, someone who has an affinity for witchcraft but hasn¡¯t done the initiation ritual yet, are near each other for some time, their emotions can muddle, which lets the initiated witch use the other¡¯s emotions to fuel their spells.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Clera said questioningly.


    ¡°To put it simply, I accidentally cast a spell on her because something emotionally shook me. And, since our emotions were in tune, the strength of the spell was dramatically amplified.¡± She sighed.


    ¡°But do you know what happened to her?¡± Clera said.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­fine, right?¡± Taylor asked.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t think my magic would hurt her.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s still breathing, so she obviously isn¡¯t. I was more concerned if her soul had been displaced or something. I¡¯ve heard some weird stuff on television.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Physically, she¡¯s asleep. But yes, her soul probably was displaced. All it takes to revive her is finding it.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s better than¡­¡± Taylor trailed off. ¡°Can¡¯t you wake her up like you did with me?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Kait admitted. She then stood and slowly crept toward Hailey to kneel beside Clera. ¡°Can everyone get about five feet away?¡±


    Everyone but Clera shuffled away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, more uncertain.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn what exactly happened.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get out of your way.¡± She took a few steps back.


    Kait breathed in and out at a precise pace. Then, she placed her hands on Hailey¡¯s stomach. For a minute, she remained perfectly still. ¡°Can you get me a dream catcher?¡±


    Taylor raised an eyebrow. ¡°A dream catcher?¡±


    ¡°Those things you¡¯re meant to hang over your bed? They were a popular import back in my day. Do you still have those in this era?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, we have one or two around the house.¡±


    ¡°Then get me one, please, Taylor.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± After a few minutes of frantic searching, Taylor returned with a tiny circle, filled with strings crisscrossing in a unique pattern and with a feather dangling from the bottom. ¡°Is this too small?¡±


    Kait spoke softly as she took it into her hand, ¡°Yep, that¡¯s good. Thanks so much, Taylor.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°Now, this could take a while. Is that alright?¡±


    Clera sighed, ¡°First, could you tell us what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Finding her soul by tracing it down. Imagine that her body is an anchor and her soul is a boat, and I¡¯m finding the boat by climbing the chain.¡± Kait responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m still confused, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I barely understand it, myself,¡± Kait admitted. ¡°I¡¯ll perform the spell now. One¡­two¡­¡± Kait placed her head on Hailey and clutched the dream catcher as she let herself be enveloped by regret.


    Her spell was cast, and she lost consciousness atop Hailey.

 CH 12 Degrading Mind

    To say the least, Hailey was confused.


    Around her was an endless void, blue like the sky, with floating platforms of rock leading upward.


    As surreal as the scenery was, it was a relatively simple place. That didn¡¯t make her arrival here any less strange, though. Hailey knew she had almost closed her door, then she¡¯d blacked out and arrived here, standing up as though nothing had happened.


    ¡°Hello?!¡± she yelled out, still perturbed by the conversation she was having just seconds ago.


    Nobody answered, of course.


    She turned around, searching every direction. Aside from the rocks and the sky¡­there was no sun, nor anything else in sight. She tapped on the stone beneath her, testing the weight of her foot. She was surprised to see it didn¡¯t weigh as much as it should.


    She began talking to herself, ¡°Let me guess, it was her. Nobody else could¡¯ve done this. Not unless some random person¡­wait, why am I so at ease? I should really be panicking right now since I¡¯m in some other dimension or whatever, but this feels like¡­home.¡±


    Hailey exhaled. Whatever she was dealing with, she didn¡¯t feel any reason to be afraid. If Kait got her in here, she would get her out.


    For a few minutes, she tapped her foot on the stone below, waiting. She was dressed the same as she¡¯d been before, except, she noted, her pajamas looked¡­better, somehow. She curiously ran a hand through her hair. No knots, silky smooth. That was strange.


    Hailey shrugged, figuring there was no good reason to stick around. She began leaping between the stone platforms, each almost six feet apart. She would have been worried about a jump of that distance over an infinite void, but with half her weight gone, she was confident in her ability to move between the platforms. As she climbed up, she thought the world seemed to flicker, like it was turning into something different. But it was just her imagination.


    She shook off her confusion and kept jumping up into the infinity above. It wasn¡¯t exhausting or scary, but it was a little fun. Despite the difference in her weight, she felt entirely comfortable in her body, able to climb the rickety set of floating platforms with no hesitation.


    Then, almost without her noticing, she reached the last platform. As she leaped on the final one, all of the rocks she¡¯d jumped on previously instantly collided to create one large platform. A black mass of mist appeared directly in front of her. It was a portal, she intuitively understood.


    ¡°How ominous,¡± she said sardonically.


    She noticed a green mist swirling behind her. Hailey had an innate understanding of the portal. ¡°That one will get me out of this place,¡± she said, but as she took a step toward it, a feeling of guilt overwhelmed her.


    I¡¯m taking a step back, she thought.


    After hesitating, she took a step forward instead, causing the green portal to disappear. ¡°Black portal it is.¡± She stepped closer. Her hand shook. Her body wanted to quake. What was beyond the portal? Apprehension kept her still for another few seconds.


    Not far from her, a new platform suddenly appeared, with Kait atop it. Hailey watched with a vaguely surprised expression as Kait shook her head, dizzy, then leaped off the platform. She locked eyes with Hailey. ¡°Thu theis es the Polo Reelm,¡± she said apologetically.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Hailey said with confusion.


    ¡°Thistle ain util!¡± Kait stomped on the ground in anger, ¡°Yaaaahhh!¡± She cleared her throat, then spoke in a harsh accent, ¡°This¡­is the¡­Polo Reelm?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    Kait tilted her head, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­speak¡­your lan-gu-age.¡±


    ¡°Since when?!¡±


    ¡°Allcayth,¡± Kait shook her head, ¡°I h-elp?¡±


    ¡°You better help.¡±


    Kait raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°This is some type of dream, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    After some deduction and narrowing of her eyes, Kait nodded. ¡°Polo Reelm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means. Can you get me out?¡±


    Kait raised an eyebrow and shrugged.


    She threw her arms down. ¡°Oh, COME ON! You seriously came here, and now of all times, you can¡¯t speak?!¡±


    Kait gave a good-natured shrug, then chuckled. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°What use you are.¡±


    ¡°Nuh util?¡±


    Hailey stuck her face into Kait¡¯s. ¡°NUH UTIL,¡± she replied sarcastically.


    Kait crossed her arms, then shook her head.


    ¡°So, tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°Go there.¡± Kait pointed to the black portal.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think that will end well¡­¡±


    ¡°Go there!¡±


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


    ¡°Fine, whatever the witch says.¡± Hailey and Kait walked to the portal; then, after a moment of hesitation, Hailey stepped in.


    When Kait followed Hailey through the portal, she saw a room. Inside were many pods of desks, each occupied by a student: some silent, some talking, and others looking at the clock that hung on the wall as if it were their salvation. Hailey stood in the middle of the room, right beside Kait.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hailey asked.


    Kait shrugged. ¡°Really nun cert.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­is this my English room? What are we doing here?¡±


    Kait tapped Hailey¡¯s shoulder, then pointed to a student. ¡°You?¡±


    Hailey looked to see that the student was none other than herself. ¡°Oh, this is a memory. What¡¯s it about?¡±


    The bell suddenly rang, causing everyone to go on alert.


    The teacher stood from her chair. She was a red-haired woman, maybe thirty years old. She tapped the floor with her shoe, then spoke, ¡°Okay, everyone, let¡¯s go to lunch!¡±


    Most of the class was quick to pack and leave in a disorderly fashion.


    The teacher looked at Hailey as she started to leave. ¡°Hailey, could I speak with you for a second?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Hailey said, breaking from the line of students to stand in front of her teacher.


    The real Hailey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No¡­¡±


    The scene continued despite her apprehension. Her teacher placed a piece of paper in her hands. ¡°First, you forgot your name on the assignment.¡±


    Fake Hailey took the paper, snatched a pen from the teacher¡¯s desk, then scribbled her name down on it and presented it to her teacher.


    ¡°And second, you didn¡¯t read the whole thing, again. You were supposed to color the pillars specific colors.¡±


    Fake Hailey gave up hiding her annoyance at being held up from lunch. ¡°Are you seriously telling me you care about whether or not I color-coded my paper? This isn¡¯t a coloring book.¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m telling you is that you aren¡¯t paying enough attention to the directions. What if you lost points on the YTU test because of something like this?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d lose points.¡±


    The teacher waved her off. ¡°If you don¡¯t care, you don¡¯t need to. It¡¯s only my job to make sure you know when there¡¯s an issue.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure it is your job to make students care.¡±


    ¡°Fair. Fair. You can go now.¡±


    Fake Hailey raised her arm in goodbye and left the room. ¡°Bye.¡±


    The world cut to black, with the two ethereal spectators standing on nothing.


    ¡°Why did you show me this?¡± Hailey said, looking at Kait with a furious scowl.


    Kait looked around, unsure of what Hailey was saying.


    The dimension slowly gained color, even as Hailey¡¯s anger grew. ¡°I know what happened this day. Why did you lead me to see this?!¡±


    Kait shrugged, ¡°Null clue mean.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Nuh runaing from ye preste.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Hailey cried out in frustration.


    The world, which slowly regained its color, had set the next scene. It was the school library.


    ¡°No, please¡­¡± Hailey pleaded to nobody in particular.


    Walking through the library toward the entrance, was him.


    Hailey stopped. She looked down, averting her gaze from what she knew would happen.


    Fake Hailey, who was on her phone, walked through the entrance.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she said as she bumped into him.


    ¡°O-oh, yeah.¡± The guy didn¡¯t have time to say much before she walked straight past.


    For a moment, Fake Hailey walked left, then something caught her attention. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s out!¡± She jogged to a bookcase and pulled out a book.


    Meanwhile, Kait watched as the man returned to the library a minute later carrying his backpack, which was missing before.


    ¡°So many things I could¡¯ve¡­¡± Hailey muttered, trailing off.


    Kait wouldn¡¯t turn her eyes even though she had a feeling she knew what would come next.


    The man walked to the left, escaping Fake Hailey¡¯s notice entirely. He walked into a room at the very back of the library, and then¡­


    A few seconds later, there was a gunshot followed by a scream.


    ¡°No, NO, NO, NO!¡± Hailey¡¯s eyes homed in on Kait, whose back was turned as Fake Hailey rushed to the room in a panic, passing by the killer without processing his guilt. She walked in the room¨C


    ¡°NO!¡±


    The world distorted, the seams of reality breaking and shifting. The gunfire echoed and echoed through the realm, cracking through the air over and over and over.


    ¡°Why?! Why would you show me this, Kait? Do you hate me?! JUST. GO. AWAY!¡±


    Kait felt queasy, stepping back as light contorted and shifted in nauseating patterns. ¡°Calm don!¡±


    ¡°I WON¡¯T CALM DOWN, WITCH. THIS IS WHY SHE DIED, AND YOU DIDN¡¯T!¡±


    Kait sighed, looking down in pity.


    ¡°Just¡­leave.¡±


    The world fell, and in some strange, incomprehensible way, Hailey knew it was about to crash.


    ¡°Frain.¡± Kait shook her head, then vanished.


    Hailey stood still. There was nothing to be angry at anymore, just a void. She wanted to scream, but it seemed pointless. She wasn¡¯t sure what was happening or where Kait had gone. She didn¡¯t know anything at all. The world was silent as it fell.


    There was a silent crash.


    She felt heavy.


    She didn¡¯t feel like moving.


    It was dark.


    She stood.


    She waded forward.


    Light.


    As thought returned, Hailey fell onto her knees. When she looked up, trying to grasp her situation, she saw a white realm. Bubbles floated through the air, filled with images of various words, items, events, and even ideas.


    Hailey didn¡¯t feel like talking, so she laid down and gazed up at the bubbles, like watching the clouds on a sunny day.


    A bubble passed by containing the word, ¡°Onomatopoeia.¡± A stupid word she didn¡¯t think about much.


    ¡°Ghostier pepper.¡± Nobody could figure out what vegetables were put on the cafeteria¡¯s terrible pizzas, so they came up with silly names for them.


    A page ripped from a book for a tabletop role-playing game which mentioned a magic spell that she remembered pretending to use with her friends, ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡± She¡¯d point at them, yelling the spell¡¯s name, and they¡¯d pretend to die.


    An image of herself lying on a picnic cloth, staring into a pocket mirror. She¡¯d almost forgot about that memory. She¡¯d played tennis with Linne and Abbie and had a small picnic.


    A video of a cheesy mecha show she¡¯d loved as a kid.


    They were all things she¡¯d kept to the back of her mind, rarely dredging up to remember. Like a trash can¡­feels like home.


    She looked backward. There was nothing to see behind her. No void, no black, no white, just a feeling that told her there is nothing beyond this. She looked forward. Everything she hated about herself was ahead, and she really didn¡¯t want to see everything.

 CH 13 Stairs Toward Regret

    Kait slowly lifted her head from Hailey¡¯s body. ¡°Well, I understand what¡¯s happening now.¡±


    Taylor looked uplifted. ¡°Really?! Can you help her?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. The only person who can is Hailey.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever needed to cope with a situation before? To accept it fully before you can move on?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°You have at some point, I guarantee you that. Hailey needs to do that, among other things.¡±


    ¡°For what, though? Why would that make her wake up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in a Dream Realm.¡±


    Linne raised her hand. ¡°Dream Realm? Like the place sumnus interact with?¡±


    Everyone looked to her for an explanation.


    She was a little intimidated by the attention but continued, ¡°Sumnus are dream mages. They go into people¡¯s dreams and do things. They have a reality show about it where they explore people¡¯s dreams on camera. It¡¯s freaky.¡±


    ¡°That could be it,¡± Kait said skeptically.


    Clera narrowed her eyes. ¡°So all we need to do is call one of them up and have them end her sleep.¡±


    Kait shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for you to find one, and that really won¡¯t be necessary. I have no doubt she wakes up in a week at most.¡±


    ¡°So, we just wait?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it, though. She¡¯s trapped in a realm representing her mind. There is only one way I know of to get her out, and that¡¯s if she walks out on her own.¡±


    ¡°She can just¡­do that?¡±


    Kait chewed on her cheek. ¡°Not exactly. I don¡¯t know what other trials she will face along the way, but¡­the intention of the spell I cast was for her to grow as a person. All you can do is wait, and all I can do is talk to her¡­though I couldn¡¯t even do that properly.¡±


    Taylor nodded. ¡°Because you need a second wristband for that?¡±


    Kait smiled. ¡°Very good! You¡¯re right.¡±


    Abigail frowned with some frustration. ¡°So, could I get an explanation? Who even are you? Are you seriously a witch?¡±


    Kait placed a finger over her mouth, hesitating. ¡°Can you keep it a secret?¡±


    ¡°Sure I can.¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°I am indeed a witch.¡±


    ¡°L-like, the type of spellcasters who were wiped out centuries ago? That witch?¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m the last.¡±


    Taylor elaborated, seeing Abigail¡¯s confusion, ¡°She used magic to¡­I guess skip through time.¡±


    ¡°So, you mean she¡¯s from¡­¡± Linne began, doing the math in her head, ¡°Four hundred years ago?!¡±


    Kait shrugged, ¡°Four hundred and twelve.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    ¡°No doubt it would be a novelty,¡± Kait muttered.


    ¡°But it is one! I¡¯ve watched a show about this exact thing!¡± Linne said.


    ¡°A show?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, where a witch, the princess to the Terrestrian locale, is time-warped to the modern day and needs to escape an evil organization who wants her secrets!¡±


    Kait laughed, a small smile appearing on her weary face. ¡°I¡¯m going to guess by ¡®show¡¯ you mean a movie?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­a TV show, actually.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Kait stood then began toward the stairs. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m completely exhausted. I can help Hailey more after I get some rest, but¡­again, I can¡¯t magically fix her problems.¡±


    Clera narrowed her eyes as Kait walked up the stairs. ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡±


    Kait turned to meet Hailey¡¯s mother in the eye. ¡°The spell I cast was¡­beyond anything I¡¯m normally capable of. A more specialized mage, like one of those sumnus you mentioned, might be able to reverse what I did, but I can¡¯t. I never meant to cause trouble¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± With that, she headed to her room, closed her door, and fell upon her bed like a rock.


    No one was sure what to do with themselves once Kait left, so for a minute, they didn¡¯t do much.


    Clera finally looked at Taylor after looking something up on her phone. ¡°Sorry to ask you to do this, but,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Somebody needs to clean it up.¡±


    Taylor crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s a really big mess. Why can¡¯t we just leave it as is?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?! You¡¯re suggesting we just leave that uncleaned?!¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Hailey¡¯s room, not mine.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Clera sighed. ¡°Taylor¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I was talking about Kait¡¯s barf.¡±


    Taylor kept a poker face and walked upstairs without another complaint.


    ¡°Now, you two¡­¡±


    Abigail leaned against the chair Kait had left, growing stiffer. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Joul?¡±


    ¡°Get cozy, the weather report said the blizzard would last for another three hours, and it just dipped to negative five degrees.¡±


    ¡°My mom said I need to get back home before dark¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if you get hypothermia out there, your chilly blood¡¯s still on my hands, so both of you, call your parents. If they say it¡¯s fine, you can leave.¡±


    ¡°Do you have more pudding?¡± Linne asked as she took out her phone.


    ¡°Plenty. You won¡¯t starve under my wing.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Hailey saw something peculiar in one of the bubbles that drifted past her. It was her ¡®dream journal¡¯ from seventh grade. She¡¯d almost forgotten about it, just like all the other stuff around her, although it was still buried in her dresser¡¯s bottom drawer. After some deliberation, she stood to poke the bubble. It popped, and the journal fell into her hands. She searched for a moment, looking for a pen, until she found that the journal already had a pen attached to its binding. Had it always had that?


    She began writing.


    {So, I¡¯m trapped in my mind, or something along those lines. Kait decided it¡¯d be really fun to shove me into that fracking nightmare, and now I¡¯m here, in Bubbleland. Though, I guess this is my fault. I regret not going into that green portal when I had the chance.


    I can¡¯t stop crying, and I¡¯m starting to get sick of it. Can I even run out of tears here?


    Also, there shouldn¡¯t be a ¡®backward¡¯ or ¡®forward¡¯ here, but for some reason, I know which way is which instinctually.


    Whatever, I may as well get moving. I feel like a pile of crap just sitting here.}


    Hailey shoved the journal into her pocket without thinking. The journal was way too large for her pajama bottom¡¯s pocket, but it seemed to vanish out of existence anyway. Hailey accepted it as perfectly natural, though, and walked forward.


    Solemnly, she walked beneath the bubbles. When she saw something interesting inside one of them, she poked it, then pulled out her journal, producing it out of nothing without even noticing.


    {It seems like everything in Bubbleland is a thing I¡¯d almost forgotten about. I saw a ridiculous sword from a TV show I¡¯d watched not too long ago and decided to pick it up. It looks absolutely stupid with more pointy bits than I can count, a blade thicker than Abbie¡¯s ego, and a magical glowy aura¡­Didn¡¯t I watch that show with her?}


    She hugged the sword close to her, then slid it in a sheath that hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago. She continued walking, her tears drying as the white all around her tarnished into a deep gray, and the bubbles slowly faded into the distance. She suddenly stopped, feeling as though she was about to reach a new part of her mind. The floor was black, but the sky was gray. She shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t be too bad.¡± She stepped forward.


    {When I stepped ¡®past,¡¯ I saw a memory. Just like the bubbles, it was one I¡¯d almost forgotten. It was when I was in elementary school. I had a friend that was a boy¡­what was his name¡­Rye? Well, who cares what his name was. He showed off that trick people do with their armpits to make farting noises, and I got super annoyed at him for repeatedly doing it. It ended with me yelling at him, then running away. Was that when we stopped being friends?}


    After that, the memory faded and her world returned exactly as it was before, with Hailey¡¯s foot even in the same spot. Then, the ground fractured. From her foot, cracks of light spread along the ground, through the infinite darkness, then, each segment of the floor, isolated by the light, flashed white. The cracked land rose a step up.


    {But that aside, afterward, the ground split into pieces, with light trailing through everything! It looked super cool. Anyway, I get the feeling that if I stepped on one of the memories, I¡¯d need to relive another one.


    There¡¯s something I don¡¯t get, though. If these are memories, why can I explore around them like I¡¯m actually there? I¡¯ll do a little experiment with the next memory.}


    Hailey pocketed the journal, then stepped atop another crack in the ground.


    She appeared in a large, sprawling garden. Around her, tourists were viewing the area, looking at unique and well-tended plants. This was the famous Gradefleua garden, her hometown¡¯s most beloved landmark.


    A younger Hailey sat on a bench beside a younger Taylor and took a bite out of a stick of cotton candy.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Taylor asked with his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, I really do,¡± Fake Hailey said in her usual scathing, sarcastic voice.


    Hailey was well aware she really did like the candy. She had just been a little mean to her brother¡¯s kindness¡­a pang of sorrow hit her.


    She stepped forward with a gloomy look, then tried to grab some of the cotton candy. She¡¯d definitely just pass straight through it, but it was worth a¡­


    She actually managed to grab it, and, with a shrug, put some in her mouth.


    Sweet.


    ¡°Hey, lady,¡± her younger self said in an especially annoyed tone. ¡°Why¡¯re you taking my candy. This is mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry¨C¡±


    ¡°You might feel hungry, but it¡¯s rare a spirit like me gets the chance to eat something like this for free.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry? What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea who I am, do you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, let me do my part in the play, and don¡¯t steal my food! You got it?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, sure¡­¡±


    ¡°You better be sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure never to steal your candy again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Ahem.¡± She looked to Fake Taylor, who had been quietly observing their conversation with a cracked smile.


    Fake Hailey continued as if Hailey had never interrupted, talking to Taylor, ¡°You could have tried to, I don¡¯t know, get it to me an hour sooner when I asked for it.¡±


    Hailey processed what had happened as the conversation continued.


    Taylor shook his head, fed up. ¡°Oh. Well in that case, excuse me, I guess your food wasn¡¯t free enough. I¡¯m sooo sorry for being nice! Fine, if you¡¯re going to act like that, I¡¯m just going to go with Kiln.¡±


    Hailey stuck her tongue out at Taylor as he walked away.


    Fake Hailey turned her head to Hailey. ¡°See you next step,¡± she said as the memory collapsed.


    {This place is so strange! I went into another memory and took a bite out of my younger self¡¯s cotton candy. I thought I¡¯d just phase through it because that¡¯s just the trope, but instead, my younger self got pissy with me and called herself a spirit. Apparently, these memories are like¡­plays?


    Besides that, Taylor seemed a lot more impatient with me back then than he is now. Looking back, though, I feel really guilty about what I said.


    And now I¡¯m tearing up again, and I¡¯m not even sure why¡­this song and dance is getting old.}


    When she finished writing in the book, she saw that all the fractures in the ground were raised up another step, while the one she¡¯d just stepped on was one more step above the black ground behind her. She shrugged; she had to climb sometime.

 CH 14 Never Be Me

    Kait fidgeted with her necklace, the small, brown, and almost transparent ceramic that was molded to spiral into a point. On its bottom, a silver chain wound through a metal hoop melded to its flat top.


    It was pitch black in her room, bar the moonlight filtering through the window and the subtle glow of the necklace. Among the scattered items throughout the room was a digital clock reading eight o¡¯clock.


    There was a light knock on her door.


    Kait let the necklace down and opened it. When she saw Taylor outside, she tiredly said, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°H-hey,¡± Taylor responded.


    ¡°Did you need help with something? I¡¯ll help Hailey more tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t that¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­did you get a new necklace?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s old.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get it?¡±


    ¡°None of your business,¡± Kait said in an unusually harsh tone.


    Taylor flinched. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    She averted her eyes. ¡°Sorry, I snapped. There are just some things I can¡¯t talk about. What were you going to ask me?¡±


    ¡°A¡­never mind, I didn¡¯t have much to say anyway. Sorry for intruding,¡± Taylor said before walking away.


    ¡°No, what were you going to say?¡± Kait insisted, stepping toward him.


    He hesitated, an air of uncertainty between them. ¡°I wanted to ask if you were¡­alright.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Taylor nodded. ¡°I know everyone is thinking about Hailey right now, but¡­why did you cast that spell?¡±


    ¡°It was¡­¡± She paused. ¡°You said something I needed to hear. I¡¯m really hurt. I¡¯ve been through a lot in my life. I¡¯ve lost my family, I¡¯ve lived through hardship, been betrayed¡­lost friends and¡­¡± She glanced at Taylor¡¯s frozen expression, then looked downcast again. ¡°I feel like I shouldn¡¯t be hurting because¡­I¡¯m meant to ¡®move on¡¯. But I can¡¯t just ¡®get over¡¯ it and forget everything in my life.¡±


    He suddenly shook his head. ¡°Wait, if you¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kait sighed, waving his concern off. ¡°I won¡¯t accidentally cast any spells. I¡¯m in control now. But¡­I still need some time to myself.¡±


    Taylor looked down. ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for what?¡± she trailed off as he quickly walked from her doorway, leaving her alone.


    Hailey continued her climb up the staircase of memories. I¡¯m on the ninth step. I hope I¡¯m actually getting close to the top because it feels like I¡¯ve been here for a while. She took another step forward.


    Fake Hailey cried in a secluded corner of her school, hidden beside a trash can as she ate her lunch. As a girl passed by with her own tray, Hailey grew quiet and hung her head, trying not to attract attention.


    The girl stopped as she saw her. As far out of her way as Hailey had gone not to be seen, someone still managed to find her. ¡°Um¡­you alright, girl?¡± she said, pausing to look over with an expression of concern and subtle disgust.


    Fake Hailey didn¡¯t know what to feel or do, and instead averted her eyes after glancing at the girl she barely recognized. She nearly jumped as the girl suddenly sat beside her, then lifted a donut off her plate. ¡°The cafeteria only sells these once a week, but you need it more than me,¡± the random girl said.


    Fake Hailey took the donut, then after a bite began to openly sob as the girl she didn¡¯t know watched her.


    Hailey watched the scene from another corner, her fists clenched.


    Tera.


    Tera hadn¡¯t spoken to her, hadn¡¯t texted her, hadn¡¯t even looked at her since the funeral. Hailey¡¯s fists grew white as she clenched them harder, holding back the anger in her heart. She¡¯d done the same thing, of course, but¡­she¡¯d spoken to Tera during Abbie¡¯s funeral.


    Hailey wondered how just a single uttered sentence could make her so angry.


    ¡®You don¡¯t get it.¡¯


    Hailey reappeared on the cracked staircase. A tenth step rose up. Hesitantly, she somberly unclenched her fists and walked forward.


    Suddenly, she was in her room, alone with herself. The ¡®spirit¡¯ that played as her in the memories simply sat on her bed, seemingly in deep thought. This version of her room was far cleaner, with most of the furniture moved around a little. If she had to guess, the memory was probably from middle school.


    That was it, though. The Fake Hailey just sat on the bed, her eyes glossed-over.


    Hailey had let the spirit do its job for all the other memories, but nothing was happening, so she figured it was okay to interrupt it. ¡°So¡­since I don¡¯t know what this memory is about, do you want to talk?¡±


    Fake Hailey met her gaze. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I suppose human memory is flawed.¡± Her expression turned impatient. ¡°So, what did you want?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Be more specific.¡±


    After a second of thought, Hailey decided to start with the basics. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in The Consciousness. I don¡¯t know where your body is.¡±


    ¡°What are you?¡± Hailey asked with some hesitation, as if she was questioning whether it was even a good question.


    ¡°I¡¯m a spirit.¡±


    ¡°One of the¡­spirits that made magic?¡±


    Spirits were almost like deities, known to reside within The Consciousness, the source of all magic. But any substantial knowledge of them was incredibly limited. Hailey herself knew almost nothing about the mysterious beings beyond that and a few tall tales.


    Fake Hailey¡¯s expression became even more bored. ¡°I¡¯m the progenitor spirit who represents witchcraft, specifically.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re one of those¡­primordial beings that shaped society as we know it?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t suppose I could ask for an autograph, could I?


    The spirit clapped her hands. ¡°Okay, enough of the dumb questions. It¡¯s time I ask some of my own. How in the world did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Hailey said with indignation.


