ã€ŠGray Wolf.ã€‹


 1. Bad Night Out.

    The evening was proceeding smoothly.

    At least that''s what I initially thought when approached by a rather good-looking woman of Hispanic origin.

    I had seen her a few times before, in the library where I went to draw, but even though we had exchanged stares, I never made a move.

    One reason was that I didn''t really feel the library was the best place to pick up girls.

    The second, more important one, was that I was still recovering from my previous relationship and didn''t feel confident enough to begin another right now.

    I had just turned twenty-two, I had green eyes and dark-colored hair that were quite unusual for the state of Washington, explained by my European origins. This, associated with my rather lean physique and medium height had given me my share of experimentation with the opposite sex during my teens.

    The last one had been more than that.

    Which had been more than unfortunate.

    Not wanting to think about that was the reason why I had decided to go to the club, even though both my flatmates, Marie and Stan, had bailed out on me.

    It was unusual for me to mingle socially. The stares that Marie and Stan had given me after I invited them was a testament to that. And when I decided to go even though they had plans with their respective dates shocked them even more, to the point that Marie felt obligated to intervene.

    ? Ray, are you alright? ? The question coming from the most goth lesbian girl you could ever meet, probably summoning Satan in her room at midnight, felt a bit weird. She''d become a good psychologist when she finished her major, but she would have to remove the piercings in her nose and mouth, and change her makeup and clothing from ¡°dark¡± to ¡°normal¡± if she didn''t want her patients to kill themselves in despair just by looking at her.

    I didn''t bother answering and just smiled. I hated lying and even a small one like ''Yes I''m fine'' felt unacceptable.

    She didn''t push it, but her own smile faltered.

    She had been the first to warn me about my now broken forever relationship with Helene, the first one I had spoken to after it had ended, and the only one I had spoken about what had happened after that. She was clearly aware of what I was doing right now too.

    I considered her my best friend, even though we had only known each other for three years.

    Yeah, for me, three years was a short time, don''t judge, I have understandable trust issues I assure you.

    Stan, short for Constantine Kennedy (Who clearly has problematic parents if you hadn''t guessed by his full name), I knew only since this year, when he had been picked up by Marie as the third occupant of the flat we rented together.

    He was small, but buff, and had the typical physique of the high school captain of the football team.

    Except that he was smart, hated bullies, and that I enjoyed his company.

    I didn''t confide in him as I did with Marie, but nonetheless, I would have liked for him to join me.

    He wasn''t as perceptive as Marie, and my newfound motivation to go drink alone seemed like a good idea to him.

    ¡°Sure, but be careful hey, don''t go get shitfaced like you do every night.¡± He joked with a deadpan face.

    As I had never been drunk in front of him before, I knew he was only teasing. It was hard to tell with him sometimes. I wasn''t in the mood to laugh though, so I used my usual answer, I smiled.

    ¡°Try to find a nice girl eh? I heard it was the day to go to the Cranium today, you lucky bastard. I promised Michelle to go to the theater with her today so I really can''t come. How I wish I was you.¡±

    Marie and I grinned when he uttered the word theater. He was currently dating a freshman in theater arts, and considering he knew nothing about it, civic engineer student himself, he had to be pretty serious about her.

    ¡°Don''t look at me like that!¡± Stan groaned.

    We hadn¡¯t said anything.

    ¡°Fine, I''ll go prepare, but seriously Ray, try to have fun eh?¡± He winked at me, then fled to his room.

    Marie didn''t say anything but looked at me like my mother would.

    ¡°Don''t look at me like that.¡± I repeated Stan''s words.

    ¡°Ray, I really wished you''d wait tomorrow, we could go together...¡±

    ¡°No, no. I have decided tonight, and I know if I wait tomorrow, I¡¯ll change my mind. I think I need it you know. Do something fresh. And I don''t need a chaperone, just go meet with...erm...Debby?

    ¡°Susie.¡± She corrected.

    ¡°Isn''t that the one from two months ago?¡±

    ¡°No, it''s another Susie, and Debby was two days ago.¡±

    I didn''t comment anything else about Marie''s expansive love life.

    ¡°In any case, I''ve had my share of troubles, I can handle whatever comes my way tonight, don''t worry.¡± I continued.

    ¡°Even two turbo ninjas?¡± Marie asked playfully.

    ¡°What''s a turbo ninja?¡±

    ¡°A robot ninja with turbo shoes on his feet.¡± She explained.

    I nodded, impressed.

    ¡°I''d ask them to wait a bit before they murdered me violently so I could sketch them. Such raw movement I could extract from those unbelievable creatures.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, hold your horses Picasso. I see you''ll be fine, as long as you still have this golden tongue of yours.¡±

    I made her a perverted stare.

    ¡°Stop that, Boy.¡± She said with a grave, deep, masculine voice.

    ¡°And you stop playing so many video games, I don''t get your references anymore.¡±

    After our vocal little back and forth, I finally decided to leave. It was early to go to the club, barely nine, but I wasn''t expecting to stay long anyway. I knew that whatever pushed me to go out tonight, would soon disappear.

    I loved nature and calm, and Redfort, the university campus/city where I lived (It was both the name of the university, and of the city), had lots of it.

    Big mountains to the north, the sea to the west. That was why I stayed. The ugly, noisy city with bad traffic was the reason why I wanted to leave.

    As it was, the campus was northwest, which was usually great for me, less so when I wanted to go to the Cranium, the pretty hype club in the middle of the city.

    The bus, or even the taxi if I had the money, were unthinkable options at this hour of the day considering the heavy snow that fell the night before, so I settled for the subway. As much as it was dirty and stank like dead rats (I know how dead rats smell so I can back my words), it was fast, and the torture to my senses would be short.

    I''d rather take a twenty minutes hell ride, than an hour-long purgatory one.

    Still, I hated this particular subway line. I was too familiar with the 9-line. I had taken it often when I worked in a firm as a law student. It had been a horrible experience for me, as lying was sort of a prerequisite in that specific law firm. Add to that that none of it had been my choice.

    Poor white kid that was forced into law by his rich family, I know, I know, such a clich¨¦. Crazy how it still happened in 2020.

    After a few months, I had enough, stopped my law studies, gave my resignation to the firm, and changed my major for art.

    You can guess how it went with my parents.

    However, as bad as my relationship with them got, they still paid for my tuition. For this, I was grateful to them.

    Though we didn''t talk anymore. I texted my mom sometimes and that was it.

    For everything else, I was on my own. My dad probably thought I would have to come and beg them for more money, but as it was, the law firm had paid me a very hefty sum of money for a case they shouldn''t have won.

    The money felt dirty to me, but because I used it to never do it again, I felt justified in spending it.

    Still, this heavy change in my revenue and quality of relationship with my parents brought something else.

    I knew Helene liked to be ''well fed'' and had a rather unhealthy relationship with money.

    Not even Marie knew that about her, as my ex hid it well. She came from a poor family, and was convinced it was her job to get it out of it.

    I knew because I was really good at seeing through lies.

    Still, I hoped that with enough time and care, I could convince her money was not essential, and that we could build something without money in the center of it.

    Because as much as I knew she was lying as to why she was going out with me, I also knew she had real feelings behind it.

    But the moment I became persona non grata she became convinced she had to let me go.

    I tried but failed, to convince her otherwise.

    For a few months, it was okay. I could live with failure, even in relationships. I was of the belief failure was important, even more so than success.

    What I could not live with was what happened afterward.

    On the flip side, my art pieces were great now, my art teachers couldn''t stop telling me how the tortured souls inside them made the colors and the brush strokes vibrate with passion.

    Yay me.

    I¡¯d rather paint like crap.

    I was still in the subway, and my eyes had gotten teary. A pair of high school students stared at me funny.

    I was older than I looked, so they probably thought I was a student at their school, crying in public.

    I didn''t recognize their uniform. But if they had a uniform it either meant Redfort High or Teriapolis.

    I had gone to high school in my hometown and was happy I had managed to flee the people there.

    I wiped my eyes with the back of my coat and ignored their stares. My stop was going to be the next one anyway.

    Cranium was a nice place. Even for someone who hated clubs as much as I did.

    It had nice decorations, even though a bit too grunge for my taste. What''s more, it was a spot for pretty much everyone, as many students as adults, and they even accepted high school students inside. It felt like a place where people from everywhere mixed together.

    I liked it a lot, but it was still too noisy for me, and I always left deadly tired.

    I passed the bouncer easily, as everyone was accepted unless the club was full, and steeled myself as I went deeper and deeper towards the loud sounds that were supposed to be music.

    Once inside I immediately dodged right, towards the bar, which was furthest away from the ambient cacophony. They even had half walls, completely soundproof, with stools and tables. It didn''t stop all the noise, but it helped a lot.

    Here was where you found the old couples, the occasional teachers, the high school students, and the timid-can''t-dance-art-students. I was the latter by the way.

    I asked for a fruity alcohol, as I only liked ¡°girly¡± drinks, and gave away my ID before the barman asked.

    I didn''t come often, but I knew how it went.

    He looked at me for a while, probably thinking my ID was fake, but finally gave me my drink.

    It was the first time I saw him here, I believed, but honestly, my memory of faces was abysmal.

    I did recognize my library flirt immediately though.

    The magnificent Hispanic girl, with not too many curves, but not too little either, arrived shortly after me. I knew she was studying in Redfort, but I didn''t know her major. She was definitely older than me, but I didn''t know exactly by how much.

    All in all, I knew nothing, nor her name nor anything else.

    I could guess by her hand-tailored black dress and branded shoes she was of the upper class, but that was mostly it.

    That''s when my luck seemingly began.

    She saw me too and sat beside me.

    ¡°Good evening.¡± She said with a slight British accent.

    ¡°Hi.¡± Was this really happening? I was not up to go look for a new relationship, but I would have been a fool not to take this opportunity.

    ...aaaand I just made a fool of myself because I said nothing else for the next five seconds.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°I''ll take the same as you. It doesn''t fit you by the way.¡±

    It took me a few moments to realize she was talking about my drink, which was weird, I was usually sharp, even around beautiful women. Marie was a ten in my book, and her being 100% out of reach had been excellent training.

    But if Marie was a ten, my new friend was an eleven.

    Now that I was close to her, I could examine her brown skin, and it was perfect.

    Unnaturally so.

    ¡°Why are you not a model somewhere?¡± I asked.

    Yes, good, I was getting my golden tongue back in action.

    ¡°Oh, I am, or was, for a while. It was fun.¡± She didn''t seem entranced by my charm.

    She was being honest, I could feel it, so it made me relax a bit. I asked the barman for another drink and looked her in the eyes.

    They were very close to being pitch black, so probably brown outside, the place wasn''t well lit after all. Her pupils were dilated and that meant good things for me. Thank you, Marie, for the physiology tip.

    I heard my best friend continue the lesson in my head. ¡°...dilated pupils means attraction...or drugs, or really low light.¡±

    I looked an instant at the colored bulbs dimly illuminating the bar...

    Getting ahead of myself, was I?

    I still couldn''t stop a grin.

    ¡°So, mysterious stranger of the library, what do you draw all of the time?¡±

    She had taken the initiative, which surprised me slightly. I was usually the one never shutting up.

    ¡°Oh, plenty of things, artsy stuff, landscapes, marinas, mountains, portraits, turbo ninjas...¡±

    ¡°Turbo ninjas?¡±

    ¡°It''s nothing, just a joke between a friend and me.¡± For a moment, I could see something like boredom? In her eyes. She was probably not into pop culture or geek culture much, so I did not continue that subject.

    ¡°And you? What are you reading every day?¡±

    ¡°Biology. Genetics to be precise.¡± She didn''t go into much more details than that.

    ¡°I see, so you''re studying, researching?¡±

    ¡°Writing my PhD.¡±

    Oh wow, way older than me then.

    Before I could continue, she changed the subject.

    ¡°I always see you alone, no girlfriend or anything? You talked about a friend?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, nothing like that, just my roommate.¡±

    She looked displeased by my answer.

    ¡°You''ve got roommates?¡±

    ¡°Erm, yes? Is that a problem?¡±

    She was taken aback for a second.

    ¡°No, no, I was just... well hoping privacy.¡±

    Oh...that was rather... direct. I wasn''t used to it, but I didn''t sense any deception in her words.

    ¡°Okay. You know, before we go any further, I just want to say that, well I had a pretty nasty break-up before, and well I don''t know if I really want to...¡±

    ¡°...to get emotional?¡±

    That wasn''t exactly what I was going to say, but it was close enough.

    ¡°Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m not here to get married, just to have a bit of fun, and well I''ve seen you, I think you could be a lot of fun.¡±

    Something about her smile, her magnificent row of white teeth, felt a bit uncomfortable. I was having second thoughts about the whole thing.

    ¡°I didn''t even tell you my name!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I''m Miranda, you?¡±

    She had just lied.

    I would have missed it if not for the smile that bothered me just before.

    It was very well-rehearsed, but my gut feeling about lies had never been wrong before.

    Maybe she wasn''t your normal hyper sexy Hispanic PhD girl.

    ¡°I''m Raymond, but call me Ray, I hate my full name.¡± I answered automatically. I always introduced myself like that, but maybe this time I shouldn''t have.

    ¡°Ouch, rough parents?¡±

    ¡°You could say so.¡± I had only one desire now, and it was to...

    ¡°Tell me Ray, what do you think about a quick fuck, my home is not that far¡­¡±

    ¡­ well maybe I could accept. She had been untruthful, but she could have had a good reason. Still, I was not the kind of guy to fuck on the first evening. Maybe I had been, but not anymore.

    ¡°Forget about that bad breakup of yours? You''d like that.¡±

    She was not wrong. That''s why I came here after all.

    ¡°Ok...sure...¡± My voice felt weird.

    I paid for both of us and left with her. I could not stop myself from looking at her ass, hypnotically moving from left to right at each of her steps.

    Something felt wrong though, but I didn''t know what.

    I usually tried to split the bill, that was it. I didn''t like the idea that the man had to pay for the girl, especially with what happened to Helene. That, and I just didn''t have the money for it now. I had just enough for food and my flat, I didn''t want to work and study at the same time, so I had to be careful with my economies.

    Why hadn¡¯t I said something?

    The question echoed in my mind, not getting any answers.

    I didn''t even realize arriving at ''Miranda''s'' house. I didn''t even register entering her car.

    It was a fucking Ferrari. How the hell had I missed that?

    Her house was not close at all. We had to be outside of town right now. It was big, modern, completely isolated and with no neighbors in view.

    The moon was high in the sky and my surroundings were visible through its shine.

    This place had a magnificent view of the sea.

    I wanted to stop to take the air, the nature, but couldn''t.

    I followed her up the marble steps towards a mahogany door.

    What the hell had I gotten myself into?

    I may have inadvertently lied to Marie. This seemed a situation I couldn''t get out of.

    Since I wasn''t sure I had control over my body.

    Once inside, the first thing that struck me was the smell.

    It was coming from the door just in front of the entrance. I guessed a closet or a cellar.

    It smelled like dead something.

    Definitely not rats.

    ¡°You can leave your clothes here.¡± Miranda said.

    I began to undress. Not only my coat but everything.

    Houston, we have a problem, command systems are offline.

    My inside joke didn''t even make me laugh.

    She watched me. Unphased.

    Once completely nude, she took her time to watch me.

    Her eyes were still as black as before. I didn''t understand, when I had seen her a few weeks before in the library, her eyes were anything but this color.

    She looked famished.

    With that realization, I finally had a faint idea of what was happening.

    I didn''t know what she was, a cannibal, serial killer, rapist ghoul, or alien, but it was definitely bad news for me.

    And seeing as I still couldn''t move, I couldn''t even reject the idea she could be all of the above.

    ¡°Follow me Ray.¡±

    I followed her, entering what seemed to be the living room.

    Its furnishing was impeccable, like the rest of the house, but where a normal rich people''s house would have had paintings, or statues or dumb modern art only valuable to them, my monstrous host had pelts. Lots and lots of animal pelts. I recognized bear, deer, wolf even. The worst of it was above the large glass window showing the outside garden.

    ¡°Cat pelts?¡± I screeched.

    She looked at me, surprised.

    ¡°You can still talk? Impressive.¡±

    For some strange reason, I felt that with the loss of control over my body, my mind was instead gaining back its own freedom.

    I had had my fair share of girlfriends; I had watched vampire flicks.

    ¡°Y...you''re a v..vam...¡± I struggled to open my mouth.

    She looked genuinely surprised.

    ¡°Wow, not many realize this, even less so with such calm, and you can still talk! I really like you cattleboy.¡±

    I had a bad feeling about my future at the word cattleboy.

    She came closer to me.

    Her scent. Her scent was divine.

    NO

    WAKE UP.

    I stepped back. She did too, her mouth aghast.

    I suddenly felt cold. The house had no heating I realized. It was 14 (-10C¡ã) outside, probably barely over 30 (-1C¡ã) inside. And I was naked.

    ¡°You can MOVE? Oh my god, I''ve found myself a Conscient, how exciting.¡±

    Conscient was the French word for aware, I remembered that specific word because its meaning wasn''t anything like its English counterpart conscience. Living so close to Canada, I had studied some French, but the accent she had used for the word was distinctively France French. And I hated myself for thinking it was attractive.

    I had no idea what it meant in this context though. I hoped something that would make her rethink about eating...

    ¡°Too bad you found me, I...I would have turned you I think...before...¡±

    She seemed lost for a moment, puzzled. I forced myself to take another step back but couldn''t. I was beginning to tremble, the cold assaulting me viciously.

    I could barely move and I was quickly losing all of my body heat. With no clothes on, even if I managed to escape, out there in the wild, with nearly 20 inches (50cm) of snow, there was no way I would make it back to town. And I had no recollection of any nearby buildings.

    ¡°...Now I''m just dreaming of how you''ll taste... maybe if I can stop myself...yes if I can stop myself then...then I''ll turn you...if not...¡± She was looking at me like I was a steak.

    I could guess what this meant.

    She was not going to stop.

    I was dead.

    ¡°...what are you going to do with my body?¡± I asked. Trying to make her focus on something else.

    ¡°...Mhhh¡± She got close again, touched my neck. Her hand was colder than my skin, which seemed impossible right now.

    ¡°...well you''re a sad...lonely boy... abandoned by his elders...very few friends...¡± She stopped her nose next to my jugular and inhaled deeply.

    I couldn''t help it, but I felt myself get hard. I wasn''t aroused, at least not like I normally was. Her scent was intoxicating.

    PROBABLY AS INTOXICATING AS YOUR BLOOD.

    The voice broke her smell spell, but I still couldn''t move. She didn''t seem to realize.

    I could feel that we were not alone.

    I could feel...animals?

    I was becoming crazy. But well, I was on the verge of being eaten by a vampire. Who could blame me?

    I looked at the pelts. They felt alive somehow. But not in a good way.

    More in an ¡°I''m screaming It''s hell and it won¡¯t stop¡± sort of way.

    All of the pelts seemed to meowl, howl, or grunt in agony.

    ¡°What are you looking at...Ray?¡±

    ¡°The...pelts...they...¡±

    ¡°Do they talk to you? Do they beg for help? There are not only vampires in this big world you know, not that you''re going to meet, any of them...of course.¡± Her voice was now outright creepy.

    I knew I had only a few moments.

    I know what people would think. She had not been clear on what she was going to do with me, but it seemed obvious.

    I was sad, maybe even depressive since the death of Helene. She was going to make it look like I killed myself.

    Most likely cutting my veins.

    No one would even bother to investigate.

    I would be like Helene in their minds.

    Like my brother.

    I raised my head as high as I could. My neck open to be taken.

    Miranda watched me do it hypnotized, I heard what must have been her canines stretching in a horrible screeching noise.

    I slammed my forehead on her face, as hard as I could.

    It felt like hitting a metal wall.

    But I didn''t care.

    Something inside me had snapped.

    I would not. Could not, give up. Not like Helene. Not like my brother.

    I would die fighting. That was who I was.

    I was half expecting her to be completely unharmed after my headbutt, but it seemed movies had some of it wrong.

    Miranda was stumbling, blood pouring out of her mouth. I saw her tongue, cut clean on the ground. Which explained why the bad words coming from her mouth were unintelligible.

    I had regained full control. Now what to do with it. I could barely stand, the headbutt had left me confused and dazed.

    TAKE ME

    I looked at the wall. I felt the white as snow pelt talk to me. It was the only one talking human words. I moved towards it, half expecting it to be nailed to the wall. The moment I touched it; it fell into my arms.

    I felt a weird tingle.

    Was it a magical pelt?

    That would be the best, the childish part of my mind said.

    But only for an instant, as I felt two gigantic knives piercing my neck, an immense weight on my back.

    ¡°U..ouuuuu. U..ooooo...aaaaa....eeeeeeeefffff.¡± Shouted Miranda, sucking hard, while her own dark cold blood was getting all over me.

    No matter what I did she was fixed on me. I hit a wall, trying to crush her. To no avail. I couldn''t get to her and didn''t want to drop the pelt, the only thing that would keep me warm if I managed to dislodge her.

    I dropped myself on a beautiful crystal table, she made a pained noise for a second, but nothing changed.

    I got up, ran towards a tv bigger than any I had seen before, and crunched ourselves into it. It fell on both of us. I got back up, sliding the tv away with difficulty, but she still hadn''t budged, continuing leeching away my life force.

    I felt myself becoming weak.

    Dark spots appeared over my eyes.

    I fell to the ground, exhausted.

    Now, white and blue flashes moved around in my peripheral vision.

    The colors seemed to dance around.

    For a second the monster stopped sucking.

    I tried to sit up, my hands still clenching the white pelt. Her living room was devastated.

    The lights outside were still there, moving erratically.

    Those were not a trick of my eyes, it was¡­

    ¡°POLICE!¡± A loud bang thundered from the front door. ¡°Miranda Taylor? We have some questions about someone who was last seen with you tonight.¡±

    How was that possible? No one could have noticed my disappearance already. I looked confusedly at an old timey clock on the wall. Three in the morning.

    How long had been this drive? Where was I?

    Of course, Marie had called the cops. She knew me. I never, ever, came back late to the flat without telling her. It was a rule she had created for all of us. It had slipped my mind, as I never came back late.

    She was my goddess.

    ¡°HELP...¡± I began shouting.

    A hand with unnaturally long nails pierced my right cheek and covered the rest of my mouth, preventing me from more.

    But what I had done was enough. She must have been as confused as I was about why the cops were already here. I had been the fastest to react.

    Beating supernatural creatures at reflexes, go me.

    I heard cops bursting inside.

    We were out of sight, but in a few seconds, they would get into the living room and...

    ¡°Dumb cattle. I''ll have to move away because of you. Stay Here.¡± Miranda, whose tongue was supposed to be cut clean, spoke clearly. Her voice was more menacing than anything I had heard before.

    She let me go and walked calmly towards the police officers.

    I felt the pull of her order but was used to it now. I ran towards the garden, pelt in hand.

    I knew that if I stopped, If I hesitated to look back, she would catch up to me.

    I didn''t bother finding a door leading outside. I jumped, and fueled by adrenaline like crazy, I burst through the window as I heard the first gunshots and screams behind me.

    I had a moment of utter terror as I understood that the garden was way more down than I had anticipated and fell for a few meters.

    We had climbed marble stairs to get inside the house! Dumb me, we were on the equivalent of the second or third floor.

    Fortunately, the snow cushioned my fall, and not hesitating, I got back up, wore the pelt over my shoulders, and began running.

 Woods

    I felt her behind me.

    She was way faster than me, and as far stories went, I knew she probably saw in the dark.

    The police officers...

    I couldn''t think about them. I had to focus.

    I was running through a thick forest, but the moon was full, and at least I saw perfectly in the dark now that my eyes had gotten used to it.

    So, her most likely night vision was no advantage to her. I grinned at the thought.

    But she was faster. Definitely stronger and with more endurance, as I had witnessed firsthand when I tried to get her off me. Maybe she also had super hearing. Or super smell.

    I really hoped she didn''t have super smell, or I was pretty toast.

    No way I could hide my sce...

    A flowing sound made me stop a second.

    With this temperature? It had to be a pretty big stream not to be frozen.

    I ran towards it.

    I could hide my scent and sound.

    Ray, this is fucking dumb. Maybe she doesn''t have super hearing or super smell, don''t do that.

    I was going to do it, whatever the sanity left in me said.

    I saw the stream, almost a river at that point. It was flowing heavily.

    I took the pelt off, raising it over my head, and jumped in the freezing water. Only knee-high, fortunately, but the current was strong. I decided against following the current down immediately. That was obviously too easy. That''s what she would think. This was where I lived or died.

    So, I began climbing, trying not to think about my feet, which were probably going to fall off very soon, or at least they felt like it.

    I tried my very best, but when the pain in my feet began to fade into nothingness, I knew I had to get out of the water. Maybe I only climbed ten meters, maybe a hundred, my mind was hazy, focused only on survival. I got out and put the pelt back on. Its heating properties had to be phenomenal because my trembling immediately calmed down.

    My feet though...

    MOVE

    I couldn''t think about it. I had to move; pelt voice was right.

    I ran. I fell, got up, then ran. I tumbled in a ravine, got back up, ran again. Over and over, in a seemingly endless loop.

    Everything around me looked the same, trees, snow.

    No road, no humans, nothing but white and dark.

    I ran until I couldn''t anymore.

    Then I walked. Until I couldn''t.

    Then I began crawling.

    SAFE

    It wasn''t, not yet. She was near... she was...

    NO. WAKE UP. SHELTER.

    Yeah...shelter...tree...hole...

    REST

    I woke up.

    ¡°AAAAARGHH.¡± I shouted immediately in pain. The feeling in my feet had come back. Thousand of little daggers were piercing my flesh repeatedly. At least that''s how it felt.

    I looked at the dim light inside my shelter. I had found a dead tree, still rooted in place, but with enough space underneath to create a little alcove. How I had managed that, I didn''t remember, but I had crawled myself inside the pelt, closing it off completely.

    It was almost warm inside.

    That pelt had saved my life, even if we didn''t consider its helpful voice. That could obviously just be me losing my mind at an alarming speed.

    I looked at it a bit more carefully. It seemed wolfish, but honestly, I never saw an animal pelt in real life before, what''s more, it was way too big to be a wolf, so maybe a bear? It felt canine to me though. Maybe it was from Alaska? I knew northern wolves could be big.

    WOLF

    ¡°Good, thank you for the information.¡± I said out loud.

    Hey, I was crazy, but my crazy had saved my life, no reason not to thank it.

    NOT CRAZY

    ¡°That''s what all crazy people say.¡±

    To that, I heard... a laugh? It was strange, almost...feminine in nature?

    ¡°Yup, I''ve definitely lost my marbles.¡±

    No answer that time.

    ¡°Well, what now. Lost in the middle of the woods of Washington, with no idea where I am...¡±

    Wait, that was not true.

    I had seen the sea.

    If I go to the sea, I will find civilization, a road, anything, I can be sure of that. Problem: I went the opposite way and ran for I don''t know how long. And from Miranda''s...I shouldn''t call her that, it''s not her real name and I don''t know if It deserves a name. From the vampire''s house, I could see the sea, but it was not close. So, it''ll take me hours, maybe more than a day to get to it. Still, it''s my best option. I could find a road before that if I was lucky. Or a bear.

    Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Bears were hibernating, I was good. Yeah, happy thoughts, thanks Marie for the tip.

    I can''t stay here anyway. I need to move, find help.

    FOOD. WATER. SHELTER.

    Really pelt voice. That''s your opinion? Water is a good idea but food? I''m not staying here that long; a human body would freeze to death before we find a squirrel. And even then, the only way we have to kill him would be to throw our frozen toes at it and hope it chokes on it.

    UNDERSTOOD

    Understood? What do you mean, understood? Hello?

    I waited a bit but nothing new came.

    Maybe I shouldn''t go looking for tips from a magical wolf pelt.

    I had a plan.

    Find the stream, follow it down this time.

    Always go down. Once it was flat, I hoped I would have already found the stream so I could continue following it.

    Then to the sea.

    Then a road.

    Then mission complete.

    Reward is a warm bath. Hot soup. Hot chocolate with marshmallows.

    With this image in mind, I got out of my hole. I didn''t cry in pain when my feet touched the frozen snow, but I couldn''t stop myself from tearing up.

    I had done the boy scouts, forced by my parents. It would save my life as I don''t think I could have formulated such a plan without the knowledge of the wild that I had.

    I had broken my arm when I was at camp one year, but even then, I hadn''t felt such pain.

    I felt it all the way to my neck.

    My neck?

    I looked at what I expected to be a gruesome affair, which it was considering all the frozen blood on there, but the wound was nowhere to be seen. Neither my pierced cheek nor neck had any remnants of what had happened.

    Yay, probably a vampire mumbo jumbo thingie.

    A terrible thought invaded my mind.

    Happy thoughts, happy thoughts I countered.

    Hot chocolate, marshmallows.

    Hot chocolate, marshmallows.

    I walked, reciting my mantra without stopping.

    How long had I been running for last night?

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Where was this fucking stream?

    I had just said fuck.

    I never said fuck.

    I didn''t see why people had to be vulgar really.

    Still, where was it?

    WALK

    Yeah, thanks captain obvious.

    MY NAME IS IGLIS

    Shit, I think Maria said something about people who name their hallucinations. I''m fucked.

    I laughed internally, I said fuck again.

    ¡°I''m Ray.¡±

    I couldn''t feel my feet, it was nice to not feel pain, but the meaning of that lack of sensations was more than unsettling.

    LEFT. SMELL IT.

    Yeah smell the stream...how was I fucking supposed to smell the...

    I did feel something though. So, I stopped, then went left.

    After another eternity, I finally heard it.

    My way out.

    I heard water.

    STOP, SHELTER.

    What? Why? I finally found it why would I? Oh.

    It was getting dark.

    ¡°Already? How?¡±

    But the answer was simple, I had been running all night, I probably fell asleep the moment the sun had begun to rise.

    I don''t know how long I had slept, but clearly, most of my daylight was already gone when I had woken up.

    It took all the remaining light that I had to find a hole where I could creep into. I had stopped to drink my fill in the river, but my new home was quite far away from it.

    REST. I GUARD.

    ¡°Thanks Iglis...¡±

    WE ARE ONE NOW, DO NOT THANK YOURSELF.

    That had to be the longest thing she had said to me.

    She? Well, Iglis sounded feminine.

    Soon I would be flirting with my pelt friend.

    Great.

    DO NOT FLIRT WITH YOURSELF.

    Why shouldn''t I? I''m such a handsome, well spoken Don Juan.

    YOU ARE RAY

    Yup, that''s me.

    But I felt I was not really the same Ray as before. The whole day my wounds, or lack thereof, had hummed strange energy, the pelt at my back had been too warm for it not to be me hallucinating it. I knew I didn''t have long before my body collapsed.

    Still, I closed my eyes, thinking only about hot chocolate and marshmallows.

    I woke up. A noise. Steps.

    Was it her? Was it the monster?

    I knew what I looked like, a kid hiding beneath his bedsheets, my father would have been furious. How I was nothing like my brother, how I should stop being such a feeble-minded, weak boy never to be a man.

    I waited and waited, hearing my father shout in my mind all the while.

    I got used to those words, but never to the comparing me to my brother. That always hurt.

    Francis, had been more of a father, and a mother, than my parents combined. I had arrived way later in the family. My parents had the age to be my grandparents, and Francis was old enough to be my dad when I was born.

    At first, my parents were truly happy to have me, a miracle for my mother almost over fifty at that point, but they were both at the top of their law firms and couldn''t let that go. So, Francis was the one who took care of me. If he hated that, he never showed it. All my childhood, he was the one who prepared my meals, accompanied me to the bus stops, and dropped me at my friend¡¯s houses. When I got older, I realized how much he was doing, and I asked him to stop driving me to my friends. At that point, I didn''t really have many friends anyway.

    My father became judge, and my mother took control over both firms, I barely even saw them on the weekends.

    At that point Francis changed, he asked me to call him ¡°Cis¡± which sounded exactly like sis so it was definitely weird. Still, I obliged, if my brother wanted something, I always tried my best to give it to him. He did the same for me after all.

    I was too young, too uneducated on the matter to realize what was happening inside his mind. Marie would later tell me it had a name, gender dysphoria, or gender identity disorder. He felt he wasn''t in the right body. That he should have been born a woman.

    Maybe I was partly to blame, as he had developed his maternal side with me.

    But I accepted him, however he wanted to dress, or be called.

    As an adult, I still feel proud of that. I didn''t judge him for his appearance, I didn''t feel shame about him, even though I was an adolescent and appearances were central to everyone my age.

    But my parents would never accept it. He was a genius, already destined to be the greatest lawyer of this generation, it seemed he even liked the job.

    It was a job where appearances are everything.

    You couldn''t have a transvestite lawyer, that was unthinkable.

    He hid from all, except me and a few of his close friends.

    One day, pictures of him appeared on the internet.

    It was a mistake; a tourist took a picture in one of the bars he went to and he was on it.

    I was at school; I didn''t realize a thing at the time.

    I was simply surprised to not see him come pick me up at the bus stop.

    After that, what was a dysfunctional family stopped being a family at all.

    I woke up. When did I doze off? The memory had been a dream.

    The forest was silent, some snow falling from the trees was all I could hear.

    And even though it was still dark, the sky was blue, showing the signs of the rising sun.

    Safe? I asked inside my head.

    Safe

    The voice was softer, gentler now. I could hear it was feminine, even though slightly rough, savage.

    I got out.

    Something felt weird. I didn''t really know what. Did some of the trees fall over during the night, and some of the snow gotten dark in color? Also, it seemed everything got...shorter? Not by much, but I felt slightly taller. I couldn''t stop to inspect myself, if I stood without moving for too long, I would freeze, even though right now I wasn''t as cold as before.

    I began running towards the mountain, but then stopped.

    I wanted out of the mountain, where was I going?

    I smelled something I realized. Something appetizing.

    I had no time for that. I had to find help.

    Hot chocolate and marshmallows.

    Yes, that''s it.

    Hot chocolate and marshmallows.

    It wasn''t hard to find the stream again.

    After a while, I even found my footprints in the snow, showing where I had gotten out two nights before.

    I took some distance with the stream, just to be safe, while making sure I could still see it.

    It took only a few seconds of running until I found another pair of tracks, me and another humanoid, going towards the stream.

    This is where I had gotten in, and where I had managed to lose the vampire.

    No snow had fallen, and there had been no wind, the footprints were unmissable.

    I didn''t think long about the idea of following them back to her house.

    If she was still there, I was dead.

    It was the day though? Could she move during the day?

    The thought made me stop.

    My mind was... weird. Confused. I consider myself sharp, most of the time. The law firm had even considered me as good as my brother, and my parents had pushed me towards law for the same reason, even though they would never have admitted the same as the firm.

    So why was I getting so distracted by the noises and the smells?

    There were a lot, sure, and I didn''t remember feeling that many when I was in the boy scouts, but I was older, and with adrenaline pumping through my veins constantly.

    Nothing strange there.

    Concentrate.

    The library, I finally realized.

    I sometimes saw her during the day in the library.

    She can go outside during the day.

    Why was that myth about vampires and sunlight not true, it would have made everything much easier, I lamented.

    I need to move

    My feet and hands began to move, Iglis was right, staying here of all places wasn''t smart.

    Of course I am right. Ray is smart.

    I tried to say thanks out loud, but only a weird noise came out of my mouth. Seems like my vocal cords were getting frozen too.

    So I ran.

    I didn''t think I would make it to the sea before nightfall, but I did.

    As soon as I heard the waves, I also heard a car.

    I hate cars, I hate pollution and everything that creates it.

    But right now, and then, that noise was the most beautiful noise I could have ever heard.

    I ran towards it, but it must''ve been further away than I thought because it took me at least ten minutes to finally emerge from the forest to step on asphalt.

    The car was long gone of course, but now, it was only a matter of time.

    I was saved.

    Am I not needed anymore?

    Iglis sounded almost...anxious. Sad even.

    No, I don''t need you anymore, I said mentally, but you know what, you saved me, at least three times, so I''m keeping you, even if it''s making me a crazy person for the rest of my life.

    You would give yourself to me...forever?

    I laughed. Strange sounds got out of my mouth. I hoped it would fix itself soon, or the next car would think I''m a crazy pervert hitchhiker who makes dog noises.

    I thought we said no flirting together... I say you stay with me forever. You may have been killed by that vampire monster, and that''s unfair, so I''ll keep you for how long you want. Tell you what, I''ll even wear you sometimes.

    Always

    Erm, that would make me look like a fur enthusiast, I don''t really like the idea of having a dead animal on my back.

    I am not dead. The vampire could not kill me. I have been searching.

    For what?

    Please don''t say you. Please don''t say you.

    Us.

    You motherf...

    I heard a car and stopped talking to myself for a moment, trying to look for the headlights of the car, it was almost fully night, so I thought I would be able to see them.

    We need to be human.

    Igris interrupted my vain search of headlights, the car was still too far away.

    I hope I am. Am I still human? I didn''t become a vampire, did I?

    I asked it the question I had feared to ask myself before.

    The closing wound. The fact that I wasn''t dead yet.

    You are no vampire. You are me. I am you.

    Cool.

    Do we have a deal?

    About us being together? Sure, you''re pretty much me from the start anyway no?

    We were, we are, we will be. From now on we shall be Gray.

    Wait I didn''t agree to a name chan...

    I couldn''t finish my sentence. My head had started pounding like crazy. I felt sick everywhere. I immediately lost all strength in my arms and legs and fell to the ground.

    Unimaginable pain coursed through my back and I screamed in pure agony.

 Voices in our head

    Then it was over.

    I felt cold, no, cold was an understatement.

    I was frozen to the core.

    I still felt Igris, but right now, she was sleeping, I could feel her exhaustion, which would be super weird if she wasn''t me.

    Great my alter ego is a woman, does that make me the same as my brother?

    I hope not, I like girls, it would make dating way more difficult with a drag on my head.

    My mind stopped for an instant (Thank God) when I saw lights growing bigger and bigger in the horizon.

    I smiled.