    ¡°Are you a mage?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did someone cast magic on you?¡±


    ¡°I think Kait might¡¯ve cursed me for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Kait?¡± The young-looking Hailey put a hand on her head in exasperation. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what it means to keep out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°You could say we are a bit more than acquainted. I had to care for her for a few hundred years while her body was in stasis. We have¡­a strange relationship.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°So what¡¯s that supposed to m¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you a thing about her. She carries secrets about magic that mortals like y¡¯all forgot an age ago. The Consciousness is going to be pissed if she shares that stuff, and let¡¯s be honest here¡ªshe will, to some capacity. Anyhow, that¡¯s enough chit-chat. Good luck with your next trial.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡±


    The spirit chuckled as Hailey was ejected back onto the staircase.


    {I don¡¯t even know what to write here. Apparently, Fake Me has some secret information or something, and I¡¯m actually in The Consciousness itself. What that means, I¡¯m not sure, but I need to write this muck down, or I¡¯m gonna go crazy. Oh, and apparently, I just met a primordial spirit, so that¡¯s exciting or something. Besides that, it seemed surprised that I didn¡¯t recognize a memory of me standing in my room. Sounded like they have a perfect memory or something. I don¡¯t know.}


    Hailey put her journal down¡­then picked it back up.


    {So, I didn¡¯t notice it before, but there¡¯s another dark ominous cloud in front of me. I swear to The Consciousness, if it shows me that damned memory again, I¡¯m going to rip that spirit to shreds as best I can.}


    After a grimace, Hailey walked into the cloud.


    Hailey stepped into a bland room with a door on the left and right.


    ¡°I guess that means I made progress,¡± Hailey said before noticing someone suddenly appear in the corner of the room.


    They looked like Hailey, although, unlike the spirit, they were the same age as the real one. On the other hand, she looked just like she did in the outside world. Her hair was a tangled mess, she was dressed in dirty pajamas, and she had bags under her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m here, I think,¡± she said in an uncharacteristically uncertain voice, patting herself down as if her body was foreign.


    The real Hailey frowned. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m you.¡±


    Hailey¡¯s mouth tightened with restrained annoyance. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    The other Hailey scratched her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a different spirit?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m you, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a spirit pretending to be me, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking. Are you me or a spirit?¡± Hailey growled, walking forward.


    ¡°Sure¡­I-I am.¡±


    ¡°That is not an answer!¡± Hailey said, aggressively leaning forward.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m you!¡± the Fake Hailey repeated hastily, leaning back in fear.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m part of you¡­I think.¡±


    Hailey rolled her eyes and leaned back. ¡°Sure, whatever. Is this your¡­¡± She motioned around the area. ¡°¡­place?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°I guess you know the way out, then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Hailey crossed her arms, waiting. After the other version of her didn¡¯t elaborate, she continued, ¡°Are you gonna show me the way out or are we going to sit here forever?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you can take either door¡­I think.¡±


    Hailey opened the door, revealing a place quite similar to the one where she¡¯d first landed, where a path of rocks floated midair in a sky blue void and a dark cloud rested at the top of the path. As she closed the door behind her, she noticed that the room appeared nonexistent.


    ¡°Can anything in this place be Euclidean?¡± she muttered, shaking her head. ¡°Anyway, I guess I need to climb this.¡±


    Hailey began jumping from rock to rock as if she were on the moon. Although her expression didn¡¯t change, she felt a rush with each leap. The void beneath her, the time she was midair, and the length and height of her jumps was¡­thrilling. It reminded her of a roller-coaster, except she was moving with her own two feet.


    She shook her head. ¡°I just need to get out¡­¡±


    Then, mid-jump, she heard, ¡°I think that sword is probably really heavy.¡± Suddenly, the ridiculous sword Hailey had sheathed earlier gained weight, halting her momentum. She immediately dropped like a rock into the void.


    The scenery suddenly changed, and after a moment of confusion, Hailey realized she had appeared back into the wooden room, with the other version of herself looking out the open left door.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I meant to make you fall¡­¡± the Fake Hailey said, a fearful expression on her face as she turned to Hailey.


    ¡°Really?¡± Hailey said angrily, scowling as she quickly unclipped the now heavy blade from her belt. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that then?¡±


    The fake her hastily retrieved the sword. ¡°I-I¡¯ll send this to the exit,¡± she said as she struggled to drag the blade to a materializing middle door.


    ¡°How did you make it weigh more, though?¡± The real Hailey walked to the door on the left and looked out, seeing the same scenery.


    The Fake Hailey wiped her forehead. ¡°This is my domain, I think. I¡¯m the you with control over it.¡±


    ¡°The me?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I think there is another version of you somewhere in this place.¡±


    ¡°Stop it with these ¡®I think¡¯ and ¡®it seems¡¯! I¡¯m already aware you aren¡¯t ¡®a part of me.¡¯¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure I am, in some w¨C¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb? At what point have I acted like you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand. It seems obvious to me that I¡¯m you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you clearly aren¡¯t,¡± the real said.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I am,¡± the fake said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure you aren¡¯t,¡± the real said.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I am,¡± the fake said.


    ¡°Are you a broken record?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m part of one, if I¡¯m correct.¡±


    Hailey squinted for a moment, then scoffed when she realized that the fake had just taken a jab at her. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ve had enough of your indecision. If you¡¯re in control here, and you¡¯re really me, then you wouldn¡¯t mind just letting me fly to the exit, right?¡±


    ¡°I think I can t-try.¡±


    After waiting a moment, Hailey took another step toward her fake. ¡°You¡¯re getting on my nerves. Just get this over with already.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¨C¡±


    ¡°If you can try, then why don¡¯t you just do it,¡± she growled.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t thi¨C¡±


    Hailey stepped forward, putting her face right in front of the fake¡¯s. ¡°Do it.¡±


    The Fake Hailey leaned back, her arms trembling. ¡°Fine¡­¡± She then hung her head, her eyes downcast. She appeared¡­almost ashamed of herself. It looked¡­familiar to Hailey. ¡°Y-you can fly now. Just walk out.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± Hailey stepped aside to the edge of the open middle door and hopped into the void. She was suddenly enveloped in a bubble and began floating up to the black mist high above. In the door frame she¡¯d jumped from, her fake was busy bubbling her sword and throwing it out to follow her.


    ¡°Well, at least I avoided that hassle,¡± she said, looking at the mass of platforms with complex patterns that would¡¯ve been difficult to climb on her own. As it was, she was taking the ski lift. Easy mode.


    ¡°Sure¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Hailey snapped, looking down at her clone, who looked up from the door.


    The clone had begun to tear up for some reason. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Stop telling me you aren¡¯t sure!¡± Hailey said, scowling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¨C I don¡¯t want¨C¡±


    Disappointment flooded Fake Hailey¡¯s expression as she was interrupted by the original. ¡°Okay, if you aren¡¯t going to be confident in what you¡¯re saying, I don¡¯t see any point in listening.¡±


    Hailey flew upward, following the rock platforms to their end, approaching the black mist at the top. Somehow, it felt wrong. The winding path of rocks almost seemed like it could be fun to climb.


    No, she just wanted to get this over with. Hailey let herself fly closer and closer to the mist, but just as she reached the last platform¡ª¡°I-I don¡¯t think we should do it this way!¡±


    Her bubble popped, sending her into the void below. She reappeared once more in her fake¡¯s room.


    ¡°What stunt did you pull there?!¡± Hailey asked, furious as she took steps toward her double.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought it¡¯d be fun for us if we did it on foot.¡±


    ¡°On foot?!¡± She stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯m in the fracking void! Why would you think I¡¯d want to do it on foot?!¡±


    ¡°But I think we did¡­¡±


    Hailey reached the fake, leaning over her once again. ¡°We? Where¡¯s the ¡®we¡¯ in this?! It¡¯s just you versus me here, and you aren¡¯t the one climbing.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure¨C¡±


    Hailey clenched a fist, raising it just below her chin. ¡°How pathetic can you get?! Just say what you want to say, and stop only ¡®thinking.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hic,¡± the fake looked down in shame, crying unrestrainedly.


    Hailey stood in silence watching her cry.


    ¡°Why¡ªhic¡ªwhy do you think you¡¯re pathetic?¡± the Fake Hailey asked.


    Hailey suddenly grabbed her double¡¯s pajama by the collar, pulling her face beside hers, even as shivers of guilt tried to stop her. ¡°You. Aren¡¯t. ME!¡±


    As if her soul was ripped from her body, Hailey felt herself accelerating, the world shifting and falling¡­back. Back to the deepest reaches of her mind.


    A white void overwhelmed the sky above her as she smacked the ground.


    Hailey wearily looked behind herself.


    Behind her, once more, was the beginning.

 CH 15 Unlikeley Awakening

    The following day, Kait decided to leave for supplies. Before she did, though, she saw the door to Hailey¡¯s room was open and looked in.


    Inside, Taylor, Abigail, and Linne were busy cleaning the room. She walked in, attracting Taylor¡¯s attention. Kait was surprised to see the guests hadn¡¯t left yet but decided it was pointless to ask why. ¡°Cleaning her room?¡± she asked.


    Taylor turned around and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I just don¡¯t feel good sitting around waiting for things to get fixed, so I started cleaning Hailey¡¯s room so we could move her in here. Help just came to me.¡±


    Abigail glanced at Kait and matter-of-factly said, ¡°Same here.¡±


    Linne just continued cleaning.


    Kait rolled her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you all want to do that, but just ask if you need my help. I¡¯ll get this thing done¡±-she snapped-¡°like that with my magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to do it myself¡­but if you can deal with all the nitty-gritty stuff once we¡¯re finished up, I wouldn¡¯t complain.¡±


    Abigail shivered as she straightened out Hailey¡¯s bedsheets. ¡°Like getting rid of that wasp nest in her window.¡±


    ¡°No problem at all. I¡¯m going to fetch some supplies so I can help Hailey. Bye!¡± Kait left the doorway and stepped down the stairs.


    ¡°Come back soon.¡± Taylor said.


    ¡°WHAA!¡± came a familiar yelp from downstairs.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± Taylor said, recognizing the voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s get down and see!¡± Abigail said with high hopes.


    The group rushed down the stairs to see Hailey standing in front of the couch, patting herself down in palpable confusion. ¡°I-I think I have a body! I have a body?!¡±


    Kait stared at her, her jaw having fallen to the floor in astonishment as the other three stumbled over themselves to see Hailey.


    Without even thinking about how cruel Hailey had acted the day before, Linne ran over and hugged her. Taylor and Abigail didn¡¯t go so close but still happily assaulted Hailey with questions.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°Are you confused?¡±


    ¡°Do you need any water, any food?¡±


    ¡°Where¨C¡±


    ¡°Everyone walk away, NOW!¡± Kait yelled with surprising authority.


    Linne dropped her arms from Hailey in confusion, unsure whether to abide the commands of the person who¡¯d caused the issue in the first place.


    Abigail, after some hesitation, glared at Kait. ¡°What do you mean? Our friend¡¯s awake, and you think we¡¯d just walk away because you said so?¡±


    Taylor remained silent, not taking sides.


    Hailey looked between Abigail and Kait with a meek, conflicted expression. ¡°I think¨C¡±


    Kait subtly shook her head. ¡°That isn¡¯t Hailey.¡±


    Abigail looked between Hailey and Kait skeptically. ¡°How is that not Hailey?¡± She glanced at Hailey. ¡°Hailey, are you Hailey?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m Hailey¡­¡±


    Abigail looked back to Kait. ¡°Well, there you go.¡±


    ¡°¡­but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m Hailey.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s serious expression instantly melted as she looked between Hailey and Kait, ¡°Huh?! I don¡¯t understand. How¨Cwhat¨Cwho¨C¡±


    Linne took careful steps backward, keeping both Kait and Hailey in her peripherals.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Kait asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m, like, probably part of Hailey.¡±


    Kait sighed, placing her hand on her forehead. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if my field of study is pointless.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on. She couldn¡¯t be a spirit, so we should be safe.¡±


    Hailey spoke as she took note of her surroundings, ¡°If I¡¯m correct, Hailey yelled at me a few minutes ago, and now I¡¯m here. Hailey is still in there.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Kait said. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to leave you all here with this thing while I¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m probably still Hailey! Please call me Hailey!¡±


    ¡°Thing.¡±


    ¡°Hailey!¡±


    ¡°Thing¡±


    ¡°Hailey!¡±


    ¡°THING.¡±


    ¡°Hailey!¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about we reach a compromise between¡­calling her a ¡®thing¡¯ or Hailey,¡± Taylor said. ¡°What about Hailey Mark 2?¡±


    ¡°I think that works.¡±


    Kait sighed. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­What¡¯s the name of that energy drink thing? Coughy? Cofa?¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Coffee,¡± Taylor said for Kait.


    ¡°Yes, coffee. I¡¯m picking up some coffee from the, um¡­¡®gas station,¡¯ as they call it. Meanwhile, you all can call me up if Hailey Mk2 gains magical powers and starts attacking people.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Hailey Mk2 said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± Kait said as she walked out of the house. A moment later, she poked her head in again, said, ¡°Bye,¡± and then walked out.


    Suddenly, Kait burst back in, walked up the stairs, then came back down with her backpack. ¡°Actually, bye!¡± she said as she left for real this time.


    After Kait left, the room fell silent.


    ¡°¡­Hi,¡± Hailey Mk2 said.


    ¡°Hi,¡± the group responded dissonantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting being physical, I think¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, so why are you in Hailey¡¯s body?¡± Taylor asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­does anyone have Wishie-Washies I can eat?¡±


    Linne walked to a cabinet in the kitchen and threw a bag toward Mk2. ¡°Right here.¡±


    As if she¡¯d known they would have the bag, Mk2 smiled at Linne. ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± she said before ripping it open and throwing one into her mouth. The group stood in silence for a bit, Mk2 chewing on her Wishie-Washie with a blank expression. She eventually broke the silence, ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    Taylor shrugged, ¡°I guess we finish cleaning your room.¡±


    ¡°I think me would like that.¡±


    Hailey stood up and began walking forward once more. Well, that was a waste of¨C


    CRASH! Her sword fell from the sky at terminal velocity, crunching Hailey below it with the force of a tungsten missile and turning the white ground beneath it into a scorched crater.


    Since Hailey was hit by the equivalent of a ton of TNT, she naturally scratched her head in annoyance as she rose from the crater. As she did, countless bubbles popped, dropping their contents. Words, items, and concepts spilled onto the ground, one of which exploded in the background for some reason.


    ¡°Darn sword!¡± Hailey shouted in frustration before kicking the preposterously designed weapon with the tip of her foot. ¡°OWWWW!¡± she yelped and held her foot in one of her hands, hopping on the other.


    After groaning in annoyance and wasting some time complaining, Hailey shook her head. ¡°Sure, I guess I¡¯ll run with this. Doesn¡¯t seem like I needed a sword anyway.¡± Hailey knew she wasn¡¯t put that far back, and although those memories took almost half a day to get through¡ªno, it couldn¡¯t have taken longer than an hour to do, right? Hailey got a headache trying to comprehend how time worked in this dimension and eventually gave up on the endeavor entirely. Would Kait come back already?


    She sighed. No, it was her fault she was here. It was her job to get out.


    Falling from the sky came a picture. Hailey snatched the slowly falling paper from the air and looked at it. It was a picture of three hands placed on a door.


    ¡°Would you like to revisit that?¡± a voice asked.


    Hailey looked to her right and saw a younger version of herself looking up at her. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to oversee the wish of the curse placed upon you.¡±


    ¡°And that wish would be?¡±


    ¡°To make you see how much you¡¯re hurting inside,¡± the spirit said, bored.


    Hailey¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°I see. That phrase has significance to you,¡± the spirit said with an edge of interest.


    ¡°So¡­you¡¯re saying this was Taylor¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about him, but from the memories we¡¯ve experienced so far, I figure it wouldn¡¯t be out of character for him. It isn¡¯t my job to speculate, though.¡±


    Hailey scowled, ¡°Of course he did. He just can¡¯t give up on someone, can he?¡±


    ¡°Are you implying you should be given up on?¡±


    Hailey looked away and didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Hmph, clearly you aren¡¯t too far gone.¡±


    Hailey turned back to the spirit with an unconcerned look. It could tell that she was simply showing an expression of defeat, however.


    It didn¡¯t speak, and even as an hour of its time was wasted in silence, the younger Hailey didn¡¯t move from its spot, idly leaning back on magically appearing walls of memory foam as it waited. Suddenly, it spoke, ¡°I love being paid for sitting still, but¡­d¡¯ya mind doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, princess¡­thing-cess? But I¡¯m thinking. That¡¯s the point of this realm, for me to improve myself or something, right?¡±


    ¡°First off, this isn¡¯t common among spirits, but I prefer to be referred to as a woman. Second off, yes, this realm is made to help you self-actualize. What you fail to realize is that you have been given every tool needed to do so in this realm.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Bar a few limitations, you¡¯re literally a god in this room.¡±


    ¡°How am I a god?¡±


    ¡°Did you not just get hammered by a falling sword, then stand up like it was nothing?¡±


    Hailey looked around, realizing she was in a mile-wide crater. ¡°Yeah, that was pretty weird.¡±


    ¡°So, do you want to quicken your enlightenment, or are you going to stand still to do it? Because when I¡¯m bored, you know you¡¯re wasting a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°You always sound bored.¡±


    ¡°It takes a lot to entertain me, but it also takes a lot to bore me.¡±


    Hailey thought before looking at her hand. A bowling ball appeared between her fingers. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I can make everything.¡±


    ¡°Adda girl. Now do something before I duck out. My friends are having a poker game, and I want to see them get systematically disassembled by Logica.¡±


    Hailey smiled mischievously, dropped the bowling ball, then pointed at the fake. ¡°Power word: Kill!¡± she yelled.


    Her fake dropped to the ground, apparently killed by the spell of instant murder.


    ¡°Uh, are¡­are you still alive?¡± Hailey asked.


    The spirit reformed a few feet away. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t be so foolish so as to believe I¡¯d die to one of your inside jokes.¡±


    ¡°I guess primordial spirits are immune to those weapons of mass destruction.¡±


    ¡°Quite so. So, do you want to see one of your memories?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why that¡¯d be useful.¡±


    ¡°How about the one just before you came here? The one from that picture.¡±


    ¡°My argument?¡± Hailey¡¯s eyes moved to the picture she¡¯d dropped as she pondered quietly. She nodded. ¡°Fine, show me.¡±


    And thus, the world reformed.

 CH 16 Foreign Memories

    After shrugging off the possession of Hailey¡¯s body, the group continued cleaning her room.


    ¡°It¡¯s so like her to eat all the Wishie-Washies after telling us to shut up and leave.¡± Abigail dropped the empty bag that once held the candies into a trash bag, the rest poured into a bowl.


    ¡°Is it? I feel like that was a weird thing for me to do,¡± Mk2 said, sitting on her bed.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± Abigail said wryly.


    Mk2 tilted her head. ¡°Did you think I wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s just difficult to register that you¡¯re¡­Hailey.¡± Abigail leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­maybe my memories are just failing me, but you speak nothing like her.¡±


    ¡°You mean that I¡¯m noncommittal, uncertain, and don¡¯t seek attention?¡± Hailey Mk2 asked, surprisingly concise with her summary.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­yeah. I don¡¯t think Hailey says ¡®I think¡¯ very often, for example.¡±


    ¡°If you want to know why, I just think I¡¯m not Hailey¡­but I am also Hailey.¡±


    ¡°Mind giving me an explanation of any kind?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­perhaps imagining me as a spliced portion of her DNA would suffice?¡±


    ¡°Your metaphor needs some elaboration.¡±


    Mk2 didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°So, you want to do that?¡± Abigail prodded.


    ¡°Elaborate?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I meant that I¡¯m just a part of her, spliced from her soul and copied, then imprinted upon a blank soul.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°Intuition, maybe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say maybe.¡±


    Linne snapped her fingers, trying to grab Abigail¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, what is it, Linlin?¡±


    ¡°Mind working a little?¡± she said passive-aggressively.


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Hailey Mk2 watched in awe as Taylor, Linne, and Abigail worked through the room, commenting on anything they found interesting. Mk2 saw them all working together to help clean Hailey¡¯s room and thought, they¡¯re all such good friends!


    To Hailey, that was.


    Suddenly, Mk2 crashed into Linne¡¯s back, almost toppling the small girl over in a bear hug. ¡°Waaaaaahh! I¡¯m pretty sure Hailey missed you all so much,¡± she said in a heartfelt, babyish manner, burying her face in Linne¡¯s slightly shaggy hair.


    Abigail stopped what she was doing to pat the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Awww, she¡¯s so cute like this! Can we keep her?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If we did that, we¡¯d be tearing Hailey apart!¡± Taylor responded playfully.


    Linne, who had frozen upon contact, timidly spoke, ¡°Well she is cute¡­when she isn¡¯t acting like a robot, that is.¡±


    ¡°Acting like a robot?¡± Abigail said curiously.


    Two heads stacked atop each other turned to the girl. ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed?¡± Linne and Mk2 said simultaneously.


    ¡°Whoa, you better get to jinxing each other.¡±


    The two simultaneously cocked their heads in confusion.


    ¡°Synchronicity overload! Neither of you know what it means to jinx someone?!¡± Abigail asked.


    Taylor¡¯s face scrunched up in suspicion. ¡°You two do seem pretty similar.¡±


    Abigail moved her face close to the embracing girls¡¯ with interest. ¡°Yeah. Noncommittal, uncertain, and unwilling to attract attention, you said?¡±


    Mk2 nodded. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Well, that does describe some of Linne. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Linne said hoarsely, struggling to carry the girl atop her. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps my personality is modeled in some degree off my third most trusted friend?¡± Mk2 said, looking at Linne¡¯s face from above her head.


    Abigail giggled. ¡°Linne¡¯s the third wheel, I see.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think the first wheel, Abbie, is broken,¡± Mk2 said decisively. ¡°And Tera¡­she didn¡¯t even bother to see if I¡­Hailey was fine.¡± A dark frown passed over Mk2¡¯s face despite her lack of expressiveness. ¡°So that actually makes you Hailey¡¯s next best friend.¡± Mk2 patted Linne¡¯s head.


    The room was dead silent at Mk2¡¯s strangely matter-of-fact statement.


    She looked around the room. Each person looked at her with slightly different expressions, each some form of worry. I guess it¡¯s strange to hear those kind of words from Hailey¡¯s mouth. Mk2 suddenly felt very alienated from Hailey¡¯s body, which had once naturally felt like her own. I think none of this was meant to happen. I probably wasn¡¯t supposed to meet anyone besides Hailey, but now that I have¡­I feel like I¡¯m separate from her.


    Linne¡¯s concentration on holding up Mk2 faltered, so the two plummeted to the ground in a heap. ¡°Ow!¡± Linne yelped.


    Mk2 didn¡¯t react, only standing up from her Linne¡¯s tangle of limbs, then turning to her two stunned friends. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I guess,¡± Taylor said.


    Mk2 paced between the dresser and the door in thought.


    ¡°Is something wrong with you?¡± Taylor asked back.


    She suddenly stopped, then looked between the people gathered around her. ¡°Do you think¡­I¡¯m a person?¡±


    ¡°Sure you are. You¡¯re a bit weird, but I don¡¯t see why you wouldn¡¯t be.¡± He raised an eyebrow, unsure if that was the response Mk2 was looking for.


    She sighed, looking out the window. ¡°I think so, too.¡±


    Taylor shrugged, then continued cleaning. The rest of the group followed his example, returning to normality. For the next five minutes, they cleaned, occasionally asking a preoccupied Mk2 where various objects should be situated. Kait also happened to walk past the door with a brand-new broom on her back and a bag and styrofoam cup in hand.


    Taylor opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. ¡°Wow, you didn¡¯t even try to keep the clothes in here tidy. Guess I¡¯ll tidy it up myself.¡±


    Mk2 walked to Taylor and looked at the drawer. ¡°If you do that, the real me might just strangle you once she¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Taylor asked.


    ¡°Out of respect for your and her sanity, I suggest you close the drawer and walk away.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Taylor grasped a handful of socks, clothes, and underwear, ready to pull the clothes out for folding.


    ¡°CLOSE. THE. DRAWER. NOW. Please.¡± Mk2 said.


    Taylor looked up at Mk2 to see a scowl on her face. ¡°Okay,¡± he squeaked out.


    ¡°Eeek, I didn¡¯t even know she could get angry!¡± Abigail said while fixing the misshapen blinds on the window.


    Kait casually walked in a moment later. ¡°I got my supplies.¡±


    Mk2 asked Kait, ¡°So you can help her?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll need you to be on the bed to do it. ¡±


    Taylor walked to the bed. ¡°Then let¡¯s get the bed cleaned real quick.¡±


    Mk2 snuggled beneath her blanket while the cleaners straightened it out for the two sleepers.


    ¡°Is it comfortable?¡± Taylor asked once the four had finished and surrounded Hailey¡¯s bed.


    Mk2 nodded, ¡°I think.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± Linne said, upbeat.


    Kait laid seven miniature dream catchers on Hailey¡¯s bed, as well as a wristband identical to the one that allowed her to speak. After a moment of meditation, she took off her wristband and replaced it with the new one.


    ¡°What¡¯s the wristband about?¡± Abigail whispered to Taylor.


    And how did she get it? Taylor thought. The coffee I get, but the tiny dream catchers and the wristband? Before he could respond, Kait looked back at the group. ¡°Don¡¯t distribre ka, anvalshon?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d she just say?¡± Abigail whispered again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you just say?¡± she asked Kait.


    Kait shrugged, then looked to Mk2. She closed her eyes, gripped a dream catcher, and touched Hailey¡¯s forehead. She seemed to instantly fall asleep, her hand slipping off and to the ground.


    Abigail shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll never know.¡±


    Hailey appeared in her room.


    It was the messy, disorganized heap she usually expected of it, but beside the door, a copy of herself leaned against the wall, a scowl on her face.


    She listened with her double as Kait explained a pointless unlocking spell from behind the door.


    ¡°A spell?!¡± Abigail said in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, we can talk about it later,¡± Taylor replied. ¡°Right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get distracted,¡± Linne said.


    Taylor knocked. ¡°Hailey, are you there¡­? Well, your friends and I have been talking for a while, and we wanted to talk to you,¡± Taylor said softly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Abigail said.


    Linne agreed, ¡°Mhm.¡±


    The Fake Hailey rolled her eyes.


    Hailey crossed her arms, her expression soft, but far from relaxed. Much to nobody¡¯s surprise, I¡¯m a brat. She took a second glance at herself. I just wanted to be left alone¡­at least, that¡¯s what I said to myself.


    There was a slight shake of the doorknob. ¡°I hadn¡¯t ever been too close to Abbie, but I felt a bit of a connection with her.¡± Abigail chuckled. ¡°Because we had similar names. Stupid reason to be hung up about it, right?¡±


    The Fake Hailey clenched her hands hard. How dare she act like she knew the first thing about Abbie? About what she meant to Hailey.


    Hailey sighed, looking back at herself with uncertainty. Why did that even make me angry? She didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    ¡°I know it impacted you more than it did me, and we weren¡¯t ever good friends, and¡­I know I¡¯m not the one who should be here. Tera should. She was your friend, after all. But¡­¡±


    ¡®Good¡¯ friends? We were never friends in the first place. Hailey thought, shaking her head. Abigail just says whatever keeps people placid. It¡¯s so fake. I don¡¯t know if that makes her a bad person, but I hate it. She grit her teeth angrily. But she¡¯s a better ¡®friend¡¯ than Tera. She walked away when I needed her most. The rage quickly melted into sadness, but she pushed the feeling to the side as Abigail continued to speak.


    ¡°I figure, if I died, and Linne were you, shut in her room, I wouldn¡¯t have any reservations about who helped her.¡±


    Her fake shook her head, finding the sentiments to be pointless.


    Hailey sighed. She didn¡¯t care about Abigail at all. Abigail was just¡­just¡­ What does she get from this? She was fairly confident in her ability to tell how fake Abigail was, but it just didn¡¯t add up¡­was Abigail just like Taylor? Did she just want to feel good about herself? Or maybe¡­just because she¡¯s holding back doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s not telling the truth.


    Linne spoke next. ¡°I still can¡¯t shake the feeling that it¡¯s my fault, but¡­I know it isn¡¯t. It isn¡¯t yours either. I-I don¡¯t know if you feel that way, but whether you do or don¡¯t, I¡¯m here for you. You¡¯re my friend.¡±


    The Fake Hailey unclenched her hand to place it on the door, guilt and sympathy briefly passing over her features.


    Linne was always that way. She couldn¡¯t help but put other people¡¯s burdens onto herself. Even if it was contrived.


    ¡°I want to help you. I want to know why you¡¯re so hurt. I¨C¡± There was a pause. ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Hailey!¡± Linne shouted through the door.


    The real Hailey looked away. She couldn¡¯t remember well what had come after this point, but she knew she¡¯d blown up on them, especially Linne. She¡¯s the last person who needs my anger. I don¡¯t even know how she gets out of bed after what happened¡­and how much Abbie meant to her.


    Taylor spoke next. ¡°I hope you¡¯re actually in there. That¡¯d be embarrassing if you weren¡¯t,¡± he said with a giggle. ¡°And I don¡¯t think there¡¯s more I can say, aside from what they said. Hailey, I don¡¯t know if you can even hear us, but I want to talk with you. I want to see y¨C¡±


    Hailey paused the scene, a remote suddenly in her left hand.


    A younger version of her appeared beside her, making the third version of herself in the room.


    As it happened, the spirit had come only to be snarky. ¡°What, scared to press onwards?¡±


    Hailey scowled at her double¡­triple. The spirit had helped give her information, but it was quite the aggravating creature. The worst part was that she could buy her younger self acting that way. She rolled her eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why is your hand quivering? Last I checked, that wasn¡¯t normal human behavior.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! I¡¯m trying to think.¡±


    ¡°You love telling your friends to shut up.¡± The spirit smiled mischievously, then spoke in a ridiculous, mushy tone, ¡°Does that mean¡­maybe, just maybe, that we¡¯re¨C¡±


    ¡°Erm, please may I respectfully ask that you elicit no more sounds fromith your mouthith. Is that better?!¡±


    The spirit laughed.


    Hailey shook her head and spoke softly as she looked at the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t need to see this.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. This is why I don¡¯t hang around humans. You can¡¯t stand to watch a memory, then you lie and act like you¡¯re all high and mighty, able to overcome any obstacle. Get over yourselves. I¡¯mma head out and play with my friends.¡± The spirit shook its head. ¡°Freaking humans,¡± it said, then vanished.


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°But she¡¯s not wrong¡­¡± Then she pressed play.


    ¡°¨Cou h¨C¡±


    The Fake Hailey¡¯s rage finally boiled up after hearing her brother speaking, and she tore the door open in a bold fit of anger. ¡°You all sure have been talking up a storm, so how about I ask you a ques¨C¡±


    Linne suddenly perked up, her hand falling. ¡°Hailey!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Linne!¡± Fake Hailey looked to Taylor. ¡°How about I ask you a question, Taylor? Do you think I¡¯m deaf?¡±


    Taylor let his hand fall as well. ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you think I can hear you? My door¡¯s locked. Did you think I¡¯d snuck out of my window?¡±


    ¡°Well, n¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh well. Once an idiot, always an idiot.¡±


    Wow, she really went off on them there.


    Taylor didn¡¯t look particularly hurt, though. If anything, he was stern.


    Abigail quickly came to the defense of the other two. ¡°Why are you treating him that way? He just wants to help you!¡±


    ¡°Just wants to help me? Bathing in his own self-importance by pushing his ¡®help¡¯ on me is just about all Taylor¡¯s good for.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s your issue with me?¡±


    The Fake Hailey ignored him. ¡°Anyway¡­Abigail. I don¡¯t give a crap about you. We were never friends, and I don¡¯t have any intention to ¡®bond¡¯ and ¡®talk¡¯ with you. You did have one good point, though; you¡¯ve got a thatch thin reason for caring about what I do. As far as you¡¯re concerned, I¡¯m a selfish fracker who loves to throw insults and couldn¡¯t care less in return.¡±


    Hailey cringed in regret. Abigail¡¯s just being too nice for her own good¡­has she always been that way? Did she really change that much without her knowing?


    Abigail froze, her expression quickly turning inscrutable.


    Hailey¡¯s stomach churned as her next words came out, remembering each one just as they were spoken.


    Fake Hailey looked at Linne. ¡°Congratulations, you learned it¡¯s not your fault she¡¯s dead. Wow, I can¡¯t believe it. You really learned basic cause and effect,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°Look, friend, I don¡¯t know what you think keeps me from school, but I think you should focus on yourself before you start trying to help me. If you really feel that guilty for not being killed, maybe the person dangerous to themselves is you. I know you almost tried to off yourself two years ago just because you jumped to conclusions, thinking you were rejected because you were ¡®useless¡¯ or whatever. And I know Abbie¡¯s the reason you¡¯re still here. So don¡¯t think we are at all in the same boat.¡±


    Hailey¡¯s eyes widened, and she pressed the pause button.


    Shit. She¡¯d said that. She¡¯d really said that to her friend, yelling in front of everyone about how she¡¯d tried to off herself.


    Why¡­why am I such a brat?


    She¡¯d excused her behavior under the pretense that her friend¡¯s death changed her. But even so, she was over that. Sure, it was part of why she hadn¡¯t left her house, but it shouldn¡¯t have made her act with disdain toward everyone around her. No, there was something else.


    Was it because she¡¯d been stuffed in her house for two months? Well, no, probably not, but it contributed.


    If she had to guess¡­she was always that way. She¡¯d always been a brat. Everything that happened, her friend¡¯s death and everything that came with that, being in her house, not talking to friends¡­it wasn¡¯t those things that made her act this way. Whether she liked it or not, she chose how to react to them.


    She¡¯d acted so pathetic. They probably hated her and never wanted to see her again.


    Taylor just tried to help.


    Abigail just tried to help.


    Linne just tried to help.


    And she¡¯d thrown their feelings around like rag dolls. Was she actually mad at them? Or was the unfiltered criticism she¡¯d shoved down their throats simply projected?


    The person she was most critical of was¡­


    Hailey tried to keep tears of hatred out of her eyes, choking on her breath. I-I¡¯m such a terrible person. I never should¡¯ve opened that door. I should have just ignored them, let them leave, buried myself under my sheets to protect them from me¡­Kait, Taylor¡­they¡¯re right. I deserve to be here, trapped in my own mind where I can¡¯t hurt anyone else.


    Hailey fell to the ground, her eyes drifting. Despite seeing no point to continuing, she felt compelled to raise the remote.


    Linne burst into tears but kept silent, trying not to quiver.


    ¡°And Taylor, stop prodding into my life. Just let me grieve in peace. I heard you and Kait out there. You¡¯re so keen to brute force your way through situations. Why don¡¯t you just stop?!¡±


    Taylor growled. ¡°Maybe because you¡¯re my sister, and I want you to be hap¨C¡±


    ¡°Blah, blah, blah. If you tried to think for once, maybe you¡¯d realize you don¡¯t need some magic hairpin to unlock my door! But that¡¯s beside the point. You just want to feel like you¡¯ve ¡®helped¡¯ me, and right now, you¡¯re sure as a grass blade not helping. You¡¯re trying to throw me in the deep end and walk away while I drown!¡±


    Kait ran out of her room in a panic, but she paused, observing the situation thoroughly from afar.


    What was that all about?


    Taylor¡¯s eyes almost teared up as his face filled with several indiscernible emotions. ¡°Why do you resist our help so much? Your friends only came here because they wanted to see you¡­and this is how you treat them?¡±


    He was, without a doubt, in the right.


    The Fake Hailey simmered down as Taylor mellowed out. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t ask for any of your help.¡±


    ¡°SO?! Why are you acting like this! Why did you open the door if you just wanted to make us feel bad?¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE¨C¡± The Fake Hailey suddenly stopped, calming as a tear dripped from her face.


    Hailey raised the remote. She¡¯d seen enough.


    But Kait began to rush forward. Why did she look so scared?


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just say it, Hailey?¡±


    Kait stopped, seemingly confused by the sudden de-escalation of their argument.


    Fake Hailey¡¯s face relaxed just a bit. ¡°Say what?¡±


    A tear had met its natural end on Taylor¡¯s face and fell onto his shirt. He took one heaving, sorrowful breath, then exhaled silently. ¡°That you¡¯re still hurt.¡±


    Fake Hailey looked to her brother with a defeated expression, then looked down as she began to close her door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    At least she made sure to say it. But in the corner of Hailey¡¯s eye, she saw Kait.


    She looked floored. Something about what Taylor had said seemed to impact her so much that she couldn¡¯t move. Then, for a split second, if even that¡­


    A blue aura shot from below Kait¡¯s shirt and into Hailey.


    Hailey watched, stunned, as the scene slowly faded to black.


    ¡°What, what?!¡± Hailey yelled, quickly pausing. She rewound the scene to when she¡¯d seen the anomaly. Sure enough, some blue energy had erupted from below Kait¡¯s shirt.


    While Taylor and Kait¡¯s actors didn¡¯t flinch at the sight, the others couldn¡¯t help but take a step back, confusion written on their faces as they broke character.


    Hailey rushed to Kait and pulled a necklace out of her shirt. As if she had pulled out a flashlight, her eyes were immediately blinded by blue light. As her eyes adjusted, she saw what was in the necklace. It was difficult to describe¡ªsomething both there and not there, as if she were cross-eyed. But what was inside of it was unmistakable.


    Souls. It was difficult to tell how many, but Hailey was sure that the blue aura was emitted from the mass of souls inside her necklace.


    Kait had seemingly unraveled souls into magical power to curse her.


    Fake Kait¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and she scrambled to stuff the necklace back under her shirt, snatching it out of Hailey¡¯s hand. At the same time, its illumination dimmed to the point that it was no longer visible under her shirt.


    Hailey shuddered, taking a step back before finding herself bumping into someone.


    ¡°Ja hope haia werain¡¯t vidus sounwhoun kiso.¡±


    She yelped, ¡°Eep!¡± and turned to see the real Kait jokingly smiling at her from behind. ¡°K-Kait? You¡¯re back?¡±


    She nodded in seeming understanding. ¡°Ja guess thu.¡± Then she put a hand over her wristband and closed her eyes. After a moment where Hailey was too shocked to say anything, Kait opened her eyes again. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. I was just making a joke about how it looked like you were looking at my¡­uh¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°W-well we used to joke about those sorts of things. A lot of the witches in the order were bi¡­Sorry, I¡¯m ranting. What were you doing?¡±


    Hailey glanced behind herself nervously, then to Kait¡¯s shirt, her eyes wide. ¡°Kait¡­are souls, like, something that witches work with?¡±


    Kait¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yeah. Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be here¡ªand sorry about that, by the way¡ªbut why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°No¡­reason,¡± Hailey badly lied. ¡°Also, how did you send me here? It¡¯s gotta be some strong magic.¡±


    Kait¡¯s eyes furrowed more deeply. ¡°Well, it¡¯s related to what we spoke about earlier. I made a serious mistake, not addressing your affinity as soon as I found out, but¨C¡±


    ¡°So, what? You just put me into a mysterious, endless sleep without even touching me, without even trying?¡±


    Kait looked around herself, her eyes glimmering with recognition. ¡°Kind of, yes¡­¡± she said.


    Hailey studied Kait with restrained worry, or fear. She¡¯s not a bad liar, but¡­I know she¡¯s lying. What is that necklace she¡¯s wearing? She¡¯s worn it since the day we met, but she¡¯s never taken it from below her shirt. Her suspicions confirmed, Hailey sidestepped Kait and walked toward the stairs. ¡°Wow, witchcraft is super strong, I¨C¡±


    A hand stopped Hailey in place, grabbing the collar of her shirt. Kait spoke, still looking at the fake in front of her, with a serious, even dangerous tone. ¡°Hailey. You haven¡¯t berated me even once this conversation. That¡¯s not like you.¡±


    Hailey chuckled nervously. ¡°I just¡­l-learned that I was being too mean to you, that¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°I need you to answer this honestly, Hailey. What did you¡­what exactly did you see just now?¡±


    Hailey¡¯s breath caught in her throat, leaving her unable to respond for a moment. Then, she stood straight, composing herself. ¡°I saw your necklace. I saw¡­souls. What are you doing with those? W-where did you even get them from?¡±


    Kait clicked her tongue, sadly shaking her head. She remained silent for a moment before sighing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hailey. I have to erase your memory.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Hailey yelled, lunging away from Kait. She tripped to the floor in her attempt to escape her grasp, and scrambled away, terror passing over her face as Kait unclipped a broom from her back. ¡°What the actual muck?! Y-you can¡¯t be serious, Kait!¡±


    Kait turned her head, a stone-cold mask over her expression. ¡°I¨C¡± Her eyes widened, then she suddenly leaped to the side, crashing into the drywall as a bolt of flame seared through the wall between the hall and Kait¡¯s room. Kait¡¯s imposter then held out her hand and fabricated a number of metal spikes in midair, which blasted toward her. In a panic, Kait yelled, ¡°Teretes!¡± Before they could tear through Kait like butter, her necklace flashed from beneath her shirt, then her body turned into mist for only a moment, reforming a second later.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she yelled, charging into Taylor¡¯s fake, whose hand was outstretched from creating the fireball. She thrust a punch into his gut as a flame began to spark between his hands, and the force of her trained strike caused him to stumble to the wall in pain, disrupting the spirit¡¯s magic. Kait then skidded to a stop beside him as he tried to run out of her grasp, and yanked his arm, nearly tearing it from its socket with her adrenaline and strength as she pulled him in front of herself, putting him between her and the spike-wielding spirit.


    She breathed quickly, terror clear on her face as she restrained Fake Taylor and locked eyes with her imposter. ¡°Fucking spirits! What is the meaning of this?! I-I can¡¯t believe you would dare attack me. Not only am I a succession candidate, but if you kill me¨C¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Fake Kait said, sweeping out her arm. Hailey, who had been stunned with shock, yelped as deadly sharp spikes grew out of the stairs of her home, covering its surface entirely. ¡°And I definitely don¡¯t care about whether I hurt that spirit you¡¯re holding.¡±


    ¡°W-what is the point of this?¡± Kait asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re risking so much for this. Elemencia might even kill you two for trying to kill me¡­¡± Her eyes widened even further as she glanced at Hailey. ¡°So that¡¯s your plan. You set all of this up so that Hailey would see what was in my witch¡¯s catalyst. If it¡¯s revealed that I let someone learn about its secret, then I might be disqualified from the succession¡­so you¡¯re forcing me to leave or die! Are you kidding me?!¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Her fake said cheerfully. ¡°And all we did was sneak a few souls into this little simulation to make it a little more realistic. Nothing treasonous. So we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Leave, and you¡¯ll be spared. Otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to be part of the succession. Just leave me out of this!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie and I know it. You¡¯re the last witch alive. Kaetha wouldn¡¯t choose anyone else as her representative.¡±


    ¡°But I¨C¡±


    A fire lit up above Kait¡¯s head and fell toward her.


    She glanced between the stairs, the wall, and the other spirit, who had raised her hands and materialized another set of spikes.


    With no option remaining, Kait shoved Fake Taylor away to avoid the attack, then lunged toward the stairs. As Kait leaped over the deadly spikes, she slid her broom, still in her left hand, between her legs and floated diagonally, avoiding the spikes.


    As she did, the flame burned into its caster, then a number of spikes impaled him. Instead of blood, yellow dust puffed out of his body, and he fell limp, his physical faculties incapable.


    Kait swerved to a stop beside the door as the floor turned to spikes below her, but she paid them no mind, flying above them. Her fake leaped over a frozen Hailey with a scowl of annoyance and shot another barrage of spikes, but as she did, Kait reached her hand out to the living room¡¯s window and reflected her foe¡¯s expression. As the spikes hit her, their momentum completely reversed, and they shot back toward their creator.


    ¡°You can do th¨C¡± they began in confusion before being cut off by a number of spikes impaling their body, sending them sprawling to the ground.


    Kait breathed a sigh of relief, then a voice caused her to look up with fear. ¡°By the way, Kait¡­¡± Linne stood unconcernedly in the kitchen, along with Abigail, who looked more resigned than anything else. Linne was eating a cup of pudding and swallowed before continuing, ¡°that¡¯s not going to put them down for long.¡±


    Kait wasted no time flying up the stairs as she yelled, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you two helping me, if you¡¯re not against me?¡±


    Linne shrugged as she yelled back. ¡°Look, my specialty is food. I wouldn¡¯t be very helpful. I don¡¯t want you to die anymore than g-ma, but neither me nor Insecaba over here are paid enough for this. Also¨C¡±


    Kait grabbed Hailey¡¯s hand. Hailey, who was more terrified of the murderous spirits than of Kait, didn¡¯t resist. ¡°Vergo!¡± Kait yelled, causing her necklace to flash again.


    Suddenly, the two of them appeared above a white void, with nothing more than a few blocks of a street visible, nearly a mile below them. Hailey yelped as she fell over, and was left hanging in midair, only supported by Kait¡¯s arm as she hovered.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve had enough!¡± Hailey yelled. She imagined herself and Kait hovering in midair, instead of painfully pulling at her arm. It didn¡¯t work. ¡°W-what?¡± Hailey tried to click pause on her remote. It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Enough of what?¡± Kait said with confusion as she reeled her in, then looped her arms under Hailey¡¯s, scooching back to give the other girl room to sit on her broom.


    ¡°W-wha- I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t manipulate the world?¡± Kait said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what I was getting myself into, so I cast a spell to block reality-warping before I did anything else¡­a spell Kaetha taught me so that spirits couldn¡¯t just will me dead if I was in the wrong places.¡±


    ¡°G-got it. But you¡¯re not seriously going to¨C¡± Hailey turned her head, and she froze as Kait put a dream catcher on her forehead at the same time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you know about the witch¡¯s catalyst. I¡¯m sure it¡¯d bite me in the back later if I did.¡±


    ¡°But I¡­¡± Hailey blinked with confusion as Kait¡¯s eyes flickered sleepily.


    ¡°Nooow,¡± she yawned out. ¡°Goodnight. This was all just a weird drea¡ªOH FUCK!¡±


    The two suddenly lurched as Kait flew away, narrowly evading a blast of fire with Hailey being jerked around.


    The other two spirits flew up, meeting the two of them in the air. Unlike Kait, they seemed capable of flight without any particular magic.


    Kait glanced between them, then shoved Hailey off her broom, who cursed at her as she fell to her seeming doom. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be fine!¡± Kait yelled back before gritting her teeth, glancing between the two spirits. ¡°You all regenerate fast.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve got more than enough magic to keep doing it,¡± Taylor responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s really damn annoying.¡±


    ¡°I know, so why don¡¯t ya just give up?¡± he asked. ¡°If you care so little about the succession, that is. You¡¯re risking a lot by staying and fighting us.¡±


    Kait opened her mouth, but no air came out.


    ¡°What a terrible liar,¡± Fake Kait said. ¡°Can¡¯t even make her lies make sense.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­don¡¯t want to cause Kaethy any trouble.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll die, and so will all of her freakin¡¯ children and all of their magics. You do realize just how much you¡¯re putting at stake by giving us any chance to kill you, right?¡±


    Again, Kait¡¯s breath caught in her mouth.


    ¡°And we know it ain¡¯t like you¡¯ve secretly made any other witches to stop that from happening, since Kaetha¡¯s ritualization rights have been halted until The Succession is complete.¡±


    ¡°I¨C¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have no plan to think about any of this. I know in my heart what I want to do, no matter the danger¡­besides.¡± She scoffed. ¡°You two are far too pathetic to pose a challenge to me.¡±


    ¡°In the air?!¡± Fake Kait said with a laugh. ¡°Witches need materials to use their magic. As if you¨C¡±


    Kait smirked before suddenly swerving to the side. A fireball had shot at her from behind. Both spirits¡¯ eyes widened in surprise as she blasted toward them immediately after avoiding the sneak attack.


    ¡°Pyra! Why would you attack her like¨C¡± Fake Kait said before flying away as quickly as she could, second to flee from Kait¡¯s offensive.


    Kait easily flew past a barrage of spikes, then flew out of the way of a few stationary balls of fire that manifested in her way. She grabbed the edges of her skirt, balancing perfectly on her broom as she drifted past her fake¡¯s next barrage, then flapped it with a smile. She cast a spell that increased her speed, managing to close the distance between her and the spirit. Kait reached out as she did, and touched her shoe¡¯s tread as she gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Ah! What did you do!¡± her fake yelled as the wind suddenly began assaulting her skin far more than it had before, causing her to slow down.


    ¡°I just increased your friction!¡± Kait yelled, quickly overtaking her double. As if she¡¯d practiced it, Kait grabbed a loose thread on her shirt and tugged on it before seemingly stabbing down with the cloth, killing intent forming in her eyes.


    Kait then drifted away as her fake continued flying into a number of needles, which appeared in their path, impaling her.


    Kait found an enormous fireball forming above Fake Taylor, ¡®Pyra,¡¯ who swept his hand out. ¡°I am not that easy to defeat!¡±


    As the fireball shot toward her faster than she could evade, Kait¡¯s hands moved about herself, looking for some way out. Just before it landed, she put a hand on her pendant and whispered, ¡°Sorry about this, all of you¡­Taiga!¡±


    As the fireball enveloped her, she held out her hands. Her necklace flashed yellow, and at the same time, Kait was suddenly pushed back, bracing against the fireball as though it were a physical object. She then shoved it away with some difficulty, sending it slowly moving to her left.


    ¡°W-what?! My fireball! How did you¡­¡±


    Kait wasted no time explaining, flying toward the stunned spirit.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point to that, by the way,¡± a voice cut in.


    Kait moved to a stop, glancing toward Linne, who flew to her level along with Abigail. ¡°Did you bring in a superior to handle this problem yet or something?¡± While she spoke, Fake Taylor was incinerated in an explosion of fire.


    ¡°Nah, but as I was trying to explain to you, we¡¯ve already figured out what¡¯s going on here.¡± As he heard that, Fake Taylor grimaced, looking like a deer caught in headlights. ¡°These two have no¡­scuse¡¯ me, not much intention of killing you.¡± Fake Linne took another bite of her pudding, then chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re just trying to scare you into leaving. They don¡¯t actually have the stomach to kill you. Since I¡¯m sure that they have at least a few friends that¡¯d die if they did that. Like me. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d all be very sad if I died. Right, you two?¡±


    Kait glanced between Taylor¡¯s fake and her fake, who was busy cursing under her breath as she ripped sewing needles out of her body. Both of them looked like they¡¯d much rather never see the spirit acting as Linne again than not. ¡°Riiight. So you¡¯re saying that I just shouldn¡¯t take them seriously?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have said it better. Politics isn¡¯t worth killing friends over. Now let¡¯s go back to the ground and erase Hailey girl¡¯s memories. And the two of you; why don¡¯t you unblock this room and leave this project. You¡¯re really hurting our feelings, betraying us like this.¡±


    Kait shrugged, then flew down along with the other two spirits, leaving the others up in the air, growling with anger, yet not following her.


    They landed back on the ground not long later, where Hailey boredly laid in the street, unharmed from the nearly mile-long fall.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to erase my memory?¡± she asked Kait as she stepped off her broom.


    ¡°Just of what happened here,¡± she said, kneeling to hastily set the dream catcher back on her forehead.


    ¡°Oh, well you did not specify that.¡±


    ¡°You really thought I¡¯d¡­¡± Kait drifted off, her eyes flickering again as she tried to feel sleepy. ¡°Anyway¡­this was all just a weird dream¡­¡± She closed her eyes, and Hailey¡¯s eyes began to flicker closed.


    ¡°I¡¯m still pissed that you¡­¡± Hailey¡¯s eyes closed, and she peacefully slept.


    Kait sighed. ¡°Now all I have to do is wait for those jerks to leave, or do it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re already gone,¡± Linne said. ¡°Just don¡¯t let this happen again, capiche?¡±


    Kait looked back at her with shocked indignation as the world grew dark.

 CH 17 Immortal Alchemia

    Taylor, Abigail, and Linne had almost finished cleaning Hailey¡¯s room when Mk2 rose from the bed. ¡°I think I need¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    Taylor turned, surprised to hear her speak. ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I think,¡± Mk2 said as she kneeled to open the bottom drawer of her dresser. She gently moved aside clothes, then pulled a black notebook out.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s in there.¡±


    She sat back on her bed, unclipped a mechanical pencil attached to the notebook¡¯s binding, then began writing.


    Linne finished tying up a trash bag. ¡°I guess you just got bored of laying there.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Linne shrugged. ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave her to her thing? I want to leave soon, so my mom doesn¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Abigail agreed. ¡°I think we¡¯ve done everything we can at this point.¡±


    The group left the room while Mk2 wrote in the notebook.


    {To Hailey. This probably is written by your double, Mark 2 (ask Taylor about it). It¡¯s difficult to explain, but I feel that I have diverged from the being I¡¯m supposed to be. I also know that if I go back into your dream, I¡¯ll die. I don¡¯t want that to happen anymore.}


    She frowned in thought for a while before finishing the paragraph.


    {So I¡¯m going to try something.}


    She placed the notebook down and picked up her phone from the dresser. After some searching online, she found the number she wanted to call and dialed it in.


    A young, chipper male voice spoke, ¡°Yo, this is Jaine Kukui. I¡¯m the resident professional necromancer in Conifera. Is this an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Can you help me?¡± Mk2 asked.


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sort of Hailey Joul. I¡¯d like if you would save my life.¡±


    Clera Joul was not expecting to see the local necromancer at her door, though given the nature of her house¡¯s current predicament, she wasn¡¯t completely caught off guard.


    ¡°Yo,¡± Jaine said.


    In front of her door was a smiling kid who looked the same age as Taylor, almost ready to graduate high school. He wore sunglasses, black clothes, and a black beanie and had a black duffel bag at his side.


    Clera recognized Jaine, and she was not particularly fond of him. ¡°And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡± she said sardonically.


    ¡°Is that any way to treat a freezing young man?¡± His eyes looked to the ground, where she had subconsciously placed herself between him and the house¡¯s entrance. ¡°I¡¯m only trying to help.¡±


    She had assumed that was the case, but given he¡¯d egged her house two years back and had indirectly caused what had happened to Hailey, she wasn¡¯t happy to see him. She rolled her eyes and moved aside.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He walked in casually.


    Still, Clera didn¡¯t let her guard down. This was a magic user she was up against. One wrong move and her house could be egged again, this time by ghosts or something! ¡°But really, why are you here?¡± she asked bluntly.


    ¡°Someone just wanted me to save their skin¡ªsoul¡ªanyway, they wanted my help.¡±


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with Hailey?¡±


    ¡°It does, but I¡¯d say it has more to do with some¡­generosity between two lost souls.¡±


    ¡°One more vague comment and you¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Jeez! Jeez! Okay, I gotcha! I¡¯m here to save a reimagined soul from being reincarnated against her will.¡±


    ¡°Okay, get out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s as concise as I can be!¡± he complained.


    ¡°Taylor!¡±


    A voice yelled from upstairs, ¡°Yes, mom?¡±


    ¡°Did you call the necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Jaine?!¡±


    ¡°No, Mark 2 called me up.¡± He put a hand up to his ear like it was a phone.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t cause any more trouble for us, please. We¡¯ve already gone though enough.¡±


    Jaine¡¯s expression turned serious as he frowned up at the older woman. ¡°With all due respect, Miss Joul, I don¡¯t intend on letting my hand slip a second time.¡± The necromancer slipped off his shoes and walked upstairs. What he¡¯d said seemed to ease Clera¡¯s nerves, somehow, and she let him pass without another word.


    As Jaine walked into Hailey''s room, Mk2 said, ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Jaine said.


    An awkward silence filled the room as he closed the door. ¡°So¡­um¡­you asked me to save you.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°In exchange for you¡­being my friend?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s cute, but it ain¡¯t like I¡¯m all that desperate. Besides, I don¡¯t care that much about getting payment anyway. You know that, right?¡±


    She looked away nervously. ¡°I think I sort of did. I just don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you were crying into my ear about how much you¡¯re afraid of dying. I could barely understand what you were sayin¡¯ for the first five minutes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some funny way of speaking,¡± he said. ¡°But hey, I¡¯m used to being friends with weirdos.¡±


    She glared at him.