    Maybe I should do something before I get run over though.

    That would be a dumb end.

    I got up, but with the noise of the car growing louder and louder, I knew I couldn''t do much more than hide my private parts with one hand and wave with the other.

    I stood just next to the side of the road, praying all the gods I knew that the person coming would stop, or better yet, not be Miranda, no sorry, the vampire.

    The car passed me by. I don¡¯t think they understood what they saw.

    Just when I¡¯d given up hope, the car stopped.

    I heard it going backwards, and right there and then I was bawling like a baby.

    I managed to put up a nicer front when it arrived next to me.

    I watched, confused, Marie, Stan, and my mother in a car I now recognized as the BMW of my father.

    ¡°M...Mo...mom?¡± I asked.

    I didn''t really understand what was said next, because the three of them began shouting all at the same time.

    ¡°Oh my god...¡±

    ¡°Raymond I thought you...brother...¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell man do you know how long we looked for you?¡±

    Thank you, Stan, for your theater studies girlfriend, because it was definitely doing lot''s of good for the clearness of your articulation.

    ¡°I...I...¡±

    ¡°We need to bring him to a hospital; he should be dead.¡± Marie intervened.

    ¡°Yes..Yes...¡± My mother had gone out of the car and was hugging me fiercely.

    I was still naked so it was really, really super awkward.

    ¡°Please...¡± I answered myself, not really knowing if it was just to get out of her grip.

    I was bombarded with questions. But my mother wanted to tell me what had happened.

    I was wearing more clothes than I ever had before, courtesy of Marie who had had the great idea of bringing some.

    It seemed I had been missing for five days. I had counted three.

    I had missed the sun setting and rising two times. That made no sense at all.

    The story of my abduction had made global head news apparently. Well, for two days before some school shooting in Montana.

    Still two dead cops, a supposedly Mexican murderer on the run and a missing son of rich white parents. That was unheard of and everything about the story excited the media.

    Or at least that''s how my mother painted it. I thought it had to happen a lot more, but the fact that the particular family involved had lots of money had probably helped.

    I loved my country, but I didn''t like its morbid fascination for money and guns.

    ¡°Happy thoughts¡± Said Marie. Probably reading my thoughts through my face.

    A Seer? Danger?

    ¡°A friend, no worries, go back to sleep.¡±

    My mother stopped talking. Marie looked at me funny, and even Stan who was driving us to the hospital had a quick glance at me.

    ¡°Did I say that out loud?¡±

    ¡°You sure did¡± Answered my best friend.

    ¡°Sorry I made myself an imaginary friend out there, I had a wolf pelt, I even gave it a name. Do you think I''m done for doctor?¡± I answered jokingly.

    ¡°Ray...¡±

    ¡°Gray¡± I interjected ¡°I''d like to be called Gray.¡±

    Why the hell had I said that.

    They looked really unsettled now. Even my mother was now slightly taken aback, clearly distancing herself from me.

    ¡°Ok...Gray?...¡± Marie continued. ¡°There is no pelt.¡±

    ¡°What of course there...¡± I looked around. I wasn''t wearing the pelt when the car had arrived.

    My mother had hugged me buck naked.

    ¡°Oh no...¡± I knew I didn''t make the pelt up, I wouldn''t have survived otherwise, so it had to be real. ¡°I...maybe it fell when I saw you on the road... we need to go back...I promised I''d take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Ra..Gray...there was no pelt, there was nothing like that on the road. Just you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Gray¡± Stan had said it as a joke, but clearly felt uncomfortable saying it. ¡°No pelt, the headlights on this baby are epic, you see everything!¡±

    ¡°But...it''s what made me go through it all.¡± I tried to explain, really confused now.

    ¡°Maybe...There were lots of pelts inside that lunatic''s house, did you take one of them when you fled? They found your clothes, everyone believed you froze to death in the forest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...a white, really nice...wait how do you know that? You didn''t go there did you? That''s crazy she could have been...¡± I was angry now, no furious. Those idiots could have died what were they...

    ¡°Calm. Calm. She was gone. The police and media were there for two full days before we could see the crime scene. They showed us pictures, but we wanted to see the real thing. That''s why we''re here, we were just leaving the house when we found you.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± I relaxed, feeling silly. Maybe I could have gone back to the house when I found the tracks then. Of course she wouldn''t have stayed there.

    ¡°They told us what happened. You got drugged and brought to her house, where she...well we don''t know what she would have done with you, but I called the cops because you were late, and the Cranium''s barman of the night testified about you immediately. He didn''t believe you were over 21. That guy has a crazy memory, because he had taken the ID of that bitch you were with two months prior and still remembered her address. They sent a dispatch to her house and interrupted whatever the hell she was doing, she clearly didn''t like that and killed them, but that gave you enough time to escape.¡±

    Wow, the investigation had been good. Well except they didn''t figure out the vampire part, or maybe they had and just lied about it.

    ¡°You saved my life Maria.¡±

    ¡°I told you, my rules save lives.¡±

    ¡°Even the one where we have to put the lid back down on the toilet?¡±

    ¡°Especially that one. Proof is, you and Stan are still alive.¡±

    The three of us laughed, except my mother, who seemed a bit shocked.

    But well I don''t remember her ever laughing so it wasn''t really surprising.

    I felt suddenly somber.

    ¡°They are completely right. Really, nice work. Exactly how they said. I ran in the mountain and lost her. I waited then came back down, my pelt to keep me warm. I went towards the sea because I knew there was a road there, and here we are.¡±

    ¡°This Mexican lady followed you in the woods?¡± My mother asked.

    ¡°Yes mother, and she was definitely not Mexican.¡±

    ¡°What kind of monster would go to such lengths...¡± She barely registered me correcting her.

    I didn''t tell her it was a real monster that pursued me.

    ¡°Still, those police officers, they died to save me.¡±

    Someone died because of me.

    Again.

    ¡°Happy thoughts.¡± Repeated my best friend.

    I began crying silently.

    No one said anything for awhile.

    ¡°We''re at the hospital.¡±

    True the nature scenery had left its place and instead, the city had reared it''s ugly head.

    The rest of the night was crazy.

    The doctors immediately went into action, it seemed I was famous now. I had gotten a private chamber, where they had put the heating at max, and I was covered in heating packs almost from head to toe.

    They made a battery of test, but except severe hypothermia, found nothing abnormal about me.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I didn''t realize how relieved I was until I heard those news.

    Speaking of news, the media was all over the hospital. A reporter even dressed up as a nurse to try and interview me in my room the day after.

    My father, who didn''t come visit me, apparently did something, because the media dispersed a few hours after that attempt.

    My mother told me he had threatened all media outlets of the region a severe lawsuit if they ever tried that again.

    Even the police officers had to wait.

    Because when coming from one of the biggest judges of the state, a lawsuit made them think twice about getting close to me.

    Still, after forty-eight very boring hours, I was discharged.

    But instead of going back to my flat, I had to go to the police.

    That''s when I saw my father for the first time since the incident, and since at least half a year.

    He had taken possession of his BMW again, and had brought me to the police station himself.

    ¡°You''ll let me do the talking son. You were drugged, brought back to a Mexican serial killer, and survived heroically in the freezing woods for five days.¡± Were his first words when I climbed inside his car. A nurse had brought me to him, he was waiting for me at the front of the hospital, where only ambulances could supposedly park.

    ¡°She''s not Mexican father. And it was anything but heroic.¡±

    ¡°A shame.¡± He said, annoyed. ¡°It would have been easier if she was Mexican. And it may not have been heroic, but we''re going to say it was. It''ll make you famous, you could actually go big with your ''art''.¡±

    I looked at him, mouth wide open.

    I was not so shocked about the obvious racist undertones of what he said, I knew better than to expect anything else from my parents. But he wanted to use this as advertisement for my art pieces?

    ¡°You don''t care about my art, why now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I do care. It''s just impossible to make it big in that field, and as such, is not worth it. But with what happened, you could break into the industry. You''re good, that is obvious (As you are my son, I could almost hear him think), but that''s not what matters, you have to be known.¡±

    I felt myself wanting to vomit.

    ¡°I''m not drawing to be famous.¡± I said, furious.

    ¡°You are, everyone wants to.¡±

    I clenched my hands hard, trying my best not to hit my father in the face in a car driving at fifty miles per hour. I heard a scrunch, looking at the car handle breaking under my grip.

    ¡°Raymond! Stop that at once.¡± My father ordered.

    ¡°Gray. Call me Gray.¡± I said, as I forcibly relaxed my hands. I didn''t want to obey him but had nothing against the German car.

    ¡°Is that a new trend? Is that your artist name? It''s good. Simple and effective.¡± My father approved.

    This was going to be a very, very long car ride.

    I thought we would speak in those one-sided glass rooms you saw on tv, but we actually did the interrogation in the chief of police''s office.

    The chief of police knew my father, of course, and it went as you could expect.

    As perfect as it could be for my family.

    I couldn''t say a thing. My father told his little speech about my heroics but did actually tell them my attacker wasn''t Mexican. He had some professional etiquette after all.

    I felt restless, on the verge of killing someone, I hated people talking on my behalf, even more so when it was Frederic Dunkelbaumen, my father, doing it.

    He had only lived in his home country, Germany, when he was a baby, and couldn''t speak any German at all. I inherited most of his looks, much to my annoyance. My mother was of Dutch descendance but had lived in America for five generations. My brother had been the one looking like her the most.

    My family origins didn''t explain why both my parents were assholes.

    This whole situation made we want to vomit.

    Maybe that''s what made me have an opportunity to talk myself, as the lieutenant in the room with us, a severe looking woman in her forties, seemed to catch my angry expression every time my father talked.

    ¡°Sir, could I take the kid outside, it seems he needs some air.¡±

    The chief of police and my father looked at her quizzically, but as I wasn''t actually needed here, the decision was quick to be made.

    ¡°You may, King, but don''t bother Raymond all right.¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡±

    I smirked at her name; it did fit her somewhat.

    ¡°Follow me kid.¡±

    Once outside the office, I couldn''t help but retort.

    ¡°I''m not a kid by the way. I''m 22.¡±

    She seemed surprised, but her cold expression came back soon after.

    ¡°Really? You look like 17 to me.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn''t you know my age?¡±

    ¡°I wasn''t in charge of you, I investigated Bob and Henry''s deaths.¡±

    Immediately, I felt terrible. I had heard those names on the news ; the ones of the police officers who saved me.

    ¡°You''re all right k..¡±

    ¡°Call me Gray. And no, I''m not all right. I''m really sorry about your colleagues Lieutenant, I really am. My dad said I was a hero, but I''m just a coward, they were the real heroes.¡±

    She didn''t say anything for awhile, and I just followed her outside.

    Once there she took out a cigarette and began smoking.

    ¡°You smoke?¡± She proposed.

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    She sat on the brick railing of the steps leading to the main entrance.

    Snow had begun to fall again, and the night was young.

    She looked at me, and I saw some respect in her eyes.

    ¡°You''re nothing like your father, are you?¡±

    That made me smile.

    ¡°I''d like to believe so, but honestly, I''m just as stubborn as he is. I wouldn''t have survived without that particular trait.¡±

    ¡°Not like your brother?¡±

    That made me lose my smile instantly. I felt a growl growing in my throat. I gulped it back down.

    ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡±

    She sighed, her hands up in an apologetic manner.

    ¡°Sorry kid, I needed to see how you would react to that. Now I know what you look like when angry and not wanting to tell the truth.¡±

    ¡°So, you did look me up, you know about my brother.¡±

    ¡°I did. You''re not cold?¡±

    I thought about it for a while.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Probably much colder in the woods.¡±

    The memory was getting hazy, but I would not forget the pain.

    ¡°Much.¡±

    ¡°Why five days?¡± She asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why did it take you five days? You should have been dead in less than one, but it should not have taken you more than a few hours to reach the sea.¡±

    I didn''t see why I shouldn''t answer, what''s more, it felt good to be the one telling the story.

    ¡°Because I had to run away. I knew she was following me, and I thought the river was a great way to lose her. But going downstream was obvious, I had to do something silly.¡±

    ¡°Getting inside freezing water is not silly, it''s suicidal. Why the hell did she scare you so much, and how did she follow you in the middle of the night, through 20 inches of snow? And why did you have to go in the river?¡±

    ¡°I needed to make her lose my scent.¡± I answered her last question, regretting it instantly.

    ¡°Your scent? She had a dog?¡±

    I didn''t know what to answer. I froze.

    ¡°I see, you''re not going to answer that one. Interesting. What killed my colleagues was an animal, but no animal expert can tell us which type. It''s not the first time we''ve seen those claw marks before, very human-like ones as well, they think a mutated breed of chimpanzees. Was that what she used to follow you?¡±

    That was a crazy theory, but it told me they knew nothing about vampires.

    I didn''t think it was a good idea to tell her the truth. If I knew anything about vampires in pop culture, it was that they didn''t like people babbling about their secrets.

    I would not take the risk.

    The vampire had said the world was bigger than I thought.

    Still, that didn''t help me find an answer to her question.

    ¡°No, she had no animals in her home. Well except the pelts.¡±

    She laid back, dangling her body over the railing. Looking way younger for a second.

    ¡°I knew that theory was bullshit. What was it?¡±

    I hesitated.

    ¡°I don''t think it''s a good idea for me to say.¡±

    She perked up.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means she was akin a crazy ninja, and she did all the work herself.¡±

    ¡°That seems unlikely, even more so when a 22-year-old uses the word akin.¡±

    ¡°It''s the best I can offer as an answer.¡±

    She seemed lost in thoughts.

    ¡°Okay Raymond...¡±

    ¡°I''m Gray.¡±

    ¡°Gray, sure¡± She didn''t seem bothered by it. ¡°I''ll bring you back to your dad, if you could not tell him I asked you those questions, I would be in your debt.¡±

    The worst side of me got out for a second.

    ¡°Anything I can use to call you on that debt?¡±

    She was taken aback for a second.

    ¡°I almost mistook you for your father there, seems you were right, you have some similarities. But sure, here''s my card. If you remember anything important or need help with anything, call me. It doesn''t matter when, my phone is always on.¡±

    I took her card, putting it carefully in my wallet.

    I saw her looking inside, probably expecting it to be packed with money.

    I refrained a smile when I saw her surprised by the meager two dollars inside.

    ¡°What did you think you were going to see lieutenant?¡± I teased.

    She smirked back. ¡°Damn kid, teasing me? You''re twenty years too young for that, now let''s get you back to your father, I''m freezing.¡±

    I followed her back inside.

    After a week of convalescence, where I also had to go through a press conference where I had stood behind my father for half an hour while he answered all the questions in the world, I was finally free to get back to my normal life.

    Well as normal as it could get when you knew mythical monsters existed in the real world.

    That and Iglis was back.

    I am not Iglis anymore. I am Gray.

    Sorry about that.

    I felt her being there when I woke up that morning. I was supposed to go to my first class in the morning in... I checked my phone...

    Did I just wake up at four in the morning completely awake and well? That seemed almost more impossible than all the vampire and magical pelt business.

    We need to hunt food.

    My stomach was expressing displeasure, making me have no other choice but to agree.

    So I said mentally How are you still there, I lost your pelt. I truly apologize about that by the way.

    We did not lose anything.

    You know where it is?

    We do not understand, of course we do.

    Weird.

    Still, the mission was food; crazy pelt voice, afterward.

    I served myself a bowl of cereal but was still hungry, so I took another.

    As I fancied something else after that, I decided on an English breakfast with lots of sausages and eggs.

    I love cooking, it was a wonder why I wasn''t fat. Well, I almost never made myself those kinds of breakfast, I would rather cook it for Stan or Marie when they were waking up.

    Talking about Marie, she was just getting inside the little kitchen/dining room of our flat.

    It wasn''t big but being on the top floor and having a balcony where we could eat in the summer, it was a great place.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing Gray?¡± She had gotten used to using my new name after I had corrected her a hundred times this first week. Why I systematically did it I had no idea. But well, I was pretty far from sane right now, so I just went with it.

    ¡°Breakfast?¡± I said in the same hushed voice she was using, probably to not wake up Stan and/or her date, Ginny?

    ¡°At five in the morning? And why are you cooking for six?¡±

    ¡°Well, why are you up?¡±

    ¡°I always wake up at five, except on the weekends. I study better in the morning.¡±

    ¡°That''s mental.¡± I noted.

    ¡°You''re mental.¡±

    ¡°Most likely true.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Can I get some of that?¡± She asked.

    I growled. I actually growled at my best friend over food.

    She took three steps backward, fear in her eyes before going back to normal.

    ¡°Gray. What. The. Fuck.¡±

    ¡°It seems I''m really hungry.¡± I began to explain, not fooling even myself. ¡°I''ll cook you some more. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No worries. Just, you''re a bit more...feral...since...well you know.¡±

    ¡°Living in the wild for five days with not even underwear, I guess it helps with feral.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What happened in the forest? You never told.

    I felt my eyebrow frown at the question, but it was Marie, I wouldn''t tell her about the vampire and magical pelt stuff, but other than that, I knew I could trust her.

    The female smells nice, we can trust her.

    ¡°Marie always smells nice.¡± I answered myself.

    Out loud.

    Again.

    ¡°Thanks Gray!¡± Marie answered. ¡°Could you not try to deflect the question with fake crazy please?¡±

    Crisis averted.

    ¡°Honestly, I just ran, walked, and fell all the time. I was scared and cold, and I can only remember the white at day and the dark at night because that''s all there was.

    Not true. There was so much. We should go again soon.

    I felt myself wanting to agree...with her or wait, myself?

    Not the best idea though.

    Maybe when there is less snow. And with proper hiking equipment.

    We only need ourselves.

    Erm, no.

    Yes.

    N...

    ¡°Gray, you''re lost in there? You''re going to burn my breakfast.¡±

    ¡°It''s your breakfast now? Let me eat my fill, then you''ll have yours.¡±

    ¡°Come on, you can share.¡±

    ¡°Want me to growl at you again?¡±

    ¡°You''re not scaring me; I work with serial killers. Sometimes. Well, that one time.¡±

    She made me smile.

    ¡°Fine, here.¡± it took some effort, but I managed to hand over half my plate of delicious eggs bacon, and sausages.

    ¡°That''s way too much.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and eat, or I eat you.¡±

    No, I have other ideas for what we could do with her.

    I''m sorry what? She''s my best friend and a lesbian. My alter ego, could you please not?

    Marie, not hearing anything of my internal dialogue, retorted.

    ¡°Oooh, you''re gonna eat me, kinky feral boy.¡±

    I do not understand the word lesbian. But see? She wants us as well.

    That''s called sarcasm, idiot.

    Oh.

    Marie cut my internal conversation short before I could explain to myself what the word meant. Woman Gray went back to sleep.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, lost in all the things I was going to do to you.¡±

    She laughed softly before a half-dressed girl got out of her room.

    ¡°Marie? Care to explain?¡± She seemed angry.

    Marie and I looked at her puzzled.

    ¡°You''re flirting with him.¡±

    Yeah, the flat had no sound isolation, so she probably heard everything.

    And now that girl was jealous, dumb jealousy if I may add.

    ¡°He''s my best friend Gin, and I''m strictly into girls, like you.¡±

    ¡°You didn''t wake me up.¡±

    I felt Marie get angry, which was rare.

    ¡°Listen, if you want to bitch you can do it, but not here. You''re being a nuisance. I didn''t want to wake you up because, you know, it''s not even five and a half. I think it''s decent to let you sleep. But now you''re going to take your stuff and leave. Don''t think about calling back.¡±

    In a long awkward moment, the Ginny girl, who wasn''t even a redhead, took off in a rage, making as much noise as possible.

    When she finally left, a giant groan erupted from Stan''s room.

    ¡°CAN I FUCKING GO BACK TO SLEEP NOW?¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Marie and I said at the same time.

    Our only answer was another groan, and I heard him mumble ¡°Fucking Marie and her one-night relationships.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don''t talk to her like that.¡± I knew he wasn''t serious, so I said it jokingly.

    ¡°Did he say something? I didn''t hear anything.¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°Oh, just how you pissed him off with your one-night stands.¡±

    ¡°Normal Stan then. I''ll still make him do the dishes when he wakes up.¡±

 Estranged routine

    I''m bored.

    Yeah, I get you, after a kidnapping/vampire escapade, a week at uni is like death.

    We want to run.

    Well, I''m not usually the one up to much physical anything, but with my current food intake, I''d better do something because I''m going to get obese within two weeks. So, I''ll have to agree with you.

    I was back to a semblance of a normal life, with more stares.

    I had been in the spotlights for a while, but that had soon died down. The only thing different was that my art pieces, paintings and drawings, were selling like crazy. Their prices were growing higher and higher, and an art gallery had asked me to give them some of my collection.

    I drew a lot, my paintings were rarer, I liked the simple effects of pencils, where pressing harder created black, lighter created soft grey.

    So I had a lot of stuff to give.

    But I wasn''t happy.

    Because it was what my father said would happen. I knew from the start he was right, but that aspect of art made me sick.

    No emotions, no meaning, just money.

    I was famous now. I was a nice story rich people could tell their friends.

    ''Look at that drawing, the girl crying in the snow. Do you see? It''s from Gray, you know, Raymond Dunkelbaumen? The kid who survived in the frozen mountains of Washington for a week after almost having been killed by a serial killer?''

    I had refused the gallery, but I couldn''t refuse to sell. I had posted everything online, way before everything blew up, and was contractually obligated to deliver.

    Still, some people bought it for what I believed were good reasons, and that was what I tried to think about. Happy thoughts.

    They just liked my art and bought it. Or found it resonated with them somehow. That was good enough for me.

    I got out of my reverie when Marie coughed to get my attention.

    ¡°Gray, you''re bursting our food budget.¡±

    ¡°Uh?¡±

    ¡°You just ate three packs of bacon sausages and twelve eggs. That was supposed to last the week.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I felt bad, but not about eating that much. Actually, I felt great.

    ¡°You''re going to get fat! Come on stand up.¡±

    Since I woke up at four every morning, Me and Marie had gotten even closer, as we enjoyed breakfast together every day. I obliged her and stood up.

    She got closer to me.

    Nice smell.

    Shut up. Oh, I didn''t say it out loud this time, that was good.

    She had a teasing look in her eyes, that made me slightly anxious.

    ¡°Raise your arms Gray.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Tch tch, just do it.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡± I did as she asked.

    ¡°Haha! Surprise fat attack!¡± She suddenly exclaimed as tried to pinch my belly through my pajama t-shirt.

    She stopped immediately though.

    ¡°What the hell.¡± She said.

    I stepped back.

    ¡°What? Why am I being sexually assaulted?¡±

    ¡°Drop the shirt.¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry? Marie what? Are you doing a reverse coming out?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, in your dreams.¡± She had a serious-ish look, so I removed my t-shirt. Nothing she hadn''t seen before anyway, we had only one shower, and it wasn''t rare for us to move around in only a bath towel. Well, Marie always had two.

    ¡°Holy shit. Gray you''re packed!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at myself, intrigued. I wasn''t the one to really care about how I looked, and I didn''t really look at myself in the mirror that often. In all honesty, the face was my narcissus, but the rest of the body, not really, that was Stan''s issue, not mine.

    Still, I admit having a six-pack grow from nowhere was nice. If Stan saw it though, he would be completely out of his mind, as I didn¡¯t deserve it as much as he did. He had worked for it.

    ¡°Cool.¡± I said.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± I winced at the bad word that got out of her mouth. ¡°Are you hitting the gym in secret?¡±

    ¡°No...¡±

    ¡°I think I should go take a hike naked in the woods for five days then.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t recommend it.¡±

    ¡°I think it''s worth it.¡±

    There was a long pause.

    ¡°Can I put my shirt back on now?¡±

    ¡°Wait I need to take a picture.¡±

    ¡°No, you''re not, you hentai.¡±

    ¡°Shout Kyaah for me and I¡¯m raping you.¡±

    ¡°I''m a man.¡±

    ¡°I know, but if I only look at the six-pack...¡±

    I decided to flee for my life and barricaded myself in my room.

    ¡°ARE YOU GOING TO WAKE ME UP EVERY FUCKING MORNING?¡±

    Stan wasn''t of the morning if you hadn''t guessed.

    I heard Maria answer him.

    ¡°Stan! Ray has a six-pack!¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    ¡°I swear, a perfect, chocolate-like six-pack.¡±

    ¡°Who the fuck cares, It''s...six AM! SIX A M.¡±

    ¡°A good time to begin the day. You want some breakfast, Ray did everything we had in the fridge, so you can have some of the leftovers.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I heard him sit down, and Maria too.

    I poked my head out and watched through the corridor.

    ¡°Marie! Sorry about the food. I''ll put 50 more every week, my art is selling well so it''s no problem. And call me Gray.¡±

    Both made a thumbs up, and as that problem was seemingly resolved, I decided to dress up for class.

    Class is boring.

    I agree, especially history of art from Jefferson.

    Let us go run.

    You know what crazy me. Sure. I never went to the track field; I know they always clean up the snow though.

    Clearly, my unfortunate week outside had been great for my body. I never felt so fit and in control of my body. I didn''t know how long I ran, but all in all, it felt great.

    ¡°Hey boy, want to join the team?¡±

    An old-looking man asked me out of nowhere when I had decided to stop for a while, enjoying the sensations of my body. The field was not deserted, but very few people were masochistic enough to go run outside in those freezing conditions.

    The fifty years old-ish man clearly wasn''t running and was probably the coach of the track and field or something.

    ¡°No sorry. I just wanted to exercise a bit.¡±

    ¡°You''re that kid who got lost in the woods.¡± He seemed to recognize me.

    I didn''t exactly get lost, no. The statement alone made me angry.

    Wait, why was I getting angry about that? I''m not that emotional.

    He is weaker. He does not give us the respect we deserve.

    So you''re the reason for that? Tell you what, let me handle PR, crazy me, and I''ll let you handle the dangerous situations, deal?

    This is a smart deal for us. We accept.

    I was making deals with myself, I really hoped I''d make a great piece of art before I was ultimately sent to the asylum.

    Or maybe I could make one there.

    ¡°Well, clearly, you''re not right in the head.¡±

    It seemed my silent conversation hadn''t gone unnoticed, and the coach had just assumed I was batshit crazy.

    He was right, but the way he looked at me made me want to bash his skull into the ground.

    Hey. I said to myself.

    I am not responsible for all of our anger.

    Yeah, I guess I wasn''t so immune to anger as I thought.

    I smiled politely at the old man and left the track field. I wouldn''t be running there anymore.

    The campus had a park, just next to the mountain, I loved it there, I usually stopped and painted or drew in some of the hidden alcoves inside it.

    Let''s go.

    Erm now? I just ran and I''m tired so.

    We are not tired.

    Surprisingly, I realized we were barely out of breath. So, I obliged myself.

    Ok, let''s go then.

    For the whole day, we climbed the mountain. Well I did, myself and I. It was strange, two similar Grays, one more animal and one more human cohabitating the same body.

    And it seemed animal Gray was a sports phenomenon.

    I was seeing the most beautiful sunset of my life, seeing it fall under the waves of the horizon.

    You still there? I asked.

    Always.

    We''re not crazy, are we?

    No.

    I''m not human anymore, am I?

    Right now, we are human.

    Are we like a werewolf, a shapeshifter? I can''t help but guess, the wolf pelt has disappeared but you''re still there. I ate you somehow, merged with you.

    We are not werewolves. But our shape can change.

    What are you?

    I am you.

    Great.

    I could feel it was useless to ask for more, I knew she was telling the truth. She was me, that fact was undeniable to me. I tried to change the subject.

    So, what can we become? No wait, you''re going to answer ourselves or some dumb thing like that. Better question, what can we shape into.

    Our wolven self, and both of our old human selves.

    Wolven self? Wait <u>both</u> our human selves?

    We are one, male and female, animal and human. Three shapes, because the number three is sacred.

    Wow great, now we''re talking real magic. That sounded prophetic like crazy.

    Prophecies are always right, and always wrong. Better not listen to them.

    I laughed. I made myself laugh, creepy. Good thing I was alone on a mountaintop in the middle of nowhere.

    So, we are a kind of werewolf, but I can also change into the body of what was Igris?

    There is no Igris. The moment we became one, Raymond and Igris ceased to be.

    Yeah but Igris existed before we became one, so did Raymond.

    No, we were, are, and will always be one.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    That made me stop and think for some time. The last rays of the sun pierced only the horizon, darkness had already surrounded me.

    I had to admit, I didn''t get it. I wasn''t exactly bad in science, but that time mumbo jumbo was going over my head.

    So how do we change shapes?

    You know the answer to that question because I know the answer.

    Sure, we were one, but we were also two different entities and I had no way of knowing what Igris had known.

    But even though it made no sense, I realized I knew. Innately I knew how to change my form to that of my wolven counterpart.

    We only needed to wish it.

    Let''s try.

    Understood.

    I wasn''t really prepared for the pain, but I remembered it from before.

    On the road.

    We were not human, we had changed when we heard the car, on that road.

    Agony is a small word for what I felt, but honestly, what was truly nightmarish was the sound; of my bones breaking and my muscles ripping.

    But it only took a few heartbeats, well under a minute, for it to be over.

    I was as tall as I was as a human. No slightly, taller. I was 6 feet tall (1m80) before and had gained a few inches now that I was a wolf.

    No, a wolf wasn''t truly what I was.

    A wolven shape.

    I was three times the size of what a normal wolf should be.

    If someone saw me, he would probably run away screaming, and if there was proof something like me was close to a city, they would bring tanks.

    I also felt strength like never before. My sense of smell had drastically improved, so had my hearing. My vision stayed normal though, no night vision for me. Bummer.

    I looked at myself, quite a hard feat in my current state.

    My fur was similar to the one of my lost pelt, except the white was slightly darker, pretty close to light grey.

    I would need a big mirror to examine myself fully.

    The strangest thing was the tail, I could feel it, which was super weird.

    I had no control over it though, right now it was waggling softly.

    I was not a werewolf, or at least not half wolf half human.

    Werewolves are weak compared to us.

    There are werewolves?

    There were.

    Who was Igris, no Gray, as a woman I mean?

    You know Gray, you are Gray.

    Just like the knowledge on how to shift, female Gray''s past suddenly came rushing in.

    Way too fast.

    It was like standing up, your mouth opened under the Nicaragua Falls.

    I was lost, not able to make sense of anything.

    After I don''t know how long, I closed the stream of touch, sound, image, scent, and taste. But the emotions were still coming in.

    It felt like being a guy pushing a giant barrage with his bare hands.

    After what felt like an eternity, I managed to close off the emotions.

    I woke up with blood in my mouth. Divine taste on my lips.

    Oh no.

    What happened?

    You don''t know either?

    No, we opened our minds, then everything went dark.

    She seemed...more educated? Less feral?

    Yes...we saw our male Gray''s life. We learned a lot. Too much.

    Same here.

    I finally looked at my surroundings.

    As I could still see some light at the horizon, it hadn''t been that long since I zoned out.

    There was a dead moose under my feet. I apparently ate half of it.

    Urgh.

    Food!

    Don''t go back to feral now.

    We are not hungry anymore. But a bit more would be nice.

    I''d rather eat my meat cooked, thank you very much.

    I should feel sick. But I wasn''t. I felt great.

    A memory got to me. It was Igris, older Igris, maybe thirty or so, doing some kind of ritual with all of her brood sisters.

    She was an oracle like my male counterpart was. Or how had the vampire called me?

    Conscient. That''s what I was.

    Her sisters were trying to help her. Find herself?

    Then she got blessed by what she believed to be a god, but to my eyes was just a series of thunder strikes, and became a wolf pelt, eternally sleeping to find herself.

    I slept for so long, so many hands touched me. But none were our other half, until we met you.

    She didn''t just sleep for a long time. From what I remembered of her memories; Egypt wasn''t a thing. She lived in Mesopotamia.

    I''d have to do research on it to know exactly how long that was, but holy shit, sorry for the language.

    We felt so broken, like a half perpetually missing.

    I understood the feeling. No, I knew it. I began understanding what she meant with the ''we were, are and will always be one'' thing.

    So Oracles, or Conscient, are some kind of magic people but broken in half or something like that. Never to be whole.

    I do not know. Oracles were meant to bring only bad news.

    I sneered. Yeah, two people killed themselves because of me. And two others sacrificed themselves to save me. I know the feeling.

    Of course, you know, we are one.

    I know, I know.

    Well, I had a lot to digest, figuratively and literally. Better go back to my flat.

    ¡­

    My clothes.

    My running shoes, vest, and everything I had on me when I climbed on the top of the mountain¡­I had destroyed everything.

    I went back to the mountaintop. It was easy, even in the dark. I could follow my own scent back there.

    I realized my wolven and human scent were very similar but still noticeably different.

    One was clearly human, said my instincts, the other, not.

    Interesting.

    Oh, my jeans.

    I loved those jeans, wore them since high school.

    My phone wallet and keys had survived though.

    I willed myself to change back.

    Immediately regretting it as the pain swept me on my knees.

    Then it was gone.

    I looked at the time.

    Only six thirty pm, I was ok.

    Well naked on top of the mountain, but ok, Marie wouldn''t call the cops. Yet.

    I began shivering.

    I send a message to Marie saying I was coming back home, but I didn''t really know when, and that she definitely didn''t have to call the cops if I arrived after midnight.

    Something was wrong.

    My fingers were wrong.

    I looked down on myself.

    Immediately looked up.

    Shit, I was in Igris''s body.

    Or well, Igris''s body when she was the same age as me.

    It felt...perfectly normal, reason why I hadn''t noticed the new boobjob.

    What happened?

    I believe that after we mixed our memories, we cannot dissociate body from one another. If we don''t specify which appearance we want, it''ll just be random.

    Ok, I knew that. Feels good to ask though, I didn''t like knowing something I shouldn¡¯t know.

    It was unsettling not feeling anything for such a killer body though. It was just like looking at my male self. Appreciative of the six-pack, but nothing else.

    That would be weird.

    You were beautiful.

    I <u>Am</u>.

    You are.

    I felt happy.

    Ok, refocus. I needed to change shapes, wolf to get down the mountain fast, then male Gray to go back to the flat.

    I took what was left of my jeans with those beautiful velvety hands.

    Focus.

    ¡­ and wrapped my phone wallet and keys in them, then I willed to change.

    It took slightly longer, and when fully wolf, couldn''t stop myself from howling loudly in pain.

    I immediately got used to my form, took the package through my teeth carefully, then ran down.

    I was going so fast. Dodging the thick vegetation as if I was a cat and not a giant wolf. Now that I was aware of myself, I could go faster and faster, unlimited by what I believed was humanly possible.

    It took 10 minutes to finish what seemed to be a five-hour climb.

    I smelled the park, or well the couple having sex inside it.

    It was freezing guys. How the hell can you have sex in this kind of weather?

    I stopped for a moment. What if one of the partners was not on board with it?

    Immediately after the unsettling thought, my hearing gave me the reassurance that no one was being hurt.

    Urgh. People really use daddy as a phrase now. It''s not just a meme?

    I got a bit away from the noises and pictured myself becoming my male self.

    I hoped it would be enough.

    I was happy to see old Ray''s body, but seriously, I had no idea how I was going to get used to the change. I had managed not to shout this time, but it was a horrible experience, nonetheless.

    I opened my jeans, or what was left of them, and checked the state of my valuables. No wolf monster saliva had managed to penetrate the cloth.

    Such good quality, such a shame.

    I used them to hide what was left of my dignity, but the feeling of wolf saliva on my skin was truly not great.

    I checked my phone. It had like six missed calls from Maria, one from an unknown number and one from Stan.

    I had lots of messages too but called Maria before checking them.

    She immediately picked up.

    ¡°Ray! Gray! Whatever. Is that you?¡±

    ¡°It''s my phone calling you, who do you think it is.¡± I wasn''t used hearing that much terror in her voice.

    ¡°Oh my god, we didn''t know where you were. You didn''t go to your classes, and you didn''t answer your phone after you sent that message.¡±

    ¡°How do you know I didn''t go to my classes? And what''s the problem? I did send a message.¡±

    ¡°Anyone could have sent that! You could have been kidnapped again for all we knew!¡±

    ¡°Ok, sorry, I''ll call next time, you need to chill. How did you know I didn''t go to my classes?¡± I repeated my question.

    ¡°Your witness protection detail told me...¡±

    I stopped breathing.

    ¡°My what?¡±

    ¡°...The police has a security team on you 24/7...¡±

    I had a security detail. Why? Or no, not why, the why was obvious, the vampire was still on the loose and I had definitely pissed her off. I needed protection and to them, it was a ¡®normal¡¯ serial killer, so of course they would want to put me under surveillance. The real question was:

    ¡°Why the hell was I not informed of this?¡±

    Are you not supposed to be the calm one?

    I ignored myself.

    ¡°I didn''t know either, don''t get angry at me.¡± Marie didn''t like my tone either. ¡°A police officer came an hour after you send the message, telling us they had lost you since you had been running at the track field. You have been training for that six-pack you liar!¡±

    Even if it would have been better for her to believe I did, I didn''t want her to think I lied to her.

    ¡°No, I just went for a run for the first time today. I do not lie, remember that?¡±

    ¡°You do lie, you just hate it.¡±

    True.

    ¡°When they told us that, I felt that your message was a pretty small reassurance, and then you didn''t answer your fucking phone.¡±

    I shivered. Standing butt naked in the snow was a habit I really needed to give up, even though it was not the cause of my trembling.

    ¡°I''m fine. And I suppose the security was orchestrated by my father, I know you wouldn''t have hidden that from me.¡±

    Not like we are hiding anything from her.

    You have a proposition on how to tell someone monsters exist and that you became one of them?

    I like her, we should make her our partner.

    A sidekick? I do not want to become a superhero.

    ¡°...Gray?¡±

    ¡°Sorry you were saying?¡±

    Mental conversations were really to be avoided when you were having physical ones.

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡±

    Tell her.

    ...Fine, you''re right. We need her right now.

    ¡°I''m on the northern side of the park, could you come to pick me up with some clothes?¡±

    ¡°Clothes?¡±

    ¡°I''ll explain. Are the cops there?¡±

    She paused.