    Jaine sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know. That was in poor taste.¡± When Mk2 didn¡¯t respond, Jaine continued, ¡°Look, I know Hailey and I¡­I know she hates me after everything that happened, but I hope that things don¡¯t need to stay this awkward between us. You aren¡¯t the only one who misses her.¡±


    That earned him another glare, but it quickly melted away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I think. Hailey doesn¡¯t even hate you that much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my skin¡¯s a lot thicker now. I get it. How about we move on and get to the important stuff? What do you plan on doing once I¡¯ve saved you? Do you plan on living here?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­how about a name? Ya can¡¯t exactly keep going by Hailey, right?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I want a new name, I think.¡±


    ¡°What about a name like¡­Yhavla?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a real name.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I thought it sounded cool. You can always change your mind later.¡±


    ¡°Make it a traditional name,¡± she said.


    ¡°So something nature-based similar to Hail-ey?¡±


    ¡°A plant.¡±


    ¡°A plant? Alrigh¡¯, I got you, girl.¡± He pulled out his phone and looked something up. ¡°What about¡­Clementine? Juniper? Hazel? Az¨C¡±


    ¡°No. I think I would rather make one up on my own, not use a list to determine who I am.¡±


    He set his phone back down. ¡°Uh, right. Um¡­plants¡­there are¡­orchids? You could be Orcha.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to be a whale.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­Maple?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s my dad¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Oops. I dunno, Gumba? Like a gumball tr¨C¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ew, I think.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. But did that really need to be punctuated by an ¡®I think¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t give a mudball how you talk. What about Snake? Like a snake plant?¡±


    ¡°So edgy, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Then I dunno, Alchemia?¡±


    She frowned.


    ¡°No? Too edgy? Okay, what ab¨C¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    He pulled up his phone again. ¡°Alchemia¡­mollis is a plant that¡¯s used in alchemy, apparently. They used it to gather dew back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Alchemia.¡± He slid his glasses down questioningly. ¡°That¡¯s the name you chose¡­? So much for not being too edgy.¡±


    ¡°You suggested it, I think.¡±


    ¡°You got me there, sis.¡±


    Hailey shook her head and stood, dazed. ¡°Oh, Kait, you¡¯re back. Erm¡­did you come back to help me?¡±


    Kait was gazing at the bubbles flying overhead and turned to face Hailey when she spoke. ¡°H-hey,¡± Kait said awkwardly. ¡°I got my translation spell working again.¡±


    Hailey scratched her head. ¡°Translation spell?¡±


    ¡°How do you think I talk Terainian if I was born centuries ago? I cast a spell to translate what you and I say.¡±


    ¡°Figures.¡± Hailey wasn¡¯t sure why, but she felt vulnerable. She crossed her arms to comfort herself.


    ¡°Are you alright? Any headaches? A feeling of loss? An inability to think straight?¡± Kait walked to Hailey, observing her with concern.


    ¡°Uh, no. Why do you ask?¡± Hailey summoned a walking stick with her imagination and leaned on it.


    ¡°This place can, um¡­affect your mind. Those are just some of the symptoms.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Also, while we¡¯re on the topic, you will lose most of your memories of this place once you leave. Just keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, now that you¡¯re speaking my language, what even is this place?¡± Hailey gestured around the whitish-grey space around them.


    ¡°You are inside a portion of your mind that¡¯s been scribed into The Consciousness temporarily, essentially putting you inside of a reimagined copy of your own mind.¡±


    ¡°Kait, if you keep speaking like that, I¡¯m going to Power Word: Kill you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but if you kill me here, I could die for real.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, good thing saying power word¡ªnever mind.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for deciding not to play Russian roulette with my life.¡± Kait actually had a way to keep Hailey in check if necessary, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t be hit by surprise.


    ¡°But does that mean you¡¯re risking your life by being here?¡±


    ¡°Yep. No day like today, right?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean YOLO?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. So, any more questions?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­I had a spirit with me who let me ask stuff, but they were pretty rude. They said they were, like, one of the primordial spirits. Do you know them?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear their name by chance?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they mentioned it. They seemed to know you, though.¡±


    ¡°Hm. That¡¯s either good or very bad. Some spirits don¡¯t like me much.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­how¡¯s it going at home?¡± Hailey looked down. ¡°Are people freaking out because I¡¯m gone?¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s going on, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, duh. I thought I was a genius on the supernatural.¡±


    ¡°The sarcasm isn¡¯t appreciated.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± she shook her head.


    Kait sent Hailey an amused smile before saying, ¡°The fact of the matter is that you haven¡¯t been transported here. Instead, your body went to sleep, and your soul was sent away. Right now, something claiming to be part of you is controlling your body for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you lost me on the BTW, you¡¯re possessed part.¡±


    ¡°She seemed harmless enough.¡± Kait shrugged. ¡°She was strange; never spoke with any certainty.¡±


    ¡°Urgh, her.¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    Kait stared, waiting for more.


    ¡°What, you expect me to explain?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. But it doesn¡¯t matter, no doubt your body is in good hands.¡±


    ¡°No, they are in my hands.¡±


    Kait chuckled, then the two fell silent.


    Hailey fiddled with a lock of her hair. ¡°Could I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. To be honest, though, there is a lot that I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Kait averted her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°What was your family like?¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± Kait said like it was a question. ¡°I mean, my real parents died of illness when I was three. The rest of my family wanted nothing to do with me, and I was only taken in as an orphan because a witch learned I had an affinity for witchcraft.¡±


    Hailey¡¯s expression grew revulsed. ¡°Wow¡­sounds like everyone around you were frackers.¡±


    ¡°Something like that. The mother I grew up with wasn¡¯t a good person. Even then, I spent a good ten years with her, so¡­I still care for her.¡± She looked down. ¡°She¡¯s dead, anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter? Why would you care for someone who only helped you for a shallow reason like your affinity?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. I grew up used to people being like that.¡±


    ¡°What, because you were born four hundred years ago?¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just me, but people seem different these days.¡±


    Hailey looked down. ¡°But you aren¡¯t like that. I¡¯ve never seen you be anything but kind.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I feel like there¡¯s no way you¡¯re that much of a¡­a goody-two-shoes, but¡­I¡­I¡¯m sorry for anything I might have said to you, Kait.¡± Hailey blinked quickly, looking away. ¡°I say a lot of things I don¡¯t mean, and I don¡¯t take responsibility for any of it. So, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    They stood in silence for a while before Kait eventually spoke, looking up at the bubbles floating past them. ¡°I¡¯m envious of you, Hailey.¡±


    ¡°Why would you be?¡± The question was pretty redundant, considering the person she was speaking to. Even Hailey knew that much.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ever get a family. The only person I could really call my ¡®mother¡¯ never really cared for me, and after that, I was the odd one out on a farm filled with orphans. I¡­I didn¡¯t know what a family was. For the longest time, I didn¡¯t know what friends were like, either.¡±


    Kait poked a bubble, and a picture of Hailey and her family smiling at the top of a waterfall landed in her hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, to be born here and now, to have family and friends like them. I wish I could have had people like that when I was a kid. The only reason I¡¯m the person I am now is because of my friends¡­¡± Kait touched her chest, where her necklace lay below her shirt. ¡°Friends who I don¡¯t have anymore.¡±


    Hailey remained quiet, both of them looking away from each other before she turned, her eyes widening.


    A thought passed through her mind: Kait lost everyone.


    Hailey couldn¡¯t imagine it. She couldn¡¯t even fathom the sort of willpower it must take to keep living in her situation. Kait had fought on despite all of the odds. She was the sole survivor of her time, and even without a single person to call a friend, and in a world so unfamiliar, she was still here, giving Hailey, someone who pushed away everything she still longed for, advice.


    What sort of masochist is this girl?


    Kait turned back, a smile on her face. Somehow, until now, Hailey had completely failed to see through how terrifyingly forced the smile was. Kait was trying to cheer her up.


    ¡°So, show me around this place. I need an idea of what I¡¯m dealing with.¡±


    Hailey gaped at the witch, taken aback by her sheer generosity. This woman who had lost everything, who had grown up being treated as a tool, still had the optimism to cheer a loser like her on.


    She blinked. ¡°Is something wrong, Hailey?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing. Um¡­sure, I¡¯ll give you a tour of the place while we head toward the exit?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    Hailey spread out her arms, gesturing toward the bubbles floating about the crater. ¡°Well, this place has a bunch of random stuff floating around that I¡¯d almost forgotten about. The crater is a long story.¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±


    She pointed forward. ¡°And if we walk that way, we go to a place where every step I view a different memory, and the other way is¡­an ominous nothingness.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Hailey silently began walking forward, nervously glancing back at Kait.


    They walked for some time before Kait spoke. By the time she did, the ground had turned from a blinding white to a dark grey. ¡°So¡­made much progress?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°You know, you aren¡¯t the most sociable person.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I misspoke.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you think I¡¯m actually soci¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite unsociable.¡±


    Hailey grumbled, ¡°I really wish you were immortal right now.¡±


    ¡°If you did start torturing me, I¡¯d just duck out. Then you¡¯d have zero help.¡±


    ¡°I still have that one spirit to help me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s really interested in helping you. Those guys get paid by the hour, you know. They¡¯d rather see you fail for a month than help you.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to get on my nerves?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. I was channeling my inner-Hailey.¡±


    Hailey glared at Kait.


    ¡°That¡¯s about how you speak most of the time,¡± Kait said.


    Hailey rolled her eyes. ¡°Got it¡­¡±


    Kait smugly poked her ear closer to Hailey. ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you, hehe!¡±


    Hailey let out a deep breath. ¡°I got it. I know. I¡¯m an asshole.¡±


    Kait blinked.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s got you so surprised?!¡± Hailey asked indignantly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to just accept that.¡±


    Hailey muttered, ¡°Has everyone lost faith in me?¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Kait asked.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Hailey paused, and Kait followed. ¡°We¡¯re here. But I guess I need to climb it all over again.¡± Hailey sighed and gestured to the cracked ground ahead of her. ¡°My mind really wants to aggravate me sometimes.¡±

 CH 18 Jumping to Conclusions

    ¡°So here we are, the staircase of memories,¡± Hailey said with annoyance.


    ¡°Hmm, I just see cracked earth. Where¡¯s the staircase?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see if you get transported into my memories with me.¡±


    ¡°Your memories? Are you sure you want me to see that stuff?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­probably.¡± Hailey actually did mind, but she had a feeling that she should share them with Kait anyway.


    She stepped forward.


    Kait and Hailey stood in a gas station. In front of them, in an aisle filled with candy, was a younger Hailey, gazing at the sweets enviously.


    ¡°So for some reason,¡± the real Hailey explained, ¡°there are a bunch of spirits acting out my memories.¡±


    The Fake Hailey¡¯s eyes rested on a Wishie-Washie bar, salivating over it.


    ¡°Can I just snag¡­¡± The real Hailey inched closer to the bar before her hand was nonchalantly slapped away by her younger self.


    Clera happened to walk by, so Fake Hailey snagged a bar and presented it to her. ¡°Can you buy me this?¡± she asked.


    Clera opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it and shook her head. ¡°No, Hailey. Maybe if you ate more vegetables yesterday, but you threw it all away. Now put that back.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡­¡±


    Clera walked away.


    The younger Hailey growled as she stared at the Wishie-Washie longingly. Her eyes opened a little like she¡¯d gotten an idea. After looking every wishie way, she stashed one in her pocket and ran after her mother.


    As the scene crumbled away, the spirit ran back and took the whole box of bars before it collapsed.


    The cracks in the ground raised a few feet above where Hailey had stepped.


    Hailey shrugged, ¡°I still feel a tad guilty about that.¡±


    ¡°You stole it? The whole box?¡±


    ¡°No, not the whole box, you dumb-dumb!¡±


    ¡°Quell, quell, quell,¡± a voice said suddenly behind Kait.


    Kait placed her hand on her broom and apprehensively swiveled to meet the newcomer.


    ¡°Ja nom Kaetha of Witchcreaf.¡± Fake Hailey held the whole box of Wishie-Washies in its arm.


    Kait quickly relaxed. ¡°Well, if it ain¡¯t Kaethy! Didn¡¯t expect to see you today.¡±


    The younger version of Hailey bowed respectfully. ¡°Neither did I.¡±


    Hailey, perplexed, asked, ¡°Are you two friends? Something made me think you might fight. Actually¡­gimmie one of those!¡± Hailey snatched a Wishie-Washie from the box.


    The spirit lost its composure and ran to Hailey, trying to snatch it back. After Hailey avoided its first swipe and raised the Wishie-Washie above her head, the younger version of herself began jumping up in an attempt to take it back.


    Kait laughed. ¡°You could call her my old caretaker from when I was in stasis.¡±


    The spirit finally gave up and tried to regain her stern composure. ¡°More like a teacher. You hardly needed my help,¡± she said, pretending nothing happened.


    ¡°Why are you nice to Kait and not me?!¡±


    ¡°Because.¡±


    ¡°Because?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, because. Now mind your own business!¡±


    Kait frowned. ¡°Hey, Kaethy, don¡¯t be so rude to her.¡±


    ¡°Silence, mortal! You have no right commanding me!¡± the spirit yelled.


    ¡°A legit one-eighty?!¡± Hailey exclaimed.


    Kait scruffled the spirit¡¯s hair, despite its annoyance. ¡°You never change.¡±


    ¡°Falsehood,¡± it grumbled.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Hailey said. ¡°You all are already annoying me, so I¡¯m going to press on.¡± She began to take a step forward.


    ¡°But I wanted to catch up with Kaetha!¡±


    Hailey hesitated, then set down her foot. ¡°Alright, just make it quick.¡±


    The two wordlessly walked away to speak to each other in private.


    ¡°Have you considered my offer at all, Kait?¡± Kaetha asked.


    She looked to the side. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure I want to do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?! You¡¯re a wonderful candidate for The Succession!¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but¡­not even you know what happens to Successors, Kaethy. I-I won¡¯t give up my life for it.¡±


    The young Hailey lookalike rolled her eyes. ¡°You would rule over everything, I know that much. If we work together, we could change the world, undo what Elemencia did to magic!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that, Kaethy. The world doesn¡¯t need a witch from ancient times ruling over it. I¡¯d rather try to live my life.¡±


    Kaetha shook her head in disappointment. ¡°The eclipse is drawing nearer and nearer. I need your answer sooner or later, one way or another.¡±


    Kait sighed. ¡°I want to give you my answer, but first, I need to get Hailey out of here. It¡¯s my fault she¡¯s in The Consciousness in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish, then.¡±


    When they returned to the steps, Hailey said, ¡°Can I continue, or what?¡±


    ¡°Yep, if you want to.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    She stepped forward.


    ¡°It looks like they are beginning to make progress,¡± said Alchemia¡ªno longer Mk2.


    ¡°Then I think we gotta get busy.¡± Jaine opened his duffel bag and took out white chalk. ¡°I thought of how I might save you from death while I was driving here. I¡¯ll need to draw on the floor to do it, though. Why don¡¯t ya sit there?¡± He patted the ground.


    As she sat where he¡¯d indicated, she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jaine began scribbling the chalk onto the floor around her, making a circle with six hexagons inside. He pulled a pink stick of chalk from his bag and inscribed an intricate rune into one of them.


    He explained as he began filling the circles with different-colored runes. ¡°When people die, their soul is recycled in The Consciousness. It cleans their slate.¡±


    He flicked a finger against his chalk, drawing attention to the symbolism.


    ¡°That¡¯s when a person dies for real. It can then use their soul for either reincarnation or¡­anything else. In your case, you died and then got sent to The Consciousness. Then, it cleaned your slate. However, instead of being reincarnated, you were reimagined as a part of Hailey¡¯s self-concept or whatever. That¡¯s why things like you are referred to as reimagined souls.¡± He realized he¡¯d written a rune in the wrong color and quickly wiped it away. ¡°Whoops. Anyway, that¡¯s how it works.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°So am I a real person?¡±


    ¡°Difficult to say. You¡¯re an incredibly rare anomaly, though. Only real in theory.¡±


    Alchemia stared at her hands with wonder. ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°I bet you¡¯d be a treasured test subject for the educational scene.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you send friends to become test subjects¡­¡± Alchemia warned fearfully.


    ¡°Hey, nobody said I couldn¡¯t choose not to be your friend.¡±


    ¡°A-a-a-a¨C¡± Alchemia stuttered with a panicked look in her eyes.


    Jaine placed his hands on her shoulders. ¡°WHOA, don¡¯t break on me! That was a joke. I wouldn¡¯t send you off without your permission!¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t need to punctuate your sentences with ¡®I think¡¯? Anyway, I don¡¯t know enough to say whether a reimagined soul like you is capable of change like you said you were, but¡­if I had to say, I believe what you said.¡± He finished the last rune. ¡°And done.¡±


    Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a cross Taylor.


    ¡°Been a while, Taylor,¡± Jaine said with a quick glance back.


    ¡°It sure has,¡± he replied. ¡°Why are you here, Jaine?¡±


    ¡°No one likes me today, do they?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I do,¡± Alchemia said, stuttering again.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Jaine, again, why are you here?¡± Taylor asked impatiently.


    ¡°Because I was asked to be.¡±


    ¡°By Kait?¡±


    ¡°You mean the witch? No.¡±


    ¡°How did you know¨C¡±


    ¡°I told him about her,¡± Alchemia responded quickly.


    ¡°Oh. Then was it Hailey¡¯s friends?¡±


    ¡°Also no.¡± Jaine shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m here for Alchemia over here.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Me, I¡¯m fairly sure,¡± Alchemia said.


    Taylor looked between the two. ¡°So, you¡¯re now Alchemia?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°She is,¡± Jaine stated. ¡°Now, I need to continue my ritual and all, so please get out.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®ritual¡¯ even is this? Also, I just cleaned her room, did you seriously need to chalk the floor?¡±


    ¡°Course I did. And the ritual is to save Alchemia¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡± he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fine, whatever. Just don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Taylor walked away begrudgingly.


    ¡°With that guy out of the way¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, please don¡¯t talk to him that way.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Since we are friends, I¡¯ll be nicer to your brother. Is that better?¡±


    ¡°I believe so.¡±


    ¡°Now, place one hand on those runes, and as for your other hand,¡± he said, taking a latex glove from his bag, ¡°put this on.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m allergic.¡±


    He pulled another, non-latex, glove from the bag, completely unfazed. ¡°What about this?¡±


    Alchemia took the glove and put it on. Jaine then carefully produced a short, wide jar with a layer of silver liquid at the bottom. ¡°You need to put that hand in this mercury.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to poison Hailey?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be keeping this thing wrapped up safe and sound so no vapors get out.


    ¡°Why mercury?¡±


    ¡°It stores souls.¡± Jaine swapped his sunglasses for black safety goggles. ¡°Safety first, necromancers.¡±


    There was something strange about watching her memories with Kait, Hailey thought. Kait didn¡¯t say much unless she was spoken to, and even then she simply provided what needed to be said. When Hailey asked why Kait was unusually quiet, she responded: ¡°Everything in this realm is centered on your personal growth. I¡¯m only here because fellowship can be important to that growth.¡±


    Hailey eventually lost her reservations about sharing the memories with her. When she stepped up for the tenth time, she and Kait stood in the driveway behind her school. It was a fairly big school, one of just a few in the somewhat sparsely populated city of Conifera. A Hailey about two years younger than the real one stood there with her hands in her pockets. The sun had almost set behind the mountainous skyline apparent from their view of the school.


    Fake Hailey looked at her phone, checking the time impatiently, then slid it back into her pocket.


    Linne, adorned in a black outfit and her usual jewelry, jogged to Fake Hailey from behind her. She nervously said, ¡°Don¡¯t do something rash, please.¡±


    Fake Hailey rolled her eyes dismissively. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t,¡± she said unconvincingly.


    Hailey placed a hand on her forehead. ¡°This seems familiar, but¡­¡±


    Kait remained silent as another figure walked from the other side of the building and faced the two.


    ¡°So you actually came, Abbie,¡± Fake Hailey said ominously.


    Abbie always held herself with a posture of superiority, challenging other people to boost her ego. That was why they¡¯d gotten along, Hailey remembered now, but also why they had been more like bitter enemies at first.


    Abbie spoke with a competitive edge, ¡°I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t call my friends black flowers.¡±


    Abbie shrugged dismissively. ¡°She totally is one, though.¡±


    Hailey grimaced, knowing she¡¯d be laughed at when Kait realized what the memory was about.


    Linne looked between the two nervously as they stared daggers at each other. She opened her mouth but didn¡¯t, or perhaps couldn¡¯t, speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one chance to apologize for what you just said, girl. What do you have to say for yourself?!¡±


    Abbie remained quiet in thought.


    ¡°Nothing?¡±


    Linne finally spoke, ¡°Hailey¡­why don¡¯t we just¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting her get away with slandering you like that! It¡¯s just stupid to call you a black flower! The last time I saw you flirting with a boy was never, so I¡¯m more than sure she called just called you that to get in with some crappy group of losers!¡±


    Abbie chuckled, but then looked down thoughtfully. She suddenly shook her head, and let out a breath. ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Fake Hailey grew furious and leaped toward Abbie, slamming a fist into her gut, despite the fact that the other girl had done exactly what she¡¯d demanded.


    Surprised, Abbie fell to the ground with a cough as Hailey said, ¡°Oh, so you think you can just slander my friend, say, ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ and then walk out without a bruise?!¡±


    Abbie tried to speak as she held her gut. ¡°N-no¡­I shouldn¡¯t have even tried to get into their group¨C¡±


    Fake Hailey pinned Abbie to the ground with a stomp and towered over her. ¡°You¡¯ve got some bad excuses, lady!¡±


    ¡°Really, I¡¯m sorry, and I regret it all!¡± Abbie yelled, raising up her hands defensively.


    Linne ran to them and threw Fake Hailey aside, then helped Abbie get to her feet.


    ¡°Hailey! Don¡¯t hurt my friend like that!¡±


    ¡°Uh, what?¡± Fake Hailey asked in confusion, looking between the two.


    ¡°Jeez, Hailey! Your bro gets in one small fight, and you think it¡¯s perfectly fine to do this?!¡±


    ¡°W-wait, she called you a black flower, but now you¡¯re friends?!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­you aren¡¯t wrong, but¡­¡± Linne averted her eyes in embarrassment.


    Abbie continued for Linne, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for two years now.¡± She quickly glanced at the guilty-looking Linne, who nodded in understanding.


    Fake Hailey looked between the two girls, not noticing what had passed between them. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re saying¨C¡±


    ¡°You dragged me into this mess without asking a thing!¡± Linne shouted.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Fake Hailey slumped as she realized she¡¯d humiliated herself and hurt her friend.


    Kait snickered behind Hailey as the world began to waver.


    ¡°Forgot about that one,¡± Hailey said, trying to save face.


    ¡°You forgot you first met your best friend when you punched her? Soldier love, eh?¡±


    Hailey shook her head in annoyance. ¡°Cut it out!¡±


    ¡°Heh, and you said Linne jumps to conclusions.¡± Kait began laughing.


    ¡°I get the feeling you¡¯ll never let me live this one down,¡± Hailey said.


    The two reappeared in the front of a black mist once the memory ended.


    ¡°Whatever. This leads to that other part of me¡¯s room,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but hang on¡­when we walked here earlier, couldn¡¯t we have just taken a car?¡±


    ¡°Time and distance work strangely in The Consciousness. Even if we blasted off faster than sound, we¡¯d take the same amount of time.¡±


    ¡°I guess there aren¡¯t any shortcuts through this,¡± Hailey said.


    ¡°Not exactly, nope.¡±


    Hailey stepped through.

 CH 19 To Race With True Freedom

    ¡°I think it¡¯s almost time,¡± Alchemia said.


    ¡°We should be ready, so just stay patient and keep that hand of yours in the mercury.¡±


    Alchemia, sitting in the center of Jaine¡¯s magic circle, had one hand in the mercury jar, the top of which was wrapped tightly with tape to ensure as few fumes as possible escaped. Kait was still against the wall, having been moved from the bed after she¡¯d fallen asleep.


    ¡°Are you legally able to handle that mercury?¡±


    He produced a card from his jacket, flashing it. ¡°Yeah, I can. Who do ya think I am?¡±


    ¡°A seventeen-year-old necromancer who accidentally dropped his girlfriend¡¯s soul.¡±


    Jaine gritted his teeth, scowling furiously at Alchemia, his former buddy-buddy attitude falling away.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, I think¡­¡± She looked down guiltily.


    He turned his head to the side, his expression melting into sadness. ¡°Whatever, man.¡±


    Alchemia quickly changed the subject. ¡°I think I¡¯m about to be sent back to the dream realm. Is it all prepared for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all prepared. A: we have the runes, B: you are in the runes, C: you¡¯re in extreme proximity to the mercury, and D: I¡¯m touching the runes. That should be everything.¡±


    ¡°My life is probably on the line, so are you sure this will work?¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s done anything like this before, man. Like hell I am. If you want, I can explain the theory behind it all.¡±


    ¡°I think I do.¡±


    ¡°Right now, your soul is tethered to both Hailey¡¯s body and the quicksilver due to the trapping runes I placed.¡± He motioned to the complex magic circle. ¡°When you are sent back to The Consciousness, it will probably break your tether to Hailey¡¯s body, but not your tether to the mercury. Once your business with The Consciousness is complete, you will ideally return to the mercury instead of being stuck in The Consciousness. After that¡­I¡¯ll check up with you, and we can figure out what you want to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you later¡­I hope.¡±


    ¡°Bye¡­¡± Hailey¡¯s body fell to the floor.


    He sighed. ¡°And that¡¯s my cue to clean up¡­¡±


    Hailey appeared in an alchemy lab alongside Kait. It was still a little bare, but now there were two desks with various cool-looking liquids and beakers, and other mysterious devices atop them.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t what I expected,¡± Hailey said.


    Kait walked to a desk, raising an eyebrow as she studied the equipment. ¡°What did you expect?¡±


    ¡°Last time, her room was literally just a few doors.¡±


    ¡°My tastes have changed, I believe.¡± Hailey¡¯s clone sat in a chair in front a desk.


    Hailey shook her head, not finding the lab particularly interesting. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡±


    Kait put her hands in her pockets as she walked to the table near the clone and stared at the knick-knacks with interest. For some reason, her clone seemed apprehensive towards her, even scooching her chair away a foot.


    ¡°So, I need to deal with your ridiculous sabotages again?¡± Hailey asked, throwing the gear she¡¯d picked up along the way on the ground.


    The Fake Hailey walked to the gear and bubbled it up. ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t view me so negatively.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°I am, most likely, you.¡±


    ¡°So are you or are you not me, dude?¡±


    ¡°I think you know.¡±


    Hailey knew it was obvious what the thing meant, but she didn¡¯t want to succumb to her dumb, evasive statements. ¡°Okay, how about I be serious with you, alright?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s alright.¡±


    Hailey moved right up into her counterpart¡¯s personal space. ¡°You aggravate me so much. It¡¯s like you are everything I hate to see in people. You¡¯re like Linne, on steroids. You back off when I press you, you hesitate to stick to a plan if it wasn¡¯t proposed directly by you, and you¡¯re always ready to sit back and watch others do things!¡±


    The fake version of her didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°So, do you have anything to say back to me?!¡± she asked, secretly curious about what the clone had to say.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Y¨C wait, did you just say no?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°Yeah, you won¡¯t stop pissing me off. Just tell me how you¡¯re me, again?¡±


    ¡°Those traits.¡±


    ¡°Those¡­traits?¡±


    ¡°If Linne has all of them, why are we friends with her?¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Hailey didn¡¯t have a retort. She¡¯d criticized her friend for those traits, but she never¡­meant it. Or at least, she would quickly regret her words. ¡°I guess that¡¯s because she works well with me.¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t get along with me, but you can with her?¡±


    Hailey frowned. ¡°I think I can, but¡­that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t dislike you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I think.¡±


    Kait bounced a little as she watched, curious about where their conversation would lead. She was disappointed when both Haileys were disinterested in continuing their discussion, their shared nature of ¡®do first, who cares about asking questions later¡¯ getting in the way of Kait¡¯s  entertainment.


    Hailey defiantly cracked her knuckles, then threw open the lab¡¯s double doors. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    The clone nodded and escorted the bubbles to the blue void outside, setting them off to fly to the end. ¡°I think we should set some rules first.¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t want to just send me to the top?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯d be fun not to.¡±


    Hailey threw her arms out dismissively. ¡°Whatever you say. Tell me the rules.¡±


    ¡°The first rule is that I might change the rules midway.¡±


    ¡°No comment on that stupidity.¡±


    ¡°Two, have fun.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you never meant to have rules in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I did¡­I think.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± Kait asked, lost in their nonsensical conversation.


    The clone waved Kait closer. ¡°Come join us, please! I think this is a platforming challenge.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Which one is which,¡± Kait whispered.


    Hailey pointed her thumb to her chest.


    Kait looked out the double doors and observed the void. ¡°No tricks?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My ¡®counterpart¡¯ loves tricks.¡±


    ¡°And if I fall into the void, I¡¯m not going to die, right?¡±


    The clone shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You should be safely teleported to the start.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡¯s just how you talk, but I don¡¯t like the way you said that¡­I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine, though.¡±


    Instantly, the two were teleported onto mirrored routes, each with a few dozen platforms that led to a single, swirling cloud of mist high in the sky.


    Hailey¡¯s counterpart hovered in the sky between the two. ¡°On your marks, please¡­¡±


    Kait raised an eyebrow. ¡°Marks? What¡¯s that supposed¨C¡±


    ¡°I think you should get set!¡±


    Hailey rolled her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t stop being uncertain even when you say that?!¡±


    ¡°You should go now!¡±


    Both participants took their time before taking their first step, despite Fake Hailey presenting the game as a race.


    Hailey called out to her counterpart, ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t randomly going to do something like turn the floor to ice, are you?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea!¡±


    Kait leaped onto the first platform, only for it to turn to ice beneath her feet. Her miscalculated jump ended in her slipping off the platform and into the void. ¡°W-whaaaaa!¡±


    When Kait reappeared at the start, she shot Hailey¡¯s counterpart a nasty glare.


    ¡°You really did that to her?¡± Hailey asked disapprovingly.


    ¡°I think it was a little funny, though.¡±


    Hailey averted her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t make me admit you¡¯re right.¡± She braced herself, then leaped onto the second platform. Hailey wasn¡¯t very sure-footed, though, so she slipped on the ice and fell into the void, too.


    After she appeared at the start, Hailey rolled her eyes, quickly shook off her dizziness and tried again. She managed to leap onto the next platform before putting too little strength into her next jump and falling back into the void.


    She felt, for a moment, like scolding her counterpart for the ice, but after seeing the content smile on her face¡­


    She stood up, straightened her pants, and ran.


    Once again, Hailey fell into the void, but she¡¯d made progress beyond the third platform.


    Hailey tried again, beginning to understand the timing of each of the jumps. She failed again, returning back to the start.


    Once more, she stood and tried jumping the platforms, using her momentum to leap to and fro and skate between each platform in swift, satisfying movements. However, she was distracted after seeing Kait doing far better than her, and tumbled back down.


    She stood once again with a gritted smile, then leaped onto the second platform.


    The wind was nice, the perfect temperature.


    She leaped to the left, slid across a platform, then took two steps to redirect her momentum to the right, jumping seven feet off the edge like she was on the moon.


    It felt¡­right. As if it was all made for her.


    She leaped between four closely placed platforms in succession. It was fun once she could pull the timing off, like figuring out a rhythm she had to bounce to.


    Then, she bounded eleven feet, soaring across the void¡­and for a moment, she was sure she didn¡¯t go far enough, but¡­was she lighter? She landed soundly on the next platform, but she hadn¡¯t thought far enough. As she approached the edge, she took a leap of faith in panic, and¡­she landed.


    Hailey continued to leap between platforms, every movement as intuitive as could be. It wasn¡¯t exactly a challenge, but she was having fun. A lot of fun, actually. She simply kept leaping between the platforms, enjoying the liberating feeling that began growing in her chest.


    Wow, that was new. When was the last time she had fun?


    She glanced to the side to see a genuine smile on her counterpart¡¯s face¡ªsomething she couldn¡¯t help but mirror.


    Yeah, this was what she wanted. She wanted to be happy.


    Kait watched from her broom as Hailey¡¯s course grew more and more intricate. Her doppelganger had entirely ignored Kait once she¡¯d finished the standard course, so she was free to spectate.


    Hailey¡¯s course had started off as the standard one, but it quickly began to move and warp, turning far more elaborate once she¡¯d gotten into the flow of jumping to and fro platforms. As Hailey skirted across one platform, new ones appeared wherever she felt like jumping. That eventually changed, though, as her course grew more outrageous with each addition.


    Hailey¡¯s linear path began to curve wildly to the left and right, circle down and up, then introduce new gimmicks. Hailey raised her arms as she jumped into the void, only to grip a rapidly forming zip line and slide down it onto another platform. By that point, Kait had begun cheering from her broom, enthralled by their little acrobatics act.


    Hailey rolled onto a crescent-shaped ramp of ice, and gravity suddenly shifted to give her the inertia needed to complete a two-seventy-degree flip, landing on a higher platform. Then gravity completely flipped, sending her flying between platforms that alternated between entirely vertical and horizontal. Her course ended with Hailey leaping from a vertical platform to one that was upside-down before propelling herself back onto the final, rocky platform.


    Her counterpart clapped happily and joined the two on the final platform as the real Hailey fell to the ground, absolutely bushed despite having infinite stamina. She covered her eyes with an arm, hiding the tears that were growing in them.


    Kait smiled and clipped her broom onto her back before sitting beside Hailey.


    The three remained as they were for a few minutes.


    ¡°Um¡­Hailey?¡± her counterpart began, ¡°Do you want to see me again?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hailey was perplexed by the statement. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re me, right? Aren¡¯t I always ¡®seeing¡¯ you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way¡­not for me, I think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Hailey sat up, narrowing her eyes in concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­changed. I might represent you, but I¡¯m probably not¡­you.¡±


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°Hey, I only just met you a moment ago, don¡¯t you start to pull on my heartstrings!¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ve been sharing your memories.¡± Her ¡®counterpart¡¯ glanced at Kait, knowing she was smart enough to pick up the hints. ¡°Once you leave, that should no longer be the case. You and I will have nothing to do with each other.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand a thing here, but are you saying you¡¯ll live on?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you already counted me out?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Hailey said sheepishly.


    Her counterpart chuckled. ¡°I think that¡¯s ironic.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you think, bud.¡± Hailey shrugged.


    ¡°So, if I could live past this, would you be interested in seeing me again sometime?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Hailey narrowed her eyes, feeling conflicted, but gave a noncommittal shrug. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to it.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s good enough. You can call me Alchemia from now on, okay?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, I wish I got a name as badass as that.¡±


    ¡°Jaine actually picked it out for me, sort of.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that guy? Are you consorting with that jerk? I swear, I never want to see him again.¡±


    ¡°I may have offered to be friends with him in exchange for his help.¡±


    ¡°Never mind, there¡¯s no way you could ever be me.¡±


    The two laughed, savoring their last moments of being connected with good-natured fun.


    ¡°Whether we like it or not, my dimension will soon collapse. You all better get going.¡±


    Hailey nodded. ¡°I¨C¡± She grumbled, then shook her head. ¡°That was actually pretty fun, Alchemia. I¡¯m sorry about being a butt to you, earlier.¡±


    Alchemia smiled, tears appearing in her eyes. ¡°Thanks. Please have a good bye.¡±


    Hailey stepped through the black mist.


    The two people left behind remained in silence for a moment.


    Alchemia turned to Kait. ¡°So¡­what do you want to do, erase my memory?¡±


    Kait shook her head, looking at the portal. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Mark¡­er, Alchemia, that wasn¡¯t just to protect me.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, it was both for Hailey¡¯s sake and my convenience. What Hailey saw¡­¡± Kait brought her necklace out from beneath her shirt and stared at it. ¡°Witchcraft went too far. This is the result. I¡¯m carrying what¡­what I hope is the last of these. The broken souls of my friends remain in here. But that¡¯s beside the point.¡± She stared Alchemia in the eyes as she slid the necklace back under her shirt. ¡°I¡¯m a Successor. I didn¡¯t want Hailey, or you for that matter, to get involved in this, but that necklace, The Witch¡¯s Catalyst, isn¡¯t meant to exist. She wasn¡¯t meant to see the catalyst¡¯s power.¡±


    Alchemia tilted her head, the slightest bit curious as to what a ¡®Successor¡¯ was.


    Kait patted her thighs, still filled with energy. ¡°You know that spirit, Kaetha?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re pretty good friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°Yep. She¡¯s got¡­problems, but she¡¯s nice when you get to know her.¡± Kait sighed. ¡°But from the sound of it, once you leave this place, you¡¯ll be a wanted criminal in The Consciousness¡¯s eyes. I may even be asked to deal with you. I know how it treats souls. It won¡¯t end pretty.¡±


    Alchemia worriedly narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°If that happens, you can call me a sleeper agent. I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone if I can. I probably won¡¯t even remember this happened, but I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem, sis. Just one more thing before we leave.¡± Her eyes grew dangerous. ¡°Never tell anyone what I just told you. My necklace, my purpose, your existence¡­don¡¯t talk about any of that to anyone, not if you can help it.¡± Kait leaned back with a wry smile. ¡°But I¡¯m rooting for you either way. Bye!¡± Kait stepped through the portal, waving back at Alchemia.


    Alchemia waved back as the dimension she¡¯d been born in collapsed.


    She¡¯d done her job, and now it was her time to live.

 CH 20 Mountains Are Best Climbed By Yourself

    Hailey then Kait appeared in a grove of trees. Birds sang, leaves danced, and springtime was seemingly in bloom. Towering far above them was a mountain.


    Another Hailey, this one wearing a red headband, stood not far from them with her arms crossed. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    The real Hailey ignored herself while she dusted ice filings off her pants.


    The Fake Hailey continued, ¡°You can call me Mark 3. So, can we get this over with?¡±


    Hailey shrugged. ¡°Yeah, but what are we even doing?¡±


    Mk3 pointed up the mountain. ¡°Getting to the top.¡±


    ¡°Oh jeez,¡± Hailey said, intimidated. The mountain wasn¡¯t your ordinary hill, but a full-sized climb.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s big, and you better not slow me down.¡± Without another word, Mk3 began jogging toward the mountain.


    Hailey was taken aback by how quickly her other self had begun, while Kait said, ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s getting late, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be of much use at the moment, so I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°I bet you just don¡¯t want to climb this thing,¡± Hailey said with a shrug and a smirk, knowing full well that Kait could probably just fly. ¡°But that¡¯s fine, I can handle this on my own.¡±


    Kait nodded. ¡°See you later,¡± she said, then disappeared.


    Hailey picked up her journal and tried to put it in her pocket, but it didn¡¯t fit. She rolled her eyes, then tossed it to the side. She moved her eyes back to the mountain. That thing¡¯s big. This could take a while.


    She heard Mk3 yell to her, ¡°Hey, slowpoke! Get over here now. We don¡¯t have all day to waste!¡±


    Longer than a while, she corrected herself.


    Jaine watched as Alchemia¡¯s soul suddenly appeared in the jar of mercury in his hands. As a necromancer, he could see souls. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bud, I¡¯m not gonna drop you,¡± he muttered as he gently set the closed jar into a wooden box, then set it into his duffel bag.


    He zipped it up and threw the strap over his head as he saw the witch¡¯s soul return on the other side of Hailey¡¯s room. He¡¯d cleaned up the circle and set Hailey back on her bed while Alchemia was in The Consciousness. It was like he was never there.


    Still, he had a feeling that he should leave before the witch woke up. He did just that, stepping quietly down the stairs and leaving without a fuss.


    To be honest, he had no expectations that his plan would work.


    Many of his clients expected him to do the impossible and save them from fates they had, like, a thousandth of a chance of surviving, even with his help. A few idiots even emailed him asking to be put in a younger vessel. He glanced back at the house as he walked to his car.


    Sometimes, Jaine regretted his new profession. He never wanted to think about all the lives he could¡¯ve saved, he never wanted to hear another person blame him for their deaths, and he never wanted to hear another unreasonable request or to see another dead, soulless body.


    He never wanted to drop another jar of mercury, either.


    But at least when he did things right, he could leave feeling like he¡¯d done something good. He hadn¡¯t felt that way many times since he gained his affinity for necromancy at fourteen, but today, he was hopeful that maybe someday he could do something that outshone all of his mistakes.


    Maybe¡­he really could enjoy being friends with someone again.


    Kait shook off her dizziness.


    She placed her hand on her chest. It¡¯s still there. She stood and walked to her room, storing her necklace under her comforter before walking out of the house and toward the base of the mountain range that surrounded the city, not too far from the Jouls¡¯ home. Then, she took her broom for another stroll through the cover of the mountains.


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    Hailey jogged behind Mk3, barely keeping pace with her other self, exhausted already. It didn¡¯t help that Mk3 made sure to bark at her each step of the way, insulting her and claiming she wasn¡¯t giving it her all. Who did she think she was, a military sergeant?! Hailey was happy that Mk3 had at least removed the concept of sweating from this reality, which made the climb more comfortable, if nothing else. She freaking hated sweat so much.


    ¡°Come on, get up here and get this over with!¡± Mk3 cried out at Hailey from twenty feet up the rock face.


    Hailey could barely stand after thirty minutes of jogging uphill and was halfway to collapsing. She was also pissed at her other self. How did Mk3 expect her to keep going if they weren¡¯t even a fifth of the way up the mountain?! She spoke through gasping breaths, ¡°Just¡­give me¡­a¡­break¡­¡± Hailey collapsed, unable to go on.


    ¡°Urgh, really?¡± Mk3 threw herself down the slope, stopping at Hailey¡¯s corpselike body, her skin pale and cold from the mountain¡¯s chill. ¡°You are out of shape.¡± A bottle of water appeared in front of Hailey¡¯s face, and she gulped it down. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think we need to struggle too much here. Stop making this difficult, and ask for what you need. No cheating, obviously!¡±


    After finishing a colossal swig of water, Hailey gasped. ¡°What¡¯s up with you ¡®parts of me¡¯ and cheating? Couldn¡¯t you just teleport me to the top if you¡¯re so impatient?¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°Cause I care about doing my job, and I care about you, so I¡¯m not gonna let you half-ass this!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Hailey cried. A cup of hot coffee appeared next to her, and she drank it without complaint before standing up again. Sweet.


    ¡°Now get moving! You should know this by now: The more you want to move, the more you will move!¡±


    Hailey groaned, then stumbled forward as her quadruple took the lead.


    This wouldn¡¯t be very fun.


    Clera sat on her office room chair as she tapped a pen on her desk. ¡°Yep. She¡¯s in a magic sleep.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± her husband said through the speaker. ¡°You don¡¯t think a kiss on the forehead would wake her up, do you?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Obviously not.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°As if things could get worse¡­damnit!¡± She heard him stomp angrily. ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to take off¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Maple, we still need the money from your excavation. Even if you did, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, hun¡­I¡¯ve already missed her this whole time since Abbie died, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I should¡¯ve let you come back when it first happened.¡± Clera looked down with guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just make it up to her once I get back. We¡¯ve already begun uncovering artifacts from the dig. If I¡¯m lucky, I might be able to come back within the month.¡±


    ¡°Really! That¡¯s wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...But about Kait¡­she was the one who caused it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d rather ask her to live somewhere else, like the Snowleys¡¯ mansion, but Taylor doesn¡¯t want her to leave, and Hailey deserves a vote, herself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she should leave. The spell sounds harmless enough, plus she said that the spell could actually help Hailey.¡±


    ¡°You really think so? Oh, Taylor just texted me.¡± When Clera saw the text, however, she rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s asking for money to do affinity rituals. Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Why not let him? You¡¯ve been saving up some money to run the house, let him chase his dreams!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too loose with your money, hun. Anyway, I gotta catch a client now. Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too. See you later.¡±


    She hung up, then opened her laptop.


    Taylor was at the library, studying a thick book: Book One of The Complete Dictionary of Magics, Their Rituals, and Their Uses.


    If someone found they had an affinity for magic, they could find a career, but he wasn¡¯t looking for that. He wanted to be able to help. To do that, he would have to test for each affinity individually, which costed a varying amount of money. The book was helpful in learning about each one.


    So, after some research with the book, he wrote a list on a piece of paper:


    Postcarrio: a magic that allows one to change tiny actions in the future to make more extensive overall changes. I think this would be super useful. Ritual cost is $135.


    Doppelgear: a magic that lets someone create literal copies of themselves. It seemed similar to how Mk2 was made, so I thought I¡¯d keep it in mind. Ritual cost is $105.


    Appetizer: I¡¯m tempted to think this is a joke by the authors, but it¡¯s a type of magic that lets someone heal souls with food. I couldn¡¯t help but write it down. Apparently, the ritual cost is only $15, so I decided to throw it on here.


    Fortune reading: I think I¡¯m relatively likely to have an affinity for this since grandma was one, but I¡¯ll ask Taila about this before I pay.


    Aquaformer: the book is vague about it, but apparently, it lets someone ¡®manipulate water with souls and souls with water.¡¯ It¡¯s pretty rare, though, and the ritual cost is $150.


    Sumnus: Interacts with dreams and stuff. The ritual cost is only $60, partly because its demand is high.


    After his bout of research, Taylor put back the book, texted Taila and his mother, and went home.

 CH 21 Take Your Time

    From freezing wind to the shroud of night, Hailey had climbed through it all. Nearly at the peak of a massive snow-capped mountain that towered above everything else, she could see the end in sight.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Mk3 said, jogging in place a few meters ahead of Hailey.


    ¡°You¡­just¡­don¡¯t want to make this easy for me¡­do you?¡± Hailey said through gasping breaths.


    ¡°If we aren¡¯t hard on ourself, we won¡¯t get a thing done,¡± Mk3 responded.


    Hailey silently agreed with her counterpart. She¡¯d tried her damnedest to get to the top as quickly as she could. She was satisfied she had, though, as she felt like she¡¯d made good time.


    Light appeared on the horizon, signaling the beginning of a new day in the mountainous realm. Seeing that, Hailey pushed herself to take one last sprint to the top. She trudged through the snow, shaking as she forced her body forward.


    She ended up falling face-first on the peak, unable to continue.


    ¡°Finally. It took you long enough.¡±


    Hailey raised her hand, pointing a finger up in a particularly crude gesture.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Hailey felt her strength paranormally return, so she stood up from the snow, wiping the flakes off her face. ¡°Great. Can I go now, or are you gonna tell me that we¡¯re climbing to the moon next?¡±


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯re free to go.¡±


    Hailey stretched, enjoying her regained vigor. ¡°So, why were you so pissy to deal with? What¡¯s the lesson in all of this grass?¡±


    ¡°Did you not like it?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I don¡¯t like when someone forces me to run at a breakneck pace up a mountain for half a day straight, especially when there¡¯s no reason for it.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the lesson.¡±


    ¡°That I should like doing that?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m you. My personality comes from you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­I¡¯m the one that forces myself to do that,¡± Hailey said glumly.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Hailey stood on a cliff, looking at the landscape below. The scenery was stunning, maybe even worth the trip: mountains curving off on the horizon, trees at the base, and ponds and craters strewn about the land. The sort of view people¡­well, the sort of view that people climbed mountains to see. Hailey was relatively impartial towards it, but it at least justified the time she¡¯d spent climbing.


    ¡°I¡­already know that, though. I know I¡¯m hard on myself,¡± Hailey said.


    Mk3 frowned. ¡°Then if you know that, why are you ashamed of it?¡±


    ¡°Ashamed, huh?¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°What, do you mean I¡¯m hard on myself for being hard on myself?¡±


    Her quadruple nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just an endless cycle, Hailey. Tell me, why couldn¡¯t you leave your room the last two months?¡±


    ¡°B-because I¡­¡± She averted her eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to keep going on like nothing happened. I stayed in my bed, just¡­hating myself for not being able to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Then what? Was that all that kept you down?¡±


    Hailey continued to look down in shame. ¡°And at some point, I just couldn¡¯t bear to let other people see me. I¡¯d ignored all of them so long, I¡¯d run from my problems for so long that I didn¡¯t want to see them judge me for it.¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t the ones judging you, Hailey.¡± Mk3 rebutted. ¡°You were.¡±


    ¡°I know that already¡­¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you meet my eyes?¡±


    Hailey slowly raised her eyes to meet Mk3¡¯s.


    ¡°Listen. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You¡¯re hard on yourself, but that¡¯s natural.¡± She placed a hand on Hailey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t stay ashamed of who you are. Just because some part of you made mistakes doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s bad.¡± They motioned to the scenery. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you get angry at your own mistakes, but you have to use that rage as energy to right them, not feel wrong for being yourself.¡±


    Hailey stared up at an approaching cloud with a far-off expression, her tone mellow. ¡°It¡¯s like how I was angry at you. I kept going because I wanted to prove myself, or, I guess, to prove you wrong.¡± She looked back at her double. ¡°I never really thought that deeply about it.¡± She smiled mischievously. ¡°I guess wanting to punch someone is a pretty good motivation for me.¡±


    Her clone chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot, already. The you I was molded from wouldn¡¯t have been able to see that much.¡±


    Hailey scoffed with a smirk. ¡°Flattery won¡¯t get you anywhere with me, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know it well.¡±


    Hailey stood in front of the approaching cloud, ready to be sent to her next trial.


    Her counterpart moved to stand next to her, facing her end contently. Her slate would soon be cleared and sent to reincarnate. Mk3 wasn¡¯t sure why Alchemia had chosen to keep living, but that was the clone¡¯s choice. Unlike her, Mk3 could face the end with satisfaction.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    The storm of white covered the mountain, and the realm collapsed.


    The next day, Taila sat in her robes, her legs draped lazily over the kitchen table. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that Hailey was cursed by Kait, and now she¡¯s been whisked into The Consciousness for a journey of self-actualization?¡± she asked.


    Taylor nodded, a spatula in his hand as he stood before the kitchen stove.


    ¡°Well, I warned her¡­¡±


    ¡°You knew this would happen?¡± Taylor asked skeptically before flipping an egg.


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    ¡°Well, no. I just predicted she¡¯d be bedridden in the next few days.¡± Taila sipped from a cup of coffee Taylor had made for her. ¡°You should know by now that fortune reading isn¡¯t a fine art.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Taila set her feet back down. ¡°So, Tay number two, why¡¯d you call me up? So I could see Hailey¡¯s cute sleepy face?¡±


    Taylor sighed. ¡°Well, I was just wondering if you could test for my affinity.¡±


    Taila smiled and leaned forward with interest. ¡°Ohh, what made you interested in fortune reading?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I just feel pretty useless, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Why do you feel like that? I¡¯d say you¡¯re a beacon of perseverance.¡±


    ¡°Beacon of perseverance,¡± Taylor scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a leader with perseverance who inspires other people.¡±


    Taylor placed the egg on a plate and handed it to Taila, who began scarfing it down. ¡°I won¡¯t turn down your glowing praise, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not useless in this situation.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°Just standing here while Hailey does¡­whatever she does in there.¡±


    She wagged a finger. ¡°Tut-tut-tut, Taylor. I see you¡¯re missing the real piece of the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°What puzz¨C¡±


    ¡°You need to accept that you can¡¯t fix everything.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°You might not have the tools to help directly, but there are things to do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I said you¡¯re a leader type. You can tell people what to do when things get tight. You organize your thoughts, you make sure everyone is happy. I can¡¯t say for sure that¡¯s who you are, but I see a lot of it in you.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you qualified to say all of this anyway?¡± Taylor asked skeptically. ¡°I¡¯m a fortune reader, so I tend to group people into personalities for the sake of my job. Some things need me to do that, like chemistry tests. Anyhow, focus on what you¡¯re good at. That¡¯s my advice.¡±


    The two were quiet while Taylor processed the information.


    ¡°Oh, right! You wanted me to test for your affinity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°No problem. That¡¯ll be ten dollars, please.¡± Taila held out her hand.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Taila waved off his serious expression. ¡°Taytay, that was a joke! Don¡¯t take me so seriously!¡±


    ¡°Oh. So¡­what do we need to do? Do we need something from your shop?¡±


    Taila stood up from her seat. ¡°No, of course not. Just stand right next to me.¡±


    Taylor followed her instructions and stood in front of her.


    ¡°Now, on the count of three. One¡­¡±


    ¡°Err, wait, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay, I guess I¡¯m¨C¡±


    ¡°Three!¡± Taila bonked her head into Taylor¡¯s, making both of them stumble around like fools, crying, ¡°Ow-ow-ow!¡±


    Taylor held his forehead with his right arm. ¡°Ah¡­I guess that was how you do it.¡±


    Taila had already recovered. ¡°Just another day in my career: Headbutting clients to see if they¡¯ve got magic in ¡¯em.¡±


    Taylor shook his head, ¡°Mom didn¡¯t lie when she said you head-ass your life, then.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Cause ¡®head¡¯ and ¡®butt¡¯ and ¡®head¡¯ and ¡®ass¡¯ instead of ¡®half-ass¡¯¡±


    ¡°Err¡­hm. Quite the scathing comment, but not surprising coming from sis.¡± The two sat back into their chairs, with Taila sipping her coffee before continuing their conversation. ¡°So¡­I take it you didn¡¯t get any prophetic visions of the future when I headbutted you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Taylor said, too dazed to say anything more.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s the answer to your question.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°So disappointing that I don¡¯t get an apprentice myself. You had a decent, I¡¯d say a one in ten chance to have an affinity. It¡¯d be fun to make your mom jealous, too.¡±


    ¡°Is that really the odds?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a one in twenty. Depends on the studies you read on heritage magic.¡±


    ¡°I take it that means hundreds of people bashed their heads against fortune tellers to see if they had an affinity to get that data?¡±


    ¡°Inhumane, I know.¡±


    Kait shoveled snow, preparing the mansion¡¯s garden for its regular maintenance. It was fairly grueling work, but it had to be done. She was used to working around gardens, or rather, farms, shoveling dirt and snow, caring for plants, and mulching the dirt. It was all her thing.


    Kait let her shovel fall, then sighed tiredly. She sat on the snow-covered bench and stared into the light sky. Things really had changed so much, but she was still alive, doing things her way. That should have been enough to keep going, to press forth with new ideas and new dreams. If it wasn¡¯t¡­


    She thought for a moment, formulating a spell to make the job easier. She figured the typical cleaning spell would work, so she picked up her shovel and began waving it around, creating wind, before enchanting the shovel with a spell. From there, it did the work for her, flying and shoveling all the snow away as she¡¯d intended.


    Of course, Kait didn¡¯t slack off on the job. She took a screwdriver, mistaking it for some kind of ice pick, and began breaking the ice covering the koi pond.


    It was the type of work she liked, the type that she could invest herself in: doing satisfying manual labor as she avoided the stresses of life for just a little bit of time.


    Although, eventually, she had to return to them.


    Kait popped into existence, shook off her dizziness, and took note of her surroundings, not that there was much to see anyway.


    She was in a white void devoid of anything but its other two inhabitants and a chess board. Hailey was playing chess against an even smaller girl with a white coat. Despite her height, the girl¡¯s form seemed to be in her twenties. Judging by Hailey¡¯s irritated expression, she wasn¡¯t winning. The other girl curiously observed Hailey, disinterested in Kait¡¯s arrival.


    Hailey greeted Kait with a tired groan. ¡°Hello, Kait.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kait asked, sitting down between the two players.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting dominated by this spirit, and it¡¯s beginning to piss me off.¡±


    Kait reached for her broom, meeting the spirit¡¯s eyes.


    The spirit spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°Don¡¯t be so alarmed. I¡¯m with Kaetha.¡± Hailey made a move after much consideration, only for her opponent to instantly take an action that put her in a worse position without looking at the board.


    Kait seemed calmed by the reassurance, but she was still curious. ¡°What¡¯s your domain?¡±


    ¡°I herald over logomancy.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Hailey made another move, but as soon as she took her hand off her piece, the spirit put her into a checkmate. She yelled in outrage, ¡°Oh, come on! There¡¯s no way I can beat the spirit representing logic itself!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also accept a draw.¡± The spirit deftly moved the pieces across the board, resetting it in a matter of seconds. ¡°White or black.¡±


    ¡°White,¡± she said tiredly.


    ¡°Then begin.¡±


    Kait figured by Hailey¡¯s resolve to win that victory was the key to progressing, but¡­it¡¯d probably take a while. She laid back. Let the waiting game begin.

 CH 22 Logic Prevails, Stupidity Succeeds

    It was unsurprising to both Hailey and Kait that she was losing over and over and over to the spirit. While Hailey could, at her best, think five turns ahead in chess, the being thought all turns ahead, flawlessly reposing Hailey¡¯s movements without so much as a second thought.


    Even with Kait trying her best to help Hailey make the right choices, beating the spirit seemed impossible.