    ¡°One of the officers is watching tv in our dining room.¡±

    ¡°Give him the phone.¡±

    "It''s Ray." Gray I corrected internally as I heard her talk to the police officer.

    After a few seconds, someone else answered the phone.

    ¡°Hello? Mr. Dunkelbaumen?¡± Said a masculine voice.

    ¡°Yes, may I know who you are officer?¡± I said with my old law firm voice. I hated this but it was important no one else died because of me. They were not ready for a true monster.

    ¡°...I''m officer Higgs.¡±

    ¡°Officer Higgs, I am very sorry for the following, but could you please tell this to your superior officer? In accordance with witness protection law article 9-21, I request you stop following and protecting me, as no psychological evaluation has been made in accordance with article 9-21.100, and I did not ask or give my approval to any semblance of this. What''s more, I do not enter article 9-21.220''s criteria for emergency witness protection. As such, if the police station of Redfort doesn''t want to suffer an immediate lawsuit and heavy coverage by the media, I ask an immediate stop to the witness protection program in my name.¡±

    There was a short silence on the other line before Higgs answered.

    ¡°Erm, you want me to remember all that?¡±

    I chuckled.

    ¡°No. Just tell them to get off my back or I''ll become a real pain in your ass.¡±

    ¡°You sure you want to do that kid? You''re not exactly safe you know?¡± He had dropped the politeness, so I did the same.

    ¡°I''m perfectly aware. But Higgs, I don''t want anyone else to die on my part.¡±

    Nevermore.

    ¡°It''s our job.¡±

    ¡°I know, and you''ve done it with brilliance.¡±

    ¡°But you still want us away. Something to hide. Into drugs?¡±

    I heard Marie in the back laughing at that. That''s how ridiculous it sounded.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°I''ll tell my boss. You''re free to go for now, but we expect you to come back into the office this week for further interrogation on where you were tonight. That alright with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, even though you won''t get much more than I went on a run, had a leisurely walk in the park and then did some mountain climbing. Because that''s exactly what I did.¡±

    ¡°OK. Understood.¡± I could hear he was more than dubious about my answer. ¡°Giving you back your friend, have a nice evening Mr. Dunkelbaumen.¡±

    ¡°Good evening officer.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to wear? Panties and pleated skirts?¡± I heard Maria shuffling through something.

    ¡°No, I don''t want to wear your stuff, thank you very much, some clothes from my dresser please.¡±

    ¡°You''d look fabulous in red lingerie!¡± She said jokingly.

    I cringed hard because we, female and male Gray, would both agree it would be nice on our female body.

    And I really didn''t want to think about the implications of that right now.

    ¡°Could you hurry up, I''m really cold.¡±

    There was a pause.

    ¡°Wait a second, are you fucking naked outside again? In the park?¡±

    Oooh that tone of voice was scary.

    ¡°...I''ll explain.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you''d better. How am I supposed to get to your dresser?¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°My door is unlocked?¡± I was pretty sure I didn''t lock it. I rarely did.

    It took only a few seconds for Marie to answer the question, our flat was far from big, and her room was directly opposite of mine.

    ¡°It is. Not scared of us stealing something?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Wow, such confidence.¡±

 True Friends

    Anxiety was gripping me as much as the freezing air around me should have been. I felt cold, but not excruciatingly so, as the feral energy that was inhabiting my body kept me warm enough not to shiver.

    I was waiting for my best friend, unsure what steps to take when she would arrive. We had decided to be honest, but the question was how honest I should be. Telling her about vampires, magic, and past half-souls transformed in wolf pelts seemed¡­unwise considering the line of work Marie was working in. Not telling her anything was out of the question though. She seemed truly terrified since my abduction, and more emotive, as the scene with her now ex-one-night stand had shown me. She was not an advocate of violence or aggressiveness, and pretty much the opposite of insensitive. Still, her reaction to her ex had been all of the above.

    Few people passed next to the bench I was on, none saw me. I blended with the shadows as naturally as I breathed. Only the stars and the half-moon lighted the park, even though lampposts were plenty. The bulbs had been stolen repeatedly by the diverse sororities on campus, with such regularity that the university had just stopped replacing them.

    I smelled Marie before I heard her, and even then she was still too far away to see.

    That was freaky.

    She came to our meeting point and saw me almost immediately under the darkness of the unlit lamppost.

    ¡°If you were trying to scare me right now, I will kill you.¡± She said.

    ¡°It was not my intention.¡± I answered ceremoniously, coming closer.

    She visibly relaxed at my unnatural response.

    ¡°Dumbass. Here, no underwear though, I did not want to shuffle through that drawer.¡±

    She was giving me privacy by looking away, I took the clothes she was handing me.

    She had mixed a sweater that was not mine in the mix. Seemed like a pink unicorn themed one.

    ¡°Erm, what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My revenge.¡±

    ¡°Is it yours?¡± It smelled like her.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Was the most obvious lie I ever heard her say.

    I laughed loudly.

    ¡°Shut up, it¡¯s my pajama, It¡¯s way too big for me. And you¡¯ll have to face the stares of everyone on the way home. You have no right to turn it around to bully me.¡±

    ¡°There are people in furry costumes on this campus, may I remind you. I do not think anyone is even going to stare at me.¡±

    She grimaced.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back home, you¡¯ve got some explaining to do.¡±

    I nodded, anxiety gripping my core once again.

    She worries too much, she likes us.

    Would you shut up, she¡¯s a le¡­she¡¯s into girls. I translated for myself.

    Why did they not burn her then?

    What? What do you mean by¡­

    Before I could finish my mental sentence, and before I even began following Marie that was going back to our flat, a memory surfaced from my insides. One of the uncountable ones that I saw but could not register.

    Igris now Gray was screaming in front of a large fire. Many men and women in ritual clothes were shouting and singing songs in a language that I did not know but could nonetheless comprehend. She was being held in place by a large man of dark-colored skin, father, and my sisters were watching me, some crying in silence.

    I was breaking from the inside, as I saw a silhouette on top of the sea of flames slowly falling apart, ashes mixing with the melted gold and copper bracelet I had given her.

    I breathed again; my eyes were focused on something in front of me¡­ snow. I was crouched on the ground.

    ¡°¡­Ray? RAY.¡± Marie was shouting at me. Only a few seconds had passed, as long as the memory took to resurface. I tried to talk but felt sick.

    I am sorry we had to see that again. It has been a long time, but it is still not¡­pleasant.

    Why?

    It is a sin.

    Much had to be said about that statement, but I had someone else to worry about, Marie was dialing 911.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I managed to say out loud ¡°Don¡¯t¡­I¡¯m¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence. Fine was not the truth.

    Marie crouched on my level and forced her eyes into mine, hand on my chin.

    ¡°What is your brother¡¯s name?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Francis¡­¡± I answered, clenching my teeth.

    ¡°How many fingers?¡± She continued, showing me the middle one.

    ¡°Well five on my chin, and one quite rude just in front of my nose.¡±

    I stood up effortlessly.

    ¡°Wow! You just passed out, be cool!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just had a flash-back.¡±

    My best friend gave me a strange look. ¡°Of you naked outside the woods? Of course, that¡¯ll happen! What were you thinking!¡±

    I squirmed. ¡°Not really about that, even though it would make a lot of sense.¡±

    She waited, expectantly.

    I sighed before continuing. ¡°I can¡¯t explain without sounding crazy.¡±

    She gave me another look, much more understandable.

    ¡°Well, without sounding craziER.¡± I corrected.

    ¡°I work with crazy, even though I don¡¯t believe this word actually means anything, it¡¯s one way of describing my future job.¡±

    I gave her a half-smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to explain, I promise. But right now, I just want a hot chocolate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll even make it for you, but please, don¡¯t disappear anymore, or pass out, please?¡±

    ¡°I will try my best.¡± I promised.

    Our talk had to wait, as Stan was waiting for us, with a hot chocolate already prepared for me.

    ¡°You¡¯re the sweetest.¡± I said with the most ostentatious flirty voice.

    He laughed, at my sentence or at my sweater, I do not know, but probably a bit of both.

    ¡°Ha! GAAAAAYYY.¡± He shouted while getting dressed in his polar jacket.

    I sat down at the table, and Marie did the same.

    She had a scary expression as she spoke to me, silence had accompanied our walk back, it seemed not welcome inside.

    ¡°He has a date.¡± She explained to me.

    ¡°I had guessed as much.¡±

    Stan, on the verge of leaving, finally realized the mood was weird.

    ¡°Everything alright guys?¡±

    ¡°I hope that soon, it will be.¡± Marie answered.

    I looked at my masculine flatmate with teary eyes.

    ¡°Could you tell my best friend that I love her, after I have been assassinated?¡±

    Stan smirked. ¡°Even though the murderer is the best friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sure, have a deadly evening, I¡¯ve got a fun one!¡±

    And he left me with the angry pack of wolves personified.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think your golden tongue is going to work with me. ¡®Love¡¯, ¡®Best¡¯, you are trying to smoothen the road for what¡¯s coming next, and I won¡¯t be smoothened.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help myself: ¡°You¡¯d make a delicious smoothie.¡±

    She stared at me. Her right eyebrow was twitching.

    ¡°Out with it. Now.¡±

    I gulped.

    ¡°Erm¡­ well¡­¡±

    Do we need to intervene?

    Wait uh¡­

    I immediately stopped slouching; I didn¡¯t even realize I had been doing so. One instant I was Gray, 22-year-old timid boy, the next I was Gray, the woman 10 years older, and much more mature to the horrors of the world.

    ¡°We¡­I do not want to tell you everything, not because I don¡¯t trust you, but because it is difficult for me, and I am not ready to talk about it.¡±

    Marie¡¯s eyes widened, and she visibly recoiled, but only acquiesced.

    ¡°The person who kidnapped me was not a person. It had the appearance of one, but the insides of something decrepit and vicious. What I did to survive that night¡­those days¡­ it changed me. This change brought today, and it¡¯ll bring lots of tomorrows, certainly as strange. I will tell you more as time passes, that we promise.¡±

    And then I slouched back again.

    The sensation had been¡­normal. I should¡¯ve been furious, having lost control over myself like that, but it wasn¡¯t anything like that at all. She had been in control of nothing more than I had been. Every word I could have stopped, every gesture I could have modified.

    We had just decided to prioritize one method over another.

    What¡¯s happening to me?

    We are¡­merging, as we are one, soon, we will not be able to differentiate between ourselves. We shall just be one Gray, with the memories of two lives.

    That was unsettling, to say the least.

    Marie had stayed silent the whole time of my soliloquy and my mental conversation.

    She was still not saying anything.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Marie?¡± I asked, worried.

    ¡°Multiple personality disorder?¡± She finally said.

    That, I was not expecting. I froze.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot Ray¡­or Gray? That makes more sense. In such a traumatic event, having to break part of yourself and change it to survive is possible, I believe. I have not studied that pathology though, it¡¯s extremely rare, only ever happens in books or movies. People think it¡¯s the same as a schizophrenia, which it is not at all. You¡¯re not hallucinating though? Hearing voices? Believing you¡¯re a god or something. You said not a person. What then?¡±

    She was looking at me¡­ weird. I did not like it.

    This was how she looked at her patients. I could only guess that was the case, as I had never seen her in that context, but that¡¯s how it felt.

    ¡°Gray.¡± She said calmly.

    She was not calm, I could smell the anxiety, the sadness.

    She is a seer, our words were a mistake. She sees the truth behind us, understands it more than she should. We said too much already.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I tried.

    ¡°Gray¡­ could you come with me to¡­¡±

    I could not let her finish her sentence, I felt it would ruin part of our friendship.

    ¡°I cannot tell you. But I can show you. Now.¡± I got up and wearing the same pink sweater, I left the flat.

    She quickly followed me, shouting ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She truly was.

    I took the stairs downstairs, the elevator only worked half of the time anyway, and the enclosed space seemed unbearable now.

    ¡°Would..you¡­wait!¡± I heard behind me.

    I didn¡¯t.

    She finally caught up to me five minutes later, out of breath.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you running all day? How are not tired?¡±

    I was not even sweating, I walked slowly, so she could follow. I did not want to answer, so I did not.

    ¡°Fine.¡± She said angrily. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Forest next to the park.¡±

    ¡°Really? Again? We were there half an hour ago? Couldn¡¯t you have shown me inside?¡±

    ¡°Not enough room. And I don¡¯t want witnesses.¡±

    She looked at me, eyebrow raised. ¡°Really? You want to murder me in a bush for being nosy now?¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°Nah, but I¡¯m reconsidering my security detail. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to summon Satan on my ass sooner or later.¡±

    Is she? Wait no, that¡¯s sarcasm.

    She laughed, then immediately after sighed.

    ¡°Better be worth it. I still believe I was right with my multiple personality disorder. Your reaction was evident. But I¡¯m not your psychologist, I¡¯m your friend, I went too far. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±

    ¡°No worries. And you are right, in a way. You¡¯ll make a great therapist later. You¡¯re too far from the truth though. I do not want to lie to you.¡±

    ¡°How can I be right, and still far away from the truth?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    We soon arrived in the woods, in a clearing not far from the main road. There was a thicket between the two, and mixed with the snow covering the vegetation, it was impossible to see or pass through it. I knew a way traced by the wildlife that linked both.

    I finally looked at my best friend, shivering and trying to warm her hands with her breath.

    ¡°Your eyes¡­ if I didn¡¯t know you so well, I would be really scared right now.¡±

    ¡°What do you see?¡±

    She seemed hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you look so¡­ wild? You¡¯re supposed to be the indoors type, but you seem so, at ease here. You don¡¯t even look cold.¡±

    She is a seer.

    She¡¯s just sharp.

    That is what we call a seer.

    I didn¡¯t want to make my trembling friend wait for another of my mental conversations to finish, so I refocused on what was surrounding me.

    ¡°Do you remember the pelt?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The one you stole? You lost it in the woods but it¡¯s how you survived right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I didn¡¯t lose it, I thought I did, but it seems it was more than just a pelt. It was something old, something that belonged to me.¡±

    She looked confused for an instant but immediately hid her reaction. She was trying her best to analyze my sentence with emotional distance. What it could truly mean.

    ¡°It fused with me.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand her looking at me like that. So¡­cold.

    She couldn¡¯t hide anything that time.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    ¡°That thing that kidnapped me, it was a vampire, and not the twilight style one, the soulless undead kind who lives only for blood.¡± I didn¡¯t know that for sure, maybe some of them were vegetarian and nice, but it was better to simplify right now.

    She looked pained. ¡°R¡­Gray you know it¡¯s not the truth. Did she try to cut you? Is that why?¡±

    I stepped closer to her; anger was fueling my steps.

    ¡°We will never lie to you, not even when lying to ourselves. It has been promised so.¡±

    She looked spooked by my sudden closeness, by my tone of voice that gained imperium, but she stood her ground.

    ¡°Who am I speaking to now?¡± She countered.

    I smirked.

    ¡°Gray.¡± I stepped back, undressing.

    My best friend still did not move, nor did she avert her gaze, fixed on me.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a vampire too now? You got bitten and now you¡¯re a monster. There is no sparkling sun you know, no magic.¡±

    I continued to remove my clothes.

    Her semblance of confidence finally faltered slightly.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, I don¡¯t want to see your ju¡­¡±

    I pictured my wolf self.

    I could not stop shouting in pain that time.

    ¡°Gray?¡± She immediately responded, panicked. She moved closer.

    ¡°Right there is GOOD¡± I warned her to stay away.

    She did not listen to me, only to the sight in front of her.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Time seemed to stop.

    Pain subsided, flesh reworked itself, muscles ripped then renewed themselves, just differently.

    I howled at the half-moon, beseeching it to show me its full glory. She did not listen to me.

    I looked at the terrified human on the ground, she smelled delicious, but I was not hungry.

    ¡°Friend¡± We reminded ourselves. That was weird. In this form, something else was inhabiting Gray.

    Dark.

    Introspection had to wait.

    I circled around the speechless Marie, who was looking at me with a mixture of terror and awe, as if she knew her death had come, but it was too beautiful to run away from. She was on her knees, hands behind her back on the ground, holding her straight.

    She turned with me, staring into my eyes, refusing to let them go.

    That was annoying.

    In one step, the distance between me and her became nothing.

    Still, she looked me in the eyes.

    ¡°IMPUDENT HUMAN.¡±

    She was our friend though, maybe the only one we ever showed our heart to. So she had the right to be.

    I pictured Ray again.

    The pain was terrible, but I managed not to make a sound. It seemed one way was worse than the other.

    Before saying anything to my dumbfounded friend, I picked up my clothes and put them back on.

    Halfway through, I heard her speaking, her voice broken by shock.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­No way¡­¡± Her hands were becoming blue, and to be able to spot that, even in darkness, meant that she had to be truly frozen. She was not wearing her usual white and black skull gloves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, you¡¯re not looking okay.¡± I began.

    ¡°Okay?!¡± She shouted. I never saw her so emotional, so not in control.

    And then she was calm again.

    She got back up on her feet, stomped towards me, and pointing an accusatory finger at my chest said: ¡°You being a werewolf does not give you the right to show me your genitals.¡±

    And she left, forcing me to be the one following her this time.

    ¡°Wait what? That¡¯s not what I was trying to do¡­¡±

    Welp. She got over it fast.

    She could not outwalk me long, but I did not know if she wanted me near her, so I stayed a safe distance away.

    She noticed it immediately: ¡°C¡¯me here.¡±

    I arrived next to her, and with no warning, put her frozen fingers inside my clothes.

    I yelped.

    ¡°What the!¡±

    ¡°Your fault they¡¯re falling off and you¡¯re warm. You traumatized me for life, you¡¯ll let me do anything I want to you for the next decade and I guess we¡¯ll be even.¡±

    We had never been close physically before, and I did not like this new turn of events.

    That is a lie.

    Shut up.

    ¡°I did not sign up such a contract. I just showed you the truth.¡±

    ¡°That I cannot begin to comprehend. Too bad friendships don¡¯t work with contracts though. It''s the only way you would have been popular.¡±

    I could not see her face, as she was too close, and her dark hair was blocking my view. It was usually red or blue, but she had decided to wait for her natural color to come back completely to try a new color. She still smelled delicious. It made us remember the prior events, and the strange new influence we had experienced as Wolf Gray.

    What was that?What was that?

    We did not know. That could be problematic.

    Marie¡¯s finger pinching my belly cut off my thoughts.

    ¡°Would you please stop?¡±

    She began giggling like a lunatic.

    ¡°Marie? Have you lost it?¡±

    ¡°Definitely. Tell me everything Gray.¡± She looked up; her eyes prevented me from any form of refusal.

    ¡°I will, I promise. But I¡¯m also very much in the dark, and I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay before continuing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay but that doesn¡¯t matter. I was sure I was going to die. But I¡¯ll wait to be back inside before asking. I understand why you had to show, but it doesn¡¯t really help.¡±

    I nodded, sensing she was talking to calm her nerves.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s truly weird?¡±

    ¡°I think pretty much everything was.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I mean, I was scared, I knew I was going to die. But the thing¡­giant wolf¡­or you, I don¡¯t know¡­ it was so magnificent.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I mean, it was, like that drawing of yours I love so much, but alive and moving.¡±

    I tried to change the subject, maybe wolf talk wasn¡¯t the right moment now.

    ¡°You never told me about that drawing?¡± She complimented my work often, but never more than that. She had told me that she knew too little about art to say anything else.

    ¡°It¡¯s the one you threw away.¡±

    Oh.

    I trashed ongoing projects often, but a finished one? That had only happened once.

    What is she talk¡­

    I felt the memory come back, as it had for Igris now Gray, it happened again for Ray now Gray.

    It was raining outside. Soft music in the room of my old flat. An old one, with too many people. It¡¯s where I had met Marie for the first time. I had been terrified that day. I had almost forgotten my brother¡¯s anniversary. I had taken a blank sheet of paper and decided to draw something I could give to him. Even though he would never be able to receive it.

    I don¡¯t know what brought the feeling, but I felt just like the day he¡­ died.

    I did not stop. Not even to drink.

    Now that I saw the memory again, I realized that Marie had entered my room that day, unsure at my unresponsiveness, not knowing me as much as today, and worried for me, as always. I did not register her presence. She was watching me draw in silence.

    She left shortly after, depositing a glass of water next to me before finally closing my door.

    I drank it without even looking.

    At first, I was happy with what I had done.

    It felt true.

    Too real.

    ¡°Gray! Snap out of it, I really don¡¯t need this right now.¡± Marie was holding me in her arms, clearly pissed off.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, another flashback.¡± I apologized honestly.

    That was¡­

    Sorry, we really are similar, even in our traumas.

    We are one.

    ¡°Those flashbacks have to stop. You¡¯re killing me.¡± Answered Marie, unaware of what was happening in my head¡­ ¡°Do they have something to do with your new alter ego?¡± ¡­ or maybe very aware, hard to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. Let¡¯s go back. I¡¯m not fine, you¡¯re not, I want to eat something.¡±

    ¡°Like a big steak with lots of piercings?¡±

    ¡°Very funny. I¡¯d eat you, but not like that.¡± That last sentence slipped.

    Hey!

    It¡¯s the truth.

    ¡°Welp, you can¡¯t, not interested!¡± Marie was not bothered by my bad jokes as much as I was.

    I could see our apartment building now.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Said Marie. ¡°Let me go get my silver bullets before dinner though, just to be safe.¡±

    It poses no threat to us, but is she going to¡­

    Sarcasm.

    Oh. Yes.

 Inner demons.

    I told Marie everything. It took the rest of the evening and part of the night, to explain to her what I could remember. I only omitted the part about our strange feelings as wolf Gray. No reason to freak her out, and I had no idea what it was anyway.

    Marie had listened, mostly in silence, only to ask some precisions one some part.

    ¡°So, you can transform in this Igris?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Could you show me?¡±

    That question bothered me slightly.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know actually, I never switched shapes from one human to another, only through the wolf.¡±

    ¡°Could be a good opportunity.¡±

    I thought about it.

    ¡°Not now, I think you¡¯ve had enough, and I¡¯d rather try outside.¡±

    She pouted but acquiesced nonetheless.

    ¡°To summarize, you have an alter ego from the past, like way back, that slept the whole way through time as a wolf pelt until it found you. And you just happened by that magical artifact while it was being guarded by a crazy vampire? Seems unlikely, to say the least.¡±

    ¡°Well unlikely things happen. But it¡¯s not unlikely, it¡¯s almost impossible. Sometimes those happen too.¡±

    ¡°Still, the theory that you just gave me a strange sickness and that we¡¯re both hallucinating the same thing through our common fever is more likely.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being pragmatic.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t suit you, go back to summoning Satan.¡±

    She gave me an angry look. ¡°I do not summon Satan; I kick its ass back on Mars.¡±

    ¡°Is that a reference to something?¡±

    She sighed: ¡°You should play more video games.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, I only like to play them with friends.¡±

    ¡°We could play together sometimes!¡±

    ¡°You only like to kill things.¡±

    ¡°Or fuck things.¡± She added.

    ¡°We¡¯re talking about inside a game.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, forgot.¡±

    At this, our conversation on the paranormal stopped, albeit for a moment. The clock showed two in the morning. We were sitting next to each other on the flat¡¯s couch, the small television was showing pictures of some new terrible thing on the news, but the sound was muted.

    ¡°You still feel like you, that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°We are one.¡±

    She looked at me funny.

    ¡°That felt a bit weird.¡±

    ¡°My other side was more responsible for that one.¡±

    She looked at the news anchor showing a beached whale, so large and heavy it could not be moved anywhere.

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡±

    ¡°Mh?¡±

    ¡°Your alter-ego, what¡¯s he like?¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s not a h¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the dead whale on the screen exploded, enormous chunks of flesh flew everywhere, some directly on the news anchor, that barely dodged the mass of muscle and bones.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that ages ago.¡± Noted Marie.

    The news scene was shrunk down, and another image took place; multiple people laughing too ostensibly for it to be genuine. It wasn¡¯t the late news, but a bad gag reel show.

    ¡°Why are they laughing? It was horrible!¡±

    Marie did not seem surprised by my reaction. ¡°Maybe the sound effects would have helped.¡±

    I gave her an accusatory look.

    She sighed. ¡°It was rotting and polluting the whole beach, they didn¡¯t know what to do, so USA, I guess? What were you saying?¡± She didn¡¯t try to hide that she was changing the subject.

    Fine. What was I saying?

    I was trying to say that Igris, my alter-ego, was a woman¡¯s name, I had not specified it before, feeling it was obvious, but probably influenced by Igris now Gray¡¯s knowledge of old forgotten names. I tried to correct her mistake once again, but I heard Stan outside the flat, fiddling with his keys.

    ¡°Stan¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°What? How can you? Ooooh, were-wo¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± I didn¡¯t like her saying that so casually, especially as it was not the truth.

    ¡°Worrywart.¡±

    ¡°Coming from you, that¡¯s truly insulting.¡±

    ¡°Soft-skinned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna bite you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sooo scared.¡±

    Stan had entered the flat and was watching our oral joust with eyes up in the air.

    ¡°Seems you guys have made up.¡±

    ¡°And you are alone.¡± Noted Marie.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t need to bring her home every night.¡±

    ¡°Thank god. Your room may be the more isolated of the three, but we can still hear your manly cries.¡± I commented.

    ¡°Praise to that!¡± Added Marie.

    Stan gave us both his signature ¡®gonna kill you both in your sleep¡¯ hand gesture, before taking the door to the corridor on his left, where the shower, toilet, and his room, was.

    ¡°G¡¯night Stan!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°If you wake up at five and wake me up, I will burn your house down.¡± He answered loudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s also technically your house you know?¡± Teased Marie.

    But Stan had closed his door and seemingly didn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m going to sleep too, some of us are going to our classes.¡± Marie got up and went towards the corridor opposite to Stan¡¯s.

    ¡°G¡¯night Marie!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, I can assure you that.¡± She said, suddenly serious.

    I frowned but didn¡¯t know what to answer, and I waited for her door to close before going to the shower and going to bed myself.

    My eyes were closed, I was breathing softly, my head was resting on my soft pillow.

    I could finally focus on the events of the day.

    Our friend was in danger. Because of me.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Why though? There is not supposed to be a third.

    I realized I had access to the knowledge of two lives, and the memories linked to them.

    I was apprehensive I would invoke new flashbacks in doing so, but I felt more in control, the events didn¡¯t feel new, whether they were from Igris now Gray¡¯s mind, or Ray now Gray¡¯s.

    Is that what I meant when I said we would fuse?

    Yes, we can still talk like two different people inside our mind, but it becomes more of a conscious method of thought than two different people talking. I was never able to speak so fluently before, and I just need to try to be able to now.

    Isn¡¯t it scaring you?

    A bit, as much as it scares you. But we are the same.

    You would like something though? I have been Ray for a while, and I feel your side is disconnected.

    Our physical self.

    Maybe I could do like you did at the beginning, sleep a bit while Igris now Gray takes command.

    I do not know. It would go against the essence of ourselves, to forcibly separate after finally having found each other.

    It would only be temporary, and it may be the last chance we have in doing this.

    True. Let us try. We still must understand what happened in the woods.

    I stopped talking to myself and just focused on everything that happened. When alone in the woods, nothing¡­no we had blacked out. Both of us.

    If both of us blacked out¡­ Who controlled the wolf? Who had killed the moose?

    I went back into Igris now Gray¡¯s souvenirs.

    With Ray now Gray¡¯s objective view, something immediately popped up.

    When they summoned thunder on our body, we did not transform into the pelt.

    No, indeed, the pelt was already there. At our feet, waiting to absorb us.

    But there is no wolf that big. I couldn¡¯t strap my head around the thought.

    Igris now Gray¡¯s world had been fueled with magic, mysticism, old laws, chaos, and the roughness of human emotion in all its forms.

    Igris had believed that homosexuality was a grave sin punishable by death, she had been spared by fate because she was a Conscient, an Oracle. The clan thought her desires were not coming from evil gods, but from her male alter-ego. But anyone found bedding her had to be ¡®saved¡¯. To repent in flames was not my definition of saving.

    You like girls?

    So do you. Well yeah, that was logical.

    We found the problem though. The clan of magic and chaos had used something not really from this world to create its ritual for Gray.

    I only had one clue for what was the god, but with Ray now Gray¡¯s modern views, it wasn¡¯t helpful.

    Wolves had their god, symbol of Wrath and Vengeance. The clan was the one who had imprisoned him, fed him, and taught him forgiveness.

    It was a nice story, but obviously just there to teach how to make dogs, not actually about a real wolf god.

    Could be the truth.

    If it is, then we¡¯re fucked, so let¡¯s assume not.

    We wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.

    Exactly, you¡¯re so smart.

    Don¡¯t compliment yourself.

    We had no way of knowing what had happened on the mountain, so we stopped thinking about it. We had to put into action our decision for Ray now Gray to sleep the next day.

    How are we supposed to make it happen?

    I find it amusing you ask yourself questions you can answer. Do we really need to flatter our ego that much?

    Yeah, it would be a bad habit to have.

    I closed my eyes, drifting to sleep naturally, part of me would just be sleeping in a bit more.

    It was a strange feeling, I was in the limbo of my dreams, then I was not. I forced myself to stay there, but I could feel part of me conscious, just out of reach.

    I was Ray again.

    It felt terrible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again.¡± I said to no one, in a space that did not exist.

    But still, I was sleeping and didn¡¯t know how to force myself awake. I instinctively knew that only Igris, from the outside, could. So, I slept-waited, half there half not, waiting for our experiment to end.

    I felt no fear, as I knew Igris as she knew me, she felt the same way I did, broken in half, but with the desire to try to get through the day, nonetheless. Nothing bad would happen.

    NA?VE.

    Shivers ran up my spine.

    In the darkness of the clouds of my mind, eyes were watching me. They were moving in the mist, pupils of rust, cornea of fire.

    I instinctively stopped looking.

    SMART, BUT USELESS.

    A monstrous wolf, very much like my own form, showed itself, displaying teeth each as big as my hand. It wasn¡¯t the same as Wolf Gray though.

    This one was bigger, its fur pitch black. Blood was dripping from its snout, falling on an inexistent floor with an eerie sound.

    This was not a beautiful creature. I did not feel awe.

    The feeling was the same as with the vampire, worse even.

    Wrath, Fear, Death.

    I uncharacteristically swore: ¡°Shit. We just refuted the wolf god theory.¡±

    I could not move, not really, we were inside our mind after all. He was not really moving either, he hadn¡¯t ¡°shown¡± itself out of the shadows. Everything here was make-believe.

    Though I had no doubts he was dangerous even in a lucid dream.

    ¡°YOU ARE OUR NEW HOST ARE YOU NOT? DELIGHTED. I AM THE BEAST, AND I AM NO GOD, I AM THE ONE WHO EATS THEM.¡±

    Well, that wasn¡¯t ominous at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gray.¡± I said, terrified.

    The beast came even closer, its teeth bared, its mouth opening then clenching shut just in front of my face, droplets of blood flying on my cheeks.

    ¡°ORACLE MADE PRISON OF FLESH. I HATE YOU LESS THAN THE OTHERS.¡±

    I was not reassured.

    A deep sound emerged from the monster, rough and guttural. It was laughing.

    ¡°I DID NOT COME TO EAT YOU, YOUNG ORACLE. LIKE ME, YOUR DEATH IS AS INESCAPABLE AS IT IS UNATTAINABLE.¡±

    It was hearing my thoughts.

    It laughed again.

    ¡°YOU SAID NOTHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. I AM THE HARBINGER OF DISASTER.¡±

    I had guessed as much. The disaster being you.

    ¡°NOT ALWAYS. NOT THIS TIME.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said out loud in my mind.

    The terror personified that filled my incorporeal eyes vanished. Smoke replaced it in the clouds of my mind.

    The beast was not gone, but its form had vanished.

    ¡°WE LIKE YOUR HUMAN, YOU FORCE YOUR FEELINGS UPON US ALL, RAY NOW GRAY.¡±

    Immediately, my feelings boiled to unprecedented heights.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who thought of her as delicious? Who made us want to hunt her, even for a moment? You fuc¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT THE ONE HUNTING HER, WE ARE.¡±

    ¡°What? You mean¡­? She¡¯s into girls, how many times will I have to say it!?¡±

    ¡°PATHETIC. YOU WILL BE BETTER WHEN YOU FORGO THE BLINDNESS OF YOUR HUMANITY.¡±

    Blind? What was I supposedly not seeing?

    As I felt the beast truly retract in the depths of ourselves, a realization suddenly crept upon me.

    Igris.

    She was into girls, pushed by my feelings.

    And I had given her free reign.

    I felt sick.

    I had to wake up, now.

    A day was too long, she knew Marie as I knew her.

    All her weaknesses, all her likes and dislikes.

    She wasn¡¯t going to, would she? We had some honor; we would not lie to our best friend.

    We would not, and even then Marie would stop Igris.

    I thought about the serial lover for a moment.

    She wouldn''t.

    ¡°Igris!¡± I shouted. ¡°Igris!¡±

    No answer came.

    How much time had passed?

    I felt the presence of the beast far within, laughing, watching my squirming with delight.

    I was not able to wake up by myself, but I realized I could watch what was going on ¡°outside¡±.

    Igris could, so why shouldn''t I be able to?

    The beast had come, not to warn me, but to distract me. I did not need to wake, I just needed to talk to myself. It had brought disaster, as it prophesized.

    ¡°You¡­¡± I had no words.

    It laughed, deep growls shaking my insides.

    I called Igris, and then I felt whole again.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Oh.¡±

    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t.¡±

    I did not have to wait for an answer, we had decided to stop questioning ourselves when we already knew.

    I felt terrible. Angry at myself. Disappointed in my friend, too.

    She was unable to say no to cute girls, always had been the case.

    Igris now Gray¡¯s body wasn¡¯t just cute.

    That part of myself was discovering the full extent of her mistake and understanding what had happened inside. That a monster had used us while she was sleeping for eons.

    ¡°This is why I could speak so many languages. When sleeping, without both of our selves, he was in control. I had his knowledge, but he hid the memories, so I would not wake.

    Another part of myself had to assess the damage.

    I opened my eyes, the room was reminiscent of my own, but it was not full of drawing equipment and paintings, only books and video game posters, dimly lit by a computer screen.

    The bed I was in was bigger in size, but smaller in space.

    Warm flesh was stuck to mine.

    My body was soft, still partly novel to me.

    Marie was not sleeping, but her eyes were closed.

    Her lips were pursed in shame, I could feel the heat from her flushed cheeks, smell her sweat.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

 Friendships are everchanging

    <u>Twelve hours earlier.</u>

    I woke up feeling horrible. I was broken again. The room and the art surrounding me suddenly felt strange. Everything was wrong.

    My body felt strong, but rough. It was smaller than the one I was used to.

    For a moment I considered waking Ray up, but refrained myself.

    We had decided one day. I would try to honor that deal. Try to understand this new world without him to carry my every move.

    I could not handle this body though.

    I did not want to experiment transforming inside. We could turn wolf after all.

    I dressed as quickly as I could and left the room. The corridor was pitch black.

    What was I supposed to do?

    Lights. I tried to remember how to operate them.

    After some fiddling, the door to the living room opened by itself.

    No. Not by itself. Marie, watching me with worry in her eyes.

    ¡°Gray? What are you doing?¡±

    I stood up, feeling ashamed at my revealed incompetence, but refusing to show it.

    ¡°I am searching for the light¡­switch?¡± That was the word.

    ¡°Ok¡­ are you okay.¡±

    ¡°We¡­I mean Gray, well I, tried to give a bit of liberty to Igris today, me. Ray is still sleeping.¡±

    Marie looked confused, then a bit scared, then just confused again.

    ¡°Did he let his alter ego take command? Why?¡±

    ¡°It is not simple to explain, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all, it¡¯s just complicated to explain. I never used English before, even though I know how to use it.¡±

    ¡°Sure. If you say so. Erm, I¡¯m really concerned and would love to stay, but my classes are starting in ten minutes, can it wait? I only have half a day today, so I¡¯ll be back at noon.¡±

    ¡°You are free to do what you desire. It is the beauty of this era.¡±

    Marie didn¡¯t really know what to say, and just went back to the dining table in the middle of the living room.

    ¡°Do you¡­feels so fucking weird, I can obviously see Ray, but I feel it¡¯s not. Does Igris know how to cook?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was to be wedded, I learned. And I have Ray¡¯s knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Wedded? No time. Anyway, if you¡¯ve got Ray¡¯s knowledge, you¡¯ll be fine, he¡¯s a great cook.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be delighted to hear that from you.¡±

    ¡°Wait, he¡¯ll know?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we may be separated now, but that is only temporary. And shall probably not happen again.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like I¡¯ll hear glorious magic stories in a few hours, can¡¯t wait. Still have to go, it¡¯s a practical lesson, attendance is required.¡± She seemed truly conflicted.

    ¡°Have no worry, Marie, there is nothing that warrants hurry.¡±

    ¡°Huh, that rhymes.¡± She seemed pensive, then terrified. Her eyes just fell on the clock on top of the oven.

    ¡°Shi...that warrants hurry... sorry Ray¡­Gray¡­oh fuck Igris¡­ AAAAAH I CAN¡¯T DO THIS.¡± She took her bag and fled.

    I followed her outside.

    ¡°Before you go, know that I will go take my initial form, as I do not feel comfortable inside Ray¡¯s body without his presence.¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, gottago!¡± Marie was running away, hand waving goodbye.

    She had a nice b¡­ Wait I shouldn¡¯t, Ray would not like that.

    It was an aspect I should explore today. Our different likes. What would happen to us after we merged? We were extremely similar, the only real difference between us being age. I was older than him. But our personality was the same. I spoke just as much as he did when I was younger too. Worlds were different, but only maturity truly distinguished us.

    That Marie was able to spot the difference so precisely, truly made me think she could be a seer.

    But magic had died out in this world.

    Monsters were hidden, sorcerers were using technology with science as their wand.