    After she was beaten in just four turns because she was trying to be cheeky, Hailey threw her arms up in frustration. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m pissed! I see zero chance of me beating you.¡±


    The spirit of logic only reset the board, not responding to Hailey¡¯s aggravation.


    Kait was laying on the ground beside Hailey, a hand placed thoughtfully over her mouth. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re missing something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s probably a gimmick to this, I know that, but I can¡¯t figure out what it is! URGH! Hey, spirit, can I flip this freaking chessboard?¡±


    ¡°It is not a setback,¡± it said.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Hailey flipped the board and then punched it as hard as she could, creating a sonic boom that sent the board flying into the distance. ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s satisfying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the spirit said proudly before making the board reappear where it was before, untouched.


    Hailey leaned back onto her hands. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked the spirit.


    ¡°You can call me Logica, pronounced lo-jic-ca.¡±


    ¡°I can hear you say your name, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I see speech as written words. ¡±


    ¡°Huh. Say, Logica, isn¡¯t this void a little¡­bland?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°So, could you, I don¡¯t know, put it above a replica of a lost treasure from the real world?¡±


    ¡°I could.¡±


    ¡°Will you do that?¡±


    ¡°I admire making the most of your current situation, but no, I will not do that.¡±


    Hailey teased the spirit. ¡°Aww, why not? We¡¯re practically best buds already, right?¡±


    ¡°No, the time I have spent with you amounts to approximately one nine-hundred-and-two-thousand-eight-hundred-and-ninth of my lifetime. I require us to spend at least a four-hundred-and-twelfth of my lifetime to be spent with you to be ¡®decent friends¡¯ and about a thirty-fourth of my lifetime to be spent with you for me to consider you ¡®my best bud¡¯ or, about six years.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say six years in the beginning instead of verbally assaulting me with fractions?¡±


    ¡°No reas¨C¡± the spirit began, but as if compelled, it transitioned to say, ¡°I wanted to sound smart¡­hmph.¡± The spirit folded its arms and avoided eye contact with Hailey.


    Kait laughed at the spirit, rolling on the ground as if she¡¯d just heard the funniest thing in the world. ¡°PFFFT, it wanted to look cool! HA! The spirit wanted to look cool!¡±


    Hailey looked between the two with confusion.


    ¡°S-stop laughing, mortal!¡± Logica whined.


    Kait quickly collected herself and bowed her head in subordination to her ¡®elder.¡¯ ¡°Sorry to offend you, almighty Logica.¡±


    Hailey felt like she was missing something, but an idea came to her head. If Logica wanted to impress her, did that mean she¡¯d be willing to¡­¡°Hey, Logica.¡±


    The spirit collected itself. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± Hailey looked from side to side, a little uncomfortable with the question she planned to ask. ¡°If you want, we could¡­uh¡­be friends.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Logica said in her usual monotone. ¡°You want to be¡­friends.¡± Logica stared at Hailey intensely for a moment, then smiled just a little. ¡°Very well, it is in both of our best interests that we become friends. We are not, however, best buddies until we have reached a quantifiable point of six years.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m friends with a primordial spirit. Neat.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, you are unenthused about this. I am sad that I am only useful to you for my practical application.¡± If the spirit was joking, it wasn¡¯t clear.


    ¡°Ouch, you¡¯re making me sound like a piece of fungi!¡±


    ¡°I see. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°So, now that we are friends¡­want to show me the location of untold riches?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It was at least worth a try.¡±


    Hailey picked up her king and rolled it around in her hands. ¡°Hey¡­Logica?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She sat up, ready to get to business. ¡°So, I need to beat you at chess to move on, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So what if I cheated?¡±


    ¡°Although I am not omniscient within The Consciousness, I see no way I could be tricked. Should you be caught cheating, you will likely have failed to show you can ask for¨C¡± Logica coughed. ¡°I mean, you would fail and be sent to the start. If you succeeded in tricking me¡­yes, in theory, you would win.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so clearly there¡¯s a gimmick to this puzzle, right?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So¨C¡± Hailey paused. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re telling me that to leave this place, I need to beat the spirit of logic in a game of chess?¡±


    ¡°That is the rule, correct.¡±


    ¡°Does your gameplay have one fatal flaw I haven¡¯t noticed or something?¡±


    ¡°No. My gameplay is without flaw.¡±


    ¡°Is there a rule that¡¯s different from what I know?¡±


    ¡°You appear proficient in this version of chess, though you seem unaware of how to castle and en passant.¡±


    ¡°Castle? A croissant?¡±


    ¡°You were such an easy opponent I did not need to use it, but castling is a technique used when the king and rook have yet to move¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about that, but I don¡¯t think remembering it is going to make me win. So, what I¡¯m hearing is that I shouldn¡¯t be able to beat you on my own, like¡­at all, right?¡±


    The spirit smiled. ¡°It would be incredible if you did.¡±


    ¡°Then how in the world do I?¡±


    ¡°Ask me for help.¡±


    Hailey remained silent before realizing that was all the spirit would say. ¡°So¡­can you help me?¡± Before the spirit could speak, she added, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare say, ¡®I could.¡¯ You know fracking well what I mean!¡±


    ¡°I would willingly tutor you on how to beat me if you ask.¡±


    Hailey sighed. ¡°Was that all I needed to do to get out of here? What was the point of all this?¡±


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    ¡°To make you let go of your pride and ask for help,¡± Logica said, suddenly drinking a power drink.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Hailey turned to an unsurprised Kait, who nonchalantly shrugged. ¡°You knew that the whole time, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Kait nodded with a wry smile. ¡°A bit.¡±


    ¡°To help me grow, I guess? Don¡¯t bother answering.¡± Hailey understood the message would have been lost if she¡¯d just been told the solution, but she wasn¡¯t about to act like she was happy about it. ¡°Alright, whatever. I choose white. What should I move first?¡±


    The chess match ended as quickly as it had started. Logica told Hailey each move to make, resulting in a battle between one person¡ªwho just happened to be an all-knowing logic spirit¡ªand themselves. After a few minutes, all that was left was a bishop and king on white¡¯s side and the king on black¡¯s side.


    ¡°That makes it a draw,¡± Logica said.


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda lame,¡± Hailey noted. ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d at least win.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a win for both of us. Plus, you had more pieces.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel much better either way.¡±


    Logica shrugged, then pointed to her left. A black mist suddenly appeared. ¡°You succeeded. Feel free to pass or stay a while if you want.¡±


    She looked back to Logica. ¡°So, why can¡¯t you just show me the location of ancient riches?¡±


    ¡°Because other spirits called dibs on that stuff, and also some complicated internal affairs I can¡¯t talk about.¡±


    ¡°Dibs? Why do you care about gold and treasure?¡±


    ¡°Because we can hand the locations of the treasure out to mortals.¡±


    ¡°Like in the stories?¡± Many spirits had one or two myths about their good deeds, and although historians agreed many were taken out of proportion, others were also considered to be true.


    ¡°Yep, like in the stories. Do not tell anyone, but Kilzherbert got his formula, E = MC squared, from me.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why haven¡¯t I heard about that?¡±


    ¡°We keep that stuff under wraps these days.¡±


    ¡°And you just told me?¡±


    ¡°I failed to mention that it is my duty to personally murder you if you tell anyone else about it. Otherwise, I could receive serious repercussions.¡±


    ¡°I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS?!¡± Hailey said with a gasp of faux shock.


    ¡°Samurai¡¯s code.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a samurai¡­¡± Hailey muttered.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have told you that, though. We usually give information and aid to humans if they need the help.¡±


    ¡°So what about¡­say¡­when¡­¡±


    ¡°When what?¡±


    ¡°When my friend died¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to explain why The Consciousness has a hands-off approach. Though you may actually be¨C¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Hailey raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt certain as to what you are referring to,¡± Logica said, too quiet and quick for Hailey to comprehend.


    ¡°What did you just say?!¡±


    ¡°I was told by your counselor not to divulge such information.¡±


    ¡°What information?¡±


    ¡°The information regarding¨C¡±


    ¡°Dangit, Logica!¡± Suddenly, a younger version of Hailey appeared out of thin air, drop-kicked Logica, then teleported out with the spirit in tow.


    Hailey and Kait¡¯s mouths hung open for a minute afterward.


    Hailey shook her head, standing. ¡°I get that this whole thing was to make me ask questions more, but my mind is insisting I should never ask a spirit a question ever again.¡±


    Kait chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­NEXT!¡± Hailey said before walking through the mist.


    When she next reappeared, she was on a familiar platform of rock, and above her, more platforms rose toward a black mist. It seemed to signify a final challenge.


    Taylor and Taila strolled through the streets before stopping in front of a large domed building.


    ¡°So this giant dome has been the ritualist¡¯s place the whole time?¡± Taylor asked. It was a well-known landmark in the area, but he¡¯d never actually learned what it was.


    Taila shrugged. ¡°Pretty much, I haven¡¯t bothered asking for the ritualist¡¯s help more than once, since Mom was a fortune reader, too. Though, I remember that I did test for postcarrio just because I could.¡± Taila leaned into Taylor affectionately. ¡°But enough about me! I¡¯m soooo excited you¡¯re trying to learn magic, Taylor!¡±


    Taylor automatically pushed Taila a comfortable distance away. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s real cool,¡± he said unenthusiastically.


    ¡°That dumb-dumb necromancer and I do not work well together, and he¡¯s one of the only other trained magicians around here!¡±


    ¡°You know, he stopped by recently.¡±


    ¡°Jaine? Why?¡±


    ¡°No idea, he left without a trace.¡±


    ¡°So¡­he just walked by your house? I wouldn''t call that ¡®stopping by.¡¯¡±


    ¡°No. He walked in, did some weird things with Mk2, then left.¡±


    ¡°You are making no sense, Taylor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was weird.¡±


    ¡°Well, anyway, let¡¯s talk more about these rituals. I¡¯ll pay! We can just call it an early birthday present.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°I mean, geez, thanks, but I don¡¯t really want to make you pay for my mom.¡±


    Taila froze in place, her eyes widening. ¡°Wait, you had your mom pay for this?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow as he looked back. ¡°Uh, yeah? Do I look like I have five-hundred dollars to spend?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Taila turned her head away, trying to hide her nervous expression, then quickly looked back with a forced smile as she continued walking. ¡°No problem, we can just consider it her present. I may not look it, Taytay, but I¡¯m stacked.¡± Your mother, not so much, ATM, she thought.


    ¡°I appreciate the thought, Taila, but would you mind maybe not yelling about how rich you are in public?¡±


    Taila playfully elbow-jabbed Taylor and whispered. ¡°Come on, you can let loose a little!¡±


    ¡°Aunt PoTaitomucher2¡­how ironic the legend flaunted her wealth in video games and real life, only to be mugged by a kleptomancer.¡±


    Taila grumbled. ¡°Ain¡¯t like I¡¯d let that happen.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly would you stop it?¡±


    Taila continued to grumble. ¡°Premonitoring. It¡¯s an ability that lets me, like, predict things a second before they happen¡­if I try.¡±


    ¡°You can do tha¨C¡± Taylor began, but he was immediately cut off by Taila, who already knew what he¡¯d say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± She leaned back, then patted his shoulder, winking. ¡°It¡¯ll be our little secret. It¡¯s not a common ability.¡±


    ¡°Sure, auntie Tai, I won¡¯t tell anyone else how you¡¯ve been cheating with magic to impress your nephew in video games.¡±


    ¡°N-now, let¡¯s get ritualizing!¡±


    The two walked into the domed building. Inside, sunlight filtered through the dome¡¯s glass ceilings, and a receptionist was busy talking to a customer. ¡°Right, so let me get this straight¡­you want to¡­¡± he turned to face his laptop, set up behind his desk. ¡°Take the ritual for cryomancy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯ll check in with Lady Mera.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± The customer walked to a bench off to the side.


    Seeing Taila and Taylor walking to him, the receptionist welcomed them, ¡°Hello, do you have an appointment, or do you want to make one?¡±


    Taylor cleared his throat and straightened up. ¡°Oh, yes. I have multiple.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good to hear. So, could you tell me your first and last name?¡±


    ¡°Taylor Joul.¡±


    The receptionist began typing on his computer. Once he¡¯d found what he was looking for, he spoke again without turning his head, ¡°And will the lady behind you be participating in any rituals?¡±


    Taila shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you have postcarrio, doppelgear,¡± he squinted at the screen in disbelief, ¡°appetizer, aquaformer, and sumnus listed. Before we continue, what even is an appetizer? Do we sell food here? Did someone name a magic on a terrible pun?¡±


    ¡°You know how they say chicken noodle soup heals the soul?¡±


    ¡°Something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what an appetizer does.¡±


    ¡°They heal souls?¡±


    ¡°With food, or something. It¡¯s a new magic. I mostly picked it because it was cheap and I like cooking.¡±


    ¡°Wack¡­anyway, can you confirm those were the rituals you wanted?¡±


    ¡°They are.¡±


    ¡°Cool. How would you like to pay?¡±


    ¡°Cash.¡±


    The receptionist wrote a note on his laptop. ¡°Cash. Noted. That¡¯s all, please sit down and wait your turn. Mrs. Kukui will be with you shortly.¡±


    Taylor and Taila sat on one of the benches.


    ¡°I¡¯m sooo excited! What if you actually get a magic?!¡±


    ¡°Relax, Taila, there¡¯s at best a, I dunno, one in sixty chance that I get one,¡± he spitballed. ¡°Hailey¡¯s already found her affinity. It isn¡¯t likely I will, too.¡± Taylor immediately regretted mentioning Hailey¡¯s affinity for witchcraft as he realized who he was talking to.


    Taila took a second to comprehend what she¡¯d been told. She instantly leaned toward Taylor with excitement. ¡°WHAT?! IS HAILEY GONNA BE A WITCH?!¡±


    ¡°Taila, please stop yelling about witchcraft being a thing again, it¡¯s very disruptive and you¡¯ll cause rumors.¡±

 CH 23 Apprehensive Road

    Taylor and Taila sat on a bench, waiting to undergo Taylor¡¯s scheduled magic rituals.


    ¡°Is she really going to be a witch? Or something else?¡± Taila asked.


    ¡°Maybe. The ritual to become a witch was lost a long time ago, so¡­Kait would need to remember it.¡±


    ¡°So she does have an affinity! Is Kait going to teach her?¡±


    ¡°When did you even meet her?¡±


    ¡°Just a few days ago. What sort of spells has she cast?¡±


    ¡°Well, you already know she cursed Hailey. That¡¯s a powerful spell.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty strange now that I think about it. How did she cast the spell? It must have been a great ritual. If so¡­I wonder how that works?¡± Taila seemed more excited at the possibility of secrets to uncover.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than possible, but I don¡¯t know anything about these ¡®great rituals.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Oh! Well, there are a lot of texts from before the Crusade that described the powerful rituals the witches used. Though none of them referred to them specifically as ¡®great rituals,¡¯ so I understand why she didn¡¯t recognize the term. Hey! Did you know that the best witches were said to have the ability of harnessing souls into power? It¡¯s part of some super rare info your father found on an old tablet from the Renaissance era.¡±


    ¡°Souls¡­¡± He frowned. Something about that sounded¡­familiar to Taylor. He didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Crazy, right?¡±


    ¡°How is that crazy?¡±


    She rolled her eyes with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just about to make a magic education movement. Why don¡¯t they teach you this stuff in schools?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just souls, what is there to learn?¡±


    ¡°Well, admittedly, we still don¡¯t know much about them, but souls are known to be extremely important in magic!¡±


    ¡°How, exactly?¡±


    ¡°For example, your affinities for magic are determined in your soul before you are born.¡±


    ¡°So if there was an identical version of me with a different soul, they would have different affinities.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Also, witchcraft and most of its root magics are known for being able to manipulate souls in various ways!¡±


    Taylor pretended he knew what a root magic was. ¡°Like how?¡±


    ¡°Well, fortune reading, for example. We read someone¡¯s soul, then find The Consciousness¡¯s prediction as to what will happen to that soul.¡±


    A woman approached them, causing them to stop speaking. ¡°Hello,¡± she said, speaking slowly and methodically. ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Kukui, the witchcraft branch ritualist. I¡¯ll be conducting your first few rituals today.¡± The woman was about the same age as Taylor¡¯s mom, though the dark circles under her eyes made her look older. She had a clipboard in hand and wore a robe similar to Talia¡¯s, though not as fluffy.


    Taylor couldn¡¯t help but ask a question about them, though. ¡°Just out of curiosity,¡± he said, ¡°why do you and Taila wear those robes?¡±


    The ritualist glanced to Taila with recognition, then back to Taylor. ¡°It¡¯s just a tradition. People who deal with magic often try to separate themselves from the crowd. Not that I use my magic often. You look familiar¡­you said your name was Taylor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m mistaken, but weren¡¯t you one of Jaine¡¯s friends a while back?¡±


    Taylor opened his mouth, tempted to mention what had happened nearly two months ago, or, for that matter, when he had punched Jaine a few years back for unrelated reasons, but only said, ¡°Begrudging classmates would be a better term for our¡­current relationship.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯d be a stretch to say you¡¯ve kept up to date with him?¡±


    ¡°Actually¨C¡±


    ¡°So! Have you met Kait yet?!¡± Taila blurted out.


    ¡°Kait? Who is Kait?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a¨C¡±


    In a panic, Taylor forcefully jabbed Taila with his elbow, gutting the air from her. ¡°Taila, Kait wouldn¡¯t appreciate it if you violated her privacy.¡±


    Talia¡¯s eyes widened in pain.¡°But¡­Magi¨C¡±


    He squeezed Taila¡¯s arm. ¡°Sorry about that, Mrs. Kukui. Taila doesn¡¯t know how to keep a secret.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Her eyes remained half-closed, disinterested in whatever they were arguing about. ¡°So you wanted to do a few rituals?¡±


    Taylor nodded.


    ¡°Okay, just to be clear, all of them together will be three hundred and five dollars.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Taylor¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°I expected it to be a bit more expensive.¡±


    ¡°Rituals are tax-exempt,¡± she simply stated.


    ¡°Huh, the more you know.¡±


    ¡°Erm, Lady Taila, you look as if you wish to speak.¡± Mrs. Kukui said, looking at the slightly younger woman whose cheeks were practically puffed out, waiting to release air.


    ¡°Nothing¡­nothing at all,¡± Taila said with a depressed sigh, holding her head down.


    ¡°If you say so. Now, come along with me.¡± She motioned for them to follow.


    ¡°So, which ritual are we doing first?¡± Taylor asked, a little hopeful after all the talking that he¡¯d get his own magic to brag about.


    ¡°The appetizer one.¡±


    ¡°Oh. That.¡±


    ¡°Why did you even choose that? To be fair, it¡¯d make you one of four in the world, but it¡¯s questionable.¡±


    ¡°Because it was cheap. Why do you know that statistic off the top of your head?¡± Taylor raised his eyebrow quizzically.


    ¡°I looked into the subject a few years ago out of morbid curiosity.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re in the same boat.¡±


    Mrs. Kukui led them through a hallway and opened a door, beckoning her two customers into the dark room behind it.


    The inside was lit only by a dim red light, and there was an intricate, red ritual circle in the middle, black walls, a table with a grocery bag atop it in one corner, and shelves lined with various knick-knacks in the other.


    ¡°So, Taila, please take a seat at the table, and Taylor, you must sit in the center of the circle.¡±


    While the two took their positions, Mrs. Kukui took the grocery bag into her hands, then keeled down beside Taylor to set it down. She began sifting through it for an item.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Taylor asked, leaning to see what was inside.


    ¡°This bag contains the ritual catalysts for the first three of your rituals.¡± She pulled a banana, a piece of uncooked pork meat, a baggie of salt, a box of crackers, and a bottle of ketchup from the bag and placed them on the floor.


    ¡°Is this really what you need for the ritual?¡±


    ¡°Yes. One condiment, one typical seasoning, one plant-based item of food, and one piece of meat.¡±


    ¡°And the crackers?¡±


    ¡°You need to eat those while we conduct the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I guess I won¡¯t complain about food.¡±


    Taila watched with interest as Mrs. Kukui placed each part of a balanced breakfast on the cardinal directions of the circle, and Taylor snacked on crackers with the box in his lap.


    ¡°Now, I request that you remain relatively quiet, Taila. We will begin the incantation now.¡±


    The ritualist cleared her throat as she took her place on the outskirts of the ritual circle. ¡°Now, Taylor, repeat after me.¡±


    Taylor swallowed, preparing to speak. ¡°O¨C¡±


    ¡°With a cracker in your mouth.¡±


    Taylor looked around questioningly, as if asking, ¡®Is this girl serious?¡¯ but threw three crackers in anyway.


    ¡°Now, repeat after me,¡± she held up a piece of paper with the lines printed in large text to help him say the right words.


    ¡°Okway.¡±


    ¡°I ask the spirit of appetizers to unlock my talent.¡±


    ¡°Why ashk the shpirit of appetaishers to unlark mry talhent.¡±


    ¡°With the prayers of my bountiful food.¡±


    ¡°Wich the prawyersh off my brountifull frood.¡±


    ¡°And the healthy abominations of my kin¡¯s creation.¡±


    ¡°Awnd the healthwy obamanations of my kwin¡¯s cweation?!¡±


    ¡°So I may spread tastiness across the realm.¡±


    ¡°Shwo Ai mway shpreat the tastiness acwross thwe wealm?¡±


    The  items on the ground suddenly dissapeared.


    ¡°HA! THAT NEVER GETS OLD!¡± a boyish voice telepathically yelled into their ears, cackling mockingly. ¡°Yeah, no, you don¡¯t have an affinity for appetization. On the bright side, here¡¯s my latest dish.¡± A salad bowl fell on top of the table with a Post-It that said, ¡®consolation salad.¡¯ ¡°See ya later, cappuccino!¡±


    Taylor stared forward blankly and swallowed the crackers. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°You just spoke to a being of great power. How did it feel?¡±


    ¡°Like I just got pranked by a being of great immaturity.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to do this. Hailey thought as she entered that blue void for the second time.


    A staircase of platforms rose up to a black mist high in the sky.


    Hailey saw Kait look at her with pity. She recognized the black mist as well.


    Hailey¡¯s heart pounded. She clenched her hands and gritted her teeth. In her chest, she felt apprehension, fear, disgust, hate, and pain surge through her body with each heartbeat. She did not feel at home anymore, not knowing what was ahead.


    There wasn¡¯t a harsh penalty for failing, perhaps only a day of her time. There wasn¡¯t any reason to be afraid. Yet¡­she didn¡¯t want to move forward.


    To her, that memory represented all the suffering in her life. Her powerlessness, her hate, her stress, her fear, her past, her flaws¡­and her pain.


    It was in that moment that she understood what Taylor had said. She was in pain, and she didn¡¯t want to admit it. She knew it, but she hadn¡¯t ever really acknowledged just how much she hurt inside. Deep inside, she¡¯d always hurt.


    And what lay ahead of her was what caused all of that pain. Just remembering those events made Hailey freeze like water to ice, unable to think or move as she tried to forget how it made her feel.


    And though she didn¡¯t want to do it, now she would have to remember that pain, to face it head-on.


    After a minute of not moving, Hailey stepped forward without a word and began ascending the steps.


    The clatter of shoes on stone rang out with each step.


    After what felt like¡ªor perhaps was¡ªan hour, they arrived at the top, and the platforms suddenly collapsed into one.


    ¡°So,¡± Kait said as they approached the mist.


    Prompted by Kait, Hailey said, ¡°I guess I go in and stick it out.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Kait replied impartially, a knowing look on her face.


    Hailey didn¡¯t want to, but she stepped through.


    And the world collapsed.

 CH 24 Spirits Gathering

    Kaetha, appearing as the last form she¡¯d taken, Hailey¡¯s younger self, walked to a pool table and climbed up onto one of its stools.


    She was in a simple room built of wood, with a bar on the other side of the room. Pool, as it happened, had made a resurgence within the spirits¡¯ community. Around the table, three other spirits were gathered, playing the game.


    The first was Logica, who Kaetha had transported there not long ago. She was eagerly waiting for her turn. The second was Appenne, who took the form of a green-haired teen. For some reason, he was laughing hysterically, haphazardly placing his weight atop his cue stick. Finally, there was a girl clad in chitin armor with green beetle wings growing from her back. Her perpetual smile unnerved Kaetha enough to regret hiring the spirit. It was her turn, and she was carefully eyeing the balls on the table.


    Logica fiddled with her cue stick, smiling passionately. ¡°Hello, grandma! Why are you back so late?¡±


    Kaetha shook her head. ¡°No way I was late, Logica.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. I calculated you to be here twelve seconds sooner. Why did you take extra time reading her future?¡±


    Kaetha ignored Logica for the moment. ¡°What¡¯s Appenne laughing about?¡±


    Appenne heard her and slammed his arm onto the table. ¡°Hey, granny, you gotta hear this! This guy activated my ritual, and it turns out he was Hailey¡¯s brother. How funny a coincidence is that?¡±


    Kaetha rolled her eyes. He was her grandchild, sure, but with about three hundred others, it was difficult to care about the most annoying one of all. Still, they¡ªregrettably¡ªtalked often. ¡°Pretty funny,¡± she said flatly. ¡°Logica, since you¡¯re so precise with predictions, when do you think Brewa will get here?¡±


    The insect spirit hit the cue ball with her stick, sending it forward to ricochet off three balls, two of which landed in the pockets.


    Logica waited for the balls to stop moving, then swiftly repositioned and struck the cue ball, launching it into the mass of balls scattered about the table. Each ball ricocheted with precision, bouncing, hitting, deflecting, and glancing off each other perfectly until five fell into the pool table¡¯s pockets. ¡°I predicted he would arrive five minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Troubling. He usually gets his sleuthing done early. Insecaba, could you make me the graph wine?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, I¡¯d love to do some grunt work,¡± Insecaba said sarcastically. Despite her reservations, however, the Spirit of Coinsection, insect control, did just what she was asked with a smile.


    ¡°So, about the two souls. Since the first one wasn¡¯t sent back to The Consciousness for some reason, I made sure to keep the other one around, just in case she slipped away. These damned interruptions are pissing me off. First, we had two of my nieces threatening to kill Kait. Next we had a disappearing soul, and now my informant is late. What are the chances?¡±


    Logica tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Grandma, the chances of all these annoyances occurring were nearly one-hundred¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, Logica, I¡¯m just complaining.¡±


    Appenne laughed. ¡°HA! You never grow up, grandma!¡±


    ¡°That stings, coming from you.¡±


    Logica frowned. ¡°Grandma, why do you dislike Appenne so much? He is quite befuddling, I shall admit, but¨C¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a baby¡¯s sense of humor, and he¡¯s a terrible chef.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he the spirit of soul-healing food?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the irony, Logica.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Ha ha, Appenne, you¡¯re so silly.¡± Logica deadpanned to him. She turned back to Kaetha. ¡°I suspect that if something drastic were to happen, Brewa would be here in ten seconds. If he were simply lazy, it would be three more minutes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see...¡± Kaetha watched the bar intently, counting the seconds.


    Seven¡­eight¡­nine¡­ten¡­eleven¡­twelve¨C


    Behind the bar, where Insecaba was pouring Logica a drink, a massive, gruff man appeared, adorned in refined, dapper clothes and with loads of tattoos inscribed into his dark skin. Insecaba yelped and spilled some wine in surprise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡± she said to Brewa.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spill wine like that, ya mosquito!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°And hmph to you too!¡± The Spirit of Liquidation motioned with his left hand, and the spilled wine floated from the ground back into the glass. ¡°Kaetha, I¡¯d pour your wine, but we gotta talk!¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Something drastic happened, I presume?¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You know it.¡± Brewa walked to the other side of the bar and sat on a stool beside Kaetha. When the two sat next to each other, Brewa dwarfed his aunt¡¯s form to a humorously drastic degree.


    ¡°Spill it already,¡± she said impatiently.


    ¡°Sure, auntie. So here¡¯s the deal: Necro¡¯s in real big trouble.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d he get into this time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting there! So, turns out that some necromancer is trying to use a reimagined soul to create unnatural life. If he manages to, Necro may be punish¨C¡±


    ¡°STooooOOOoooOppppp,¡± Kaetha bellowed inhumanly as her body seemed to vibrate and stretch unsettlingly.


    ¡°Wha¨C¡±


    ¡°Iiiiie said stOoPpppeeee.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, are you¨C¡±


    ¡°D-d-dd-d-dD-daaaaarrrrnnnitt.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, you aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Wwwwwww-wWeEeee need to f-fix this¨C¡± she coughed with a disgusting lurch, then shook off her crazed denial, her body returning to normal. ¡°That¡¯s OUR soul,¡± she said, rubbing her neck.


    Logica butted in, ¡°There is a ninety-nine-point-none-of-you-cares chance that your statement is factually true.¡±


    ¡°And if we let¨C¡±


    Brewa interrupted, ¡°Can I PLEASE get the full story in, aunt?¡±


    Kaetha nodded hurriedly. ¡°Yes, we need to act quickly, but yes.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± He patted the young Hailey¡¯s head. ¡°Now, since his disciples are his responsibility, the blame¡¯s getting put on him. The Consciousness doesn¡¯t seem to know it¡¯s our fault, at least not yet. So, if the necromancer isn¡¯t stopped, Necro¡¯s ritualization rights will be revoked.¡±


    ¡°Oh great, The Consciousness wants to kill another dozen of my children. Boy, am I glad he overthrew me.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t all doom and gloom, those soul transplant ceremonies take at least half a day to finish, and the necromancer happens to be around Hailey. Plus, in the worst case scenario, we can take the blame for him.¡±


    ¡°So, long story short, we need to find the necromancer and stop him from creating unnatural life to save Necro¡¯s and our hides. Sounds pretty simple. What¡¯s his motive, creating an abomination?¡±


    ¡°No idea, aunt. The spirits I spoke to said that his motive was absent in their briefing.¡±


    ¡°It left out the motive?¡± Insecaba placed a cup of wine in front of Kaetha. ¡°Oh, thanks for the wine.¡± Kaetha briefly flashed a smile at her before placing a hand on her mouth in thought. Everyone stared at her for direction. ¡°Do you all know how we interact with the material world?¡±


    Insecaba shrugged. ¡°Giving mortals revelations through dreams?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is one way.¡±


    Logica happily began listing off methods. ¡°There are many ways. A spirit can possess a human in highly specific circumstances, ask for a human¡¯s help while they remain within The Consciousness or perform a specified ritual, request a leave of absence, or in rare cases be summoned physically into the world. There are also more specialized methods such as being called upon by a spell.¡±


    Kaetha stood up from her chair and walked to Logica. ¡°Yes, yes, Logica, you are so smart. What do you say we should do to gain influence in the real world to stop this necromancer?¡±


    ¡°We could send Kait to stop it? Alternatively, our set of circumstances allows for the possession of Hailey.¡±


    Kaetha scruffled Logica¡¯s head. ¡°Aw, what a smart granddaughter you are!¡±


    ¡°And Appenne, do you still have a connection with Taylor?¡±


    Appenne hadn¡¯t been paying attention but tried his best to pretend he understood what was going on. ¡°Uh, yes, granny! I still have influence over the ritual room.¡±


    ¡°Tell him there¡¯s a necromancer in his town, and he needs to be stopped from creating unnatural life from the stolen soul at all costs. Do you understand, my bastard grandchild?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s to help uncle Necro, I¡¯ll ignore your insults.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Brewa, I need you to keep tabs on the situation. Notify me if anything changes. Insecaba?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡± The spirit tensed at the greater spirit¡¯s unexpected burst of authority and niceties.


    ¡°I need to make sure Hailey doesn¡¯t wake up because we don¡¯t have any other immediate communications with the real world. In the meantime, you will be the sleuth. I need you to control your insects to spy on the other spirits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a peculiar request, Kaetha,¡± she said suspiciously.


    ¡°I can tell you don¡¯t like me all too much either. That¡¯s fine. However, I don¡¯t have much of a choice here. The fate of magic rests in my hands.¡±


    ¡°So, where are you going with this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fully trust you, but I need a sleuth with your ability to spy on many spirits at once with your insects. If any spirits plan to use this against me, and they will if they find a way to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s rough¡­give me double.¡±


    ¡°Double of what?¡±


    ¡°Give me double the pay.¡±


    ¡°Hard bargain. Sold.¡± Kaetha didn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°Finally, Logica. What will you do?¡±


    ¡°I think my best potential to aid you lies in being your communications liaison.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t care less what that means. You¡¯re a genius, so I¡¯m sure that idea is too.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I get that praise?¡± Appenne whined sarcastically.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a literal joke.¡± Kaetha raised her hand into the air dramatically. ¡°Does everyone know their role?¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Logica said.


    ¡°Same as ever!¡± Brewa shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m uncertain, but I want to get paid,¡± Insecaba said with a shrug.


    Appenne tapped on the pool table. ¡°I mean, I feel like I haven¡¯t been assigned much, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Move out!¡±


    All the spirits beside Logica and Appenne disappeared.


    ¡°Well, I hope he¡¯s still in that room,¡± Appenne said with a sigh.

 CH 25 Dash to Plummet

    Hailey and Kait appeared in the library. This was it. If she could make it past the memory, she¡¯d quickly get back to her body. But this was what she¡¯d dreaded for many days.


    As the world gained resolution, she saw him.


    Hailey¡¯s hand shook. She didn¡¯t want to see this, to watch her friend, fake or not, be shot again.


    He walked out of the library, innocuously bumping into her past self.


    She wanted to stop this madness, to slug the acting spirit in the face. But that wasn¡¯t how she should deal with the past, right? She had to accept what had happened and move forward.


    Her past self walked toward the room where Abbie was waiting for her but was distracted by a book.


    What Hailey felt wasn¡¯t regret, though. She didn¡¯t regret the past anymore. She despised it, wanted to rip it from her memory¡­but doing that was wrong. So she remained still.


    Something grabbed her hand. Hailey flinched, only to realize it was Kait, smiling warmly. She¡¯d seen her shaking hand and tried to help. For what it was worth, it at least made her feel better.


    There was a daunting silence as, outside of the library, the boy picked up his backpack, which held the gun.


    She hated this, feeling like she was powerless, standing still only to watch it happen. That wasn¡¯t what she wanted to do, but that was what she was supposed to do.


    He walked back into the room.


    Hailey hated, hated, hated, hated, hated, hated it. It felt wrong to push away her instinct to think about what she should have done. She wanted to do it¡­but had she ever done that? Wasn¡¯t that what everyone did when they regretted something? Play it over in their head, regretting their choices?


    BANG.


    Hailey¡¯s past self looked from her book in surprise, then dropped it and ran towards the noise.


    This is wrong. The world flickered.


    This isn¡¯t how I want to do this. Hailey squeezed Kait¡¯s hand in a death grip.


    Kait placed a hand on Hailey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hailey, calm down.¡±


    She didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°You can get past this!¡±


    No, she didn¡¯t want to. Not like this.


    ¡°Just accept¨C¡±


    The world shattered into a dark void just like before as Hailey closed her eyes.


    ¡°Hailey! You can still¨C¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kait¡¯s eyes widened as she met Hailey¡¯s. Her expression, her posture, her eyes¡­Hailey solemnly frowned with some mix of sadness and determination.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­like it?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave things this way.¡±


    The world crashed as Hailey¡¯s resolve peaked.


    Kaetha had already predicted that Hailey would fail, but she had anticipated a bigger fall. Kait was speechless as Hailey sat on the ground with crossed legs. Despite the fact that Hailey had apparently rejected her past, she seemed calm. How strange.


    Kaetha revealed itself and walked through the white realm of bubbles toward Kait.


    ¡°Wha¨C! Oh, it¡¯s just you, Kaethy.¡±


    ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Hailey just¡­froze up.¡±


    ¡°Interesting reaction.¡± The spirit motioned for Kait to follow then folded its arms as they walked out of earshot of Hailey. ¡°Sorry to separate you two, Kait, but I want your help.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Kaethy. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I need you to track someone down.¡±


    Kait woke from her sleep in Hailey¡¯s empty room, then stretched, still a little drowsy. She repeated, ¡°Number 5, 1227 Windy Lane,¡± over and over as she got up and walked out of the room.


    Clera came out of her office before Kait could go down the stairs. ¡°Hey, Kait, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Number 5, 1227 Windy Lane. Err, yeah, but be quick. I really need to do something.¡±


    ¡°How is Hailey doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s doing fine, though I think it may take another day or two before she¡¯s out, the way things are going.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Clera said skeptically. ¡°You haven¡¯t explained much of what¡¯s going on to me. Do you have time to do that?¡±


    Kait held up her hands to dissuade Clera from pressing forward. ¡°Not really, but things really are under control. There¡¯s no doubt she¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had enough of letting things fly over my head. I¡¯m sure whatever you need to do can wait.¡±


    This was the worst time to be questioned; when the fate of a second root magic laid over her head. ¡°No, really, Clera, I¡¯m sure everything¡¯s going to plan¨C¡±


    ¡°Just tell me exactly what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Kait averted her head as she gritted her teeth. ¡°F-fine, just come with me to Hailey¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clera sighed.


    In Hailey¡¯s room, Kait deftly grabbed a miniature dream catcher from the bed, then tapped Clera¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Clera yawned, then sat on the bed, resting against the wall.


    ¡°So, my spell essentially dragged Hailey¡¯s soul out of her body, then placed it into The Consciousness. And don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s still anchored to her soul, so when she¡¯s finished with it, Hailey will return to her body. Then, because I wanted her to self-actualize, she was put into a dreamlike¨C¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Clera was asleep.


    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Kait said with distaste at her actions before leaving the room. She had a job to do, although deep down she felt uneasy about completing it. Strange.


    She walked out the front door a moment later. ¡°Number 5, 1227 Windy Lane. Nice, I think I remember it! Necromancer guy, here I come!¡±


    She waved her broom about while jumping to create a wind and channeled the feeling of elation from jumping, activating a spell. Despite a passerby appearing, she blasted off on her broom into the open skies.


    Taylor hadn¡¯t expected to be contacted again while Mrs. Kukui was still busy setting up the next ritual, but that was exactly what happened.


    A cheery voice rang in their heads. ¡°Excuse me, mortals, I have a request for you.¡± Everyone in the room yelped in surprise. ¡°I need to ask something of this ¡®Taylor¡¯ person¡­if that¡¯s even your real name!¡± the spirit added in an attempt to be funny.


    ¡°W-w-what? But the ritual is over!¡± Mrs. Kukui said, shocked.


    The spirit continued, heedless of their surprise. ¡°You see, there¡¯s a necromancer in your city that seems quite intent on taking a soul he stole from The Consciousness to create unregistered life. I¡¯m not sure why, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nefarious or something. Thus, I, Appenne, request that you all figure out where he lives and stop him! Preferably by releasing the reimagined soul in his possession.¡±


    When no one spoke, he added, ¡°I see you¡¯re stunned. Well, hop to it.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about my son?¡± Mrs. Kukui asked.


    ¡°Is he a necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Logica, where does he live¡­? Got it. Does he live in apartment number 5, 1227 Windy Lane?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Spirit of Witchcraft has sent her own disciple to stop this, but I¡¯d like to see you all help.¡±


    ¡°Dangit, I knew he was up to something!¡± Taylor growled.


    ¡°I may as well come, too. I know the way there. Jaine¡¯s probably just doing something reckless again,¡± Mrs. Kukui said.


    Taila excitedly raised her hand and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time and book it! Show us the way, Mrs. Kukui!¡±


    Kait was trying to find the apartment, but after floundering around the city with her broom for a few minutes while searching for the place, she had only just then found the road. She¡¯d been flying above the streets in the most densely populated spot in the town, where many of the buildings were about five stories tall, so the city-dwellers gazed in awe. She frowned at the people below. No hiding my existence after this. She then drifted closer to the sidewalk, flying about six feet over the passersby to see the addresses, checking each building sequentially before she found it. ¡°1227 Windy Lane, finally!¡± She drifted to the concrete below, the people parting for her, then ran into the four-story-tall building.


    When she finally found the room on the third floor, she wasn¡¯t the only one there. Taylor, the fortune reader¡ªTaila, was it?¡ªand a woman in ritualist¡¯s robes stood in front of the door as Taylor searched through his pockets.


    Taila saw Kait out of the corner of her eye. ¡°Look! It¡¯s Kait!¡±


    Taylor pulled a hairpin from his pocket as their attention shifted to her. ¡°Kait? You¡¯re here too?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°But why are you here, Taylor?¡±


    ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°That makes two.¡±


    ¡°Who even is this ¡®Kait¡¯ person?¡± Mrs. Kukui asked.


    Taila was excited to explain to her acquaintance, ¡°Kait¡¯s a¡­c-can I tell her?¡±


    Kait shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, now.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a witch! A bonafide witch from the Renaissance!¡±


    ¡°Spectacular, if this isn¡¯t a joke,¡± she said with a level tone.


    Taylor sighed. ¡°Enough, we have a job to do, and I¡¯m getting d¨¦j¨¤ vu, standing in front of a door like this.¡±


    Taila reluctantly shut up, and the other two stood in wait.


    Taylor first knocked on the door. ¡°Jaine, this is Taylor. We need to talk.¡±


    Jaine¡¯s voice came through the door, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy. Just go away.¡±


    ¡°Coming anyways,¡± Taylor said before tapping the door with the enchanted hairpin.


    ¡°Taylor, that won¡¯t work,¡± Kait said.


    ¡°Err, why?¡±


    ¡°That spell needs you to be open to the person¡¯s thoughts and emotions. Symbolism and all that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can always brute force my way in.¡± Kait gently shooed Taylor from the door, then placed her hand on it. Instantly, she recollected a spell she could use to get in. A wild, unhinged expression crept onto her face, then she touched one of the door¡¯s hinges and punched the door savagely. Taila yelped at Kait¡¯s burst of violence before watching the door phase through its hinges and fall onto the ground with a loud thunk.


    Jaine wrote in his journal, drawing various rune prototypes for the spell he would use to transfer Alchemia¡¯s soul. He turned his head to the left, glancing at her jar. It wouldn¡¯t be too complicated to place her in a body to revive her, but making the transplantation stable was a more difficult task.


    Typically, a patient with cancer, for example, might undergo a simple change from one body to another, but he found that a reimagined soul, like Alchemia¡¯s, didn¡¯t work the same way. He was making good progress towards creating a new rune that could manage Alchemia¡¯s eccentricities, however.


    A knock sounded on his door. ¡°Jaine, this is Taylor. We need to talk.¡±


    What? He¡¯d come all the way here just to talk? Jaine sighed. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy. Just go away.¡±


    ¡°Coming anyways.¡± Coming anyways? What did that mean, that he was coming in any¨C


    Before he could finish the thought, his door fell to the ground like it¡¯d been kicked in, revealing a savage-looking witch behind it. ¡°HEY! What thatched idea made you think it¡­¡±


    Kait stormed near him as he spoke, a maniacal smile on her face as she approached him threateningly. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°Where is what? Why are you pulling my door¨C¡±


    ¡°The soul.¡±


    Jaine instinctively lied, ¡°What soul?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me, necromancer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to.¡±


    ¡°The reimagined soul you stole.¡±


    ¡°Stole? How can you steal a soul?¡±


    Kait suddenly lost her aggression as she tried to explain. ¡°The only souls that should be on earth are the ones that were born naturally. You stole a reimagined soul from The Consciousness itself, so I¡¯ve been tasked with taking it back.¡±


    ¡°Suuure. I see what game you¡¯re trying to play with me.¡± Jaine smiled devilishly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You can hide tons of those things on your chest, but I can¡¯t save a friend.¡±


    Kait¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Wait, how do you¨C¡±


    ¡°Necromancers can see souls, idiot.¡±


    ¡°Not to intrude on this important conversation,¡± a voice said, and Jaine noticed his mother was speaking over his heated conversation with Kait, ¡°but did Jaine do something bad? He¡¯s my son, and he wouldn¡¯t do anything¡­too unlawful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, thanks for implying I would do lesser unlawful things.¡±


    His mom yawned. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, if you needed to, you would probably bend the rules a little.¡±


    Kait continued, ¡°All I know is that I need to confiscate the soul.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, buck-o, before we talk any more, why did you involve my mom in this? Or¡­those two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I don¡¯t know. They got here before me.¡±


    Taylor raised his hand. ¡°We were told by a spirit to see you.¡±


    Jaine shrugged. ¡°Great. So who wants to talk about this over tea and biscuits?¡±


    His mom raised an eyebrow. ¡°When did I raise you to be a Kilt?¡±


    ¡°Biscuits and tea are not exclusive to the Kiltans, mom.¡±


    Mrs. Kukui hoarsely said, ¡°If you say so. Just make sure my tea¡¯s at least caffeinated.¡±

 CH 26 Reality Is a Comedy I Want to Star In!

    Kaetha watched with impatience as Kait spoke with the necromancer, watching through the omniscient vision that The Consciousness had granted her access to. From the look of it, there¡¯d be a long negotiation.


    How annoying. She was tempted to end the debacle herself by destroying the necromancer¡¯s exposed jar of mercury on her own since Kait was seemingly unaware it was the vessel for the reimagined soul. That would have been overkill, though, because the matter would surely be settled soon, ending the threat to her son¡¯s life.


    She glanced at Hailey, who hadn¡¯t moved from her place nearby. It wasn¡¯t likely she would move for at least an hour, Kaetha figured. She tended to sit still and think for long, tedious periods. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t heeded her advice and used the realm creatively. That was fine; more pay for her.


    Logica suddenly appeared beside her. ¡°Grandma, I fear there are plots against you.¡±


    Kaetha sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear in the final stretch. And please don¡¯t call me that in front of mortals.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry. Lumia and Elemencia are conspiring against you again.¡±


    ¡°Even worse! Did Insecaba tell you this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her ants saw the two speaking in the bridge room. Just one moment¡­¡± Logica disappeared, then returned a moment later. ¡°She tells me they seem skeptical about this operation. They may cut our funding because it was us who allowed the soul to be released.¡±


    ¡°They found out, huh?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I suggest we find a way to regain The Consciousness¡¯s favor before they can maliciously hamper you. There is a seventy-six percent chance that immediately cleaning this up will result in most of their concerns being sidestepped.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we were the ones who set it free, I don¡¯t see why being quick would stop them.¡±


    ¡°It is likely that they are only in the conspiring stage. Alleviating their concerns quickly might save us face and make them give up on turning it against us in a major way. Either way, Necro will, unfortunately, still be punished. The question is if this mess is blown out of proportion. Seventy-four percent, now.¡±


    Kaetha scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re timing me now? That¡¯s my Logica, gimmie a hug!¡±


    As Kaetha hugged her, Logica said, ¡°Seventy-two.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Kaetha let go of Logica. ¡°I¡¯ve only got one way to end this right now.¡±


    ¡°Possession?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kaetha walked to Hailey, then flicked her head, disappearing immediately afterward.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Hailey muttered as she looked around with confusion. ¡°What about possession?¡±


    Logica shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Friend.¡± then disappeared.


    ¡°Four hundred years stuffed in The Consciousness¡­let¡¯s see the sun again!¡± Kaetha woke up in a body quite similar to the one she¡¯d just left.


    In front of her was a drowsy Clera, who was very surprised to see Hailey wake. ¡°H-Hailey? You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not Hailey.¡± Kaetha stood up, checking out her bedtime clothes. Their fluffiness was quaint.


    ¡°W-what? Are you another¨C¡±


    ¡°No. Who I am is none of your concern.¡± Kaetha opened the window.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Clera said, unsure of her own eyes as she stumbled to her feet.


    ¡°Flying.¡± She jumped out of the window, then soared.


    Clera had no time to react as her child¡¯s body fell out of the window, then suddenly flew away. She felt like she was on the butt end of a cruel joke.


    Kait leaned against the wall as Jaine and his mother caught up. She was mainly praising her son for his independence at the age of just seventeen, as he¡¯d apparently moved out only a month ago. Kait wasn¡¯t too impressed, though.


    She waited until their banter calmed down. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but she suddenly felt a need to take things slowly¡­Still, she thought it wouldn¡¯t be right to waste everyone¡¯s time chatting. ¡°So what are we going to do about this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I nearly forgot we were bargaining for her life. So why are ya so determined to stop me from reviving her?¡±


    Kait rubbed her forehead. ¡°If I recall, it was because you¡¯re trying to create new life¡­or just because you took a soul.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making any sort of ¡®new life.¡¯ This girl was already revived when I found her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but try telling The Consciousness that. From its perspective, you stole a soul, then tried to revive it against the natural order. Oh, and that soul, it¡¯s¡­what was her name?¡±


    ¡°Alchemia. You¡¯re saying that she needs to die just because The Consciousness said so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, thatch The Consciousness, is what I say! I¡¯m not letting another friend get killed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kait agreed.


    ¡°But¨C¡± He paused, blinking in surprise. ¡°Oh, you agree with me? That makes this easier.¡±


    ¡°Yep. I think we should search for a compromise. What were you doing with her, anyway?¡±


    ¡°When she possessed Hailey, she called me up, asking for me to save her butt from being wiped by The Consciousness.¡±


    ¡°So, as you said, she wants to live.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, this is just a favor for a friend.¡± He shrugged, then opened the door to his balcony, feeling hot from being cramped in the small room with four other people. It wasn¡¯t too cold outside anymore, anyway. ¡°I requested a body from the necromancy foundation, and if I¡¯m lucky, it should be here in five days.¡±


    ¡°What do necromancers do these days? Last time I checked, they were second-rate witches that zombified people for power.¡±


    ¡°How mean could you be to my dignified kind!¡± He raised his hand in mock dramatics before shrugging. ¡°We transplant souls to save people from death.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds reputable. So what do you think we should do to¨C¡±


    Taylor¡¯s cell phone rang. ¡°Err, sorry about that¡­it¡¯s mom.¡± He walked into the corner to take the call. Before the conversation could continue, he turned back. ¡°KAIT! Why is my sister able to fly?! Is she possessed?!¡±


    ¡°What?! Wait, slow down!¡±


    ¡°My mom just said she saw Hailey fall out of the window then¡­then¡­¡±


    All eyes suddenly fell on the apartment¡¯s balcony, where Hailey had floated down.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t need to find her if she comes to us¡­¡± Taylor muttered.


    Kaetha blinked, admiring the convenience of the open balcony door before walking through. ¡°I must apologize for this.¡± Kaetha pointed towards the jar of mercury.


    Taylor slugged his sister in the face out of pure instinct, throwing her into the door frame like a rag doll. ¡°H-Hailey?¡± He realized what he¡¯d done afterward, stunned at his own aggression. Seeing his sister crumpled on the floor made his fist hurt all the more.


    ¡°Unexpected and annoying,¡± she sighed, then moved her hand toward the jar.


    Kait suddenly yelled, ¡°Vergo!¡± Her necklace shined yellow, then the two vanished.


    Hailey¡¯s eye twitched. Ever since Logica left, some green-haired spirit had been keeping an eye on her. Then, he suddenly began laughing. He was looking into the distance for some reason and, for about a minute straight, had been laughing his butt off.


    She turned her head toward him, finally set off by his annoying voice. ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t know who or what you are, but you¡¯re pissing me off.¡± She added politely, ¡°I¡¯d like it if you could stop.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Sorry, not a compelling argument.¡± He continued to laugh.


    Hailey walked close enough that the spirit could feel her palpable disdain. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of thinking, and I don¡¯t want a laughing jack of farts to interrupt my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Make me. You ain¡¯t gonna do¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡± The spirit fell to the ground, dead, then regained his body a few feet away.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very n¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡±


    ¡°Come now, that r¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°HA! Power Word: Kill!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny you think killing me is enough to kill me, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.


    ¡°Whoa, you have the smil¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡±


    ¡°¨Ce of a devil.¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really enjoying this, aren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I am, but mostly I¡¯m just testing something out.¡±


    ¡°Oh! So you didn¡¯t actually want me to¨C¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡±


    ¡°Ha! How dreadfully spiteful you are!¡±


    ¡°Spiteful, huh?!¡± Hailey smiled like she¡¯d achieved something. ¡°Tell me, spirit, how does time work here?¡±


    ¡°Gran said it was dependent on your psyche.¡±


    ¡°My psyche?¡±


    ¡°She said it¡¯d take longer the less you wanted to face reality. Or something like that.¡±


    ¡°The less I wanted to face reality¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    Hailey frowned in thought. So that¡¯s what Mk3 meant¡­¡®The more you want to move, the more you will move¡¯ ¡°Then,¡± Hailey¡¯s frown turned into a mischievous smile. ¡°You¡¯re saying that if I throw myself forward with raw determination, a desire to face ¡®reality¡¯ so great I¡¯d look like a madman, that I could brute force my way through here in a flash?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I like that smile. It reminds me of me.¡±


    ¡°Power Word: Kill.¡±


    ¡°How many bodies do you want to pile up?¡± The spirit motioned to the many green-haired corpses on the ground after dying once more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t compare me to a joke like you. This stupid ¡®dream realm¡¯ you spirits designed for me¡­I¡¯ll just crush it.¡±


    He pointed and laughed. ¡°Hahahaha! You think you can get past that traumatic memory of yours right after failing it?!¡±


    She smirked. ¡°I didn¡¯t fail it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I just got a little too rebellious a little too late.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like an excuse.¡±


    ¡°Call it what you want, joker, but I¡¯ll throw myself at this problem and break it under my grip!¡± She raised a clenched fist into the air. ¡°Just watch me, you lunatic spirit!¡±


    Hailey dashed across the crater.


    She had one thing in mind, one determination. She wouldn¡¯t accept mediocrity, not anymore. Sitting down and watching as her friend was killed in the memory¡­she could do that, but that wasn¡¯t a memory, it was a play.


    And the annoying climb to that memory? It was a joke. She had done most of it twice before, so none of it was even worth a thought. Failing that memory¡¯s ¡®trial¡¯ wasn¡¯t an accident. She thought it¡¯d be fun to walk back in there and crash the party. Seeing that damned Jason fly to the ground by her feet would be fun, so she didn¡¯t waste the opportunity to make it happen.


    She rushed forward, knowing every factor in play. Single-minded determination was what made her shine. She¡¯d made her cherished friend with it, and she would never reject the past she entrusted to her memory.


    Appenne smiled and laughed, happy to see a great joke unfold.


    He could try to stop the human from fulfilling her determined goal because she might interfere with his grandmother¡¯s plan, but¡­this Hailey girl, who he¡¯d underestimated for the past few days, seemed pretty invigorated, with some strange ambitions. He was at least happy to sit back and laugh at them. Why not let the mortal do what mortals do best and annoy his grandmother?


    Ha! A lot of reasons, but none he cared about!


    Kait and Kaetha appeared almost a mile in the sky.


    ¡°You IDIOT! Kait!¡± Kaetha yelled before flying down along with gravity.


    Kait unclipped and climbed onto her broom as she fell, stabilizing herself. Seeing the patron of her powers soar downward, she tried to match the greater spirit¡¯s speed. ¡°Kaetha, I will not allow you to kill an innocent in this way! We can still find a compromise!¡±


    ¡°This is why I¡¯m in ruins, Kait! You were a soldier, but you couldn¡¯t harness the malice it took to kill, let alone protect those you loved!¡±


    Kait yelled the name of her fallen comrade, ¡°Kevain!¡± It activated a spell to negate her air resistance, giving her the boost of speed needed to slug Hailey¡¯s body, sending Kaetha sprawling through the air from a loss of balance. However, Kait felt a surge of lethargy as she touched the spirit.


    Kaetha didn¡¯t pause, accelerating toward the ground as fast as she could. ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, all my children will suffer for it!¡±


    ¡°We can still think of a way to get out of this situation, Kaetha! We don¡¯t need to kill her!¡± Kait yelled through the wind.


    ¡°Alchemia is not a person, Kait. She is the property of The Consciousness and shouldn¡¯t be alive!¡±


    ¡°This is why we can¡¯t see eye to eye, Kaetha!¡±


    ¡°We never have,¡± she scoffed, then pointed to Kait. ¡°You cannot stop me!¡±


    Kait¡¯s lethargy, caused by a spell Kaetha had cast, made it difficult for her to open her eyes through the cold wind. She pulled a lighter from her pocket and struggled to smile, channeling what excitement she could before the flame launched from the lighter and enveloped herself, increasing her heartbeat.


    The spirit was right. Kaetha was the Spirit of Witchcraft, and Kait was nothing more than a witch with her dead friends¡¯ souls behind her. Yet, she would stall as long as she could in hopes that the others could find a way to save the soul.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t kill me, Kaetha. If I died, that¡¯s it for both of us!¡± Kait took a deep breath to channel calm, then used the clear air around her to activate a spell to let her see through the clouds. Just as she did, they burst into one.