    I did not want to explore such a world alone. So I just decided to eat, and then head out for the park a third time this week.

    Then I¡¯d use Ray¡¯s computer to safely explore the world while waiting. That was a plan.

    The park wasn¡¯t as empty as the night before. The sun was high, and lots of people were walking their dogs or their wives. Girlfriends, I corrected myself.

    I went deeper into the woods, borrowing Ray¡¯s knowledge to find an isolated space where no one ever came.

    I undressed, then willed myself to change.

    No pain. Only a strange discomfort.

    I was Igris again. No, young Igris.

    That was a nice bonus. I had gained almost ten years in age, to match Ray¡¯s.

    I was not cold, but quickly put on the now slightly too big but too short clothes. I would inspect myself later.

    When I arrived at the flat again, Stan had woken up and was eating cereal.

    He watched as I entered the room, unknown me with keys of his flat in hand, with wide eyes.

    ¡°Um¡­who¡¯re you? Those are Ray¡¯s clothes.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pursing my lips. I did not want to lie, but to tell or not to tell the truth to Ray¡¯s friend without him there felt way worse.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ray¡¯s¡­¡± Family wouldn¡¯t cut it, it would not explain the clothes. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±

    Stan, cereal still in his mouth, stopped all activity for a few seconds.

    ¡°Oh. Ooooh. Wait. Seriously? How? When? He didn¡¯t tell me? I¡¯m gonna kill him.¡±

    ¡°That would be discourteous of you. Oh wait, it is sarcasm again, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You¡¯re¡­like¡­hot.¡±

    How did he know about our body heat, was he also a seer ? No, wait, sarcasm again? I truly had to rely exclusively on Ray¡¯s memory to pursue this conversation, it was tiring.

    Oh. Hot meant beautiful.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I answered politely. ¡°I must decline any proposal though.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, of course. I wasn¡¯t offering. You¡¯re Ray¡¯s uhm¡­you know?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I had no idea what I was agreeing with.

    ¡°I have a girlfriend too.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°He told you? Why didn¡¯t he tell me!¡±

    ¡°I do not believe you need to be reminded of your own marital status.¡±

    ¡°What? No. I¡¯m confused."

    Seems everyone was, then.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "I meant about you.¡±

    Awkward silence reigned supreme.

    Stan tried to say something else, most likely about the weather, looked at me, not exactly always in the eyes, then went back to eating his cereal.

    Glad the situation seemed over, I headed to Ray¡¯s room.

    Once inside, I undressed, freeing myself from the uncomfortable clothes. I closed the curtains on my window/door, as it led to the balcony, and Stan could¡¯ve gotten on it through the living room.

    I lit up the lights, not failing miserably this time, and checked myself in the sink mirror.

    I felt great, but the sight before me was unexpected. I had always been beautiful; it had been my worse curse. In this day and age, beauty was almost always something good, but in the long ago, it only meant you would be sold to the man with the most wealth. Those men were rarely good men, as riches only came from war.

    I had been sold quite late, due to the efforts of my father to protect me. Then, for two years I had to train. The man who bought me had been so close...

    I had not rebelled, nor said anything. Fate was not something that could be fought against.

    Then, with the first drop of blood, I was revealed Oracle. To be pure forever, to be free from all human laws, following only the will of the gods.

    I was almost twelve.

    A new life began.

    I shook the memory off, I had dazed for a long time, looking at my body, so familiar yet so distant.

    I had never been athletic; I had to be protected. Still, now, my belly showed no fat, only muscle. My skin was also softer, lighter in tone. It seemed the fusion of Ray and I changed both of our forms for the better.

    I felt pride, but no happiness.

    It was undeserved.

    Without further ado, I began exploring the internet.

    I heard Stan leave an hour later but was too concentrated on this cat thing.

    After some time, I had switched to an animal called a fennec. It was hunting mice in the desert when a knock on the door woke me up from my research about ultimate cuteness.

    ¡°Ra¡­Igris? You still there? Want to eat something?¡±

    ¡°You may enter.¡± I simply said, trying to close the machine before it showed my newfound weakness.

    Marie said ¡°Who...?¡± entered, saw me with no clothes on, then froze.

    ¡®I think it¡¯s not normal to be naked between women in this country¡¯ Was my realization when I saw Marie¡¯s face go through a series of emotions I did not believe a human being could go through that fast.

    She closed the door, while all the same shouting ¡°WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU NAKED?¡±

    I draped myself with Ray¡¯s bedsheets and followed Marie in the corridor.

    ¡°Wow, back off¡­you¡­uh¡­creep?¡± Her embarrassment was truly delicious. I understood why Ray liked her so much. Honest, loving humanity, especially the body of some of them.

    ¡°I am Igris. Happy to meet you in flesh, Marie.¡± I could not stop a grin.

    Marie closed her eyes for a while, then stared at me right in the eyes, not deigning to look at anything else.

    ¡°That¡¯s such a thing Ray would do.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± I licked my lips.

    ¡°Exactly that. He had to have a girl alter ego, just to fuck with me.¡±

    ¡°We are one¡±

    ¡°Sure. Could you get dressed?¡±

    ¡°No. I cannot.¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, you don¡¯t have clothes. I¡¯m way smaller than you, and less¡­I can¡¯t help you either.¡±

    ¡°We have bought clothes for ourselves.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Said Marie, flabbergasted.

    ¡°The internet is a useful tool.¡± And a dangerous one, the cuteness was evil. Marie was playing with one strand of her hair.

    ¡°You managed to use a computer?¡±

    ¡°Ray is not proficient in them, but good enough for me to operate them.¡±

    She looked impressed. I liked that. I bit down my lips.

    Marie¡¯s face flushed ostentatiously. The corridor was small.

    ¡°Am I making you uncomfortable?¡± I could not resist teasing her, memories of Ray and her doing it often fueled my desire.

    ¡°Er no¡­ well yes¡­ I¡¯m the one who¡¯s smooth in those situations, normally.¡±

    ¡°I am older than you by a bit.¡±

    ¡°Could we go to the living room?¡± Marie asked, uneasy.

    ¡°There are windows there.¡± I pointed to my lack of clothing.

    ¡°I thought you did not mind.¡±

    ¡°With girls, no.¡± I did not tell her that if a man had seen me as she had, he would¡¯ve had his eyes ripped out of his sockets by the religious eunuchs. It did not seem to be the right time.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Marie had regained her composure and was looking deep inside me.

    ¡°Something I shall tell you in due time, lady seer.¡±

    Marie didn¡¯t ask anything else, changing the subject again.

    ¡°We¡¯re on the top floor, and if you sit on the couch, there is no line of sight from outside balconies.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Odd fact to know.¡±

    ¡°When the flat is empty, I often use it with my¡­¡± She gulped. ¡°Hell, why am I telling you all this.¡±

    ¡°You would have with Ray.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ can we go speak in the living room¡­ please.¡± She asked with pleading eyes.

    For a brief moment, the game I played with Ray¡¯s friend ended, I desired more than tease, more than flirt. My own voracious hunger fueled with emotions that were not entirely my own almost drove me to a madness that had already killed lovers before.

    I realized no one would be killed now.

    I stepped closer to her, she stepped back with a mix of terror and something much sweeter.

    I stopped. Forced myself to leave the corridor and brought myself on the couch in the living room.

    It took a few minutes for Marie to join me. She took a chair from the table and sat opposite of me.

    I broke the silence before it could start.

    ¡°As I was saying, it feels normal for you to be with me and talk with me because Ray and I are one and the same. Some small differences in our memory and age create differences, but our soul is the same.¡±

    Marie seemed relieved for a moment. ¡°I see, still, it does not explain everything. Like except the obvious...¡± She stared at my body. ¡°¡­there is also why I¡­No. Do you want to eat something?¡±

    ¡°I would be delighted.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t really go out before your clothes arrive so; I¡¯ll just cook some pasta. That okay?¡±

    ¡°I have the memory of the dish but have not experienced it myself. I¡¯ll gladly try your cooking, Marie.¡±

    Marie got up, tried to say something, fumbled on her words then bit her tongue. That seemed to help, as she exclaimed quite clearly: ¡°What the hell is happening to me?¡±

    ¡°I cannot answer that.¡± She looked at me with anger. Funny how Ray always saw her as calm and collected. She was very restrained, true, but the emotions had always been swirling inside.

    ¡°Stop flirting with me. You¡¯re, like, my best friend, or like the alter ego of my best friend.¡±

    ¡°I shall let you cook your pasta in peace. But Ray could never toy with you as much as I am now. He would love your reactions.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won? You¡¯ve got boobs, and poor Marie can¡¯t do anything anymore? I¡¯ll retaliate, tenfold."

    I wanted to respond but had just promised not to flirt anymore. I just smiled silently.

    ¡°Yeah, much better. When¡¯s Gray coming back?¡±

    ¡°We have decided one day. The separation is not¡­ pleasant.¡±

    She began cooking and began talking over the sound of the kitchenette.

    ¡°Why do it then?¡±

    ¡°It may be my last chance to be only Igris, we are merging, quickly. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not so bad. Both of us are accustomed to the feeling, it¡¯s how we lived our lives.¡±

    ¡°What was your life? I mean, Igris¡¯s.¡±

    I talked while she cooked. I didn¡¯t go deep into details. I did not hide the horrors but focused on the good. My sisters, that I had managed to save from a life of servitude, my love of drawing, and my search of love.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re into¡­ I mean¡­ now that you say it, it never even occurred to me you could be anything else¡­weird.¡±

    ¡°I am the same as Ray.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. It¡¯s ready by the way. Could you set the table?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    During the dinner, I asked about her. Pasta was a delicacy I wanted to enjoy, and with her talking, I didn¡¯t have to stop my eating.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m 23, last year of psychology, I only got a mom, my dad divorced her when I was a teen. She supported my coming out, he wanted me healed.¡± She said nothing for a while, I ate in silence. ¡°Why do you want to hear about me? You¡¯ve got Ray¡¯s memories, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do. But this moment had meaning to him, I¡¯d like for it to have some for me too.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± She seemed surprised, like her story could have importance for someone else was weird to her. She realized it too. ¡°I guess I¡¯m so used to care for others, I forgot others cared about me too. Well, some of them.¡±

    I said nothing.

    ¡°It was rough, but it¡¯s pretty much a regular coming out story, my dad was a devout catholic. He believed in God. I was a sinner. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You are a believer too.¡± Another important talk, further down the road of memories.

    Marie took a bite of her pasta, chewing slowly. Time passed.

    ¡°Yes. I believe in God, not a person, just¡­something¡­that loves us all.¡±

    ¡°To believe in love is beautiful, as long as you don¡¯t believe it¡¯ll be the answer to everything.¡±

    Marie chuckled.

    ¡°Is that how you feel? Ray didn¡¯t say.¡±

    ¡°We believe in truth. Sometimes, it is not kind.¡±

    ¡°I never said love was kind.¡±

    ¡°An interesting point of view. Why are you having so many lovers?¡±

    Marie looked at me, annoyed.

    ¡°I thought we had stopped with the flirting.¡±

    ¡°It was an honest question, I was not trying to flirt, but anyhow, I said until I ate the pasta, and now my plate is finished. You made a lot of it, and it was delicious.¡±

    ¡°I see. I counted on your wolfy body. Seems I was right.¡±

    I didn¡¯t let her dodge my question.

    ¡°When I began my slumber, I had only taken a few lovers in my life, a number I know you have taken in less than a week. Why? I cannot comprehend it.¡±

    Marie slouched down on her chair.

    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know¡­It¡¯s just, I see something nice in someone, I feel it could become something real, then, after a night or two, when I wake up, I look at her, and I just know it¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°For it to be a girl?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± She laughed silently. ¡°I mean, that she¡¯s not the one and never will be.¡±

    ¡°You are a seer, that feeling is most likely right.¡±

    ¡°A seer? You used that term before. Sorry to break it to you, but there is nothing magical about me.¡±

    Strange anger flared inside me. ¡°That is a lie, a painful one. I come from a world of magic, and we did not distinguish between a man throwing fire in the air, and one healing another just with his words. The latter we called a seer.¡±

    ¡°Really? I guess I¡¯m a seer then.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± She smiled at me.

    My anger subsided, replaced by an emotion oh so more dangerous.

    Marie, for once, was unaware of what was happening inside me, because she had just realized something. ¡°You¡¯ve never played video games! If I make you love them, and you fuse back with Ray tonight, maybe he¡¯ll like them too!¡±

    ¡°Ray has no games on his device.¡±

    ¡°Just follow me!¡± Marie hurried to her room.

    I should have stopped her. Entering an enclosed space, with my current state of mind was dangerous. Ray would disapprove, so did I.

    I could not prevent it from happening.

    <u>Later</u>

    ¡°You¡¯re back aren¡¯t you?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Marie lifted the hand from her face and turned to face me. The bed squeaked.

    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±

    I looked at her, confused. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? I guess you¡¯re the one who invited me in just a bedsheet as clothes to play videogames inside your room. I accept your apology. Now let me sincerely apologize too. I fucked up. On so many levels.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡±

    I shook my head, annoyed. ¡°What? The fact that I seduced my best friend? That I wasn¡¯t really there to enjoy it? That I¡¯m a woman right now?¡±

    ¡°Erm, the last one.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m Gray, both bodies are me. Igris or Ray, they are the same. Even as Gray, what happened tonight would probably still have happened, just not now.¡±

    ¡°You would¡¯ve worn clothes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It would¡¯ve helped.¡±

    There was silence. I felt something rise inside, as I felt her breath on my neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go.¡± I began to get up, but Marie prevented me from doing so.

    ¡°Don¡¯t! Stay under the covers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pounce on you if I see you naked again.¡±

    I laughed. Which was such a strange reaction it made me instantly stop laughing.

    ¡°If we stay naked next to each other, I¡¯ll be the one pouncing you.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll put a pajama on and come back.¡±

    Once again, I reacted in a way I did not expect.

    I softly kissed her.

    Time froze.

    Marie looked at me.

    She got up without a word, dressed in her pajamas, and threw me the unicorn sweater, before getting back into her bed.

    I clothed myself inside the sheets.

    We looked at each other for a while.

    ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± She said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve fucked.¡± I corrected.

    She had a genuine laugh, kissed me, then closed her eyes and went to sleep.

    Marie and her reactions to crisis were astonishing.

 The fall of normal.

    A few days passed. I was in Ray¡¯s body during the day, Igris¡¯s during the night. My relationship with Marie did not change much, but our sleeping pattern did.

    We did not speak about what was happening between us, just went with the flow of things.

    What else did you want to do with these strange circumstances?

    Scary how even in the weirdest of times, the universe tends to make everything normal again.

    That¡¯s what happened, some things changed, but those things became what was normal.

    Still, there was one conversation we could not escape from, and it was coming from our third roommate, who was having enough of the crazy happenings in his flat without him knowing about it.

    It was Friday night, our ¡®we eat together¡¯ night.

    We could feel Stan boiling around the dinner table.

    After some time eating my fried rice in silence, Marie couldn¡¯t handle the tension anymore.

    ¡°Out with it Stan! Why are you glaring at me!?¡±

    He reacted almost immediately.

    ¡°You! He!¡± He was pointing at both of us now, searching for his words.

    Marie¡¯s face whitened slightly. ¡°Wait are you aware that¡­¡±

    Stan couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Gray, but Marie¡¯s fucking your girlfriend.¡±

    Marie sighed in relief. That pissed me off slightly.

    ¡°Would it be that bad if he knew?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Well sorry, but I¡¯ve got a street cred to uphold.¡±

    ¡°WHAT¡¯S WITH YOU TWO IGNORING ME!¡±

    I looked back at Stan, feeling bad. ¡°Sorry Stan.¡±

    ¡°I waited for you to talk to me about your girlfriend, she didn¡¯t tell you I met her? Then I realize she and Marie are fucking. And none of you are talking to me! You¡¯re even more in your own bubble than ever!¡±

    I scratched my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mess to explain.¡±

    Marie looked pensive too. ¡°It had to happen one day or another, but I can¡¯t begin to explain either.¡±

    ¡°How do you think I feel, then! You two always have been like old lovers, and you keep some things to yourself, I know, I respect that. But not to tell me you had a girlfriend? And you, fucking your best friend¡¯s girl?¡± Stan had good reasons to be angry, but I did not want to lie to him, and I felt telling him the truth would be a bad call too.

    Why Marie and not Stan? I did not know.

    ¡°I¡­¡± I tried ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡±

    Stan looked puzzled. ¡°But she was wearing your clothes?¡±

    ¡°No¡­well yes.¡± I sighed, even with Igris¡¯s maturity and my knowledge, I had no clue what to do.

    Marie intervened.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to see her more often. You can ask her who she is then. But she probably won¡¯t answer. But I promise you¡¯ll understand, after a while.¡±

    Stan looked at her with eyes widened. ¡°Wow, seriously? Can¡¯t tell me?¡± He began saying something else, but then stopped in his tracks, and seemed pensive. After a while he said: ¡°I guess if both of you know what¡¯s going on, and you¡¯re both fine with it, it¡¯s not really a problem for me either.¡± He stared at Marie. ¡°You promise I¡¯ll understand?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you with someone for more than two days, it¡¯s been five now. Is this serious?¡± He then asked.

    That was an unexpected question, one, I realized, I also wanted to know the answer to.

    Was I¡­?

    Marie glanced at me, rolled her eyes up in the air, sighed, then answered by a simple: ¡°Yes.¡±

    I did not understand what I felt then.

    ¡°You look really happy.¡± Stan had seen my reaction. ¡°I guess she really isn¡¯t your girlfriend then. Well then, we need to celebrate, two of us have found love.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°How can you say that already?¡± I asked Marie seriously. ¡°She¡¯s so¡­complicated. Dangerous even.¡±

    I was scared now. I did not know why, but I had to ask.

    She looked me in the eyes.

    ¡°Because when I woke up, it felt right.¡±

    There was a long silence, where I could not look away.

    Stan interposed himself.

    ¡°Come on Gray, don¡¯t go all protective on her now, be happy for her. How can such a beauty be dangerous?¡±

    ¡°She eats freshly hunted moose raw.¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s unsanitary, not dangerous.¡± Marie countered.

    Stan only reacted by a rather unsophisticated: ¡°Cool.¡±

    I began saying something else, but Marie cut me off: ¡°We¡¯ll talk later, Boy.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t understand your video-game references.¡±

    Stan clapped his hand, ¡°Well seems you two are back to normal, who wants to watch TV with poor lonely me?¡±

    Marie had a malicious smile before saying: ¡°I¡¯ll join, so will Igris. It¡¯s her name by the way. Gray is going out.¡±

    ¡°Really where to?¡±

    Marie stopped me from intervening. ¡°Can¡¯t say, but I promised you¡¯d understand, and for that, Igris needs to come, and he, needs to go.¡±

    She moved closer to me and whispered in my ear. ¡°Tenfold.¡±

    ¡°I have no boobs right now, it¡¯s too easy for you.¡±

    Stan, who had claimed the couch in its entirety, looked at us funny.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening between the two of you, seriously? One second you laugh, the other you look as if you¡¯re going to murder each other.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough.¡± Said Marie.

    Seeing as that side was a lost cause, Stan talked to me.

    ¡°You okay? Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Nowhere, I¡¯m just going to sleep.¡±

    ¡°At 9?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    The clothes that I had as Igris were not ideal, I had been internet shopping as an old Mesopotamian Oracle after all. The t-shirt was too large, and the skirt too short. Still, it fit, so I could not complain much.

    I had tested that transforming from Ray¡¯s to Igris¡¯s body was as easy as it was painless, but Marie had to distract Stan to prepare my entrance. I was supposed to come from the outside of the flat, not the inside.

    I got out in the railway to the entrance through Marie¡¯s room window and pressed the bell of my own door. I could hear shuffling.

    ¡°Already? Was she waiting for us to finish?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Why are you not getting up.¡±

    ¡°You go.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s your girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing you a favor, make your little jock brain work.¡±

    I heard grumbles, and footsteps. Stan opened the door.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Stan, nice to meet you. Again.¡± He said.

    I shook his hand. ¡°G..Igris, same here.¡±

    He looked at me quizzically. ¡°You seem¡­different than last time.¡±

    ¡°Last time was special. I was under the weather.¡± I smiled.

    He had left the couch to come and greet me, and now going back, he found Marie had stolen his spot.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got company, you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll share, you won¡¯t. Mine.¡±

    ¡°Why are you not trying to look good in front of her?¡±

    ¡°Guess.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Come on, really? Fuck!¡±

    I frowned. Stan saw me react.

    ¡°Sorry Gray.¡± He tried, then immediately apologized again. ¡°Igris, sorry. You¡¯ve just got the same face he does. He doesn¡¯t like swearing either.¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡± I finally understood Marie¡¯s plan. He wanted him to slowly realize by himself. It was good. Probably annoying for my friend, but definitely less brutal than a surprise reveal in dark woods.

    ¡°Sit next to me.¡± She asked me.

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You haven¡¯t been the most pleasant tonight. Why should I?

    ¡°Please?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°What are you guys watching?¡± I asked.

    ¡°News, movie is coming after.¡± Stan took the remote control and unmuted the sound.

    ¡°¡­killings and disappearances are on the rise in the city.¡± Said the news anchor.

    I felt Marie¡¯s warmth on me. She was almost hugging me now that I was sitting on the couch. Far from our usual distancing when we shared it before.

    ¡°Sorry about my behavior. It¡¯s just. Going so fast.¡± She explained, softly enough so that Stan couldn¡¯t hear. He was focusing on the screen anyway.

    ¡°Want to take it slow?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean¡­I mean me. I¡¯m feeling too much, all my masks are crumbling. You¡¯ve always had that effect, but it¡¯s even worse now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good though?¡±

    ¡°Good? I don¡¯t know. Scary. It¡¯s easier when you¡¯re Ray, but I well, I¡®d rather see you as¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand. Both are Gray though.¡±

    Stan cut us short. His voice was terrified.

    ¡°Marie? Isn¡¯t that the one¡­?¡±

    We both looked at what caused him such anguish.

    I gasped.

    On the television was the picture of something that looked human but wasn¡¯t. The appearance of a beautiful woman, eyes that showed the absence of any soul inside.

    ¡°¡­serial killer on a rampage, law enforcements are currently investigating but if you have seen this person, please¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Marie hugged me tighter.

    ¡°She¡¯s been killing people from the Cranium, and art students.¡± Stan said. ¡°That¡¯s her, right? We need to tell Gray. He could be¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, the picture was one of a security camera, she was smiling at it.

    Smile filled with anger.

    ¡°I will find you.¡± Marie understood.

    ¡°What?¡± Stan and I looked at her.

    She grasped my hand.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know where you are, your information has been protected. She¡¯s asking who she thinks could know.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Asked Stan.

    I closed my eyes. It was coming. Again. I had fled before, should I flee again?

    Would Marie or my parents be safe. Stan?

    No.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need so time alone.¡± I got up and went back to my room.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Gray¡¯s¡­¡±

    As I closed my door, I knew two things.

    We would not flee, and we would do something stupid.

    I would ask the Beast for help.

    Are you there?

    HAD YOUR FUN?

    How did you know that she was looking for revenge, that she was hunting us?

    Because it knew, I had no doubts. Why it didn¡¯t warn me was obvious though.

    The monster laughed, clearly enjoying my panic.

    I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING, DID I?

    He was lying. Still, how could he know? He only saw what I saw, heard what I heard.

    YOU CAN SPOT MY LIES? BORING.

    I could feel the Beast¡¯s emotions, very much different than my own.

    I asked the dangerous question.

    How do we get rid of her?

    It smiled. An image of rows and rows of teeth flashed in front of my eyes.

    DO YOU DESIRE TO USE ME?

    I could only guess what that meant.

    I do not want anyone to be hurt.

    I CANNOT PROMISE THAT. BUT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE CLOSE TO YOU.

    I knew I could not trust him, but at least, he wasn¡¯t lying about that.

    I ask for your help.

    GOOD.

    And he left, I felt him go back inside the depths of my mind and soul, unreachable.

    Hey!

    But he wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do now¡­¡± I said out loud.

 An In-between

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you stronger than her?¡±

    Marie and I were talking softly, as not to wake up Stan. I slept alone the previous night, and my dreams had not been pleasant. Looking at her face this morning, the same was true for her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a big bad wolf? I don¡¯t see how she could hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t trust myself in this form, I¡¯m¡­savage. I could do more harm than good. And even then, what about everyone else?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with the police then?¡±

    ¡°I am, cops are around our building right as we speak.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can hear them talk sometimes. They¡¯re in a room on the bottom floor.¡±

    ¡°Cool. Wait, do you hear everything around us? We¡¯re in a student dorm, how do you even begin to cope with all the sounds?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. I think my brain filters the noises automatically. I¡¯m conscious of them when I¡¯m concentrating, or if I hear something really weird. It¡¯s a bother when I sleep, but I can just use my noise-canceling headphones for when I draw.¡± Alternatively I also liked to focus on her breathing, but that was way too creepy to be said out loud. ¡°Anyway.¡± I continued. ¡°It¡¯s not cool. There is nothing pleasant about being waken up by someone you don¡¯t know saying: ¡®Kid is staying home, nothing to report.¡¯ Feels intrusive.¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re safe.¡±

    I snorted.

    ¡°They¡¯re just showing her where I¡¯m at by being there. She¡¯s a monster, may I remind you. She killed two cops ready to shoot. I don¡¯t think ten more is making a difference.¡±

    She looked scared.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°Me too. Doesn¡¯t seem likely.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°We?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fight the devil without a witch, are you?¡±

    ¡°I knew you were summoning Satan.¡± I smiled softly.

    She blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not. Not joking though, if she tries to hurt you, I¡¯m not safe either. I¡¯d rather stay with the werewolf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Conscient.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the correct denomination of what I am.¡±

    ¡°Like conscience?¡±

    ¡°No, it means aware.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with wolfism?¡±

    ¡°Dunno.¡±

    The monster inside probably knew, but he was choosing to stay silent. I had my doubts though, that the wolf was not so much linked to me being a Conscient, but more to the pelt that was used during my sacrifice.

    ¡°In the past, we called it an Oracle. Messenger of gods.¡±

    ¡°We¡­?¡± She seemed to realize something. ¡°You¡¯re in Igris¡¯s body, but you feel so much like Ray. Did you¡­fuse?¡±

    As she asked me the question, I finally noticed. ¡°I think so. I just stopped talking to myself as two different entities last week. I think it was then.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice. I thought I could spot the difference, but it became increasingly difficult to do so. I was only guessing the last few days. You truly became Gray. Are you not concerned?¡±

    ¡°No. It is normal. What¡¯s not is my¡­our situation. What you and I are going to do.¡±

    Marie sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I was changing the subject.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t really skip on our lives.¡±

    ¡°We could just go to my room.¡±

    As tempting as it was, I felt it was not her heart talking.

    ¡°No. You¡¯re scared, so am I.¡±

    She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighed again, the stood up, her face resolute.

    ¡°Let¡¯s resume. We are chased by something hot, vicious, and with unknown strength?¡±

    ¡°Hot?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, she is. I saw the news.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s beside the point.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. It¡¯s definitely to her advantage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful too.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Gray. But that¡¯s beside the point.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    She continued her monologue, exposing her professional side once again. It didn¡¯t bother me this time, as it wasn¡¯t directed towards me.

    ¡°She¡­it will find us, eventually. Police are unaware of the situation and thus cannot defend us. Telling the truth will just make us seem deranged due to panic. Showing the truth¡­is way too dangerous for you.¡± She walked in circles, groaning. ¡°What if we showed your dad? He¡¯s most likely got valuable contacts.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I answered immediately.

    ¡°Please Gray, think about it.¡± She was standing still now and had a serious look on her face.

    It was my turn to sigh. ¡°Fine, let me think¡­¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    No one said anything for a few minutes.

    Marie broke the silence.

    ¡°Do you need some time alone?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just, I see him reacting in a few different ways. Firstly, I cannot show him Igris, he¡¯ll see it as a betrayal, like my brother.¡±

    ¡°I agree, your father is not known for his liberal views about sexuality, or body identification.¡±

    She had experimented that for herself firsthand when I had introduced her to him two years prior.

    ¡°Secondly, if I show him the wolf, there is a serious possibility I¡¯ll eat him.¡±

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s not ideal.¡±

    ¡°And finally, not showing him anything and just explaining things to him will just make it seem like I lost it, and he¡¯ll probably send me away in a help camp or something for a while.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be okay?¡±

    ¡°And what about you? He¡¯s never going to help you.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She began walking in circles again. ¡°Yeah, not good. Your mother?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll never do anything without telling him first.¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    Marie walked around for a few minutes, before deciding to just sit on my knees.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react, loving and hating the breach of personal space at the same time. ¡°Ask first.¡±

    She did not care one bit. ¡°Our only option is you.¡±

    I grimaced.

    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m not trusting the wolf.¡±

    ITS influence was so much stronger then.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I almost attacked you. You! When I was under this form. It felt delightful to see you scared.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t attack me... There is something else you¡¯re not telling me about.¡±

    ¡°Damned seer. I already put you in a more than precarious situation. I¡¯m not telling you because I don¡¯t know what it is, only that it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s about you, I¡¯ll be involved, one day or another. Why not tell me so I can be ready when the time comes?¡±

    I could smell her perfume. It made it oh so difficult to say no.

    ¡°You¡¯re manipulating me.¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. Manipulation is something you do for your own gain; I¡¯m doing it for both of us. I¡¯m convincing you.¡±

    ¡°Ggrrrr.¡±

    She moved her head back a bit. ¡°That sound was as scary as it was sexy. Won¡¯t stop me from getting my answer though. What¡¯s terrifying you more than the vampire itself? Why won¡¯t you even consider the option?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of it. It cannot hurt me. But it can hurt others.¡±

    ¡°It?¡±

    I kissed her aggressively. She let it happen for a bit, then pushed me away.

    ¡°Gray.¡±

    ¡°It. Our unwanted passenger. The thing making us wolf.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°In Igris¡¯s time, my clan called it a God. It refuted those claims, it said it ate those.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°So you can¡¯t control it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s lived inside us for so long, too strong. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s there or not most of the time. If it¡¯s listening, sleeping. When I¡¯m wolf, it¡¯s brought so close to the surface, it becomes as strong as Gray. It has no control over me directly, but I have no control over it either.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t make you do things you don¡¯t want to do? What¡¯s the problem then?¡±

    ¡°Not if I¡¯m conscious. But I¡¯ve had blackouts, in the woods, I¡¯ve got memories missing. It has ways of doing what it wills. I don¡¯t want to test it.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t it control you when you sleep?¡±

    That made me pause for a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She seemed pensive. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s forced to sleep with you. Maybe sleep and fainting is sufficiently different. You say IT. That it¡¯s not a God, that it said that to you. It speaks to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a she or a he, I don¡¯t think it matters, but it¡¯s an animal, speech is something it learned through hunting. It took control of Igris while she was waiting for Ray.¡±

    ¡°It could take control over her?¡±

    ¡°I¡­we were broken without each other, taking over the body would have been simple.¡±

    ¡°You know that? It told you?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a guess.¡±

    ¡°In any case, you transforming into the wolf is not bad, as long as you¡¯re not unconscious.¡±

    I nodded, it felt like that was the case.

    ¡°It¡¯s our best bet then.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just the intersection, we still need to construct the road.¡±

    It felt nice to see her frowning so close to me, she was cuter than the fennec hunting mice.

    ¡°I give up for now. Do you have any idea?¡±

    I had one, but she would hate it. I had to speak to IT first.

    ¡°Nothing tangible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡±

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t bother you any more than I already did, you¡¯ve already confessed a lot today.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Father Marie, for listening to my confession.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± She said playfully. ¡°By the way, does IT have a name?¡±

    ¡°Not really. The Beast?¡±

    Her smile faltered.

    ¡°The Beast? It¡¯s a wolf and it calls itself the beast?¡±

    ¡°Your expression doesn¡¯t bode well.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rather famous story. The Beast of the Gevaudan is a myth. It¡¯s based on a true story that happened in France during the middle ages. For decades, dozens of cattle, pets, and people disappeared. They thought it was a bear but found prints of an enormous wolf. People tried to hunt it. After many gruesome failures, they asked the king to save them. He couldn¡¯t help them.¡±

    I shivered. Not at the story, but at the feeling it brought. Pride.

    ¡°How was it stopped?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t. They killed lots of wolves, always saying ¡®that was the beast¡¯. But the killings continued. After ten years, they found the carcass of an enormous wolf, much bigger than the others, and brought it back to the king.¡±

    ¡°It was already dead?¡± Something felt wrong about the ending. ¡°How do you know about this?¡±

    ¡°I read, I play video games. It¡¯s a famous story. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t know. You love nature more than I do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more horror story than a nature documentary. Wolves already have such bad press, a story like that is basically asking for trouble.¡±

    ¡°I remember a book; I could find it for you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, anything helps.¡±

    ¡°In any case, if that¡¯s what¡¯s inside you. Maybe we should hold on to some better plan.¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself, we¡¯re out of options.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. I did think that really hard though.¡±

    I hugged her tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die because of me.¡±

    She hugged me back.

    ¡°We all die, Gray. But you¡¯re not responsible for the evil acts of others.¡±

    I closed my eyes, hearing fierce heartbeats next to my face, then I felt her lips on mine.

    I winced; we were not alone anymore.

    ¡°Why are we stop¡­¡± Marie began at the same time as Stan entered the room.

    ¡°Sorry for the disturbance, need sustenance.¡±

    ¡°It rhymes.¡± I added automatically.

    ¡°Cockblock.¡± Insulted Marie.

    Stan grinned through his half-woken face. ¡°No cocks involved.¡±

    The moment was over, I gently pushed Marie off my knees, stood up, and asked Stan.

    ¡°You want me to make you breakfast?¡±

    He only looked at me in confusion.

 Monsters in the haunted house.

    Are you there?

    Darkness answered me, the depths of my soul were unreachable, the Beast was hiding.

    I really wanted to swear but held myself back.

    Marie was going to her lessons, as usual. I had not changed back to Ray¡¯s form for quite some time.

    Stan¡¯s stares as I went in and out of Ray¡¯s room under my female form were increasingly inquisitive, but he too, had to go to his courses. I was alone that day. It was the middle of the afternoon but almost no light came through the balcony window/door of my room. Massive cumulonimbus'' were seemingly waiting for the rush hour to drop all their snow on the ground below.

    The vampire would not find me under my female form, she had no way of knowing it was me. As such, she would not recognize Marie and Stan as Ray¡¯s roommates either.

    It was a short-term plan, and at least until today, almost a week later, it worked.

    The killings had continued, two new victims had been found.

    I was trying to paint, but nothing was coming to me.

    I felt dark dread drawing closer and closer.

    My canvas was of the sky, I was using brushes this time.

    I did not feel the promise of the storm inside my strokes, so I scrapped it and began anew.

    One unexpected result of my fusion was that I inherited a lot of painting and drawing experience. Both lives had drawn, Ray as an aspiring artist, and Igris through her own method of prophesizing. My technique may have gained years of practice, but my feelings did not.

    Too much was happening, Marie, the Beast, and now the serial killer on my trail, I was too shaken to hold my utensils adequately.

    I sighed; nothing would come today.

    Before understanding what was happening, I was on my feet, backing myself against the wall, all senses on high alert. I had heard something different but now¡­

    Silence.

    Perfect silence.

    The police had stopped talking, the mouse in the pipes had run away. At this hour, almost no students were in the building, but the absence of any sound was eerie.

    The police.

    They never saw me leave the flat, if the vampire had followed a patrol, she would have seen the same thing.

    Maybe she would think I was hiding. Or that something important to Ray was in here.

    Why did I only realize now? Because it was unlikely, but it was the only explanation as to why¡­

    I heard a soft thump on the balcony.

    ¡­As to why she was here.

    I did not try to understand how she managed to climb up to the top floor so silently.

    She just had.

    I had to transform now. It took time, if I waited I would¡­

    NO.

    I couldn¡¯t change to wolf, the Beast refused access.

    He could do that? And even then, why?

    I heard knocking on the balcony door.

    ¡°Hello sweetheart, is Ray of the Dark Trees not here? It¡¯s his apartment, right?¡±

    I saw her face.

    It was hard to recognize.

    Not that it had changed, it was just covered in blood and grime.

    I ran towards the corridor. Immediately following, I heard glass shatter, even though it sounded more like an explosion.

    I felt her behind me, could not dodge her pouncing on me. Lukewarm liquid and a hard, cold body held me down. She had caught up to me immediately, and the blood drenching her was seeping on my clothes and on my flesh, it smelled like honeyed metal to my new sense of smell.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re quick.¡± Surprise filled her words, then something else. ¡°Stay still, would you?¡±

    I felt the power in them.

    It was so obvious, so much time was in those, such presence.

    It held no claim on me. A breeze over the ocean.

    How much power did we gain, when we became one?

    YOU IMPRISON ME. NO MATTER, DO WHAT SHE SAYS.

    What?

    No answer.

    I listened to his advice. After all, maybe she wouldn¡¯t notice.

    I stood perfectly still.

    ¡°Nice girl. I like what you¡¯re wearing, t-shirt and panties? I prefer male snacks, but when something looks so delicious, I like making exceptions.¡±

    I shivered. I remembered so much more vividly now. How she said such sexual things, but with such a different type of hunger.

    I felt her weight on me disappear.

    ¡°Get up.¡± She said.

    I did as she ordered, and felt her eyes on my body, evaluating me like a piece of meat.

    ¡°Nice. You look healthy, and seeing how fast you ran, you must be into sports.¡±

    I was trying my best not to run.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ray¡¯s girlfriend, are you not? You smell like him.¡± I felt the insidious nature of her words glide off me, unbeknownst of her.

    My brain was overheating. What was the right thing to do? I saw the clock on the oven.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Four PM.

    When were Marie¡¯s classes finished?

    The vampire was waiting for my answer. Concentrate, I do not have time.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I decided.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bit slow, aren¡¯t you? He must like dumb ones. A shame.¡±

    I had to make her leave. I just made myself a hostage and she didn¡¯t need two, if Stan or Marie came home¡­

    ¡°So, where is he?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Ray of course, you dumb cow.¡± She said as she slapped me. I took the blow, stars dancing in front of my eyes.

    ¡°Still standing? You¡¯re really strong.¡± She noted.

    This was bad, I wasn¡¯t used to my strength and resilience, how could I act as if I was normal?

    ¡°So. Answer the question bitch.¡±

    I winced and made a lie up on the spot. ¡°He¡¯s at his father¡¯s, he¡¯s hiding there.¡±

    She looked pensive, not caring about me anymore. She began speaking in French, and surprisingly, considering my poor level of Canadian French; I understood everything.

    ¡°Je ne peux pas tuer un haut plac¨¦, ils ne le permettraient pas¡­ que faire que faire.¡±

    (I can¡¯t kill such a highly ranked dignitary, he (or they) wouldn¡¯t permit it¡­what to do, what to do.)

    She didn¡¯t take long to think about the next step.

    ¡°You¡¯re rather recent, aren¡¯t you? Barely one or two weeks? I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡±

    What? Then I realized that she was talking about me being my own girlfriend.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d trust you enough for him to leave his daddy¡¯s safe house?¡±

    If I answered no, she would kill me here and now.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Parfait.¡± (Perfect) ¡°Well dally-ho, move it sunshine, we¡¯re going on a trip together.¡±

    I followed her to our entryway, almost naked and tainted with red.

    I had no way to contact Marie or anyone else. But that was for the better.

    She was going to bring me to a secluded place to lure ¡°Ray¡±.

    I was trapping her as she thought she was trapping me. If we fought, no one else would be hurt.

    It was still freezing outside, and the first snowflakes were falling from the darkened skies.

    I continued following her towards the elevator. It smelled like golden honey in there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the mess. I¡¯d eaten already, so I didn¡¯t worry about my manners.¡± She said before the doors opened.

    It was a nightmare.

    Blood and guts everywhere. It was hard to say how many people had been in there.

    I guessed two. As two guns were lying on the floor.

    People had died trying to defend me¡­again. Police doing their job.

    And the worse of it was, the sight was making me hungry.

    I was salivating.

    I fell on my knees. Shock or hunger, I couldn¡¯t decide which.

    ¡°No no no. Back on your feet sunshine.¡±

    I forced myself to obey.

    Felt my naked flesh on the already cold liquid on the floor.

    I hadn¡¯t heard anything, they hadn¡¯t either. The noise of the elevator, her supernatural abilities.

    She was whistling let it go from frozen.

    She brought me to a different car, a BMW very much like the one my dad owned.

    It wasn¡¯t his though, I had been scared for a second.

    As I climbed inside and sat down on the leathery seats, she stopped whistling and began to drive.

    ¡°Talk to me on the way there. Who are you?¡± Her question took me aback. She wasn¡¯t really interested. She was just killing boredom with noise.

    ¡°I¡¯m Igris.¡± I began.

    I was going to have to do the thing I hated most in my life, for a whole car ride, accompanied by a serial killer vampire.

    ¡°I¡¯m 23, and I¡¯m an art student like Ray.¡± I lied.

    ¡°An art student? I didn¡¯t see you in the registry. I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten such a strange name, celebrity parents?¡± Her question so devoid of emotion it was scary.

    That and she was barely watching the road.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a student in this university.¡±

    ¡°Mh.¡±

    ¡°My parents are dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be dead soon too, don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    Anger flared inside me.

    I held myself back.

    I told her stories about my childhood as Igris, revamped for the present day, until we finally arrived at her destination.

    It was an old house, in the middle of the city.

    Not a recluse place? There are lots of people here!

    I WARNED. ONLY THOSE CLOSE TO YOU.

    No. NO.

    But it was too late, I had no choice but to follow the vampire inside the house now.

    It was derelict. The outside seemed old, but the inside was in a really bad state.

    She looked displeased to be here. I heard someone come meet us.

    He was a rat in the form of a human. He smelled a bit like my kidnapper, but younger.

    Another monster.

    WEAK.

    Could you help instead of just¡­

    IT was gone.

    ¡°Goddammit.¡± I said out loud. Sorry Francis for swearing.

    ¡°Ooh, she¡¯s a feisty one mistress.¡± The man that felt like a rat spoke exactly like that character from Harry Potter. He was taller and scrawnier but held his hands the same way.

    I could not complain more about the servant being unoriginal, as I felt her take my chin to examine me.

    ¡°She should not be able to speak.¡± She said out loud.

    ¡°Mistress.¡±

    I tried my very best to look like I was under her grasp.

    She lost interest almost immediately. ¡°Weird.¡±

    She looked at the other vampire with disgust. ¡°Bring her to my room, don¡¯t touch her.¡±

    ¡°But Mistress? I thought the girls were for me?¡± He held my arm, already dragging me to a dilapidated staircase. His touch felt so wrong, I could not stop myself, I had to¡­

    The monster who called itself Miranda vanished from sight, to reappear just next to us.

    No sound, no smoke.

    Her fist drove straight into his face. He flew twenty feet (6m) backward and broke part of the wooden floor on his fall.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± She repeated, flatly.

    He got back up as if nothing happened, half of his face seemed broken. It shifted back in front of my eyes.

    I looked away.

    ¡°Yes, Mistress. Follow me.¡± I felt no power in his words, so I didn¡¯t know if I should follow him or not.

    Was it a trap?

    ¡°You¡¯re so weak. Follow him.¡± She said.

    I obeyed, feeling the power glide off me once again.

    I heard her sit on something as I climbed upstairs.

    I was able to concentrate a bit on my surroundings; the grimy servant was not paying much attention to me.

    The house was mostly all in dark wood. Even though there were lots of paintings and furniture everywhere, it was all rotten and dusty.

    The air felt diseased.

    I could hear sobbing in the basement.

    I arrived at a door, clearly in better shape than the rest of the house.

    As I followed the ratty man inside, I could not hide my surprise.

    Everything was beautiful. A large bed, a nice bathroom with glass panels, an old but obviously pricey bookshelf, and lots of pelts on the wall.

    I recognized some of them. Felt their anguish as I had before.

    She had managed to recover some of the stuff from her home.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± I heard.

    I was rushed back to reality as I saw my guide come closer to me.

    ¡°I never get them so beautiful.¡± His hand was coming closer to my body, it was darkened, a crust of rotten blood covering it almost entirely.

    It took all my self-control not to back away.

    His hand just hovered over my breasts, undecided.

    ¡°Hans, come here.¡± Shouted my captor downstairs.

    He flew outside the room, at an unbelievable speed.

    I could follow his movements though, not like Miranda.

    SHE¡¯S STRONG. HE¡¯S NOT.

    I didn¡¯t even try to answer.

    I was eavesdropping.

    ¡°Mistress? Do you want something?¡±

    ¡°To go back home.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t Mistress, the police¡­¡±

    I heard a loud thump.

    ¡°I know that, imbecile! But this place¡­you¡¯re disgusting. Your pets too, they¡¯re a bother. I told you to get rid of them.¡±

    ¡°But¡­mistress, I love them.¡±

    ¡°So young. So pitiful. I should kill you.¡±

    ¡°M..mistress.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Ha, haa.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bring the boy here, he¡¯ll give me my pelt back, then I¡¯ll kill him.¡±

    ¡°What about the girl?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m having her for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°Could¡­Could I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself again.¡±

    ¡°Sorry Mistress.¡±

    Then there was a sort of flutter in the air. I stood still, my eyes looking outside.

    I felt her come next to me.

    ¡°I won¡¯t make you wait any longer sunshine. Just call your boyfriend. Call him, bring him here. The address is¡­¡±

    I was going to gamble with my life. Again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t call him.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you a Conscious too? How can you say no to my orders?¡± She was looking at me, ready to hit me, or worse.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have my phone. I don¡¯t know his number.¡±

    I saw my body leave the ground before even feeling the hit on my cheek.

    Something definitely broke.

    Fortunately, I flew towards the bed, where I bounced before hitting the wall behind.

    My body dented the wood but did not break it. She had not hit me as hard as she had her servant Hans.

    The pain was manageable, but I felt woozy.

    ¡°Are you still alive?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, sorry about that. It¡¯s my bad. Of course, you don¡¯t have his phone. And younglings like you don¡¯t remember anything anymore.¡±

    She didn¡¯t feel sorry at all, just annoyed.

    ¡°Mistress?¡± Hans looked at us, having appeared in a blur.

    ¡°Get out of here. I¡¯m fine.¡± She said, and he disappeared.

    ¡°Come here.¡± She ordered me. I tried my best but fell on the way. My left foot was broken. I grunted in pain.

    ¡°Fucking humans. Stay there. I¡¯ll go pick up your phone. It should only take an hour or so. With this traffic though...Piss.¡±

    She disappeared as she appeared.

    I was left trembling.

    At this hour, my friends would both be back. Wait, no, with the elevator scene, no one would be allowed back in the flat.

    Still, the police would be back on the scene. Investigating.

    Was she going to kill them all?

    And what if the police tried to question Marie or Stan in front of the apartment building?

    Would the vampire go quietly? Or go on a murderous rampage?

    She was annoyed already, and with this weather on the rush hour, anyone would be out of his mind.

    She was going to kill everyone that stood in her way.

    I could not let this happen.

    Take me.

    FINALLY.

 HUNTING

    Hans was looking after his pets, the two females had been quite beautiful once, but after months in his basement, they had lost most of their meat. Their taste had become bland, too.

    He was thinking about his Mistress¡¯s orders. If he got rid of those, maybe he could get new ones?

    He didn¡¯t listen to their pleas, it was automatic for them, their minds had been broken a long time ago.

    ¡°Please stop. Please stop. Ple¡­¡±

    He felt a gust of wind on his back. He looked at the cold dampness behind him.

    The light was on, the room was clear, void of anything except the staircase going to the main floor.

    ¡°Strange.¡±

    He cut a bit too deep. ¡°Oh, sorry butterfly, I didn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

    But she had stopped saying anything.

    That was weird.

    He stood up. They were not making any noise anymore. Their hands were held together as if they were trying to hold on to each other in utter terror.

    They had stopped doing that weeks ago.

    ¡°What happened? Did Mistress hit you on the head?¡±

    They looked away, towards the wall.

    ¡°Hey? What¡¯s happening?¡± He said in a soft voice.

    ¡°BROKEN SOULS KNOW HOW TO ACT WHEN FACING THE END.¡±

    Hans jumped away, reaching the corner of the room in an instant.

    Where he had just been, at the spot where he always took care of his pets, stood the woman.

    The one mistress had brought. No, something had changed.

    The woman knelt in front of the pets.

    ¡°ROTTEN MEAT.¡±

    She looked at him.

    Her eyes were wolven. Her hair was darker.

    ¡°Wh..what are you?¡±

    ¡°HARBRINGER OF CHAOS, I AM THE BEAST.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡± He convinced himself, even though everything claimed otherwise. How had she managed to break Mistress¡¯s control? Maybe what the others said was true? Maybe she had lost her touch? Becoming too old. Maybe the reason why she was so angry at losing her pelt and the boy was that it was showing her growing weakness.

    He stopped thinking.

    His pets were not breathing anymore.

    One moment they were silent, looking away. The next they were lifeless.

    Necks broken.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM. RUN.¡±

    In front of him was something else. He knew it now. He used his powers, given by his Mistress, to flee the room. He had to call her, warn her.

    The thing did not follow. But terrifying noises could be heard from the basement he just left. Before trying to leave the house, he went to the landline phone and dialed his sire. He truly regretted not following the trend of those mobile phones now.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± His Mistress answered immediately. Noises of a busy road could be heard behind her.

    ¡°Mistress, something is wrong with the girl, she¡­¡±

    He did not finish his sentence.

    He could not.

    His vocal cords had been ripped out.

    He held his neck with both hands, bewildered.

    ¡°Whgrrahht?¡±

    For the first time since he was changed, a true feeling gripped his heart.

    Certitude of death.

    He turned around.

    A dark wolf, taller than him, was standing silently behind him.

    He forgot about everything and raced outside, black liquid spurting from his neck as he reached for fresh air.

    Such a wound did not matter; he was already healing.

    He heard the wolf laugh, a devilish sound coming from deep below.

    IT began its chase.

    Miranda was her name in this era. She had taken the name twice in her lifetime. It was one she used when she wanted to blend in, to live comfortably, without the worries of a high council or the bothersome nature of a coven.

    Everything had gone wrong.

    It had been barely three years since she had taken this identity, and she was already on the run from the human authorities.

    She would need to lay low for decades or change locations completely. America was such a perfect hunting ground; it was unbearable to imagine forgoing it.

    All of that because of a Conscient who could resist her influence slightly.

    He had been smart, and lucky.

    She could still not understand how the police had come so soon.

    How he had survived in the woods for so long.

    Those were the thoughts that plagued the mind of the one who seemed human, as she was coming back to her child¡¯s semblance of a home.

    Police had closed the road leading to it.

    She was worried now, the girl had had some strange reactions to her influence, but she could not be a Conscient. Those were extremely rare, one or two every century, two in a row was unthinkable.

    Hans did not answer the phone, which could be explained by the state of the landline phone¡¯s condition. Still, after his foreboding words, and now the closed road around the rotten building, she had to be careful.

    Everything had to have been orchestrated by a rival, that would explain the situation.

    She parked her car in an adjacent street, then walked towards the broken-down house.

    Police were not around it, which was good news. Maybe everything was unrelated.

    Blood was staining the ground in front of the entrance door. It was dark, smelled like shit, and stopped abruptly when it got to the street pavement.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Hans had been hurt? He had healed though.

    She smelled him nearby, not inside the house.

    She followed the trail.

    She walked a block before reaching a crowd standing noisily in the middle of the road.

    They were stopped by warning tapes, with police written on it.

    Blue and white flashing lights were lighting the ending day.

    She felt something.

    An emotion.

    It was too long since she last had, so she did not understand what it meant.

    She stepped closer. Her view was blocked, but she just influenced the police officer, and went through the police barricade.

    There she saw him.

    The child she sired was on the road.

    His head was separated from the rest of his body, it was the only recognizable bit. Everything else had been viciously torn apart. Some of it was missing.

    Forensics were already working on the scene. Only ten, maybe fifteen minutes had passed since his phone call.

    He had not become ashes like in the movies, that could only happen if the body had been exposed to the direct sunlight of a warm summer day.

    No rival would have done that. It was a direct violation of the First Rule.

    She left the place while sending a message with her phone.

    ¡°I have a dead one seen by the cattle. I¡¯ll send you the address, needs immediate attention. Je ne sais pas qui a fait ?a. (I don¡¯t know who did it.)¡±

    It felt wrong to rely on the elders, but she had no choice. If she did not report a First Rule violation, even she would not be spared.

    The girl was human, so something else had come into the equation. She would have to investigate properly.

    She felt no sadness about the death of her child. Actually, she would have felt grateful if she could.

    She came back to the house.

    It was eerily silent.

    She entered.

    Blood in front of the landline phone, but nothing else.

    No one else was inside. At least nothing alive.

    Nor the pets, nor her hostage.

    Another feeling came onto her, but once again, she brushed it aside, not knowing what it meant.

    She went to her room in a blur, but nothing was amiss. The girl was gone.

    She moved towards the basement.

    There.

    Something was wrong there.

    She decided to descend slowly, making her movements deliberately human. A sudden acceleration would be more effective in a fight rather than raw speed.

    She had lots of experience engaging with supernatural beings.

    Not that it would be needed, nothing alive was down there, she repeated to herself.

    The light bulb had been smashed.

    She could distinguish the lifeless bodies of the pets, but not much else.

    They were still full of blood. Hans was not the one who had killed them.

    She felt the feeling again.

    A shiver.

    ¡°What is it¡­?¡± She asked herself out loud.

    ¡°HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN FEAR?¡±

    She stood still.

    The voice sounded like a human girl. But was neither human nor feminine.

    Miranda did not know where it came from. Whatever it was, it had chosen a place with echo, to hide its voice, and one which hid its smell too.

    Under the floorboards over her head.

    It¡¯s where she would have hidden.

    She stepped back into the main living room, wooden planks creaking. She could have made no noise, but she wanted the assailant to underestimate her.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± She said, acting like she was scared.

    It was there somewhere. It was taking her lightly; she was going to find it.

    With no warning, she plunged her hand at her feet, breaking the rotten wooden boards, driving straight into flesh.

    ¡°Got you.¡±

    No reaction.

    ¡°Are you dead?¡±

    She realized her mistake.

    Her hand had pierced one of the pets.

    It had been dead already. The unfortunate soul was looking almost peaceful. Ironic considering the hand bursting her heart open.

    ¡°But¡­¡± She had seen two bodies down there.

    Shivers again.

    There was only one body. And someone else. So perfectly still, having rubbed itself with the dead girl so much, its essence had been replaced with death.

    ¡°Are you a dog?¡±

    No answer.

    She went back to the basement. Only one corpse was there. Her enemy had moved already.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She began walking back.

    ¡°WHERE ARE YOU GOING?¡±

    She turned around.

    The single corpse was rising.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°COME. UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM AND RUN.¡±

    Only a few minutes had passed, how did the second pet disappear? The room was too dark. Vampires did not have night vision, and she cursed that that part of the mythos was not true.

    She walked towards the woman. It was the hostage, Igris, she soon guessed. But with golden eyes.

    It brought back a memory, an old myth to her mind. She had no time for those.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be dead. That¡¯s what you are.¡±

    ¡°IT IS OUT OF OUR REACH TO DIE.¡±

    She was a demon worshipper. That explained how she killed Hans and resisted her influence. Being immortal was the desire of every demon worshipper she knew. She had killed plenty of those cult witches.

    Her mind made; she drove into action.

    In a single moment, the vampire jumped forwards with all of her strength and speed, her sudden movement untraceable, unavoidable.

    In her path fell a dead body.

    It had been stuck on the ceiling with bones, brought down with dangling intestines.

    She crashed directly into it, bursting it into pieces, but it slowed her down and obstructed her view.

    She felt her legs give out under her, and she hit the basement¡¯s stone floor violently.

    ¡°Shit.¡± She tried to get back up but couldn¡¯t.

    She had no legs.

    ¡°What?¡± Pain came, but she did not care about that. It was not the first time she lost her limbs. What she did not comprehend, was how it had happened.

    Trap, bait, she saw now, but how was it executed? A demon worshipper had not the power to hurt her so badly, so fast.

    Only an elder, a true demon, or something very, very old.

    She was beginning to regenerate. She had to win some time, then flee and change strategy. She may even need to ask for some help.

    ¡°What are you?¡± She had lost the girl from sight but could still feel her presence in the room.

    ¡°I AM THE BEAST.¡±

    The vampire shivered. She recognized that feeling now.

    Terror.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We killed it. I took its fur.¡± It had taken vampires and hunters. The only time the natural enemies had ever worked together. That was the symbol of that fur.

    The fur that had been lost. She ignored the thought.

    ¡°I THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT ME DURING MY SLEEP. I HAD EATEN ENOUGH.¡±

    The vampire was swearing heavily inside her mind.

    ¡°Ray. You took over Ray when he stole you.¡±

    ¡°HE DID NOT STEAL, HE CLAIMED BACK.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Her bones were there, only the muscles and tendons left; the skin could wait.

    ¡°HE HOLDS US. I CANNOT HUNT AS I WISH ANYMORE.¡±

    ¡°I could help! I¡¯m old, I¡¯ve got contacts! I could try to find a way to separate you two.¡±

    A burst of soft laughter echoed inside the room, feminine but animal in nature.

    Muscles were done.

    ¡°PETTY LIES.¡±

    Tendons would not take long now.

    Soon, very soon. She smiled.

    It faltered when IT spoke.

    ¡°ARE YOU STILL NOT DONE? WE WANT TO CHASE.¡±

    The vampire finally understood what was hunting her. What she had brought on herself.

    She remembered the beast from the past, and it wasn¡¯t as powerful.

    It had changed.

    She could not escape from the truth anymore.

    The myth of the Conscient was no myth. It had taken flesh and was in front of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the first Conscient you¡¯re fusing with, isn¡¯t it. They found each other?¡±

    ¡°YES¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what it means?¡±

    ¡°SO. MUCH. CHAOS.¡±

    That voice, and how it seemed to relish doom itself, had been enough.

    For the first time in five hundred years, the one who was once called Jeanne ran for her life.

 Aftermath

    I woke up on soft grass. The snow around had melted under my body heat.

    I had no clothes on, but something was coating my skin.

    I knew what it was.

    I HAVE HONORED MY WORD.

    You¡¯re a monster.

    I LIVE TO HUNT.

    The beast did not hide what it had done. Or maybe he could not hide it anymore since I was whole again.

    I did not want to remember what happened to the two vampires. No one, not even them, deserved that.

    Still, I did not feel guilty. It was their devious actions that led to their end. What truly darkened my soul were the poor woman in the house basement.

    Why did you kill them?

    PITY. LAW.

    Because they were too weak?

    YES.

    What is the myth of the Conscient? I tried.

    A STORY THAT WAS WRITTEN BY NO ONE.

    Can¡¯t you explain normally?

    But it was gone. It had spoken more than usual, probably because it was in a good mood.

    I cried in silence.

    After a few minutes, I got back up and tried to get a grasp of my surroundings.

    We had steered her towards a park, somewhere. Where the kill would have been more glorious than on a human-made structure.

    She had been a good hunt; she deserved a good end.

    At least that is how I had felt.

    I was in a park now. Without clothes. Again. Except around it were only skyscrapers and houses. I would not manage to go back home unnoticed.

    I knew what I needed to do.

    I went back to the killing spot.

    She was there, of course, her remains a testament of her violent end. I expected her to turn into ashes, but unfortunately, she had not.

    It took time to find the pelvis with the right scraps of her jeans. She had to have a phone in one of the pockets. Maybe it was not broken.

    It was a flip phone, how old-fashioned. I opened it. The screen was broken, but I could still turn it on and dial. Good. There was no password or other kind of protection. I walked away from the scattered remains, and tried to remember Marie¡¯s phone number, in vain.

    No one took the time to remember numbers.

    Wait, my phone was still in the flat.

    I dialed my number.

    After a few rings, I heard a familiar voice on the other end.

    ¡°Gray?¡± She guessed or hoped.

    ¡°Marie? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°ARE YOU OKAY!? YOU¡¯RE ASKING ME???¡± She yelled.

    My ears rang for a bit.

    ¡°Gray? Where are you! What happened? There are cops everywhere, some of them are in your room, they¡¯re asking me to go back home, Stan had to go to his girlfriend''s, but told me he thought he saw Igris in a BMW, and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. Calm down.¡± Stan had been that close to us? My head throbbed, I felt sick. Maybe I was the one who needed to relax. ¡°I¡¯m unharmed. I¡­ well I need clothes.¡±

    There was silence on the other side of the line.

    ¡°Marie?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making a bad joke.¡±

    ¡°No. The vampire came, into the apartment, my security detail got killed. She broke my window. I, well it¡¯s long to explain, but I¡¯m somewhere in the Baltimore Park, I can¡¯t send you my position, this phone is broken.¡± And probably doesn¡¯t have apps installed.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain. But I think it¡¯s over. Well, I¡¯m sure some of it is.¡±

    I heard her sigh, relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, stay where you are. Keep that broken phone by your side, I¡¯ll call it back when I¡¯m there.¡± And she hung up.

    I heard her. Then I was thinking about my last sentence. Miranda had been quite vocal that others would avenge her as she was torn into pieces. The world of the supernatural was bigger than I thought, and the Beast had broken some important rules. Well, if we considered its past, IT most likely had broken all of them.

    IT had tried to keep its word, even I had recognized that. It only attacked four, even though while it was stalking its prey, it could have killed hundreds on the way.

    I also had to admit, IT was an exceptional hunter. It had managed to move in a busy city as a giant wolf without being seen once, while still catching up with a running vampire, twice.

    What bothered me the most was that I felt I could have done something to control him. It made the death of the two poor souls even more painful. What if I could have saved them? Part of me had agreed with the monster, that they were too far gone and that killing them was almost kind. Was that why I couldn¡¯t stop him?

    I had no way to know.

    It was no use to think about now. I used some snow to wash the coagulated blood on my skin. The moon was waxing, soon it would show its glory in full.

    I was in Ray¡¯s body. Marie would be angrier seeing it naked.

    I changed back to Igris¡¯s.

    The phone rang.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m there.¡±

    I could hear her say that from a few yards to the east.

    ¡°I heard you, I¡¯m coming to you.¡±

    She was in the same direction as the remains of the body.

    ¡°Wait there.¡± I added, too late.

    I heard a shriek through the phone and the sky.

    I arrived immediately after. I had gone too far away from the body. I had not wanted to be found next to a crime scene.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    And now Marie was vomiting on the ground.

    ¡°Hey.¡± I got closer. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place, okay. Nothing nice to see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen enough.¡± She countered, but still took my arm. ¡°You¡¯re freezing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I had to wash in snow.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    She turned her head back towards the massacre, but I held her in place.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I could barely see; it was so dark. I just followed the smell from the main path. Was that¡­her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± She repeated. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who...¡±

    ¡°No. Yes. IT took control. But I let it take it. I had no other choice. She was going straight to our flat again to pick up my phone. She was going to kill everyone there.¡±

    She was shivering. I held her close.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She pushed me away. ¡°You smell terrible.¡±

    I was a bit hurt but could not deny her claims. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No, I''m sorry, I could have formulated that better.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d do the same. I need a shower urgently.¡±

    ¡°Here are your clothes. It is really becoming a habit. I don¡¯t want it to become normal.¡±

    I dressed in the dark. She had not given me strange clothes this time, probably rushing to take anything that was close by.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be the last time.¡± I answered.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Just as I feared, she followed the cops. She saw the security detail around the flat and concluded I was in there. But she did not recognize me.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re Igris all the time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Gray.¡±

    ¡°You understand me, you¡¯re under Igris¡¯s guise.¡±

    ¡°Yes. So she just decided to ask someone inside my flat where I was. And she killed the cops beforehand, so she would not be bothered again.¡±

    ¡°Oh God.¡±

    I continued telling her what had happened as we left the park. She hailed a taxi and my story was cut short.

    I had arrived at the chasing part, anyway.

    Once our silent ride ended, Marie talked first.

    ¡°Those poor girls.¡±

    ¡°I...I feel horrible.¡±

    ¡°Good. You should. When you stop feeling bad about it, that¡¯s when you¡¯ll have to worry.¡±

    ¡°I murdered them, Marie. How can I still look at myself in the mirror, how could you?¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°You may have ended their lives, but the real monsters were those that kidnapped and tortured. I believe everyone can be saved, and that your doubts removed that chance is sad. Not evil, not monstrous. Just sad. It happens so often in my field of work. People who are abandoned in their broken world. ¡®Nothing can be done.¡¯ ¡®Too expensive.¡¯ At least your actions were motivated by clemency, not laziness or greed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what motivated ITS actions though.¡±

    ¡°No matter, because that may be part of you now, but it is not you. By the way, welcome to my home.¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡±

    So tired, emotionally grieving, and lost in thoughts, I hadn¡¯t even noticed the taxi was bringing us to a side of town I knew nothing about. It was a nice albeit small home, in a middle-class residential area. It had a tiny lawn and a vegetable garden.

    ¡°It¡¯s really not the right time for me to meet your mom.¡±

    ¡°You already met her at the flat a few times.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t meet her as a girl, or as your girlfriend. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s the right word.¡±

    She sighed.

    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s way too complicated to be put into a single word like that. Especially as I could as well call you my boyfriend, it would be as right and wrong. But we have no choice. You are in shock Gray; I saw you blank out multiple times. Going to your parents is unthinkable, and our flat is closed. Your phone has two hundred messages or something like that, but we need to plan what to say to the police, your parents, and a detective King who¡¯d like a drink with you?¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    But she did not let it go and seemed even genuinely annoyed.

    ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡±

    ¡°Is it really the moment?¡±

    ¡°Well I¡­wait. Am I jealous?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re acting like you are.¡±

    She paused.

    ¡°Shit. Sorry Gray. But shit. Maybe I didn¡¯t bring you to my mom¡¯s just because it''s logical.¡±

    She pinched the bridge of her nose.

    I felt warm inside.

    ¡°You know what. That makes it better, I think.¡±

    ¡°What does?¡±

    ¡°The fact that you just want me to meet your mom as your ¡®it¡¯s complicated''.¡±

    She smiled softly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside, I¡¯m cold.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°MOom, I¡¯m home.¡±

    ¡°Marie, are you okay?¡± Ana, Marie¡¯s mother, appeared out of the dining room on the left, dressed like the most stereotypical American housewife ever, oven mitten in one hand, and spatula covered in tomato sauce in the other.

    Well, I hoped it was tomato sauce.

    Smelled like tomato sauce.

    But under her guise of charming mother, you had to remember Ana had been a single mother for years.

    It could be something else.

    I made myself scarce, as Ana went for a giant hug towards her daughter, dripping red sauce all over the floor.

    ¡°Oh Honey. I heard the news. How are you? How¡¯s Ray. Are you okay? What happened.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. We¡¯re all fine.¡±

    ¡°Should we call the police? That crazy lady knows you¡¯re Ray¡¯s friend now, no? Don¡¯t you need protection?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s going to be okay, she¡¯s d¡­¡±

    I coughed loudly. We were not supposed to know that already. In all likeliness, the body would only be found the next morning, when joggers would be running at hours everything else still slept.

    Ana still didn¡¯t register my presence.

    ¡°Ray though. The poor thing, he seemed so sweet, you can¡¯t stay with him anymore, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°I know, he''s your best friend, but I won¡¯t let anything hurt you.¡±

    ¡°MOM.¡±

    Marie finally dragged herself out of her grasp.

    ¡°Calm down. Everything is going to be all right. And Gra¡­Ray¡¯s okay too. I won¡¯t leave him when he needs me. You know that.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­but¡­¡±

    ¡°And this is Igris, but she likes to be called Gray, she¡¯s my¡­well she¡¯s part of Ray¡¯s extended family.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± It was nice not to be inexistent anymore, but that stare was scary.

    The terminator was evaluating me right now.

    ¡°Is she your friend? Is she staying the night? She¡¯ll need the sofa.¡± If I didn¡¯t act now, I would metaphorically be crushed under a steamroller.

    ¡°Hi Miss Ana, I¡¯m Igris, but call me Gray. I won¡¯t stay long, but I was living in your daughter¡¯s flat, and I needed a place to be for a short while, and a shower. I¡¯m sorry we could not be acquainted in better conditions.¡±

    ¡°Living with...what about your parents?¡± It wasn¡¯t rejection, just another inquisitive information to store in the death machine¡¯s data bank.

    ¡°I would need to go to Ray¡¯s.¡±

    That seemed to change her mind.

    ¡°I see. That won¡¯t do then. You can borrow a bath towel no problem. If you need to wash clothes, ask my daughter. Then, when she¡¯ll fail at that, you can come bother me. Where did you fall into? The sewers?¡±

    I really hated lying.

    ¡°No. Much worse. But I¡¯d like to reiterate; your daughter is safe.¡±

    Ana seemed pensive, she moved a reddish grey tuft of hair with her right hand, staining part of her right cheek with the potential tomato sauce.

    ¡°Go take a shower then. Have dinner with us. You¡¯ll tell me everything there is to know about you and what your relationship with my child is, and then I¡¯ll decide where you¡¯ll sleep tonight.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°I accept your terms of surrender.¡± I provoked.

    That made her grin.

    ¡°I like that one already. You can totally see she and Ray are related. How good kids can come out of such a family, I¡¯ll never understand. But then again, the opposite is also true.¡± She changed target. ¡°Look at you Marie. Did you pierce your lips again? Do you know how easy it is for piercings to infect? I¡¯ll bring you to my office one day or another, that¡¯ll make you stop wanting to put metal in your body.¡± She turned her attention back to me for a few seconds. ¡°Gray, the bathroom is up the stairs on the right. You don¡¯t have to hurry; the pizza isn¡¯t even done yet.¡± Then she concentrated on pestering her daughter again.

    I felt it was time for me to go shower. Marie stared at me, begging for help.

    I ignored her.

    As I entered the bathroom, the first thing I saw was the state of my hair. It was disheveled, to say the least, and with my somber expression, I had to credit Ana for not having called the cops.

    I took a long, hot shower, and washed my hands and nails thoroughly.

    Pieces of¡­ things were stuck under them.

    As I stepped out of the shower and was rid of the smell permeating my skin, the one on my clothes was much more prominent.

    I had worn them less than an hour.

    I sighed, draped myself in a pink bath towel, and opened the bathroom door.

    ¡°Marie?¡± But something else was waiting outside.

    ¡°Urh?¡± Barked/whined the little chihuahua.

    It stood there, looking at me, undecided at what to do with me.

    ¡°Where is Jackie?¡± I heard Marie ask downstairs.

    ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t tell your friend to close the staircase door, did I? He always tries to go upstairs.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Does she dislike dogs?¡±

    ¡°No but¡­¡±

    Marie was coming in my direction, which was good.

    The chihuahua was still blocking my way, albeit in an ineffective manner.

    I stared it down.

    It tried to challenge my gaze.

    DISGRACEFUL. HOW LOW WE FELL.

    I suddenly felt true hatred for the poor creature ten times smaller than me. I had to remember that the thing I was harboring inside myself had come from a time where dogs did not exist, and where wolves had just begun being tamed.

    I agree. It is not its fault though, your anger is unjustified.

    IT did not answer, but my sudden emotion flared down.

    I thought it was over until I realized the chihuahua was still challenging me with his eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop a snarl from echoing in my throat.

    The little dog ran at full speed towards the staircase, and I heard Marie exclaim ¡°Jackie? What are you¡­?¡±

    She then saw me standing in the corridor.

    ¡°Oh, you met the big, bad, wolf.¡±

    The way she looked at my almost naked body send shivers to my spine.

    I licked my lips and growled.

    Marie stopped dead in her tracks.

    ¡°I need new clothes.¡± My voice was raspy, expressed through great effort.

    Marie looked dazed, then after a few seconds refocused.

    ¡°Oh. Really?¡±

    ¡°Those, stink.¡± I pointed towards the bathroom, even though she could not see what I was pointing at.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ve got some clothes in my old room.¡± She moved towards me, then stopped as she arrived at my level.

    I was still substantially taller than her.

    ¡°My room is at the end of the hallway¡­ could you?¡±

    I hesitated.

    ¡°Honey? Why is Jackie shivering like that? Something happened.¡± Shouted Ana.

    I decided to let her through.

    She slapped my butt.

    I immediately responded in full, pinning her on the wall.

    ¡°Honey?¡±

    ¡°Yeah Mom, don¡¯t worry. Gray just needs some new clothes.¡± She shouted back, before saying quietly towards me. ¡°You can¡¯t do a thing, or you¡¯ll have my mother¡¯s wrath directed straight at you.¡±

    I growled again but freed her from my grasp.

    ¡°Your eyes have a golden tint.¡± She noticed.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    She laughed, then left towards her room.

    ¡°Wait for me in the bathroom, I¡¯ll bring some things. Pizza is in the oven so you probably won¡¯t have time to dry your hair if you don¡¯t hurry up.¡±

    I sighed and obeyed reluctantly.

 Questions

    ¡°You have an appetite.¡±

    The comment didn¡¯t stop me from wolfing down pizza slices one after another. Marie¡¯s mother was a great cook.

    It lacked meat though, she was a vegetarian.

    I didn¡¯t know what to answer, so I just continued eating, slightly slower than before.

    ¡°Yeah, she has quite the metabolism.¡± Said Marie in my stead.

    Ha, ha. I rolled my eyes at her.

    ¡°So how did you meet?¡±

    Marie¡¯s smile faltered.

    Yeah, how did we meet?

    Maybe going to her mom''s with no preparation as to what to say was a mistake.

    Scratch that, it definitely was.

    ¡°Erm, it¡¯s complicated.¡±

    ¡°Complicated? How can it be complicated?¡±

    ¡°Well, we met through Ray.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. But how? Where? When?¡±

    It seemed that as long as I was eating her food, I would be spared interrogation, and that was a win-win for me.

    I saw in the eyes of Marie she had come to the same conclusion and was now promising me unimaginable pain for my cowardice.

    I gave her a cheeky smile and bit down my pizza.

    Our exchange didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Ana frowned.

    ¡°Marie?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret actually.¡±

    ¡°A secret?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    That was a dangerous way to go. Ana did not look pleased.

    ¡°So you can¡¯t tell me anything about her?¡±

    I realized I had just finished the last slice. No, Marie still had two, untouched, on her plate. She had stolen those. That little¡­ I felt an inquisitive glare that stopped me in my thoughts.

    Oh no.

    ¡°Why all the mystery around you, young girl?¡±

    I cleared my throat.

    ¡°Because I met Marie after Ray came back. I am involved in the mess around him.¡±

    She took Jackie in her arms and petted him while continuing to question me.

    If it had been a cat, she would¡¯ve been a perfect James Bond villain.

    ¡°Are you involved in something dangerous? Are you fleeing something?¡±

    Jackie was trying its best to hide from me by going deeper in its mistress¡¯s arms.

    Marie scratched the back of her head.

    I was tired of being undecided.

    ¡°I was. Maybe I still am, but she and I decided we would face it together. Even though she could just leave me.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Now her mother backed off. ¡°Marie? Are you that serious with her?¡±

    My best friend sighed. ¡°Yes.¡± She answered softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a very reassuring tone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really complicated and hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°I still did not learn anything solid about you, Gray.¡± As her daughter was putting up walls, Ana tried mine again.

    But Marie had also decided to step up.