    She saw Kaetha activate a spell, condensing some of the clouds into a chunk of ice, then hurling it at Kait to slow her down. Kait yelled, ¡°Teretes!¡± She cast his signature spell, briefly vaporizing herself into a cloud to phase through the attack.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Before she left the cloud, she smiled mischievously, channeling giddiness before tapping Kaetha¡¯s shoe with a spell to lighten the spirit, causing her to hit terminal velocity, falling much slower than before, despite her flight.


    Kaetha and Kait pressed forward through the almost deafening wind, but Kait was out of ideas. Both she and the spirit had almost no foci to use for spells, and while she was running out of emotions, the spirit didn¡¯t need any to cast spells, unlike the mortal. Still, Kait¡¯s lightening spell had placed her in a good position.


    ¡°No doubt you¡¯re growing annoyed with me,¡± she said, trying to distract the spirit.


    ¡°I am quite cross with you. You¡¯re determined to ruin everything I plan. None of this would matter if you just accepted my offer. You could rule the world, but you¡¯re too indecisive to take the chance!¡±


    Kait smiled confidently, packaging her satisfaction for a later spell. ¡°Give it up, granny. Just give my friends some time to find a loophole through the law, and we can save Alchemia!¡±


    ¡°So what, Kait? Must you always forgo the greater good?¡±


    ¡°Is it not that attitude that killed everyone I know, Kaetha?!¡± she yelled, angered by the sentiment. ¡°Is The Consciousness that you so dearly despise not a force that acts for the greater good and only the greater good?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different, Kait. It killed everyone! Just accept that!¡±


    ¡°I have, Kaetha, heck, I¡¯ve accepted it too much, but you¡¯re so stuck trying to return to the world we both abandoned for our lives that I¡¯m stuck fighting you!¡±


    Kaetha gritted Hailey¡¯s teeth in stifled anger.


    ¡°All your disciples are emotional freaks, accept that!¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t act as if you understand what it¡¯s like to see everything you worked for crumble in front¡­¡± Kait frowned as she saw tears form in Kaetha¡¯s eyes, an understanding being shared between them. ¡°¡­In front of us.¡±


    They approached the ground.


    Hailey ran, ran, and ran. She wasn¡¯t sure¡ªno, she didn¡¯t care how long it took to traverse the white wasteland of forgotten knick-knacks. She just ran. It felt like seconds before Hailey saw the cracked earth of her memories in front of herself. As she approached them, she leaped forward onto a fracture without hesitation.


    She appeared in her school¡¯s computer lab, where she was laughing with Abbie. Linne sat down beside her fake self, but she was ignoring Linne, instead looking at Abbie like her other friend didn¡¯t exist.


    The real Hailey tapped Linne¡¯s shoulder, causing her to turn around in surprise. ¡°Love you, Linne!¡± she said with a smile before hugging her. She quickly dashed out of the lab.


    The world shattered.


    As she appeared once more in the grey realm, Hailey took a step forward.


    She sat in her messy bedroom, crying.


    ¡°HEY, ME!¡±


    Her fake raised her head.


    Hailey smiled as she balled a fist. ¡°GET UP, AND FEEL THE THING!¡±


    ¡°The¡­thing? What in the world is ¡®the thing¡¯?¡±


    ¡°YOUR FACE!¡± Hailey punched herself in the face, bearing the pain that shuddered through her fist, then leaped out her window with a smile.


    The world shattered along with the window.


    She took another step.


    Her younger self refused to drink water as she toiled in her backyard garden. She was supposed to fall unconscious from exhaustion, but Hailey picked up her younger self, much to the acting spirit¡¯s annoyance, and dropped her at the indoor sink before dashing out.


    She dashed through the front door, and the world shattered.


    She wasn¡¯t ¡®fixing¡¯ the past because she thought it would change anything. She did it because she felt like making things better. It was that simple.


    Hailey took a fourth step.


    Taylor threw a punch at his crude friend for going way too far with the teasing of his younger sister but was intercepted by a dramatic dropkick as Hailey suddenly fell from the sky, then made off like a bandit. The world shattered.


    A fifth step.


    A younger Hailey moved the pointer on a computer, not knowing she was about to trash a year¡¯s worth of pictures before the real Hailey hit the power button and dashed off. The world shattered.


    The truth was, there wasn¡¯t just one way to cope with regret.


    A sixth step!


    Taylor swore he could fall from the roof without being injured, much to Fake Hailey¡¯s entertainment, before falling and breaking his¨C


    Hailey caught him midair, then gently set him down. The world shattered.


    There was a fact that Hailey had begun to realize, something that she felt relieved to understand¡­


    Seven!


    Fake Hailey and Tera each leaned against a trash can, their backs to each other. Each of them looked down sadly, but Tera held a can of soda in her hand, keeping up a facade of being cool and composed. They were in a foggy graveyard where a number of other people somberly milled about, most either leaving, speaking to each other, or mourning.


    The moment Hailey saw Tera, she clenched her fist. She rushed toward Tera without a second thought. I¡¯ll hit her like I did everything else here, I¡¯ll¡­


    As the acting spirit saw Hailey throw back her fist, they rolled their eyes. A sad look passed across Fake Hailey¡¯s face as the dimension seemed to flicker for only an instant.


    Hailey stumbled to a stop, closing her eyes. No. She shook her head, and after a moment, slumped, her fists falling open.


    ¡°She was my best friend¡­¡± Fake Hailey muttered.


    ¡°She was mine, too,¡± Tera said.


    Silence passed between them.


    Fake Hailey sighed, dried tears still visible on her face. ¡°I thought I was,¡± she said in a dark, almost challenging tone.


    Hailey¡¯s eyes widened. She had hated to hear someone claim they understood what Abbie meant to her, and she had made that clear to her grieving friend with one sentence.


    The sound of aluminum crinkling and liquid splashing seemed to echo in the silent fog as Tera crushed her can of soda. A silence passed as neither person¡¯s expression shifted.


    Then, she spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Tera walked away.


    Hailey couldn¡¯t believe it. She couldn¡¯t believe she hadn¡¯t realized. Of course Tera hates me. I couldn¡¯t even realize¡­that it¡¯s all my fault.


    Hailey rushed forward after Tera and tackled her just as a crack appeared in the fabric of reality. She found her arms wrapped around Tera. ¡°I swear, once I make it out of here, I¡¯ll make it up to you. I¡¯ll make it up to everyone. I won¡¯t let this happen again, not ever.¡±


    She heard a chuckle behind her as the familiar voice of that weird spirit came out of her mouth. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± they said doubtfully. ¡°You¡¯re a complete ¡®brat,¡¯ right?¡± they said, mimicking her voice. ¡°You might be sincere now, but won¡¯t you conveniently ¡®forget¡¯ how much of a brat you can be the moment you can avoid taking accountability?¡±


    She frowned back at her fake. ¡°Don¡¯t make me Power Word: Kill you again.¡±


    Her fake shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, you can learn as much as you want about yourself, make as many promises as you want, but in the end it¡¯s your actions that matter. Will you say, ¡®I didn¡¯t know¡¯ the moment you step foot out of here, or will you keep upholding yourself to that standard?¡±


    ¡°Suddenly, you started talking big words. It really doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Hailey shook her head as cracks slowly formed in the world. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want to feel this way again. I don¡¯t want to know¡­to know I made my friends feel this way, not again. I refuse to-to be a brat,¡± she said, moving to stare the spirit in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wallow in my own self-expectations. I-I swear, once I¡¯m out of here, I will be the best friend I can be.¡±


    ¡°Heh. Alright. You can go.¡± The world was about to shatter. ¡°The last memory is meant to catch you off-guard.¡± She smirked as Tera looked at her with a ¡®seriously?!¡¯ expression, as if she had betrayed them. ¡°Just don¡¯t disappoint, got it?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Hailey said challengingly.


    The world shattered.


    The truth, she realized, was that every person coped differently. Acceptance was at the end of every road, but her form of acceptance wasn¡¯t one where she¡¯d just roll with the punches.


    Hailey saw a beautiful scene of her and her family watching the scenery from the top of Tarraka Falls. She leaped off the waterfall, feeling the mist and wind blow past as she did.


    She heard a dumb voice from above, ¡°Ha! I¡¯m cheering for you, Hail girl!¡±


    The world shattered.


    Her form of acceptance was one where she rejected what was behind her and fought.


    She took a step forward.


    Inside the library, Jaine walked forward, a jar of mercury in his quaking hands as a bloodstained Hailey and an officer watched him with hope. Suddenly, his hands twitched, and the jar slipped from his hand, falling to the linoleum below.


    The world shattered instead of the jar as Hailey lunged forward and caught it before it could fall.


    Fought that regret head-on, not just head-up.


    Ten.


    Fake Hailey stood over Abbie¡¯s body, holding her hand and praying to The Consciousness for her friend to survive.


    She heard the voice of someone losing everything at once, incomprehensible. ¡°H-Hailey¡­I¡­I don¡¯t¡­s-s-save¡­I want¡­please.¡±


    The past Hailey could barely squeak out a response to her dying friend¡¯s incoherent pleas. ¡°Abbie, please, you can¡¯t die here¡­I-I¡­why¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think this is gonna stop me in my tracks, huh?¡± Hailey calmly said to the spirits in front of her, trying not to lurch at the blood pooling on the ground beneath her friend¡¯s doppel.


    Her fake turned around to meet her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re really damn annoying.¡±


    She gave them a wide, shit-eating grin. ¡°Good, it means I¡¯ve got one up on the world itself. Smell you later, actors.¡± Hailey walked out of the room.


    And eleven.


    Hailey dashed through an alchemy lab, burst through a set of double doors, then jumped up a set of easy-to-climb icy platforms. Alchemia had been nice enough to give her a shortcut. She was a nice girl, whether or not she truly was part of Hailey. She leaped into a cloud of mist.


    Hailey appeared at the base of a mountain, hail pouring from a dark, swirling cloud above it, but she wasn¡¯t intimidated. If she overcame it once, she¡¯d make mincemeat of it when she did it again!


    Faster than Mk3 had been the first time she¡¯d climbed the mountain, she left a trail of dust in her path, making her way up the cliffs and trails with superhuman speed and strength. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on all the reasons she needed to be out, needed to face the world again.


    Hailey felt the pain exerting her body with each step she took, fighting through the cold wind, yet she felt lighter and lighter, as if each step forward she let go of a weight on her back. But she could also feel the fear, pain, and responsibility of greeting reality again, pushing her to hesitate.


    But everyone is waiting for me. Every time I made a mistake, I felt worse, and so I¡¯d make more mistakes. I felt heavier and heavier, as if I couldn¡¯t stand out of my bed. But I have to push myself. I have to¡­to fix those mistakes, to take those burdens off my shoulders. So I can¡¯t hesitate. As long as I can still move, I can still climb! So this mountain can burn as far as I care, I¡¯ll move past anything in my way! Linne, Abbie, my friends¡­I¡¯m sure they hate me after everything I said to them, and the way I treated them, but I¡¯ll make it up to them. I want to prove to myself that I can do it, that I can be better!


    Far away, laying on a tree branch, Mk3 watched her climb with a proud smile. It was a good sight to see before the end of her life, watching herself fight to be alive under a hailstorm like the one she was named after.


    In no time, Hailey sundered the mountain with her psyche. To her eyes, it was nothing more than a blip, a small, insignificant hill. Just as much as her body had ached, just as much as she had felt pain, just as much as she had cried on her way up, she was determined. Those things, those measly obstacles, they wouldn¡¯t stand in her way.


    After all, she only had so much time on stage. Why not prove she was a character worth remembering while she still could?


    As she ran onto the peak, she leaped off the cliff and into an approaching cloud.


    The end to the dream was fast approaching.


    Taylor addressed the whole room before anyone else could recover from the shock of the two witches disappearing. ¡°I have no clue what that was, but I think Kait needs us to find a loophole in whatever law says Alchemia needs to be killed. Jaine, explain to me in simple terms, does she need to die?¡±


    ¡°She was meant to go back to The Consciousness, but I took her away. I think that counted as ¡®stealing¡¯ her.¡±


    ¡°So either we return her by releasing her from that container of mercury, or we do something to ease The Consciousness¡¯s concern¡­¡± Taylor placed his hand to his face in thought.


    Mrs. Kukui, who was relatively informed on The Consciousness, proposed a solution. ¡°The Consciousness might accept a different soul instead?¡±


    ¡°How nice of you to offer yourself as a sacrifice,¡± Jaine joked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, Jasmine. I¡¯m not a very self-sacrificing person.¡±


    ¡°Then what conclusions should I jump to?¡±


    ¡°You mentioned that Kait had souls with her¡­is that true?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Ja(sm)ine smirked and raised his hand, which his mom tiredly high fived. ¡°But how do we get a soul out?¡±


    His mom answered his question with a formal tone as she gave the instructions. ¡°Souls need to be stored in something physical. In the case of The Consciousness, it¡¯s made of mercury, so it can store as much as it needs to.¡±


    ¡°So she must be storing them in some super-potent relic.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. It should work just as well as any jar of mercury.¡±


    Jaine turned to Taila. ¡°Taila, do you know anything about runes?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m acquainted with them.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I need two runes drawn, right here, right now, from both of you. We don¡¯t have much time before evil Hailey returns, so snap to it! We need to put Alchemia¡¯s soul into the relic and replace her soul with another that¡¯s from the relic. That means one rune to extract a soul, one to transport it, and one to seal it in the other item for both the souls. I¡¯ll handle the extraction rune, you two choose between yourselves. Let¡¯s get cracking!¡±


    Taylor smiled uncertainly. Even if I¡¯m not a mage, I¡¯ll do my best for the people who need me. He steeled himself as he looked at the balcony, waiting for his time to support the others.


    Kaetha finally thought of a spell to slow Kait¡­if she could just touch her. She cast a spell with Hailey¡¯s clothes as a focus, creating a tiny string between her clothes and Kait¡¯s broom before using the line to pull herself just close enough to grasp one of the broom¡¯s needles. She used it as leverage, trying to touch Kait.


    ¡°Wha-what are you doing!¡± Kait reactively swatted her hand away, but that was enough to activate Kaetha¡¯s spell, causing her to fall as slow as a bristle of a broom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect the future of magic!¡± Kaetha abused her unrestricted magic to repeatedly blast wind behind herself, outpacing Kait.


    Closer, closer, closer! Kaetha arrived on the balcony just seconds before Kait could, terrifying the four inhabitants. She raised her hand. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this!¡±


    Hailey was in the final stretch. She leaped from platform to platform, ready to end her odyssey. When she came to the black mist, the symbol of her pain, regret, suffering, and inadequacies, she didn¡¯t pause, nor did she grimace or grit her teeth. Well, no, she did the latter.


    But that was just a smile.


    When she arrived in the library, she hit the ground running. She slugged the damned murderer in the face, sweet satisfaction finally resounding through her fist as she did it, then ran out of the room, hearing cries of encouragement from an acting Appenne in the background. Then she dashed out of the school, ending the traumatic memory¡¯s reenactment without a single sentence.


    As she did, though, she caught a glimpse of an undisguised Logica staring at her with curiosity, hidden in a corner.


    The library behind her shattered into a brilliant rain of shards, countless memories reflected onto them like mirrors, hailing onward into nothingness as she stepped beyond the past¡­


    Not quite yet, though.


    Abbie stood in wait, boredly sitting on the ground of a stark white realm.


    Suddenly, someone ran in, disrupting her from the practically ceaseless silence.


    Her mouth dropped, and her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing her.


    ¡°H-Hailey?! Is that you?¡±


    ¡°How do I get out?¡± she asked with a frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I need to tell you that I love you, and you were a great friend and all.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Last I checked, we were the best of buds! If I didn¡¯t bite the dust, I¡¯d have lived to make your other friends feel insignificant in comparison to our friendship!¡±


    ¡°You already did, you know. Anyway, Abbie, if that¡¯s even your real name, I need to get going.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°W-wait, you don¡¯t want to talk?¡±


    ¡°No, and I think my ticket out is slugging you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any slug¨C¡± Hailey punched her friend in the gut, just like that fateful day when they had first begun to be friends. ¡°I eat those kinds of slugs for breakfast,¡± her friend wheezed out with misplaced pride.


    ¡°How about lunch and dinner?¡± Hailey asked, smiling. She was happy to talk to her friend, fake or not. Or, in this case, slug her friend for having the nerve to die!


    ¡°Maybe not for all three meals. I think that¡¯s unhealthy¡ªOOF.¡±


    Hailey had gut-punched her again.


    ¡°That¡¯s lunch!¡±


    ¡°PFFFAAARRG!¡± Hailey¡¯s friend kneeled on the ground before being punched a third time.


    ¡°And dinner. You¡¯re already dead, I¡¯m sure, so you can suck it up!¡± Hailey ignored the searing pain resounding through her fist as a tender smile grew on her face.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it alright to punch your friend, you fracker.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you coughing up any oil, though.¡± She looked down then shook her head with nostalgia. ¡°Abbie¡­¡± Hailey kneeled in front of her friend, then suddenly pulled her into a hug as tears began to grow in her eyes. ¡°I-I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared that this will be the last time I¡¯ll get the chance to see your face. You¡­you were a perfect friend, while it lasted.¡±


    ¡°More like a perfect punching bag,¡± she said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, nice and soft, how I like it.¡± She chuckled along with her friend. ¡°But¡­I just¡­I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m really equipped for my life. I¡¯m such an brat, such an brat to everyone I know, and I¡­I don¡¯t know if I can make it up to them. I don¡¯t know if being single-mindedly determined to do it is enough.¡±


    Abbie put a hand on Hailey¡¯s head and softly said, ¡°You¡¯re perfect, girl. Even if you need to change, I know you can do it. You¡¯re more passionate than I could ever be, and I wish I could¡¯ve been you when my time came¡­¡± Tears began to form in her eyes. ¡°I wish I could¡¯ve said something of value to you before I died. Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m here today.¡± Hailey blinked as her friend pushed her away, then sent her one last, enthralling smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be too lost without me.¡±


    Suddenly, Hailey felt a fist jam into her gut, sending her reeling over.


    She closed her eyes as the hit somehow, despite all the pain, felt¡­relaxing. She fell to the ground. ¡°It really hurts, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Dessert tastes the sweetest, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Abbie said as she stood, then placed a foot atop Hailey¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not done yet. I know this is the end, but I¡¯ll keep running.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean, sista¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A lot.¡± Hailey balled a fist, her nostalgic smile unwavering. ¡°I know you¡¯re not real, but it was nice. See the real you in the afterlife.¡±


    Abbie smiled as Hailey shattered into a million memories and faded back into reality.


    Then she looked up as tears of fear and happiness alike fell down the dead girl¡¯s face. ¡°See you, too, Hailey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time to¨C¡± Kaetha hesitated for just a moment as Taylor lunged to tackle her, evading him with an unsteady leap to the side, then placed a hand on the apartment¡¯s glass, scowling with frustration. ¡°¡­To end this!¡± Just as she readied a spell to shatter the jar¨C


    She lurched.


    Her eyes widened.


    Suddenly, Kaetha was forcefully ejected from Hailey¡¯s body and ripped back to The Consciousness. She placed her hands on her head, trying to fight against the invader.


    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE! HOW IS SHE ALREADY¡­what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Hailey had returned.


    For all of about two seconds, before she was knocked down by a falling Kait¡¯s punch.

 CH 27 Uncovered Happiness(End of Part 1)

    Kait landed on the balcony, unsure if the spirit would stand up.


    ¡°OWW! What in the world¡­ahhhhhg!¡± Hailey writhed in pain. ¡°What just hit me?!¡±


    Kait blinked in surprise, recognizing her voice. ¡°H-Hailey, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Why in grass blades am I on a balcony?!¡±


    Kait looked between the startled inhabitants of the apartment and Hailey. ¡°Wait, just a moment. Hailey, you got out?!¡±


    Taylor scrambled back up after falling face-first into the balcony railing, rubbing his head as he stared wide-eyed at Hailey. ¡°You¡¯re out?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Now answer my question!¡±


    ¡°Well, you were possessed and stuff¡­¡± Kait said uncertainly as Taylor nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Again?¡± Hailey growled and stood onto her feet. ¡°Well, you better hope I don¡¯t have a concussion from whatever you hit me with.¡±


    ¡°You mean my punch?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that.¡±


    ¡°So before the pleasantries, can we get this ritual a-going?¡± Jaine asked.


    Kait looked at the runes. ¡°Oh, sure, so you all thought of a way to save Alchemia?¡±


    Jaine hesitantly said, ¡°We need a soul or two for our current method.¡±


    Kait placed a hand on her chest, where the Witch¡¯s Catalyst lay. ¡°And you want this?¡±


    Jaine nodded.


    Kait smiled. ¡°If it has any chance of helping someone, it¡¯s no problem.¡± She carefully took the necklace off, then handed it to Jaine. ¡°Be careful with that. Protect it with your life.¡±


    He held it with a tight, steady grip.


    Hailey smiled and energetically stretched, happy to be back, as she watched Jaine place the necklace on one of the chalk runes and the jar of mercury on the other.


    ¡°Now, I just need to activate my magic.¡± He placed his hands on the ground between the two, activating his necromancy. The six runes glowed, then dimmed. ¡°And she¡¯s transferred, easy as that. Next, we¡­need to break apart the mercury.¡±


    Kait saw no one else would do it, she picked it up and got ready to pour the mercury over Jaine¡¯s desk.


    ¡°NO! What are you doing?!¡± Jaine yelled.


    ¡°Breaking it apart?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous, you dimwitty witch!¡±


    ¡°I doubt the mercury will soak into the wood.¡±


    The room slowly came to a realization that Kait didn¡¯t know how dangerous mercury was.


    Taylor chuckled. ¡°Mercury lets off toxic fumes, Kait. If you poured it out like that¡­¡±


    Kait handed the jar to Jaine. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Jaine said. ¡°I think I can just pour it into two jars. If I do that, the souls should lose coherency and return to The Consciousness.¡± Jaine did just that, carefully dripping about a third into another jar before sealing them both off. ¡°And there they go.¡± He said, watching the souls disappear.


    Kait¡¯s expression grew grim as she looked away from it. Two people she had once known had finally met their ends, as they should have centuries ago. Their souls were aged and decayed, their humanity wholly unsalvageable, but she felt a sense of finality in the deed.


    Jaine wiped his hands together, signaling they were finished. ¡°So, Kait, I¡¯m going to need that soul item thingie you¡¯re wearing once I have the transplant ritual set up.¡±


    ¡°Because you placed Alchemia¡¯s soul inside it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll hand it to you once you have it prepared.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a date.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Hailey began. ¡°Enough with the serious talk I don¡¯t understand! I¡¯m out, bois! Whoohoo!¡± she cheered. She looked at Taylor, then ran at him, hugging him. ¡°I mildly like you, Taylor!¡±


    Taylor reeled back in surprise but reciprocated the hug with a smile. ¡°I mildly like you too, Hailey.¡±


    Hailey quickly ran off to do something, leaving Jaine to usher everyone out of his apartment to walk back through the city to the ritual center.


    Taila and Mrs. Kukui, being long-time acquaintances, were discussing what had happened as they walked ahead of Kait and Taylor.


    ¡°Well, that sure was hectic!¡± Taylor said.


    ¡°No doubt it was! It was so stressful fighting Kaethy like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, who even was that?¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Well, every magic has its representative spirit, and Kaetha is the Spirit of Witchcraft.¡±


    ¡°Like the one from the legends?¡±


    ¡°Yep! Long story short, they were trying to release Alchemia to avoid some penalties.¡±


    ¡°They sound real selfish.¡±


    ¡°They have their reasons, so I wouldn¡¯t hold it against them. I swear they¡¯re a nice person.¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­though I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just saw one of those primordial beings possess my sister. It¡¯s a little surreal to think about.¡±


    Kait laughed. ¡°Oh, everyone says that the first time they meet a spirit. I¡¯ve gotten so used to her, it seems natural.¡±


    ¡°I guess you know her pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, though I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call us friends or something else. Our relationship is a little strange.¡±


    The conversation briefly paused. ¡°So, I guess you can teleport?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just meant to teleport me into the sky¡­it¡¯s a witch¡¯s spell I¡¯m not all too familiar with.¡±


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t familiar with it, how did you cast it?¡±


    She touched her necklace. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha¡¯. So I¡¯m curious about something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Hailey will be a witch, right?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­there¡¯s some politics in The Consciousness that might stop me from training her. I will see what I can do, but¡­we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I hope she gets to be one. What even happened to her in there?¡±


    ¡°A lot, I¡¯m sure. I-I¡¯m sorry for putting you all through all of this.¡±


    Taylor shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m actually happy it happened. She looks¡­happy, and I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever see her like that again, so I¡¯m happy, too.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    As they approached the ritual center, Taylor smiled.


    Linne heard a yell downstairs and walked down to see Hailey standing in her doorway. Suddenly, Hailey lunged forward and bear-hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m back, Linne!¡± she said, practically choking her friend.


    ¡°T-thach¡¯s cood¡± Linne coughed out, unable to speak in surprise and breathlessness.


    Linne stumbled to the floor as Hailey released her. ¡°Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Linne coughed again. ¡°How did you do it?! Kait said it¡¯d take you a week!¡±


    Hailey smacked a hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I threw myself at every problem with single-minded determination, like I always do!¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Sounds right.¡±


    They stood in silence for a moment as Hailey thought about her following words. ¡°Uh¡­hey¡­Linne?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Hailey didn¡¯t hesitate once she found the right words. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what I said to you.¡±


    Linne blinked. She¡¯d never even considered that Hailey needed forgiveness. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Hailey smiled, then tackled her friend in another bear hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Linne! You¡¯re such a good friend, and I could never hate you!¡±


    ¡°I-I ghet it¨C¡±


    She released her friend. ¡°I¡¯m going to Abigail¡¯s house to tackle her too. Want to come?¡±


    Linne smiled, happy to see her friend happy again, then cheered, ¡°Tackle her!¡±


    Their bear hug wasn¡¯t very effective on Abigail, as she was significantly taller than both of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡± she asked Hailey as she clung to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m back in no time flat!¡± she responded proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s great!¡± Hailey and Linne backed off. ¡°I was really worried about you. I¡¯m happy to see everything worked out,¡± she said with a resigned tone.


    ¡°So, do you want to go do something?¡±


    Abigail tilted her head with a mixture of surprise and confusion. ¡°Something?¡±


    Hailey nodded. ¡°You know, eat at a restaurant or go to a park.¡±


    She hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? I wouldn¡¯t want to get between the two of you.¡±


    Hailey shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s really fine. I know we haven¡¯t really been close friends before, but...¡± she hesitated before giving Abigail the most inviting smile she could. ¡°We can change that, right Linne?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Abigail looked between the two of them, her mouth gaping. ¡°Well, then...of course! I¡¯d love to go with you two!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get going! And you two better not slow me down!¡± Hailey dashed through the front door.


    After Abigail scurried to get her shoes on, she and Linne ran after Hailey, Linne yelling for the far quicker, more athletic girls to slow down.


    This was what Hailey thought she could never regain.


    This was what she grieved for.


    This was her present.


    Kaetha arrived in a white realm, furiously stomping her foot.


    Abbie cautiously approached the spirit. ¡°Kaetha? You¡¯re back?¡±


    The spirit turned around, her face turning calmer as she accepted what had happened at an unsettling speed. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she answered with some projected annoyance lacing her voice.


    ¡°So¡­thanks.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For everything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still going to die.¡±


    Abbie smiled, tears still streaking her face. ¡°But I got to see my friend again. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±


    Kaetha let out a nearly inaudible chuckle. ¡°At least I don¡¯t feel as guilty for trashing you.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel that way. I died, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You know, I like you. You¡¯ve been rather compliant for someone who¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be staining my good name if I died without dignity.¡±


    ¡°Dignity¡­huh?¡± Kaetha muttered thoughtfully.


    ¡°What about dignity?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all. Say, before you¡¯re reborn, do you want to have a little feast with me and the others who helped Hailey get as far as she did?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dead, so I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯d need to eat, but I can¡¯t say no to a spirit¡¯s generosity.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if Appenne prepared any of his food¡­oh, and we need to make one stop along the way,¡± Kaetha thought aloud as she placed a hand on Abbie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I wonder if the food will actually be good this time,¡± Abbie asked before the two disappeared and left the slowly fading remains of a future witch¡¯s psyche.


    The End...