    ¡°She can¡¯t do that without scaring you to death, mom.¡±

    ¡°I thought she wasn¡¯t in danger anymore?¡±

    ¡°Not that. I¡¯m safe with her, as much as I¡¯m safe with Ray. I can easily promise that.¡±

    ¡°What then?¡±

    ¡°She has¡­ a secret. One both her and Ray share. He told me, and so I met her.¡±

    ¡°Oh. And she cannot tell her girlfriend¡¯s mom?¡±

    ¡°I went into shock when Ray told me. Then I freaked out. I asked her not to do that to other people. Her secret is quite obvious when you¡¯re close to her or Ray. You just need to be patient, and you¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Ana looked at me, one eyebrow arched. ¡°You say Ray showed you the secret, but then asked her not to do it to others. You make no sense. And I have to find the dark secret of my little girl¡¯s lover?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not dark.¡± Interceded Marie.

    ¡°I cannot agree with that statement.¡± I countered.

    ¡°Gray!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to your mom. It¡¯s dark, but not directly dangerous to you or her.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem like a bad girl at all, I really don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re being both fussy like that.¡±

    ¡°Mom, I want you to trust me. You¡¯ll see her more and more often, and you¡¯ll understand that she¡¯s good for me.¡±

    Ana scoffed. ¡°Pfuh. I know that already. Do you know how long it¡¯s been since you introduced me to your lover?¡±

    ¡°Erm. During winter holidays last year?¡± She began.

    I really didn¡¯t want to hear about her past lovers, I had met most of them. Still, I had nowhere else to go. But this conversation didn¡¯t go where I expected it to go.

    ¡°No. That time I just stumbled upon her. You didn¡¯t even give me her name.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Marie seemed puzzled, so Ana continued.

    ¡°Never. It¡¯s the first time ever you brought someone through the front door.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Of course she¡¯s good for you then, and I¡¯m going to respect her. But now, let me do my job as a parent and see for myself what I¡¯ll have to do to make sure she doesn¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    I winced at that because I was asking myself the same thing.

    I had fallen deep into the underworld quite fast. It could be it was over now, but I felt it wasn¡¯t.

    I had, or at least part of me had killed a powerful vampire, who played the authorities like they were nothing.

    It wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed, or unanswered.

    And where did Marie fit into all this? A sidekick?

    She had no powers, could not defend herself.

    I needed her. I couldn¡¯t deny that fact.

    I would still be cursing myself for my actions without her. Agonizing over what I had done.

    For me, she was essential, but what about her?

    What did staying with me mean for her?

    What if instead of me, the vampire had kidnapped her to get answers about ¡°Ray¡¯s¡± whereabouts?

    Marie, as she always did, answered and reacted in her own unique way.

    ¡°Mom, she is going to hurt me. But we¡¯re going to get over it. That¡¯s what a relationship means. And what you said mom, Gray is thinking about way too much already.¡± She addressed me. ¡°You. Stop thinking about what you¡¯re thinking about. People get hurt. People die. That¡¯s not the important part, and I will not let it drive me. I thrive to do good, I thrive to find something true, even if it is not filled with happiness. Even if it is hard.¡±

    She stopped. Breathed.

    ¡°It¡¯s true with you.¡±

    She was using my own values against me. I was the one thriving for truth, not her.

    ¡°You¡¯re unfair.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called love.¡±

    We stared into each other, alone together.

    Ana cleared her throat. ¡°Why did my daughter have to inherit that part of me¡­¡±

    I felt Marie¡¯s hand squeeze mine under the table, and I remembered that her mother was still judging me.

    ¡°I understand.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s your decision Marie, and you¡¯re damn too stubborn to reconsider anyway. And you.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°You¡¯re being secretive towards me. But you¡¯re not hiding anything from her. You can promise that?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hide a thing from her. And I shall always be honest with her. It¡¯s one of the easiest promises I can make.¡±

    ¡°Good. You¡¯re lucky, the sofa in the living room is horrible to sleep on.¡±

    ¡°Your cooking was delicious.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re sweet.¡±

    ¡°This bed is too small.¡± I complained.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s just right.¡± Retorted Marie.

    ¡°Of course you would think that, you¡¯re not the one who¡¯s being molested.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not complaining.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to¡­call the cops.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I looked at my phone.

    There were not 200 calls on it. My mother had called twice and my dad had left a text. King had sent a few messages. It did have ten or so calls from the police.

    ¡°Why not tell them the truth?¡±

    Marie squirmed towards my screen.

    ¡°That you got kidnapped again?¡±

    ¡°Well yes.¡±

    ¡°Stan saw Igris in the car though, not you.¡±

    ¡°Did he tell the police?¡±

    ¡°I asked him not to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to explain¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably. We should¡¯ve just lied to everyone and told you were Ray in drag, and that I was going out with him in this new persona.¡±

    ¡°That would be more unbelievable than the werewolf Conscient story.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, your brother was, you could be.¡±

    ¡°Stan knows I never even thought about doing that, because we talked about my brother.¡±

    ¡°You talked about your brother with Stan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a few months ago.¡±

    She kissed my cheek.

    ¡°What was that for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°For opening up with someone else.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you feel jealous?¡±

    ¡°I never felt you were attracted to Stan. Well except all the times you flirt with him. Wait, was that serious?¡± She asked ironically.

    ¡°It was not¡­¡±

    ¡°No reason to be jealous then.¡±

    ¡°What should I do about Lieutenant King then?¡±

    ¡°What about her.¡± Anger flared in her voice immediately. Then she put two hands in front of her face. ¡°How could I fall for it that easily.¡±

    ¡°Hi hi hi.¡± I laughed maniacally. ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Seems I¡¯m not as impervious to the influence of my emotions as I once thought.¡±

    ¡°How could you?¡±

    ¡°My studies? I know all about human emotion and how the brain works, so it should not affect me anymore.¡± She began.

    ¡°You barely scratched the surface.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m exaggerating, but I think the belief was there. It¡¯s strange to know I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Strange?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always loved you.¡±

    I arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°I mean, even as Ray, I loved you. I didn¡¯t want to have sex with you, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°Definitely not about the sex part. You told me multiple times you were attracted to me.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡± I almost screamed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not drunk often, only when we¡¯re together. And you always say that to me then.¡±

    I hid under the pillow. Now that she said it, drunken memories resurfaced, and with Igris¡¯s point of view, the scene was much clearer. ¡°URGH. Why did no one tell me?¡±

    ¡°Well, you only say it to me, and you¡¯re not noisy when you drink, so I guess I was the only one who heard.¡±

    ¡°Why did you not tell me then?¡±

    She looked puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Once was because it was during Helene, and the other times¡­ I felt really happy when you said that to me, that¡¯s probably why.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t let anyone know you liked being complimented by men?¡±

    She pinched my nose. ¡°Yeah. Sure. Dumbass.¡± She paused. ¡°We were never going to go further than friends, and we both knew it. What would you have done if I told you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have stopped drinking around you, I guess. Not like I love getting drunk anyway.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, and I didn¡¯t want that. I want you to have fun.¡± She kissed me.

    ¡°Cops.¡± I reminded her.

    ¡°Ooh yeah. That was quite the conversational detour.¡± She brushed some of my hair strands out my face.

    ¡°What do we say to them.¡±

    ¡°Well, Stan didn¡¯t tell them anything. So, we could tell them you were kidnapped again. It would make things complicated though, you could just say you were camping or hiking or something, that you had ditched the cops somehow, and that¡¯s all you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not lie.¡±

    ¡°I know, it would be easier that¡¯s all. I¡¯d be disappointed if you had taken that route.¡±

    ¡°Pfuh, I¡¯ll survive you being disappointed in me, mom.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Cops.¡±

    ¡°Cops.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ll just call King, tell her my phone was out of my reach, and that I¡¯m fine. Maybe it would be enough.¡±

    ¡°What if they ask you where you were the last week? As you weren¡¯t inside your apartment, even though you apparently never left it.¡±

    ¡°I could say I hid.¡±

    ¡°That would be lying. Didn¡¯t you want to avoid that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes... I¡¯ll just stay quiet. Or I''ll improvise.¡±

    Marie grinned.

    "What does that mean?"

    "Nothing."

    "You little..."

 At the Diner

    Marie was sitting next to me on the diner¡¯s seat, her hand on my leg, as a quite cute act of possessiveness.

    I thought she would be fine as I was currently under Ray¡¯s form, but I had been wrong.

    She was clearly not enjoying the fact that Lieutenant King was a rather young and beautiful-looking forty-year-old. I had not even noticed before, so I was finding her reaction quite adorable.

    ¡°What do you mean, you can¡¯t tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°I just can¡¯t begin to explain, Lieutenant. I was not in my flat. I was at Marie¡¯s last night, and I had only access to my phone there. I didn¡¯t want to answer my calls until this morning, as I needed some rest.¡±

    ¡°Rest? So, something did happen?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Something did. I don¡¯t want to talk about it though.¡±

    Lieutenant King sipped her coffee angrily. That¡¯s how I saw her, severe, filled with rage, but trying to do good. Marie had not said anything since we entered the local diner, and even then, it was only a jealous ¡°She¡¯s hot¡± when she had spotted the Lieutenant. We clearly didn¡¯t focus on the same things.

    ¡°We lost some of our people again, kid. That¡¯s not gonna cut it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t honestly give you more. It would do more harm than good for your investigation.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see how more harm could come upon us; we¡¯ve lost four men to that¡­ psycho.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she will bother you anymore.¡±

    King examined me carefully, her whole body tensing up.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough. I¡¯ll ask the precinct for a warrant, I can¡¯t cover you, boy. She killed cops, twice.¡±

    ¡°You want to arrest him?¡± Asked Marie, worried.

    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t say anything, yes, I will.¡±

    Marie and I sighed simultaneously.

    ¡°Great plan, Gray.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known, normal laws don¡¯t work when cops are hurt.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is.¡± King wasn¡¯t being aggressive, just factual. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got your reasons. I¡¯ve got good instincts. But you¡¯re a key witness, and I can¡¯t just cut you loose without good reasons.¡±

    I sighed again.

    ¡°Do you know about the derelict house near one of the city parks?¡±

    King smelled of fear for a fraction of a second. Her hand went towards her hips, but she had come in civilian clothes, it was only 8 in the morning after all.

    ¡°What derelict house? There are plenty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Near the Burgundy Park.¡± Marie interjected.

    King tried her damned best to keep a poker face, but cracks went and came.

    ¡°You¡¯re involved in that? Was I wrong to trust you, kiddo? Is your girlfriend in on it?¡±

    ¡°Calm down. Trust your instincts. It¡¯s where I was yesterday afternoon. I managed to leave.¡± I tried.

    ¡°She took you again? And you fled. And DID NOT come to the police?¡±

    Marie tried to explain in my stead: ¡°She¡­he couldn¡¯t, he was in shock. I picked him up and brought him home.¡±

    ¡°Why the hell did we not begin with that then? What happened?¡±

    ¡°She came through my balcony and took me to that house. She was not alone there.¡± I tried to remain vague.

    ¡°No, another man, and two missing girls.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I was slightly taken aback.

    ¡°I was in the house the whole night, our serial killer was definitely living there, we found some of her stuff that was missing from the coastline house.¡± Commented King.

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    ¡°We found one of the girls inside the floor boarding, neck crushed, and heart pierced by something like an axe.¡±

    I felt Marie squirm next to me. She held my hand and I realized I was trembling slightly. I immediately calmed down.

    ¡°The other one¡­was harder to identify.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°The house was under the name of a Hans Loss, a fake name, we don¡¯t know his real one. That guy¡¯s body was found a few blocks away from his home. Bystanders told us he seemed like he was fleeing from something.¡±

    I winced at something, not someone.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there anything wrong about him?¡± I could not stop myself from asking.

    The lieutenant gave me a long stare before continuing. ¡°Probably. Initial blood results were inconclusive. And someone stole his remains. We suspect it¡¯s your kidnapper, who pursued him and then for some reason tried to remove the evidence.¡±

    My brain ran at full speed. They thought she did it? Wait, his body had vanished? Was he not truly dead? Were vampires immortal? No, I couldn¡¯t be sure, but I had not been the one in control. The Beast was.

    He knew how to hunt and to kill. Both were dead.

    I ATE THE BEST PARTS.

    No, won¡¯t think about it.

    ¡°Why did you ask that, Gray?¡± Lieutenant King was extremely suspicious of me and in truth, I did not understand why she had not cuffed me already.

    Maybe it was because she had no cuffs.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met him. He was¡­different.¡±

    ¡°Mh, mh. You arrived at the house, then what?¡±

    ¡°I went to the park.¡±

    ¡°Wow, slow down, what happened inside the house?¡±

    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t tell you that.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You cannot comprehend it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more open than you think.¡±

    For the first time, I felt something else coming from Lieutenant King. Maybe that was why she had not cuffed me already.

    ¡°She¡¯s a monster.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s definitely been established.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s also dead.¡±

    That seemed to take the Lieutenant by surprise.

    ¡°What? No. That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Marie, who had stayed silent for quite a long time, finally took the opportunity to talk.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s a vampire?¡± She asked.

    I looked at her with more than a worried look.

    ¡°Marie? What the hell?¡±

    But Lieutenant King¡¯s reaction was even more astonishing.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s an old one. You would need a flamethrower, or a shredder to get rid of her.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    There was a long silence.

    ¡°Seems the cat is out of the bag.¡± The police officer exclaimed. ¡°Maybe you can tell me the truth now?¡±

    Marie looked at me. ¡°Sorry about doing that without telling you, but I felt something weird about her for some time. She should have arrested us by now. She didn¡¯t, that and some of her micro-expressions, I felt she knew way more than she led us to believe.¡±

    ¡°Why not be frank from the beginning then?¡± I asked no one in particular.

    ¡°Because of a rule, probably.¡± Said Marie

    ¡°Because of the First Rule.¡± Said Lieutenant King.

    My best friend gave me a proud smile.

    ¡°Seers are a pain.¡±

    ¡°You love seers.¡±

    ¡°Some of them.¡±

    But Lieutenant King didn¡¯t let us go on our usual ramble.

    ¡°It is extremely risky to reveal yourself. If someone breaks the First Rule, the whole underworld chases after you. Nothing can survive that.¡±

    I heard a low, growling laugh deep from within me.

    Shut up. You¡¯re scaring no one.

    THAT IS A LIE.

    ¡°So, it was Jeanne then. That¡¯s the real name of the monster that pursued you, we believed it could be her. We could not do much against her, as long as she was hunting quietly. Since you, she is top of our kill list.¡±

    ¡°We? Our?¡±

    ¡°Hunters. We are normal humans that got into the supernatural world from birth or some other circumstance and try to protect the innocents.¡±

    ¡°Pretty classic.¡± Said Marie, then at the silence. ¡°If vampires exist, you better know vampire hunters exist!¡±

    ¡°We are not vampire hunters. We hunt anything dangerous. Lots of us in hospitals and police precincts. Some in high political positions, too. We even help against normal serial killers. Most of the monsters are usually human, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Do you protect the supernatural too, then?¡±

    ¡°I do, sometimes. Never vampires. Those are not innocent, ever.¡± She said that with no hatred or emotion, like it was a cold, hard fact.

    ¡°You do? What about the others?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re humans. Opinions diverge.¡± Now that seemed to bother her. ¡°But we¡¯re not here to talk about the U, I want to know what happened.¡±

    But Marie wasn¡¯t going to let herself be guided like that.

    ¡°Well, me and Gray did not know about the U, it means underworld right? , before. As such, we¡¯re very much in the dark. Why should we even trust you?¡±

    ¡°Are you innocent?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Said Marie in my stead.

    I gripped her hand. She smiled at me.

    ¡°Then you can trust me.¡± The lieutenant was not lying.

    ¡°Gray?¡± Marie asked me.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, she¡¯s not lying.¡±

    King seemed surprised. ¡°How can you be so sure? ¡­ You¡¯re a Conscient. That¡¯s how you survived.¡±

    ¡°Bingo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so rare, you¡¯re basically a myth¡¯s myth.¡±

    ¡°Erm?¡±

    ¡°Mermaids are a myth right. Well, they exist. And they talk about Conscient in their stories, like a myth. The myth of our myths.¡±

    ¡°Mermaids?¡±

    Marie stopped me from continuing. ¡°I want to know more too, but not about mermaids. We know we can trust you. We know we can¡¯t trust the hunters though.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± King asked.

    ¡°Not your problem.¡± Marie continued. ¡°So Gray is not going to be able to tell you the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Give me enough to satisfy my superiors, they¡¯ll convince the police. I won¡¯t bother you more.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to be informed about the world we just stepped in afterward, though.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll invite both of you to my flat.¡± King had said that with almost enthusiasm. Since she got confirmation that we were just kids thrown into the deep sea, she had substantially calmed down and was almost smiling at us the whole time. My initial assessment of her was right, she truly was someone who tried to be helpful and to do good around her.

    She had a real desire to help us.

    Marie and I were not fools though. The other Hunters would not be as softhearted as her, and even though being a Conscient was apparently not a bad thing, if they realized what else was hiding within me¡­

    CHAOS. ENJOYMENT.

    I didn¡¯t ask you.

    ¡°What happened then?¡± Lieutenant King asked me for more.

    ¡°So, I arrived at her hideout, I managed to distract her and she left the house for a short while. Then well, something else emerged and killed the two girls and Hans. When she came back, it killed her as well, her body is in the park.¡±

    King slouched back in her seat.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead? Really? How can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°I saw the body too, she¡¯s dead.¡± Marie added, her tone very flat.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Ok. That is excellent news.¡± Detective King said, not caring about us. ¡°Well, I¡¯d really like it if you could tell me what killed her, but you won¡¯t, am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. Everyone in the abyss has darkness, it is our right to keep some of it hidden.¡± That sounded like a well-learned sentence. ¡°Hunters always find out in the end.¡±

    That didn¡¯t sound foreboding at all.

    She realized it too.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s one of the things I learned. I won¡¯t push deeper, but expect that some others will. I will also have to register you and¡­Marie was it?¡±

    ¡°Register?¡±

    ¡°As people who know, and you as a Conscient. That could prove a bother for a while, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s necessary though, wouldn¡¯t want a necromancer to try and find out how your brain works.¡±

    Marie gulped.

    ¡°That would not be nice.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, if I register you, everyone will know you exist, but also that you are protected, as long as you follow the rules of the U. There are only three, and rather easy to follow. Do nothing that will reveal us, do not kill others protected, and do not strive to create chaos.¡±

    That last one was almost painful.

    I heard laughing again.

    ¡°And in exchange, you¡¯re protected by us. People will still come and try to talk to you, because you¡¯re rare, but that¡¯s the only hassle.¡±

    ¡°Other protected?¡± Asked Marie. ¡°That means normal humans¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, those rules are not the ones of the Hunters, just ones the whole underworld agreed upon. Some of those beings, vampires first, have no interest in giving up their precious cattle.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not reassuring.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not. Reason why I¡¯m here. We believe killing humans creates chaos, and act upon it.¡±

    ¡°A rather loose lecture of that third law.¡± I commented.

    ¡°It saves people.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was bad.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Thanks, that will be all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to go look for her body?¡±

    ¡°Jeanne¡¯s? I¡¯ve heard about reports of a horrible smell inside the park, but nothing about a body.¡±

    ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t found yet?¡±

    ¡°It was, just not by us. The same who took Hans I¡¯m pretty sure. Vampire Elders. Stay clear of them.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they want revenge?¡±

    ¡°Nah, not their style. You¡¯re just the prey of the story in their eyes. They¡¯ll be looking hard for the thing that killed her though. It has tried to break the First Law with the way it handled Hans. We Hunters had to destroy evidence, and the Vampire Elders owe us now. They¡¯re pissed. So stay clear of them. I have to go to work, my shift begins in ten minutes. Here, you didn¡¯t take anything, my treat. Don¡¯t worry too much about everything I told you, everything stays mostly normal, even when you know.¡±

    She deposited ten dollars on the table, finished her coffee, and left, looking almost joyful.

    ¡°Well, she seems happy that someone died.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t blame her.¡±

    ¡°Strange morning.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not even half past eight.¡±

    ¡°Should we eat something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Of course you are.¡±

    We ordered a breakfast meal and waited quietly for it to arrive.

    When our food came, Marie broke the silence.

    ¡°Seems we¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t even have to worry about my safety.¡±

    ¡°No. We made a mistake.¡±

    She drank her tea, slowly, waiting for me to continue.

    ¡°You¡¯re protected, but we know nothing about anything. How good are the Hunters? How efficient is their protection? The First Law seemed like a serious offense, but what about the other two?¡±

    ¡°It seemed pretty serious. I think it¡¯ll be too much of a hassle to break just for little old human me. Too bad I can¡¯t be revealed as a hidden mage or something.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you will.¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re right, I wasn¡¯t talking about that though.¡±

    ¡°What did you mean, then?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said it yourself; the Second Law does not protect normal humans. That means our friends, our family. Nothing prevents anyone or anything to just assault those. Except for the Hunters. I¡¯ve got the same feeling as you do, the Hunters look like your typical self-made militia, we can¡¯t trust them. And they¡¯re the only thing preventing Stan or Ana from becoming targets.¡±

    ¡°But why would anyone in the U target them?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m rare, because you¡¯re the lover of something rare. She talked about necromancers, I don¡¯t know how they work here, but I never saw much good being spoken about necromancers in stories.¡±

    ¡°Some of them are¡­¡±

    ¡°Did it sound like a joke, when she said one of them would like me as a guinea pig?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I repeated. ¡°I agree. By being recognized as something from the underworld¡­¡±

    ¡°I think U would be better, it¡¯s so you can¡¯t be overheard.¡± Marie corrected me.

    ¡°Good thinking¡­Recognized as members of the U just puts us in the spotlights, without giving the people we love the necessary protection from the aforementioned spotlights.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are the Hunters.¡±

    ¡°If they knew about IT, it¡¯s not help they will give us.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    I ate the eggs as soon as the waiter brought them to our table.

    Marie asked a bit later: ¡°What can we do?¡± I grimaced, and Marie spoke my thoughts out loud: ¡°There is nothing we can do. Dang. Well, we should at least inform ourselves, go meet King at her flat, together, and get to know everything we can know about the U.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°And prepare for the worst¡­¡±

 Continuation of an unusual friendship.

    For three days, the police investigated our flat and my room. I stayed with Marie at Ana¡¯s home, and the single mother was asking me lots of questions I could not answer, but in spite of that, nothing worrisome happened.

    I wanted to draw, and the useful thing about using pencils and mostly grey, was that I could practice almost anywhere. I had gotten my art equipment back from the police, and while Marie went to the university, I worked.

    I didn¡¯t want to go to my lessons, they were not obligatory anyway. I had much to do anyway. My art had sold, massively, since the news about ¡°my¡° serial killer had gone crazy on television and social media. I had not checked for about two weeks, and now, I was rather displeased to find everything had been bought. I had received account warnings asking me to send the art to the buyers, as I was late to deliver. So that was the thing I did in those three days: Angrily sending my art pieces to people who remembered me through other people¡¯s misfortune, then trying to calm myself by drawing.

    No one on the news said anything about Miranda or Jeanne¡¯s death, and the media only informed that she was still on the loose. I knew the truth, and my kidnapper was almost out of my mind. Not out of those buyers¡¯ though.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t buy it if they didn¡¯t find it beautiful.¡± Had tried Marie, in an effort to improve my mood.

    Finally, three days later, I had managed to retrieve and send everything, and could wholeheartedly concentrate on my work again, so I felt a bit better.

    I didn¡¯t leave the house much and was alone in the living room. Ana was at her office, she was a medical consultant, and Marie at her course to tackle addictions. Jackie, the chihuahua, was in the house with me, but tried its very best to be invisible.

    I don¡¯t think it understood why I still hadn¡¯t eaten it.

    I could hear and smell it, wherever it tried to disappear.

    My hands were slightly thinner in Igris¡¯s body, and my pencil felt slightly too big. It did not stop me. Today was a strange day, the police had contacted us, Marie and I, in the morning, to tell us our flat would be accessible again, which was good news. Then, Stan told us he could not come back, his parents not agreeing for him to go back to a place a serial killer had visited.

    That had been quite a hard blow on Marie and I, as we did not know if our roommate would ever be able to go back to our flat.

    Stan sounded furious and promised it would not stop us from seeing each other, but for now, it seemed Marie and I were truly left on our own in this strange new world. Both of us had decided to go back to the flat tomorrow.

    I was conflicted, sad, excited. The presence inside my soul was silent, not minding the peace of the moment.

    CHAOS IS MY FICKLE MISTRESS, TOO MUCH AND SHE BECOMES ORDER AGAIN.

    That¡¯s the only thing IT had said in forty-eight hours.

    What would I draw?

    I remembered the storm, before evil knocked on my window.

    I failed that day. Because I was too shaken.

    How ironic, shouldn¡¯t it have been perfect to draw a storm?

    I had chosen. The composition flowed inside my mind, hand following, slowly behind.

    Falling things, deep, dark colors. Specks of light.

    In the center, where everything should have whirled together, broken, lost form, then disappeared, nothing.

    Only plain white.

    YOU UNDERSTAND.

    The beast broke my trance.

    I had crayon all over my hands, and most likely over my face, but that was normal. Most of my clothes were gone, too. That was normal as well, especially as I barely felt any cold now. A t-shirt and panties were plenty in my book. Still, not ideal in basically your mother-in-law¡¯s living room.

    Just as I reached for my clothes on the ground, I heard a click in the front door.

    I began panicking, but the smell that arrived immediately calmed me down.

    ¡°Welcome back.¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Answered Marie, voice tired.

    She approached and saw me trying my best at putting my jeans back on.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you better, I would think you were undressing to meet me.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± I laughed.

    ¡°Someone under the couch then?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Only Jackie, hiding under your mother¡¯s bed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, poor Jackie. He should know you won¡¯t eat it him.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I do hesitate sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Did you draw something? Lemme see.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I had not looked at it myself. How long had I been working?

    The piece felt foreign to me. It was a dark sky, gigantic clouds colliding in an apocalyptic depiction of weather. I felt I drew objects going inside, but those were nowhere to be seen. It was a lone storm, and nothing else. Still, it felt like the world was being engulfed inside of it. The center was white.

    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s good. First time I see you doing weather.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ve been trying those last few weeks, but nothing came out. I think I based it on what¡¯s inside of me.¡±

    She looked at me, slightly worried. ¡°That¡¯s an angry wolf.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Chaos¡¯ I think.¡±

    ¡°The name of the piece?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You should show it to mom, she¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m making a mess in her living room, showing her why is the least I can do.¡±

    ¡°Did someone call?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I have¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you did not check, I¡¯m saying that so you will.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I got my phone out of my pocket. I saw two messages pop up. The first one was from Marie, who just wrote ¡°<3¡±, and the second one was from King, asking if I wanted to come to her apartment this weekend.

    I kissed Marie as a thank you for her kindness, then showed her King¡¯s message.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t invite me. Just you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t help myself!¡±

    ¡°Cute.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too easy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kick you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m terrified.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my mom.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Hah! I win.¡±

    ¡°Low blow.¡±

    Marie gave me a smirk, and I kissed her again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell King we¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    The moment I send the message, King replied with her address.

    ¡°That was fast.¡±

    ¡°Most people answer to the sound of their phone.¡±

    I ignored Marie¡¯s sarcasm.

    ¡°What do we do in the meantime?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why not go and have a drink with Stan tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Thursday?¡± I wanted to be sure.

    ¡°That¡¯s today.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m out of it.¡±

    ¡°I really like it when you¡¯re in your crazy artist mode. It¡¯s sexy. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to seduce me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Your mom is back in an hour.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s plenty of time.¡± She slapped my ass.

    I snarled.

    That made Marie¡¯s playful look much more serious.

    ¡°Pervert.¡± I growled.

    ¡°Can¡¯t blame me for that, I¡¯m a psychologist.¡±

    Friday had been a calm day, like a gust of fresh air filled with normalcy. Marie had a class in the morning, and I worked quietly in the living room, not managing to re-enter my artist state. In the afternoon, I went out as Igris to an art shop with her to buy another set of pencils, so I could draw in whatever form I chose comfortably. I then partied the whole night at the Cranium with Stan and Marie, Stan¡¯s girlfriend, and some other students of our university, under Ray¡¯s guise.

    Nothing strange happened there. The club had been closed off for a few weeks since the murder of their barman but had reopened this week. It was still one of my favorite places to hang out, even considering I didn¡¯t like places like that, and what occurred to me there.

    I woke up the next day in Marie¡¯s bed in our flat, but still as Ray. She was sleeping next to me and I had second-guessed an instant if something weird had happened under the influence of alcohol, but my memories were clear, and my head perfectly fresh. Which was clearly unfair, as Marie was groaning in pain next to me, waking up as I did, but then going back to sleep almost immediately.

    I was clothed, and so was she. No problems here.

    I looked at my phone, it showed me six in the morning.

    We had our meeting with King in five hours, so I let Marie sleep her fill. I entered my room, just crossing the corridor, and sighed again at the sight. It was freezing inside, as my window/door was still broken, and covered with a wooden plank and cardboard.

    I picked some clothes inside my wardrobe, changed in the cold air, then left for the kitchen.

    I began cooking, a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, as I didn¡¯t hear or smell anything coming out of Stan¡¯s room. Nothing.

    I felt nostalgic.

    I looked at my phone again and realized I had missed a message notification. I winced as it read ¡°Father¡±. I opened it.

    ¡°I heard about your sudden popularity spike in¡­¡± I closed it.

    I heard a loud snap.

    The pan¡¯s handle was now broken, and some plastic and metallic dust was filling my hand.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Marie obviously decided to come into the living room, still in pajamas, at that exact moment.

    ¡°Sorry Marie, I broke the pan.¡±

    ¡°MY PAN!¡± She screamed. Then winced under the strength of her own voice. ¡°What did you do you brute?¡± She whispered getting closer to me.

    ¡°Stay there, some metal shards could have fallen off.¡±

    ¡°Damn, what did my pan ever do to you?¡±

    ¡°First of all, we bought this pan together, it¡¯s not yours. And to answer your question, here.¡±

    I gave her my phone.

    ¡°Now let me clean up my mess.¡± I added.

    She backed off slightly, opened up the lock screen with my password instead of my face, and read the message in my stead.

    She had guessed my password three years ago, and then honestly told me she knew it. I still didn¡¯t change it. She could go on my phone for all I cared, it had proven useful, and recently, even lifesaving.

    ¡°Oh. Sorry. Not my pan¡¯s fault though.¡±

    ¡°Not your pan.¡±

    ¡°I want porridge.¡± She ordered.

    ¡°No bacon?¡±

    ¡°You want to kill me? With this headache? More fat?¡±

    I took a slice of raw bacon and ate it in front of her.

    She became slightly blue. ¡°Urgh. No. Please.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t want to make you sick.¡±

    ¡°Porridge. Tea.¡±

    ¡°Coming right up.¡±

    Marie was feeling slightly better as we moved inside the tramway towards the city center four hours later. I wasn¡¯t.

    The smell here was an abomination before my senses had been heightened. It was biblically bad now.

    ¡°May I remind you I¡¯m a lesbian, even if I did sleep with you last night.¡±

    I had my face almost stuck to Marie¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I feel sick. Let me smell you. It helps¡±

    ¡°Oh. My. God. That¡¯s creepy as hell.¡± She looked at my face and calmed down. ¡°Wait, I thought you had an invincible stomach.¡±

    ¡°Urgh.¡± I gagged.

    ¡°Uhm. Okay, sure, you can smell me, don¡¯t vomit on me though¡±

    ¡°No promises.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± It sounded ominous as hell, but my energy was focused entirely on Marie¡¯s odor.

    I felt perfume being spread on my face.

    I sneezed.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    I sneezed again, smelling nothing all of the sudden.

    ¡°Did that help?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t beel by nose¡± I angrily replied.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s better than the smell no?¡±

    ¡°It beels horrible.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    I sneezed almost non-stop during the whole ride, Marie looking slightly guilty for once.

    We had some strange stares from the other riders, and people were ostensibly keeping their distance.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll wash their hands extra hard?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°Brobably not. Dinguses. They should.¡± I answered in between a sneeze.

    ¡°Seems like I found your big wolf¡¯s weakness.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

    I sighed. I sneezed again.

    My health crisis only calmed down when I washed my face in the end station¡¯s bathroom, and completely subsided as we got to fresh air at the surface.

    ¡°Something died, fucked, and died again in those restrooms.¡± I said to Marie once outside.

    ¡°Want another shot of perfume?¡±

    ¡°I will punish you.¡±

    She laughed, unfazed by my menacing voice.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± She raised her hand like a kindergarten teacher.

    ¡°Do you even know where to go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got maps on my phone.¡±

    I sighed and followed my friend.

 Invited

    The apartment complex was high class, very much incompatible with the expected income of a police officer in a normal American city.

    As Marie ringed the flat number King had given us, I asked for the second time: ¡°You¡¯re sure we¡¯re at the right place?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I double-checked.¡± But just as she finished her sentence, the intercom hissed itself on, and someone other than King answered us.

    ¡°Yup?¡± Said a feminine yet grave voice.

    ¡°Erm, is this lieutenant King¡¯s apartment?¡± Asked my best friend.

    Something akin to a laugh came through the intercom, but the quality of the sound was so bad we couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s where she lives though. You¡¯re Marie, right, Ray, or Gray, with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Come on up. Lily was called this morning, she¡¯ll be back at noon, normally.¡±

    The front entrance buzzed, and we opened the metallic gate with ease. It was heavy stuff, but the system was automatized.

    ¡°Ok. Weird.¡± Admitted Marie.

    She was nervous, so was I. I tried to lighten the atmosphere as we reached a rather posh elevator, that seemed to never have broken down, very much unlike our own. ¡°Nothing fun about simple, right?¡±

    ¡°If I had to guess¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m the half Oracle here, you¡¯re not allowed to make guesses.¡±

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do Gray¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I ignored her. ¡°I¡¯d say it''s King¡¯s mythological boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°Mermaid.¡± Corrected Marie.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not far from the coastline, and mermaid was the first thing that got out of King¡¯s mouth when she talked about the U. She knew about you through their myths.¡±

    She looked unfazed by the diabolical level of deduction she just arrived at.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive deducting, Holmes.¡±

    She raised her shoulders. ¡°I could be wrong. I didn¡¯t think she was attracted by women, for example. So, my theory is flawed.¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh. You¡¯d look sexy with a fedora.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a deerstalker, I believe.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The name of Sherlock¡¯s hat?¡± She didn¡¯t seem sure of herself.

    Our conversation about fictional characters ended as we had left the lift, and arrived at a single, ebony door at the end of the hallway.

    Marie sighed, and I held her hand.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re as stressed out as I am.¡± Despite her words, she did not reject my touch.

    ¡°I¡¯m acting like I¡¯m not, so you¡¯ll be reassured. Don¡¯t ruin my efforts.¡±

    ¡°Pfff, typical male.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going out with one.¡±

    Instead of answering me, she pushed the doorbell.

    Almost a full minute later, I smelled the sea come closer to us, and heard something or someone arrive.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m cooking.¡± Said that someone before opening the door.

    We had only a brief moment to examine the really tall man/woman in front of us. He/She was so perfectly androgynous, it was impossible to guess his/her gender. T-shirt and jeans covered by a cute apron with hearts. No visible feminine chest but wearing plain earrings.

    ¡°Come on in. I promised dinner, and I lost myself in singing, she¡¯ll be back soon, and I want it to be perfect. Make yourself at home, just don¡¯t enter the bedroom, it¡¯s the red door.¡± And with that, he/she fled towards the obvious sounds of food being cooked.

    ¡°Oh. My. God.¡± Finally exhaled Marie.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°That was Diamond Shell.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The singer.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s a guy?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. That¡¯s not important though, he¡¯s a super famous pop artist. I think we got more than we bargained for.¡±

    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s good. I was afraid a dark monster would be waiting for us. A pop star can¡¯t be as bad.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he lived in the city.¡±

    ¡°You like his songs?¡±

    She turned towards me, embarrassed.

    ¡°I hate them, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well. Fun discussions incoming. Let¡¯s go inside before we get spotted by paparazzi.¡±

    Marie acquiesced, and we stepped inside.

    We were clearly not prepared for the luxury inside. It wasn¡¯t like the old mansion my parents lived in. No old paintings or chandeliers. It was the modern rich. The living room was gigantic, with open bay windows on the whole of the eastern side, giving a clear view towards the city, and if the weather had been perfect, maybe even the sea could be have been from here. It was cloudy today, but even then the view was magnificent. The balcony was enormous, and a large pool took most of its space.

    I refocused on the inside of the apartment. The living room was directly connected to the kitchen, nicely equipped, and rather pristine looking. Our mysterious stranger was there, looking active, battling with pans.

    ¡°Sorry, I got into cooking last year, I¡¯m only getting the hang of it.¡± He said as he saw me look at him.

    ¡°Erm, no. No worries. Thank you for having us.¡±

    He was too concentrated on his task to answer.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Marie said flabbergasted, looking around.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but like really, what else is there to say. I¡¯ve only seen those places in movies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I get you.¡±

    I could see another room, with a large decorated dining table, behind the kitchen.

    The corridor we went through to get to the living room had two other doors, probably toilets, and a bathroom, and on the other side of where we stood, was a red door, not even closed.

    The whole place was clean, but the inside of the bedroom was messy. Clothes everywhere. Panties on the floor. A¡­

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry, I forgot to close it.¡± The pop star ran in a hurry to close the door, looked at us, shameful, then went back to cooking.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my maid doesn¡¯t clean our room. Lily hates it when someone touches her stuff.¡±

    ¡°Lily? It¡¯s lieutenant King¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well, I think her real name is Lilianna, but she shot me last time I called her that.¡±

    ¡°Erm?¡± He had said that with quite a serious voice, and I couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking or not.

    He continued cooking, not giving me anything else on that subject, and invited us to sit down at the counter around the kitchen.

    It felt like a sushi bar, as I saw him handle his food in front of me, rather adeptly for a self-proclaimed amateur.

    ¡°So. Want to talk about the big u?¡± He asked without looking at us.

    ¡°Well, sure, but first of all, let me introduce myself, I¡¯m Ray Dunkelbaumen, but I like to be called Gray. And¡­¡±

    As if Marie was going to let someone introduce her. ¡°I¡¯m Marie Denver. And you¡¯re Diamond Shell aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be your real name.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s who I am now.¡± I felt no deceit in his words, and I felt Marie checking my reaction to see if I had spotted any.

    I gave her the ¡®I¡¯m not your lie-detector¡¯ stare.

    She giggled.

    ¡°You two seem close.¡±

    ¡°Way too much.¡± I answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with her half of the time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the one having to bring clothes to someone in the p¡­¡±

    I coughed.

    Diamond¡¯s eyes perked up, but he quickly refocused on his job.

    ¡°You guys like fish? No vegetarian diet?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ve fished those myself this morning, they should be great.¡±

    ¡°You fished those?¡± Marie asked. ¡°Not exactly how I pictured myself a pop artist to occupy his free time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that aspect of my life is just the money-grabbing part, I don¡¯t care much about it. You listen to my songs?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡± I answered honestly.

    Marie didn¡¯t answer.

    He looked directly at her, a grin on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t like those, do you?¡±

    Marie¡¯s politeness had its limits. ¡°No I''m sorry. They are empty.¡±

    ¡°Seriously Marie?!¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°What I wasn¡¯t going to lie! You hate it!¡±

    ¡°Could you not have said that¡­¡± But I was cut in my sentence as Diamond began laughing full-heartedly.

    ¡°Empty. Couldn¡¯t have said it better myself. I don¡¯t write the lyrics, and I can¡¯t be myself when I sing, it would be problematic for everyone, that. No soul in those songs.¡±

    I shut my mouth, and Marie gave me a victorious grin.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from the mermaid clan, singing is our way of life, but it can affect the unprepared violently. Doing it in front of an audience? That¡¯s a sure way to break the First Law.¡±

    Marie and I both looked at him, mouth wide open, at that rather suspected yet unsuspected reveal.

    ¡°Clan?¡± Managed Marie.

    ¡°Yeah, you can see, I¡¯m not half fish, nor a woman.¡±

    That still could be debatable in my book, but well, I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.

    ¡°Those are Sirens. Mermaids are human, blessed with a Siren¡¯s voice. It¡¯s more complicated than that, and a bit inaccurate, but the more comprehensible explanation I can give while still not burning today¡¯s food.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not obligated to tell us in any way, anything is welcome.¡±

    ¡°Rather posh language coming from a student boy.¡± He noted.

    Marie laughed silently. ¡°He¡¯s a rich boy, from a rich family.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t feel like one.¡± Diamond defended me. ¡°In any case, welcome to the U. As I hope you¡¯ll realize yourself, most of us are nothing close to that vampire monster. She was at least four hundred years old and was one of the dominant players in the region. The rest of us are mostly human with something extra.¡±

    ¡°You talked about Sirens, are those nice?¡±

    He froze a second. ¡°No. Fortunately, they¡¯re almost all extinct, and the last colonies are in the Bermuda Triangle and around islands in Greece.¡±

    ¡°Inhuman things exist then? Vampires and Werewolf still have a human form. But things like Lamias, Ogres, Trolls?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°Yes. They are extremely rare though, which is good news for everyone. Werewolves don¡¯t exist though. No shapeshifting monsters either. It has to do with physics stuff, I don¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Conservation of mass?¡± I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it. You can''t create matter out of nothing. Human science mostly has the rules written down correctly.¡±

    Marie had an anxious laugh, then changed subjects rapidly. ¡°How are those monsters not spotted, then?¡±

    ¡°You mean, things like ogres?¡± He put the large plate filled with fish, lemon, and a large assortment of cut vegetables in the oven, and sat in front of us, on the other side of the counter. ¡°Well, it¡¯s impossible for them not to be spotted. It¡¯s rare, because they are living in recluse parts of the world, but with the internet and everyone having cameras on their phone, that¡¯s inescapable.¡±

    ¡°Why are we not seeing them on the news, then?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Because of the First Law.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, not revealing one-self is paramount, but if there are pictures, and cameras¡­¡±

    ¡°People who spot them usually disappear.¡±

    ¡°You mean are murdered?¡± Reformulated Marie

    ¡°Yeah. The First Law is also to be followed by those monsters, even though some of them can¡¯t even talk. If they are spotted, they know it is their survival on the line, and they usually get rid of the person who saw them. Of course, some of them operate differently, but that¡¯s an exception. If a picture of them surfaces, the U takes care of it, then comes back to eliminate them, so none other can ever be taken.¡±

    ¡°No second chances?¡±

    ¡°There was a system in place, but it was revoked when I was in my twenties. 1991, something like that, when media and cameras became bigger and bigger. Some fought for more leniency, but then came the internet, and the new rule was deemed reasonable by everyone.¡±

    I hid my surprise at the dates. It meant he was in his forties or fifties, and he honestly didn¡¯t seem older than thirty.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Marie wasn¡¯t as tactful. ¡°You¡¯re forty?¡±

    ¡°Fifty-two. I look younger, yes? Perks of my clan, we live longer than normal.¡±

    ¡°How much longer?¡± Pushed Marie.

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± He hadn¡¯t said it violently, but the wall had erected.

    It seemed to suffice as an answer for Marie.

    Knowing her, she knew exactly what that kind of answer meant, and she could probably guess his life expectancy on that alone.

    Creepy seers.

    ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯m asking you as well Marie, but I guess Gray hasn¡¯t had the best of introduction to our world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the least you could say.¡± I said.

    Marie was looking at me, seemingly interested by my possible response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you go psycho on me now.¡± I told her.

    ¡°I¡¯m very high on the empathy scale.¡± She answered.

    ¡°I meant psychologist.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, both of you. New couple?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, old friends though.¡±

    ¡°Can lead to the best or the worst.¡± He seemed to know what he was talking about. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, honestly, it¡¯s what scares me the most. I¡¯ve known about the world¡¯s violence for quite some time, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve stared it directly in the face. And I didn¡¯t imagine it could be so literally monstrous sometimes. Still, it didn¡¯t impact me much.¡±

    ¡°I was talking about the U. But sure, it¡¯s a response.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that changes anything to be honest. Miranda, or Jeanne, may have been a monster, a vampire, but her reactions still seemed very human to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the humanity they keep that makes them so dangerous.¡± Acquiesced Diamond.

    ¡°Not a very pleasant thought.¡± Noted Marie.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± He said.

    ¡°Why are they so bad, then? You and lieutenant King said basically the same thing.¡± She asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think when they are turned, they lose something in exchange. Or maybe it''s just the power and the immortality. Look at most politicians, corruption isn¡¯t something innate, it¡¯s something you learn through gaining power no-one should ever obtain.¡±

    ¡°A good theory. But what about those that go through their mandates without falling for the power?¡±

    I didn¡¯t like where this conversation went. I agreed with Diamond, power was the herald of evil, but where did that put me? I was powerful. I had killed old things singlehandedly. Would it change me?

    I ONLY BELIEVE IN CHAOS.

    ¡°Did you guys hear something?¡± Diamond stood up, looking panicked.

    ¡°No?¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°I swear something¡­It¡¯s gone. Must be my imagination, sorry. All those stories of the serial killer on the news, I¡¯m anxious.¡±

    Did he hear the Beast? Inside me?

    At the same time, I smelled and heard someone come closer to the apartment.

    Was it this that Diamond heard? I tensed up, but the conversation continued.

    ¡°Not about your safety though.¡± Marie pushed deeper.

    ¡°True. I''m anxious for Lily, she¡¯s on the frontline and she won¡¯t let me¡­¡±

    He was cut short by a dangling sound of metal in the entrance.

    I finally recognized the odor, and relaxed. Wait, that meant he truly did hear¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m baAack.¡± Shouted lieutenant King.

    ¡°Lily!¡± Diamond visibly perked up, a big smile creeping up his mouth. He went towards her. ¡°Welcome back! You¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    They reached each other in the middle of the living room, and she gave him a chaste kiss on the mouth.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I should have sent a text.¡± She said to us.

    ¡°No worries, Diamond was a very accommodating host.¡±

    ¡°Wait, did he do the big ¡°Welcome to the U¡± speech without me?¡±

    ¡°Only half of it. I couldn¡¯t just not tell them anything while we waited for you.¡± Diamond explained.

    ¡°I was looking forwards to that! It¡¯s the best part of the job.¡±

    She was most likely not talking about her police work.

    She sighed and fell onto the large sofa in the middle of the room.

    Not caring one bit about appearances, she removed her shoes.

    ¡°We¡¯re eating in twenty minutes.¡± Diamond announced.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She answered earnestly.

    She couldn¡¯t see him, but the pop star had a happy smile on his face.

    I heard Marie say quietly ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°You sound like¡­¡± I began teasing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you finish that sentence.¡± She pointed her finger at my nose. I decided to nibble it.

    ¡°EEeeek.¡± She shrieked.

    ¡°You deserved that.¡±

    Diamond had seen the exchange and was discretely laughing in front of the oven door.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± King turned around and was peeking above the couch. She then seemed to remember something. ¡°Oh, yeah, I dozed off, we¡¯re supposed to talk, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Marie and I both grinned at that, and I cut her off before she could make fun of our very generous informant. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re in no hurry. You look tired.¡±

    ¡°I am. We¡¯re closing off the investigation, but we¡¯re still thinking about what to say to the press.¡±

    ¡°How can you close the investigation? You told them Miranda, Jeanne, erm, the vampire, was dead?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°No, I didn''t have to. The Elders sent a fake body to the forensics. We don¡¯t owe them anymore, but it¡¯s worth it. The families needed closure.¡±

    ¡°A fake body?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, some dead bloke, transformed into Jeanne with necromancy.¡±

    ¡°Uh, creepy.¡± Said Marie. I felt the same way.

    ¡°Nothing modern surgery couldn¡¯t do. Just in a way forensics can¡¯t see through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry again.¡± I said.

    ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°Your colleagues. Twice police died to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing you could do; it was that vampire¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°I could have told you the truth when we first met. And everything would have been avoided.¡±

    Marie interjected. ¡°Stop blaming yourself.¡±

    ¡°Easier said than done¡­¡±

    But King agreed with my best friend.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. Stop blaming yourself, you did the right thing. If I had been out of the U, you would have broken the First Law, and if it had been known, you would¡¯ve been killed.¡±

    ¡°But you are in the U.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I would have asked help from the Hunters. They would have surveilled you day and night. I think considering your stance on them, the secret you¡¯re hiding wouldn¡¯t have pleased them, would it?¡±

    I was going to answer, but Marie intervened. ¡°She¡¯s fishing.¡±

    I realized it then. ¡°Where you just trying to know more about this potential secret of mine?¡± I asked the lieutenant.

    ¡°No.¡± She was lying.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± Added Diamond. ¡°We have rules Lily, leave work outside my home.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on, there is something juicy with those two, I¡¯m certain of it.¡±

    ¡°Stop poking your nose in other¡¯s businesses, it¡¯s bad for your health.¡± He countered.

    ¡°Fine.¡± She pouted, looking much younger than she was. ¡°Those two are not dangerous though, just scared. I want to help.¡±

    HER DESIRE OF ORDER CREATES SUCH CHAOS, ONE OF THE OBLIVIOUS DEVOTEES.

    As I heard the Beast say his usual nonsense, I immediately looked at the self-proclaimed mermaid.

    He was looking straight at me, fear in his eyes.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong about that, Lil.¡±

    DOES HE WANT TO PLAY?

    ¡°There is something there, isn¡¯t it.¡± He whispered to me. Marie was still her back turned, looking at King¡¯s childish behavior.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I answered him.

    Marie looked at us both. And even though I couldn¡¯t see her reaction, I knew she would¡¯ve gotten the gist of what had happened just with that, as she was well, Marie.

    ¡°I¡¯m no fool.¡± He finally responded.

    BORING.

    I felt IT recede.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? What¡¯s dangerous about them?¡± King asked, having moved almost soundlessly just above my shoulder.

    Diamond smiled; his fear gone from his eyes. ¡°Plenty, I¡¯m sure. But. It¡¯s none of our business.¡±

    ¡°Look at him.¡± She pointed at me with one hand as she took my head in a grip with the other. ¡°He¡¯s so cute.¡±

    Danger. Close contact. Boobs on my face.

    I could feel Marie¡¯s anger flare next to me.

    DANGER.

    ¡°Would you kindly let him go, dear.¡± Said Diamond.

    Well, that was interesting, he looked pissed off too.

    ¡°Aw come on, stop acting jealous with me, I know I¡¯m just one of your side dishes.¡± She rejected his claim, but still let go of me.

    I didn¡¯t need to be Marie to see the flash of pain on his face. ¡°That is not true.¡± He told her.

    ¡°Pshh. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The oven¡¯s clock began ringing.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He kept his apparent feelings to himself. ¡°Could you wait for me in the dining room? I¡¯ll be bringing everything.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we help?¡± I asked. I realized I should have done so earlier.

    ¡°No, guests can only help once they visited thrice.¡±

    ¡°Family rule?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°Yes. Now go! Shoo! I need to finalize everything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you again Little Almond.¡± Said King.

    The pop star didn¡¯t seem to like being called that: ¡°Don¡¯t call me¡­¡± But she was already inside the dining room.

    We followed her soon after, with Diamond sighing behind us.

    ¡°How can I make her understand¡­¡± I overheard him say.

    The dining room was rather small compared to the other rooms we had seen. It had enough place to fit a table for eight and the chairs, but nothing else.

    ¡°Saddest place to eat, but there are only three spots around the kitchen.¡± Said King out loud.

    True to her words, the room was rather dark, with only a window on the western wall. At this hour of the day, it was barely illuminating anything.

    We only just sat down before hearing an ¡°Incoming!¡±. Diamond came in, not bothering to close the door behind him, and deposited a large dish filled with fish on it. Salmon and trout. I salivated and my stomach rumbled. It smelled exquisite, and my improved senses could spot how fresh the fish had been, cooking it was almost a waste, but that was another part of me talking.

    ¡°It looks delicious.¡± Said Marie as she was served.

    ¡°It will be, I hope.¡± Answered our host.

    I received a plate of my own and suffered for everyone to be served before beginning.

    He was a talented chef, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. The only conversation we had was about Diamond¡¯s pop world, which didn¡¯t interest me much, so I zoned out.

    ¡°¡­Ray?¡± Marie was trying to get me out of my food coma.

    ¡°Mh?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here to ask questions, remember.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you answer Lil, I¡¯m gonna do the dishes.¡± Diamond told King, as he began excusing himself.

    ¡°No, leave it, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    ¡°You could be called anytime, and then it won¡¯t be done. No can do.¡±

    ¡°Come on¡­¡± King tried to insist.

    Diamond left the room, unwavering.

    ¡°He¡¯s way too nice.¡± Said King.

    ¡°That¡¯s a strange complaint to make about someone.¡± Marie was digging.

    ¡°He is, though. It¡¯s way too comfortable living with him.¡±

    ¡°Is it a recent arrangement?¡±

    I was not going to get involved, I was still digesting.

    ¡°Us living together? I guess it has been a year already, it¡¯s just too easy.¡±

    ¡°You fear you¡¯re going to lose something? Independence?¡±

    ¡°What? No. We¡¯ve known each other since we were teenagers. We always let the other do what he wanted. Anyway, let¡¯s begin our talk about the U.¡± King very obviously diverted the conversation away from the relationship type.

    We were not close friends and King¡¯s reaction was natural, but I could feel Marie was slightly annoyed by the withdrawal. Most definitely professional habit.

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    I posed my hand on Marie¡¯s knee as I forced myself to wake up from my dreamy state.

    ¡°Not your job.¡± I told my best friend, then diverted my attention back to the lieutenant.

    ¡°First of all, how many non-human things roam around?¡± I was going to ask everything I could, even though some of the answers wouldn¡¯t be of real use.

    King seemed eager to respond.

    ¡°Rather difficult to answer. In terms of ¡°monsters¡±, sirens, ghouls, things like that¡­ very few. Most of them have been hunted. At most a million in the whole world. Probably way less.¡±

    ¡°That seems like a lot.¡± Noted Marie.

    ¡°In a world as big as ours? No. It¡¯s negligible. Most of them sleep deep under the oceans too, not the ideal meeting spot.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Marie seemed satisfied with that answer.

    ¡°No monster safari for us then?¡±

    King laughed. ¡°No, no safari. Wouldn¡¯t be wise, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°It was a rhetorical question, not like I wanted to go hu¡­¡± I didn¡¯t let myself finish the sentence. I knew part of me would have loved to go hunt dangerous creatures.

    ¡°What about everyone that knows about the U?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°Well, twenty, thirty million. I¡¯m not part of the census team, I don¡¯t know the exact number. Most of them are humans, either normal or with something more.¡±

    I tried to understand what that number meant, in vain. Would that mean it was unlikely to find anyone else who knew? I asked something else. ¡°Where do vampires fit in this?¡±

    ¡°Humans with something less, I¡¯d say. But yes, they are homo sapiens, in the latest news.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to do with that information. ¡°They don¡¯t consider themselves to be human.¡±

    ¡°I guess some of them don¡¯t, I have to be honest, I kill vampires, I don¡¯t really chat with them.¡±

    ¡°You kill them?¡± Marie said, surprised.

    ¡°Yes. My job is to track and destroy vampires who are on a murder spree. They all do it, in the end, but we¡¯re only allowed to act when it¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re ready to go on a genocide.¡± Marie provoked.

    ¡°With them? Yes. Undoubtedly.¡± I was still confused as to how she could say such a heinous thing with such calm and indifference.

    ¡°I know how it sounds. It is just that at their core, vampires are a lost cause. There is no point in them existing, they just leech on other people, sucking their lives, families, everything with them. What happened to you isn¡¯t unusual, Gray. I¡¯ve never seen any good coming from a vampire. You¡¯re lucky not to have lost anyone close to you.¡±

    ¡°It came close to that¡­¡± I acquiesced.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that every single one of them is so irrefutably evil. Even if the vampire condition is as mind and soul corrupting as you say, there has always been cases of people who found goodness in the worst circumstances.¡± Marie contradicted.

    King looked at her and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re young, you¡¯re free to believe what you want.¡±

    Marie smiled at that. ¡°Ahah.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Now the two women were staring each other down.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s stop this conversation here. I think I don¡¯t want to reiterate the experience of meeting with vampires, anyway. You talked about the Vampire Elders. Why not get rid of them?¡±

    King refocused on me. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think we could if we wanted to. They¡¯re way stronger than even Jeanne was. What¡¯s more, even though it pains me to admit it, we need them.¡±

    ¡°You need them now?¡± Marie provoked again.

    King didn¡¯t notice the sarcasm in her voice though. ¡°Yes, they keep the younglings in check, and honestly, the Elders are some of the biggest protectors of the three laws. Without them, a war between the supernatural and humans would have happened ages ago. They¡¯re responsible for the shift in stories about the mythos, too. All the stuff about the supernatural that is not so dangerous, the love stories, so on and so on, they launched that trend. It¡¯s in case we are discovered. In hope humans won¡¯t immediately attack if they found out something else than them exists in this world.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that against the First Law?¡± I asked, my voice becoming ¡®juridical¡¯.

    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s all fake, after all. No one in their right mind would believe it. It¡¯s even better than that, if someone finds out some of it is true, people just assume it¡¯s a crazy fan who took things too far.¡±

    ¡°Smart.¡±

    ¡°It is, and that is why we need them, even though some of the biggest horrors of history were perpetrated by the Elders.¡±

    ¡°For example? Our history has to be read in another way now, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Actually, most of it is completely accurate, some U species actually remember the middle ages, and can help historians in their work. They just use that opportunity to hide that a hero was actually a Fay prince, or that some Nazi experiments were led by a demonologist.¡±

    ¡°Demons exist?¡± Marie intervened.

    ¡°No idea. Demonologist do. They use some kind of dark magic. Not my specialty.¡±

    ¡°You could tell us, Marie.¡± I teased.

    ¡°Oh shut up.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± King was grinning.

    ¡°She¡¯s a witch, only gives her body to Satan.¡±

    ¡°Women are not Satan, you masochistic pig.¡± Marie counterattacked.

    ¡°Oh no, a feminist, my male fantasy¡¯s worst nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    King was laughing wholeheartedly at our exchange, then stopped, as she realized something.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a lesbian?¡± She asked Marie.

    ¡°Well, yes?¡± Marie answered, unaware of what would follow.

    I suddenly had a bad feeling.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going out with Gray?¡±

    ¡°Erm.¡± She stopped to think about what to answer.

    Yeah, the way we acted around each other couldn¡¯t mean anything else.

    ¡°No, I am going out with him.¡± Marie finally decided to answer.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re bi.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I did not dig deeper about you and Diamond; I¡¯d like for you to do the same.¡±

    ¡°What about me and Diamond? We¡¯re just friends with benefits.¡±

    ¡°In any case, the meal was delicious¡­¡± The tension between the two women was reaching quite a high level, and I tried the good old, clapping my hands together and acting like I¡¯m going away trick. It had the expected result; nothing.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to think that at all. I think he¡¯s very serious about you.¡± Marie ignored me.

    The lieutenant laughed mockingly. ¡°Look at you young girl, you just met him today, how could you¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know one thing?¡± Marie had gotten up from her seat and was reaching for the police officer, I stopped her dead in her tracks by picking her off the floor gently.

    King didn¡¯t seem offended in the least. ¡°She¡¯s feisty.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡± Retorted Marie.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve overstayed our welcome, let¡¯s stay away from touchy subjects about her sexuality, next time ok? She doesn¡¯t handle it well, for good reasons you have no business knowing.¡±

    The lieutenant sighed. And visibly backed down.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯m sorry Marie, I can be really nosy about others.¡±

    Marie stopped resisting my grip, so I put her down. She dusted imaginary dust off herself.

    ¡°Sorry too, same is true for me.¡± And she left the room.

    King was scratching the back of her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I reassured her. ¡°Let¡¯s do this again sometimes. Your lover is very interesting, and I¡¯d like to ask him about his clan in the future, if it is possible.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a friend.¡± She tried.

    I remembered words. Given to me in a language long forgotten, through a painting long gone.

    ¡°Years bring wisdom. But there is no wisdom in rejecting the teachings of the day.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°There is wisdom in every experience. Whether it comes from child or grandpa. Rejecting it is foolishness.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get it.¡±

    I changed subjects, feeling myself get into a creative trance again.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to come to draw here sometimes if it doesn¡¯t bother you. It feels¡­appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ask Diamond?¡± She was taken aback by my sudden change of mood.

    ¡°So I shall.¡±

    Diamond was talking to Marie as I left King alone with my words of advice.

    ¡°¡­I think you two are similar.¡± He was saying.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but that¡¯s most likely. It¡¯s usually the kind of people I get angry at.¡±

    He laughed.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to go.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Sure. Seemed heated in there.¡±

    ¡°Not in a good way, I¡¯m afraid. I¡¯m going to calm down the beast and¡­¡±

    I felt a pinch on my sides.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me like I¡¯m not there.¡± Marie accused me.

    ¡°Yeah. Yeah. Won¡¯t do it again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t specify for how long.¡±

    ¡°You two are really cute together.¡±

    ¡°You and King too.¡±

    He winced. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s¡­difficult. We¡¯ve got a long history together; she doesn¡¯t want to realize I may want it to change.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll happen. On that subject, could I come and draw here?¡±

    ¡°Erm? How are those two things related? Anyway. Sure. You¡¯re welcome to, here¡¯s my number.¡±

    He got a business card out of seemingly nowhere.

    As I reached for it, he retracted his hand.

    ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll let me and Lily live in peace.¡±

    ¡°What? Of course.¡±

    Marie corrected me.

    ¡°He¡¯s not talking to you.¡±

    YOU ARE THE SON OF THE OCEAN. DAUGHTER OF MY MISTRESS. YOU AND YOUR MATE ARE NO PREY TO US.

    I heard the Beast talk inside my mind, much clearer and louder than usual.

    Diamond deposited his card in my hand.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Why are you not telling Lily?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°How can you hear IT?¡± I asked at the same time.

    ¡°Every clan has its powers. I¡¯ll just say that I can hear and feel everything related to the tide. And I won¡¯t tell her because she¡¯s stubborn and reckless. She¡¯ll get involved. If you are what I think you are, getting involved with you is in and of itself a breach of the Third Law.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know everything you know about IT and¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you three looking all serious for?¡± Asked Lily.

    Diamond immediately changed expressions. ¡°We were talking about how a bad conversationalist you were. You¡¯re lucky our guests are so accommodating. Vampire genocide speech? Really.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°Oh come on, you know I¡¯m not wrong.¡±

    ¡°Being right or wrong should not impact your tableside manners.¡±

    He looked back at us.

    ¡°I wish you the calmest of seas, while you sail to your home.¡± Then he addressed me personally. ¡°Call me, I¡¯ll be happy for you to come and draw here, I heard about your art. We¡¯ll talk more then.¡±

    And with that out of the way, Marie and I left the luxurious flat.

    ¡°Well, that was¡­¡±

    ¡°I may have stopped us from getting more info, but¡­¡± Marie cut me off as we left the building.

    ¡°I know Marie, you don¡¯t have to explain.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Well thank you for saying I was your boyfriend, even though it could ruin your street cred.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°I just hope mom doesn¡¯t find out.¡±

    ¡°Why would she? And even then, you¡¯ll just continue telling her nothing and asking her to guess, like the horrible child you are.¡±

    ¡°Oy! That wasn¡¯t funny.¡±

    I ignored her furious stare. ¡°You¡¯re not worried about your mom; she¡¯ll always love you. You¡¯re afraid about how you would feel if your dad found out. Even though he¡¯s four states away.¡±

    ¡°Seven.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep track of where he is¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. He¡¯s still my dad.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Broken families, both of us.¡±

    ¡°Fixing ourselves together.¡±

    I changed into Igris¡¯s form inside the bathroom stalls of the subway. Marie was unfair, in that form, she didn¡¯t mind me sniffing her the whole ride.

    As we got back home, I began drawing, and Marie went to bed, her headache had come back.

    I was training and wasn¡¯t trying to do something concrete. Imagining how I could compose the thing I had foreseen in Diamond and King¡¯s place.

    IT came.

    THE ELDERS AND THE HUNTERS REPRESENT ORDER, DO YOU SEE? THEY WILL TRY TO FIND US, DESTROY US.

    What?

    THEY ARE THE PERFECT PREY.

    No, no, no. I did not agree with all that.

    THERE IS NO AGREEING. YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT WILL GO, AND AS YOU KNOW, I KNOW.

    I trembled. Yes, the elders, if they were half as good as King made them seem to be, would realize something was amiss. Their investigation would come to me. I didn¡¯t know about the hunters though.

    GOD OF BLOOD, GOD OF PAPER, FOLLOWERS OF ORDER. ALL SHALL COME AND FIND US, IGNORANT OF THE FACT THEY ARE OUR PREY.

    We shall not hunt the Underworld police. That¡¯s crazy.

    WE SHALL DO NOTHING. WE SHALL WAIT.

    I had an image of a wolf. For hours, days, it did not move an inch, until a deer finally came too close.

    IT SHALL BE EASIER WHEN WE LEAD A PACK.

    What does that mean?

    But on those words, he had left again, and as always, did not answer me.

    I could feel his presence. Still silent. Unmoving.

    Waiting.

 Witchs Den

    ¡°How am I supposed to work in those conditions!?¡±

    ¡°Calm down Gray.¡±

    One week had passed, and as of Friday today, I had received fifty calls and messages alike, mostly from anonymous senders, asking me to generously donate my body parts to ¡®science¡¯.

    My reaction had come from the latest conversation with a Frankenstein freak. It went like this.

    ¡°Hello? Are you Ray? The Conscient?¡±

    ¡°The one and only, please don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    ¡°I just need part of your brain. Nothing too damaging, I swear!¡±

    ¡°I WILL NOT AGREE TO A BRAIN AUTOPSY!!!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°YOU PEOPLE. I DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND?¡±

    Marie had entered my room at that moment. ¡°Gray? Is everything¡­¡± She dodged the pencil that flew out of my hand. It smashed itself in pieces behind her.

    ¡°I DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND?¡± I repeated inside my phone. ¡°I JUST WANT NOTHING POTENTIALLY GIVING ME BRAIN DAMAGE! CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but that is just very unlikely, only mild speech impediments, at most.¡±

    ¡°ARGH!¡± I exclaimed before my phone flew towards another wall to meet the same fate as my art utensil.

    I realized Marie was in my room, looking worried.

    ¡°Sorry. I was in the perfect mood to draw, then my phone didn¡¯t stop buzzing¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Why didn¡¯t you just shut it down?¡±

    ¡°You were at your courses, I wanted to stay reachable in case one of those nutcases came after you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not interested in me, you know that. I¡¯m not the one getting called by dubious scientists with even more suspicious methods.¡±

    ¡°Letting myself get listed in this U system was the biggest mistake I could have done. How am I supposed to work in these conditions?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Gray.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calm.¡±

    ¡°Your phone has merged with the wall, and you almost ripped my face off with your now deceased pencil.¡±

    ¡°My¡­? Oh no. I just got used to its feel in my hands.¡± I went and examined what was now pieces of carbon on the floor.

    ¡°Of course, you would get sad about the pencil and not the three hundred dollar phone.¡±

    ¡°It was two hundred, I got it with a discount or I just would¡¯ve taken the cheaper one.¡±

    ¡°King told us it would be like that; you have to be patient.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been patient for months now, on the run from a vampire, in hiding from that vampire. Waiting, waiting. The beast said to wait, now you. I just want to draw, enjoy my time with you. Have Stan come back.¡±

    ¡°IT wants you to wait? What for?¡±

    ¡°It thinks something worthy of its time is going to come and look for trouble if we just stay silent and wait.¡±

    ¡°It makes predictions too? Damn, that¡¯s too many seers and Oracles in the same flat.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t really ask it to leave, even though it¡¯s not even paying rent. Fortunately, I don¡¯t think it has the power to see the future. It has access to my memories and thoughts though.¡±

    ¡°¡­So it is because you think someone is going to come. Is that the real reason why you¡¯re so on edge?¡±

    ¡°No. Yes. Maybe. Those phone calls are a definite cause of that, but maybe I feel IT¡¯s not wrong. I¡¯m scared about your security, too.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be. I can handle myself fine, and I really don¡¯t see why anyone would come and bother me, I¡¯m just a nobody.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a nobody to me.¡±

    ¡°Not enough a reason to bother, I believe.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re wrong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re scared that I could be wrong, and what such a mistake could entail, that¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°What if some of those crazy doctors try to kidnap you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, the Second Law, remember?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°You should be more worried about your parents. And even though it''s sad, Stan not being here is good. I believe it makes him less likely to become a target.¡±

    I sat on my bed, looked outside through my brand-new window door.

    ¡°I know, I know.¡±

    She sat beside me.

    ¡°But you¡¯re still on edge. That¡¯s normal, you can¡¯t hope to regulate all of your fears just through sheer will of mind, or by telling yourself it''s unreasonable. It¡¯s ok to be anxious or scared. There are good reasons to be.¡±

    ¡°How can you stay so calm?¡±

    ¡°Well. I¡¯ve never been afraid to die, I want to live.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    She laid on my bed, clearly tired after her day at the university. ¡°You know it makes perfect sense.¡±

    I looked at her, feeling my emotions cool down.

    ¡°What about your mom?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that scares me. But I believe no one will go after my mom to get to me, just to get to you. Nothing logical about it, just a belief. That helps.¡±

    ¡°So I should just follow your religion? At last, your treachery is revealed. All of our friendship was a lie, just so you could get to your true goal, proselytism.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what proselytism means, but yeah, definitely all a lie.¡± She poked my sides.

    I transformed into Igris on the spot.

    ¡°Oh. Wow. That was super, super weird.¡±

    I realized it was the first time I had done it in front of her.

    ¡°Sorry, I thought you were inviting me.¡±

    ¡°Erm. Was I? I didn¡¯t ask you to morph in front of me, Gray. It was mental.¡± She stood up, getting closer to my face, then touched it like I was a clay doll with both her hands.

    ¡°MHHeeey!¡± I managed to complain.

    ¡°Sorry. It was just so disturbing, cool and horrible at the same time.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Have you never done it in front of a mirror? Or filmed yourself? Scratch that last one, that¡¯s a really bad idea. No footage of it should exist. Shape-shifters are not supposed to be real, after all. In both the U and the normal world.¡± She let me go.

    I didn¡¯t want to talk or even think about that last statement. ¡°I¡¯ve never looked at myself change, no. From Ray to Igris, it goes too fast. I¡¯ve seen my limbs as I change into the wolf, though. That¡¯s really horrible. I think that¡¯s why I¡¯ve never been interested.¡±

    ¡°Can you do it again? Igris to Ray, I mean, not wolf.¡±

    I tried¡­ and couldn¡¯t. I felt her presence next to me, an innate knowledge telling me she was too close.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it when you touch me.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Yeah. Makes sense with how your skin moves and stuff, I could get pieces of me stuck inside you.¡±

    ¡°Ew.¡±

    ¡°See? Men are disgusting.¡±

    ¡°EW. Get your mind out of the gutter.¡±

    ¡°Never. I¡¯m a psycho¡­¡±

    ¡°Psychologist after all, yeah, yeah.¡±

    I moved away from her and changed back to Gray. My T-shirt and shorts were fitting me anew.

    ¡°This is so trippy.¡± She exclaimed. ¡°Again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a circus show¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Definitely not.¡± She was biting her lower lips, a bit ashamed.

    ¡°You just thought exactly that¡­¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged. But come on, look at it!¡± She got up and opened the little closet door that led to my sink and mirror.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to cuddle again. I¡¯m still angry about everything.¡±

    She looked at the ceiling and sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± She closed the closet door.

    I changed back into Igris.

    ¡°Mental.¡± I heard the whispered comment.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy it is not as horrible as when I transform into a wolf.¡±

    ¡°How is it different for you?¡±

    We got back together on the bed, my head on her knees.

    ¡°First of all, it hurts. A lot. My human forms, going from one to another, feels¡­natural. Nothing hurts. It¡¯s just like breathing.¡±

    ¡°You probably can¡¯t expect to ruin all laws of physics without a bit of pain, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. I¡¯m getting bigger and heavier, sure. How? I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯ve got an accessible pool of energy somewhere, that I can use to replace missing matter.¡±

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯ve read my recommendations.¡±

    ¡°I did. It was slightly boring, but I found the science behind everything captivating.¡±

    ¡°Arthur C Clarke is the king of hard Sci-Fi, after all.¡±

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s not what hurts. It''s the change itself, I can feel everything break and rip.¡±

    She silently combed my hair with her hand.

    ¡°¡­to make someone follow your religion.¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Proselytism. That¡¯s what the word means.¡±

    ¡°I had forgotten about it. But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s why religions are there? To help us cope with the un-copable?¡±

    ¡°That would be a nice definition of religion. I don¡¯t think falsely accused witches would have agreed with it.¡±

    ¡°Mingled with politics, yeah, religion is crap. But hey, maybe those witches were real ones!¡±

    ¡°What if they were?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah. Bruning them at the stake is still problematic.¡±

    ¡°Understatement of the year.¡±

    ¡°I think beliefs are what makes us capable of the greatest of things. Or the worst.¡±

    We cuddled in silence for a while.

    ¡°I was really scared when you went missing though.¡± Marie was continuing our earlier conversation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Stop being sorry. The first time I was scared you were dead. I think it was the first time I ever felt despair. I was sure you were still alive, but I was so terrified the feeling was just wishful thinking on my end.¡±

    ¡°Mhmh.¡± I didn¡¯t want to interrupt her.

    ¡°The second time though¡­I knew you were going to be safe, but still, I was scared.¡±

    ¡°How could you know that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you as the wolf. You¡¯d need a tank or two to pose a real threat to that.¡±

    ¡°Why were you scared then?¡±

    ¡°Because even though I knew you wouldn¡¯t die, I was terrified you would be hurt. Inside or outside.¡±

    ¡°I was. I still am.¡± I thought about the women in the basement.

    ¡°More than that though¡­I doubted you, I think I was really scared about that.¡±

    ¡°You doubted me?¡±

    ¡°I believe, even now, that there is a high chance you just leave me for the old ¡®I shall protect you¡¯ matchagubbin bullshit.¡±

    ¡°I¡­Don¡¯t swear.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve thought about it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t help anyone by abandoning them.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Her eyes were lost inside mine, but she was looking at her own past now, not me.

    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you.¡±

    ¡°Promise me.¡±

    I winced in pain, memories coming back to me, making the words stick in my throat, not getting out.

    I finally answered: ¡°Many lovers of mine died. All because of me. Nonetheless, you would make me swear? I can¡¯t handle you dying.¡±

    Marie didn¡¯t get angry, she just gently smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a lover. I¡¯m Marie. My death is and always will be my own because that is how I live and always will live my life. Would you try and take that away from me?¡±

    Her answer startled me. I did not understand it completely. I felt it entranced me, gave me access to the feelings that once made me into an Oracle.

    ¡°Life cannot be held by anyone. But the chaos of life¡­ I shall promise it, Marie. I shall not abandon you. Whatever the future holds, even if our paths diverge.¡±

    She kissed me.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I tried for more, but she backed off.

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s that mean expression on your face?¡±

    ¡°I want to let my friends meet my girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Stan met me.¡±

    ¡°Unlike you, I have many friends.¡±

    ¡°Wait. At your gay bar? I refuse, I¡¯m going to get hit on the whole evening, I¡¯m tired of people wanting my body for unethical things.¡±

    ¡°Arrogant, and a funny comparison, I¡¯ll admit. But sadly, you have no choice on the matter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on. You¡¯re tired! I can see it.¡±

    She kissed me again.

    I saw her decided expression, so I sighed.

    My evening plans had just been filled against my will, and cuddling time had been cut short to ¡°prepare¡± for it.

    Truly a lose-lose situation.

    The Cranium was the exception to my not liking clubs or crowded spaces rule. The gay bar I was forcibly brought to, even though not the worst, was really not my cup of tea.

    ¡°That¡¯s Natasha, and this is Jay.¡± Marie introduced me, as I was wincing painfully at the neon lights flashing violently around me, mixing unnaturally with the electronic computer noises that filled the club. It wasn¡¯t big, only big enough to fit twenty comfortably. Forty people at least had to be present. There were some stairs though, leading to a second floor, but I had smelled what was upstairs. Even more people, and according to my nose, most likely naked and engaging in quite unusual mating behaviors.

    I was distracted and missed Natasha, or Jay, I had already forgotten, extending her hand.

    Marie pushed an elbow in my sides.

    ¡°Oh sorry, I¡¯m not used to this kind of place.¡± I apologized earnestly.

    ¡°No worries. Igris, is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you called me¡­¡±

    ¡°Igris, that¡¯s exactly it.¡± Marie intervened. ¡°Gray¡¯s cousin.¡±

    Oh, she had told them about me, giving the same name would¡¯ve been weird, for sure.

    I didn¡¯t like being called with my old name though, the evening wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant.

    I shook her hand as I tried to examine the two girls through the flashing lights and jostling crowd.

    The one I was currently shaking hands with, Jay I believe, was a bit of a caricature appearances-wise. Colored hair cut very short, and quite on the plus size. She wore no piercings and had a friendly expression. I was going to avoid feminist talk with her though, just to be sure. The other was¡­quite different. She had tattoos all over her body, and ten times as many piercings as Marie. She wore dark, revealing clothes, exposing her lithe body and giving a clear view of her cleavage, even though her breasts were small. The most unsettling part though was her face. Its femininity and cuteness were harshly counterbalanced by the tattoos on it. They went from her neck to her upper cheeks, stopping just beneath her eyes, like tendrils of an octopus reaching for her brain. Her eyes had been filled with black ink, which I didn¡¯t even know was possible without going completely blind.

    It was hard to distinguish a specific smell in such a crowded place, but hers was so strong it was hard to miss. There was rose perfume, but even with it, nothing could hide the promise of sex underneath her skin.

    It made me think about Jeanne, and how she could promise pleasure in every sentence. Until you realized what she truly was.

    ¡°Igris? Be nice, shake her hand.¡± Marie woke me up.

    I was ignoring Natasha¡¯s hand as well.

    ¡°Erm¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± There was desire and enticement in her voice. ¡°Pretty rare to find a girl as beautiful as you¡­and taller than I am.¡± Now that she mentioned it, she was pretty tall.

    I was more worried about the flirting in front of Marie. I looked at her. She was sighing. ¡°I¡¯m not sharing, Nat.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not now¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°A shame.¡± She immediately backed off, and I felt her hand leave mine, her gaze becoming less voracious.

    If she wasn¡¯t in the U, I didn¡¯t know who was. There had been way too much power in her flirting. Did Marie not know? For someone who could pierce any secret, that seemed weird.

    ¡°So, Marie, she¡¯s the one? The reason you won¡¯t participate in my games anymore?¡± Natasha asked.

    ¡°Nope. At least not without her, and if I saw anyone touch her, I think I¡¯d get seriously pissed off, so better avoid it.¡±

    ¡°We could arrange it somehow.¡±

    What exactly were they talking about? I was afraid to ask.

    Jay gave me a way out. ¡°So, Igris. What are you doing in life?¡±

    The music was too loud, and without my improved hearing, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten half of it. I moved a bit closer to answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m a painter.¡±

    ¡°Like Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s how Marie and I met.¡±

    ¡°Through him? You know, she talks about him all the time, but she never wanted us to meet.¡±

    Marie entered the conversation. ¡°Because I know you, you¡¯d get all pissed off about him being a white, rich, male, and you¡¯ll go apeshit on the first comment he makes about anything.¡±

    ¡°I would not!¡±

    ¡°You definitely would, dear.¡± Natasha had gotten closer to us, as well.

    ¡°Yeah, like you can talk!¡± Marie answered her.

    ¡°What?¡± The tattooed girl had an innocent look.

    ¡°As if I was going to let him meet you when he was single.¡±

    Her innocent look didn¡¯t seem so innocent now. ¡°Touch¨¦. He¡¯s not single anymore?¡±

    Dangerous question to answer, I changed subjects.

    ¡°You¡¯re bi?¡± I asked Natasha.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m many things.¡± She very ostentatiously flirted with me again.

    ¡°NAT!¡± Marie was pissed now.

    ¡°Fine. Fine! Look at her though, she¡¯s hot. How am I supposed to resist?¡±

    ¡°I trust you to hold back.¡± Marie had a serious look.

    ¡°Pfffrr.¡± Natasha giggled. ¡°Look at you, so territorial. Never would have expected it.¡±

    ¡°We should go and get something to drink.¡± Jay said to me. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take a while.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow and saw Marie and her friend continuing to argue over whether I was free game or not.

    I sighed. I didn¡¯t know the rules of this LGBT environment. Normally I would have defended myself, but as I could hear and smell what was happening upstairs, what was normal to me wasn¡¯t normal here.

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    I talked with Jay a bit but was interrupted multiple times by girls asking me my number or if I was available. The worst was the hands on my back, ass, and some even on my boobs. I thought only men were uneducated enough about relationships to be capable of such a porcine act, but it seemed that being an ass was genderless. There were men in the club as well, but they weren¡¯t going to be interested in me in this body, so they left me in peace.

    Marie came back, alone, thirty minutes later, saying Natasha ¡°Had found something else to occupy her mind.¡±

    I asked Marie if she had gotten rid of Natasha¡¯s body properly, but she hadn¡¯t answered my sarcasm. Rude.

    She sat down next to me, and put a defensive arm around my waist, claiming me quite clearly. It didn¡¯t stop two girls to invite me upstairs.

    I winced at Marie¡¯s insults towards them.

    Jay was fun, but she had not come to talk, and after Marie had joined me, she quickly left on the dancefloor, trying to find a partner for the night.

    ¡°She¡¯s nice, trying not to let me alone and uncomfortable while you rip this weird friend of yours a new excretory system.¡±

    ¡°Mh.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It was a mistake.¡± Marie finally said.

    ¡°I know. What did you expect would happen?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to seduce everyone in the room.¡±

    ¡°I have done no such things.¡±

    ¡°Do you even see how you move? Even when you were just talking, you felt¡­¡±

    ¡°I felt?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t express it clearly.¡±

    ¡°Talking about moving, I¡¯d like to dance.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to dance. And I think it¡¯s a really bad idea.¡±

    I looked at her, she was truly conflicted. I understood why she had brought me here, she wanted me to see part of her universe, a part that had always been closed to me before. She wanted to lay it bare, show me her imperfections. For someone who was so scared of being left behind, such behavior could seem counterintuitive, but such reactions were the definition of humanity.

    CHAOS REIGNS HERE.

    I felt a push from within. A desire to let go of the mask of shyness that was Ray, and the mask of sadness that was Igris, and just embrace what we were. It had been there since we entered this den, but it was so much stronger now.

    ¡°I will dance. And I will make you jealous, Marie. I like it.¡±

    Marie looked startled for a moment.

    ¡°Wait. Gray. Your eyes, you can¡¯t¡­¡±

    But I was gone and reached the center of the mass, where everybody flowed in such disharmony, it became balance again. Marie was following me, trying to stop me for whatever reason, but she could not move like I moved. No one touched me, I was the breeze. She was swallowed in the sea of dancers, drunks, and lovers.

    I just walked on water.

    As an Oracle, dancing was our way of life. It was easy to understand the purpose of this soulless, digital music. It was meant to let the dancer decide what to show. I would reveal truth, as always.

    I made a step. An old one. It meant desire. As the second beat came, my body moved again. Abandon. A third. Desire to forget.

    At the fourth step, I felt the stares upon me. It was natural they would look now, this one was attacking them, accusing them. They all wanted to be unique, so none were.

    I could hear Marie, but in my frenzy, I did not understand what her words meant. It was not a language I was familiar with. Or maybe it was. ¡°Gray! Your eyes are golden! Snap out of it! Shit, let me through!¡±

    Fifth step. Hope. To find salvation. To find something true.

    Sixth. Anger. At this world, at everything. More than that, anger towards thy own self.

    Seventh. Hunger.

    Eight. Fear. Loneliness.

    Marie was getting closer.

    But the ninth step would be the final one, the third of the third. The most revealing one.

    Huma¡­

    Someone stopped me in my tracks, able to touch me even though I was in my trance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. More than that and it¡¯ll be a problem for everyone.¡± Natasha was gripping my arm, with quite the inhuman strength.

    It felt weak under my power.

    ¡°Who are you to stop the truth?¡±

    ¡°A demon. It is my right to prevent it from being spoken.¡±

    I looked at her, saw the promise of pain and lust in her darkened eyes. No ink in there, it was her natural color. I could almost see the dark tentacles on her cheek move. She was looking strained, like it was taking her a tremendous effort just to stand there.

    Which it definitely did.

    ¡°You have that right.¡± I acquiesced, before feeling faint.

    ¡°Gray! Erm, Igris, I mean, snap out of it!¡± Marie finally arrived next to me.

    She looked genuinely worried. I didn¡¯t like that look on her face.

    I blinked two, three times, then felt my legs give out under me. Natasha and Marie stopped me from falling.

    ¡°Fuck. Marie. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?¡± Asked the tattooed girl.

    ¡°What do you mean? She¡¯s just not used to those places.¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, say that to everyone looking like mindless zombies, just because she danced ten seconds.¡±

    I felt weak, but her words pushed me to look around. The music was still blasting through, but the circle of maybe ten, fifteen people around us was silent and unmoving. They were not especially looking into our direction, but every single one of them had a puzzled expression like they had been told such shocking news, they had to take a moment to process it.

    ¡°She¡¯s just a really good dancer.¡± Marie tried.

    ¡°Yeah, no. Let¡¯s bring your girlfriend upstairs, we need to have some privacy.¡±

    Marie gave her a surprised stare.

    ¡°Upstairs? Privacy? Uh. No?¡±

    ¡°On the third floor, not the second.¡±

    ¡°There is a third floor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is.¡± Was Natasha¡¯s only answer.

    I was beginning to get my bearings back as we entered what seemed like a staff room on the second floor, to a staircase leading to the third.

    The third room was in fact an apartment. Apparently, Natasha¡¯s.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you live?¡± Shouted Marie.

    ¡°Yes. And no, I wasn¡¯t going to tell. I don¡¯t want anyone come knocking on my door every time I¡¯m not in the club.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do an exception just for you.¡±

    Marie pouted.

    As I felt myself get better, I squirmed myself out of the grip of the two girls.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I shivered, realizing what I had glimpsed upon while passing through the second floor. ¡°Urgh.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem fine.¡± Noted Natasha.

    ¡°I am, that¡¯s just me finally reacting to what¡¯s on the floor below.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s way too dark in there to see anything.¡±

    I glanced towards Natasha.

    ¡°Let¡¯s drop that, you told me what you were, I didn¡¯t forget.¡±

    Natasha winced.

    ¡°Dang. I hoped you would have forgotten that, when an oracle prophesizes, they usually do.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? Oh my God.¡± Marie seemed to realize. ¡°You¡¯re not human.¡±

    ¡°No. Shit I wanted to talk in private, but I can¡¯t be outed, don¡¯t you know about the rules?¡± She was looking at me when saying that last bit, with an accusatory stare. She, then stared at Marie. ¡°And now I¡¯m going to have to kill my friend.¡± I saw her power flare and her tattoos seemingly move on her face.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Marie screamed.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, there''s just no¡­¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± I interjected.

    ¡°You would kill me because I know you¡¯re part of the U?¡± Marie asked, furious.

    Now Natasha looked really unsure. ¡°Wait, you know about the U? Since when? Did your girlfriend tell you? That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in the census.¡± I explained. Then I stepped back, because Natasha had lost her will to fight, but not my best friend.

    ¡°She is? But¡­¡± Natasha¡¯s sentence was interrupted as she suddenly held her leg up in the air while screaming in pain.

    It looked ridiculous but was understandable as Marie had just kicked her in the tibia.

    ¡°AOUCH. Marie, what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°You would have killed me?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were now part of the U. I thought I had no choice.¡±

    ¡°You were barely looking bothered!¡±

    ¡°I was not barely bothered! I was very bothered!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, bothered like you just had to go throw out the trash in the trashcan while it rains outside!¡±

    ¡°Oddly specific. Quite accurate.¡± I noted.

    ¡°Shut up Gray! Don¡¯t need sarcasm now!¡± Marie barked at me.

    She was supposedly someone calm. Oh, how people change.

    Natasha was clearly not defending herself, and was quite frankly, looking very remorseful.

    As I had with King, I picked Marie off the ground.

    ¡°GRAY!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°LET ME DOWN.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Whatever she tried, nothing changed. The way she acted as a rabbit struggling in vain was waking some dangerous instincts in me.

    I turned her to face me.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re angry.¡± I commented with a cheeky smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m so going to¡­¡±

    I stopped her with a kiss.

    ¡°Would you¡­¡±

    Wasn¡¯t enough. So I tried again, a bit more fiercely.

    She hit me with her knee right in the stomach.

    FUN

    I snarled and growled, and I was more biting than kissing now.

    After a few minutes, I felt her mellow down.

    ¡°Pervert.¡± I accused.

    ¡°Not¡­fair.¡± She was searching for air.

    ¡°Fuck.¡± I had forgotten about Natasha, and her rude comment made me look at her.

    She was looking at us, a glass of what looked like whiskey in one hand.

    ¡°Marie, you¡¯re sure we can¡¯t share? I thought she was the meek type, but a wolf in sheep clothing eh. Hot.¡±

    Marie grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even want to see you anymore; you were going to kill me.¡±

    ¡°I had to.¡± Agreed Natasha. ¡°That or we both died. Better one dead than two.¡±

    ¡°No-one would have known.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m bound, if my master asked, I would have had to answer. The secret would have been out in two months, tops.¡±

    So many things to unpack in that first sentence. But I refrained myself, for now.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got more liquor because I think we¡¯re going to need it if we want to finish this evening sane.¡± I asked instead.

    ¡°Plenty in the cupboard, feel free to take what you want. I¡¯m going to go get a shower, then we¡¯ll talk. I need to cool down after that show.¡±

    Marie raised her eyes in the sky. ¡°At least that part of you has not changed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still your friend Marie, for all its worth, I really didn¡¯t want to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Go take a shower, it¡¯ll let me calm down.¡±

    ¡°See you soon.¡±

    And we were left alone in the apartment, still hearing the noises of the club downstairs.

 Gears

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just did that.¡± Marie was sipping her glass of almond liquor, ice cubes clinking as she moved it around.

    ¡°What did I do, exactly?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You gave my friend a free show, after she tried to kill us.¡±

    ¡°Just you, she knew I was part of the U.¡±

    ¡°Comforting. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t realize she wasn¡¯t human sooner.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe it either. I felt it immediately.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair, you¡¯ve got wolfy powers¡­I felt she was weird at first, but I just didn¡¯t mind it that much, then it just never came to my mind again.¡±

    I had a slight issue with the wolfy part, but answered seriously, nonetheless.

    ¡°The more you know about someone, the harder it is to change your opinion of him or her.¡±

    ¡°One of the reasons why psychologists should work with strangers only.¡± She wasn¡¯t saying that to me, just repeating it to herself like it was a lesson.

    ¡°I guess. Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I¡¯ve known her for two years, she was going out with Jay for a while, that¡¯s when we met.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And you met Jay during your first year, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They stayed friends, but Natasha¡¯s night life is rather incompatible with stable relationships. I thought I knew her pretty well¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you and her¡­?¡±

    She stared at me. ¡°That¡¯s a dumb question. We have never gone out together.¡±

    ¡°But did you¡­¡±

    ¡°I had sex with her, on multiple occasions, yes.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t repress a pained expression.

    ¡°You know how many girls I¡¯ve slept with. I¡¯d even guess you remember them better than I do. And you can¡¯t be friends with Nat if you don¡¯t sleep with her at least once or twice.¡±

    I stayed silent.

    ¡°See? That question was just to hurt yourself; you shouldn¡¯t have asked. Though it feels nice not to be the jealous one, for once.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. Just pissed you didn¡¯t say anything beforehand.¡±

    She scratched the back of her head. ¡°I should have, shouldn¡¯t I? Sorry, it was hard to bring up. ¡®Hey, Gray, I want you to meet my friends, I¡¯ve fucked one of them, but it doesn¡¯t mean anything''.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t get my head around this world of yours.¡±

    ¡°It can be quite normal, but this bar is one of the more underground places. The regulars are pretty wild, and well, we¡¯re the regulars.¡±

    ¡°Is this revenge for how I showed you the wolf?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± She was not lying.

    ¡°It would have been fair.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done that to you or anyone else¡­ I just¡­¡±

    I stared deeply into her eyes. ¡°You wanted me to see all of you, even the darker spots¡­ We¡¯re really getting serious here, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    The words got stuck in her throat for an instant. She understood the meaning behind them.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I guess that¡¯s what I wanted to do. I didn¡¯t really think about it, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°No worries, I had guessed already, and I agreed to it.¡±

    ¡°You can say that, but I forcefully dragged you in.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t stop you. I could have, easily.¡±

    ¡°Pfrr, cocky much?¡±

    She was staring me right in the eyes, mockingly.

    A CHALLENGE.

    Her eyes flickered in fear a few seconds, but I gripped her by the waist and crushed her against my own body. She let her glass slip, the chair under her fell, and she gasped quite loudly.

    ¡°Gray. Your eyes?¡±

    ¡°Golden.¡± I almost growled the word. I was getting accustomed to the influence of the Beast, but I couldn¡¯t control it.

    She didn¡¯t move. She had understood it would be pointless.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± I stated.

    Her expression went from fearful to one I liked much better.

    A cough interrupted us.

    ¡°I just finished my shower. And as much as I¡¯d like to let this scene go its merry way, I won¡¯t resist joining in. I promised Marie I wouldn¡¯t get involved with her girlfriend. Yet.¡± Natasha commented, dressed in the same clothes as before.

    A rumble of annoyance pierced my throat, but I let my best friend go. She hurriedly put her chair back on its feet.

    ¡°That¡¯s the second time now! In front of my friend!¡± She whispered angrily towards me; her face completely flushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m still your friend?¡± Asked Natasha, hearing everything.

    ¡°Sure. On probation, if you promise not to try and kill me again.¡± Marie pouted.

    ¡°If you¡¯re in the census, that¡¯s an easy answer. I don¡¯t want to hurt you Marie, and now, you¡¯re protected even if I did.¡±

    ¡°Mhph.¡± Marie grunted back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me that fast, and I¡¯m happy you still consider me your friend.¡± Natasha continued.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Marie finished. ¡°I¡¯ll let your attempted murder slide. Because I¡¯m exceptionally good-hearted.¡±

    ¡°That you are.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me.¡±

    ¡°So.¡± I interjected. ¡°What are you, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well, that usually something you don¡¯t ask in the U, but considering we¡¯re still friends, and that I owe Marie, I¡¯ll confess.¡± Natasha answered.

    I remembered what she had told me on the dancefloor, but Marie couldn¡¯t have heard.

    ¡°I¡¯m a witch.¡± Announced Natasha with no deceit.

    ¡°What? Really?¡± Asked Marie, suddenly interested.

    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what you told me before!¡± I said at the same time.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s the first thing I am.¡± Natasha still wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    She sighed. ¡°How am I supposed to explain two millennia of history in an evening¡­ I need a glass.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got the bottle of Amaretto here.¡± Marie had sparkles in her eyes.

    Natasha looked at her in disgust and went to take another bottle, some brand of Japanese whiskey I didn¡¯t know about, in her gigantic cupboard full of alcohol, and served herself a glass.

    ¡°Marie, come on, she tried to kill you.¡± I felt the need to make her remember that, even though I didn¡¯t care before. Wait, I was being jealous.

    ¡°She¡¯s a witch! I¡¯ve always loved witches!¡±

    ¡°Yes. I know. You always wanted to be one.¡± I was displeased for multiple reasons now. If she found a way to become a witch, how was I going to tease her about it?This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Natasha¡¯s left eyebrow perked up. ¡°Really? How have I not been aware of that fact before?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t tell you everything.¡± Marie countered.

    ¡°That¡¯s not nice.¡±

    ¡°How can you¡­? You¡¯re being sarcastic.¡± Marie¡¯s expression went from furious to exasperated.

    ¡°Slightly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a witch and a demon?¡± I asked. It was the only possibility; Natasha had not lied either times.

    ¡°Yes. No. Over the centuries, myths, magic, monsters, have had many names. Witches have control over forces exterior to this world. Those powers have often been anthropomorphized as a creature, the demon.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so demons don¡¯t exist?¡± Marie was almost looking sad while saying that.

    ¡°No, not that I¡¯m aware of. Witches invoke demonic power and merge with it so that they can use it outside of rituals. Technically, we¡¯re getting ¡®possessed¡¯ by ¡®demonic energy¡¯, which makes us demons.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference with demonologists?¡± Asked Marie.

    ¡°How do you know about¡­forget it.¡± Natasha pinched the upper bridge of her nose. The question seemed rude in view of her reaction, but Marie didn¡¯t care, overly excited by the witch thing. ¡°Witches only take energy occasionally; the rituals are quite distant in time from one another. Demonologist forcefully open a pathway between them and the power. They are basked in it continuously.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem healthy.¡± I noted.

    ¡°You''re wrong, it is quite the opposite, actually. Their body becomes nearly immortal, and they can use spells that would need dozens of witches by themselves.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Marie pushed further.

    ¡°Well, all that energy usually short-circuits the brain, most die in the process, and those who don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Charming.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Worst of it is, that¡¯s the good outcome. When someone actually survives the process with minimal side effects, they become either power-hungry tyrants, or maniacal madmen. Really, witches are way better. Don¡¯t you want to know more about those?¡±

    ¡°What can you tell us?¡± Marie asked excitedly.

    ¡°Well¡­ pretty much everything except the advanced stuff. If you want to know the names of all the witches in the city, for example, you would need to be part of the coven.¡±

    ¡°Is that the boss you can¡¯t lie to? The coven?¡± I wanted to know about what she had said before. Not able to lie to her boss, it seemed important.

    ¡°No, no. The coven is just a group of friends and family, all witches. They are really nice.¡±

    ¡°Why are you saying that like you¡¯re not part of them?¡± Marie must have felt something because I hadn¡¯t noticed Natasha saying it like that.

    The tattooed girl seemed shameful, all of a sudden. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story, began twenty years ago. To cut it short, I¡¯m basically the dedicated magic expert of the North American vampire Elder. He¡¯s not a good guy per se, so my relationship with the other witches is strained¡­¡±

    Oh no. I felt it was important but was not prepared for such bad news. I really hoped Natasha wasn¡¯t involved with the Elders. Things clearly went in motion towards another future.

    Marie and I fell silent.

    ¡°Erm. He¡¯s not a bad guy either you know? And I¡¯m just working for him. I can¡¯t lie to him because he¡¯s really careful about witches revealing their craft. He¡¯s scared we could build an army by teaching ¡®normal¡¯ humans. He asks me regularly if my coven or I have broken the First Law.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re older than you look.¡± I said coldly.

    ¡°Not by that much, Witches have a long lifespan, because of the effect of the demonic energy, but I¡¯m only forty-three¡­Why are you both looking at me like that? Do you have a vendetta with Alik?¡±

    I guessed it was the Elder¡¯s name.

    ¡°Not exactly.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡± Marie swore.

    ¡°Marie, I know that like me, you understand what this situation means, but please, language.¡±

    ¡°Sorry Gray.¡±

    ¡°Gray?¡± Natasha was looking quite young all of a sudden, confused about what kind of bad news she had dropped on us.

    ¡°Well. I suppose we¡¯ll just kill her then.¡± Marie blankly stated.

    ¡°Wait. What?¡± An increasingly surprised but not threatened Natasha said. ¡°Why?¡±

    I laughed loudly. ¡°You had to get your revenge, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It is the easiest way.¡± Marie continued.

    ¡°As if you were going take the easy route.¡±

    ¡°Ok. I feel like I¡¯m missing some important pieces. Why is me working under an Elder such a problem.¡± Questioned Natasha, defensive.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell him what happened today, right?¡± I asked her, even though I was pretty much certain what she would answer already.

    ¡°Yes, but the First Law was not breached, people downstairs won¡¯t think anything magical happened, oracles are often not even part of the U.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. The problem is who I¡¯m linked with.¡±

    ¡°Who you¡¯re¡­because you¡¯re Gray¡¯s cousin? Why the hell is she calling you Gray too by the way? Oh wait, is this all related to that serial killer?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t informed?¡±

    ¡°What Marie told me, and what I saw on the news. I¡¯m a magic consultant, it¡¯s just a job. I don¡¯t want to get in the U politics. I just want to have fun.¡±

    ¡°Why does everything have to be so complicated.¡± Marie groaned.

    I scratched the back of my head. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell this Alik about this incident, right.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°Well yes, I can¡¯t resist his power of compulsion without a spell, and he¡¯ll know it if I¡¯m using magic.¡± Natasha replied, nonetheless.

    ¡°Is it possible you could be vague about who was involved?¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ how so?¡±

    ¡°Just tell him it was your friend¡¯s girlfriend. Avoid names.¡±

    She gave me a smile. ¡°Of course! He won¡¯t be interested anyway, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ask. Why though? You don¡¯t seem the type to have problems with the Elders, honestly.¡±

    Marie filled her glass again.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have problems with them, nor want to, but let¡¯s say this serial killer had links with the Elders, and that we¡¯d like it if they forgot me and Marie were ever involved with her.¡±

    ¡°Wait. The killer on the loose was a vamp?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Marie answered while drinking her sugary liquor.

    ¡°Shit. And that¡¯s why you know about the U now¡­¡± Natasha fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me about the Gray part, but I guess it¡¯s better I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Repeated Marie.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to be as vague as possible, but I can¡¯t promise anything. I understand why it would be better just to get rid of me, now, getting investigated by the vampires can be¡­¡±

    ¡°We can only guess, but yeah, we didn¡¯t hear good things.¡± I informed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me, then?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Marie faked shock. ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡±

    Natasha smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson, I swear. Not like you could do anything, anyway, a human and an oracle don¡¯t stand a chance against a witch.¡±

    Marie smiled menacingly.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Slight worry was filling Natasha¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Nothing. So. You can teach me about witchcraft?¡± Marie asked with renewed envy.

    ¡°Here we go¡­¡± I groaned. Even vampire Elder distraction had been ineffective.

    ¡°Erm¡­sure? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like it if I were the one to teach you though.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°My demonic energy is obtained through pleasure. I¡¯d need to share some with you and¡­¡± She let the words hang in the air.

    ¡°Are you seriously telling me I¡¯d need to get into your pants to learn?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    A growl pierced my lips.

    Natasha looked at me funny. ¡°What the hell.¡±

    I bared my teeth at her. She looked hurriedly towards Marie.

    ¡°¡­So you don¡¯t want that, and obviously your girlfriend doesn¡¯t want that either. Wait, I know! I could let you meet other witches. I know one who works with nature, she¡¯s young but quite capable. Super nice too.¡±

    ¡°That would be so cool.¡± Marie had already forgotten about everything else and was smiling like a little kid. ¡°Gray¡­urgh¡­Igris I mean. I¡¯m going to learn magic!¡±

    ¡°Good for you.¡± My favorite teasing, her summoning Satan, was ruined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try too? I¡¯d need to ask first, of course, but she¡¯s always helpful, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll refuse, even if it''s two students.¡± Natasha asked me.

    UNWISE.

    Even though I wanted to accept now, just to piss off the Beast, I had a very distinct feeling that bad things would happen if I tried to use magic.

    ¡°No, though I¡¯d like to accompany her, if I may.¡±

    ¡°¡¯If I may.¡¯ Your girlfriend speaks funny. I don¡¯t see a problem with it, if Gen won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be problematic.¡± I noted.

    ¡°What would?¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just giving away secrets of magic like that?¡±

    Natasha looked serious for a few seconds.

    ¡°Well, only humans can use magic. Vampires can¡¯t, Hunters are forbidden to. Teaching magic, or demonic control, is an effective way to gain more people on our side.¡±

    ¡°Your side?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The U has two very distinct sides, Hunter and Vampires, they are the big players. The witches are neutral, we want peace. It¡¯s always us who get killed first when there is a war.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m reading behind the lines correctly here¡­you¡¯re not just teaching me magic because I asked and because I¡¯m your bestest of friend you would never try to kill?¡± Marie asked with an exaggerated high voice.

    Natasha did not react to the childish act and answered very seriously. ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t force you into anything, I promise. But having new people in the U is rare, and potentially recruiting you in our coven would make us stronger. And well, right now, we need all the help we can get. If you like the lessons and want to join, it would be great, I¡¯ll admit.¡±

    For someone who had declared herself a demon, which supposedly had the right to deny the truth, Natasha had been honest with us from beginning through end. I saw why Marie liked her. That and the sexual energy part. But I didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    ¡°Seems like a ¡®free trial¡¯ where you have to encode your credit card information beforehand.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°Oddly specific. Quite accurate.¡± I said for the second time of the night.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± She answered, annoyed.

    ¡°By the way, what are you?¡± Natasha asked me. ¡°You¡¯re definitely something like an oracle, but the word doesn¡¯t mean much nowadays.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Conscient. I can¡¯t tell you more than that.¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°What the hell is a Conscient? Why can¡¯t you tell me more? Because you don¡¯t want to or because of the elders?¡±

    ¡°Both.¡± I only answered her last question.

    ¡°Oh. Fine, we don¡¯t know each other well enough, I guess. And my contract with Alik is only for five more years, so I hope you¡¯ll tell me then.¡± She extended her hand towards me.

    ¡°I hope we¡¯ll be friends.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Marie¡¯s friends are mine as well.¡± I said as I grasped her hand for the second time of the night.

    ¡°Still, if you want to try a threes¡­¡± She began.

    ¡°NATASHA.¡± Marie slammed her glass on the table.

    I smiled. ¡°Not interested. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°A shame. Well, let¡¯s go back downstairs, poor Lily must feel so lonely.¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Countered Marie. ¡°I saw her making out with someone on the second floor.¡±

    ¡°Really? How could I miss that!¡± Natasha was looking sincerely displeased.

    The ceiling of the second floor was really dark. I knew because I was staring at it intensely. Unfortunately, I could still smell and hear.

    ¡°What. The. hell.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Marie admitted shamefully. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring you here, if it helps.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I see Jay. JAY!¡± Natasha shouted in the moaning mess that this floor was.

    ¡°Get me out of here.¡± I demanded.

    ¡°Yup, yup, don¡¯t worry about her, she¡¯s a crazy witch.¡±

    ¡°Very funny.¡±

    We descended towards the dancefloor, but Natasha quickly caught up to us.

    ¡°She gave me the middle finger. How rude.¡± She explained, looking falsely hurt.

    Later, Marie almost fell face-first on the dance floor, but I caught her before she could hurt herself. That was the only other notable thing that had happened, and it was the deciding factor to us leaving.

    I got us a taxi, expensive, but without the smells of the subway.

    ¡°We¡¯ll share the bill.¡± Marie said over the Christmas song on the taxi driver¡¯s radio.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Come on Gray.¡± She mumbled.

    ¡°Thank you for the evening.¡±

    ¡°T¡¯was shit.¡±

    ¡°Well some of it went unexpected, sure, but we had some fun.¡±

    ¡°What are the chances we aren¡¯t investigated after tonight?¡±

    ¡°Close to zero, I guess.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to see that my girlfriend called Igris doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I squeezed her hand.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine though.¡±

    I looked at her, she was looking tired, fighting the urge to sleep on the taxi¡¯s back seat.

    ¡°You believe that, don¡¯t you.¡± I felt her faith.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to learn magic; I¡¯ll be able to defend myself. And you¡¯re¡­well you¡¯ve got your wolfy powers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call them that.¡±

    ¡°My little wolfy wolf. Scaredy wolfy.¡± She was definitely drunk.

    ¡°The scaredy wolf is going to eat you, if you pursue this line of conversation.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhhh, yeeeeshh.¡±

 Deadline

    The weekend went by without any trouble, I had gotten an appointment with Diamond Wednesday morning, and was taking my time working on the composition I wanted to make there.

    Marie had been out visiting her mother, but I wasn¡¯t lonely, as Stan had invited me for lunch both Sunday and Saturday.

    Normalcy was found once again, until Tuesday night.

    Both Marie and I knew it was coming, but the knowledge didn¡¯t help with the anxiety gripping both of us.

    She was living it better than I did, as I was completely engulfed in my art to flee the thoughts of the future.

    Still, the violent knock on the door at nine pm surprised both of us.

    We were snuggling while watching a movie, and I hadn¡¯t heard or smelled anything out of the ordinary until the knocking began.

    Marie was startled and almost hit my chin, but I dodged it in time.

    ¡°Is it¡­?¡± Marie asked.

    I could smell the thing that was in front of our flat now. Body spray for men, faint traces of Chamomile, and the distinct odor of blood.

    VAMPIRE.

    Thanks for that information, I think it¡¯s the first time you¡¯ve ever been helpful like that.

    IT didn¡¯t react to my sarcasm.

    THE TIME IS NOT RIPE.

    I felt the Beast recede inside.

    Well, great.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you didn¡¯t just order sushi and forget about it?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Fu¡­I¡¯m going to go get dressed, I¡¯ll stay in my room and listen.¡± She whispered.

    I acquiesced and went for the front door with false bravado.

    I would go and meet him as Igris, as I was clothed in panties and T-shirt, and I didn¡¯t want to make the vampire wait.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I said innocently as I opened the door. As I did that, I realized you needed to get buzzed in to get inside the building, so opening the door to someone who didn¡¯t even announce himself was really unnatural.

    A gigantic tower of muscle and flesh stood in front of me. The man, if you could call him that as he looked more like a bear, was dressed in a perfect tuxedo, of dark blue color.

    It had to have been tailored just for him, as I don¡¯t believe they made clothes that big in stores.

    I was very tall for a woman; he was still two heads taller.

    ¡°You are Marie¡¯s girlfriend?¡± He spoke with a deep voice but had no distinguishable accent.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You are not in the census.¡±

    All of the sudden, the air cooled down considerably.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°You lie.¡±

    ¡°I am not.¡±

    He watched me carefully. His eyes darted towards the window on his right, Marie¡¯s room.

    I was ready to defend myself, but he only threatened: ¡°I should just kill you.¡±

    I smiled amicably.

    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± I guessed.

    I saw all of his body tense up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break you with two fingers¡­¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand. Killing me is not what was asked of you, that¡¯s what I meant.¡±

    He stared at me with disgust and annoyance. ¡°If you know so much, then you waste my time. You should know what this means without me.¡± He held me a card, golden and ruby, with words in color of ebony. It read ¡®You are summoned.¡±

    ¡°Forty-eight hours, as of midnight, tonight. You understand.¡± He almost spat the information at my face.

    ¡°Erm no, actually, I don¡¯t.¡±

    I saw at his strained face that my comment did not make him happy.

    ¡°Where am I asked to go? Only me?¡± I continued, nonetheless.

    ¡°No, of course not you cattle brain. The address is on the back, and both of you have to come.¡±

    I turned the card around, and yes, the address was written there. Oops, made him angry for nothing.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Have a nice evening.¡± I wanted him gone as fast as possible, as his eyes were now showing hatred and lust. He was ogling at my legs.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll flee. I hope you won¡¯t come.¡± He had a very sinister grin as he said that. He then turned around, and jumped, not minding the deadly fall from the fourth floor.

    I moved to the guardrail, but he was already on the ground, moving fast, a blur in the street below. Humans would think it was just a giant black spot in their vision.

    THE OTHER VAMPIRE WAS STRONGER.

    The Beast seemed bored. He was intervening more and more these recent days. It didn¡¯t bode well for our meeting with the elder in two days.

    ¡°Is he gone?¡± I heard Marie approach me.

    ¡°Yes. You heard?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I even saw him through the blinders. He didn¡¯t like that though, looked straight at me. How did you know he was just a messenger?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It was pretty obvious, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well, sure. He had the letter in his hands. Still pretty risky no? You could have tried not to provoke him.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t that scary. Jeanne was more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s too young.¡± I only knew that because of instincts, most likely not my own in the first place.

    ¡°Well, where do we need to go?¡±

    I gave her the card; she knew the city better than I did.

    ¡°Ring a bell?¡± I asked

    She smirked.

    ¡°Funny you say that, it¡¯s the city¡¯s church.¡±

    ¡°The vampire Elder wants to meet in a church?¡±

    ¡°Probably to show off.¡±

    I laughed at the analysis. ¡°Maybe. Why though? We¡¯re just supposed to be normal cattle to him.¡±

    ¡°Dunno. Still, it¡¯s nice.¡±

    ¡°Erm. What is?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not the situation. The church. You¡¯ve never seen it right?¡±

    ¡°Too close to the center.¡±

    ¡°It is the center. The whole city center was built in a European style, everything is quite beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Great, so we should do some sightseeing before meeting with the big evil vampire? Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°Why not?¡±

    I sighed.

    ¡°Come on in, come on in.¡± Diamond seemed in a hurry and brought me into the living room while talking non-stop about another meeting he was supposed to be at thirty minutes ago. He, or King, had moved some of the furniture to let me have a nice spot to paint, right in front of the view.

    ¡°It¡¯s really nice of you to¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I have to go. Don¡¯t go inside our bedroom, I trust you with that. King should be home at four PM, if you haven¡¯t finished then. I looked up some of your stuff online, I can¡¯t wait.¡± And he left without even closing his front door.

    Well, he was a trusting individual to say the least. I went and closed it behind him.

    Then, I put up the frame and paper and dragged a stool from the kitchen.

    It would do.

    I was bothered by the next meeting in my agenda, most likely way less pleasant, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it stop me.

    I took my pencil and stared outside. The view was beautiful here, but it wasn¡¯t interesting to me right now. I moved my painting to face the kitchen.

    Was Marie putting up a front? Saying we would be fine, considering the situation, was probably delusional at best.

    No, no, concentrate.

    Five minutes later, I angrily put my pencil down.

    Damn vampires, ruining my vibes.

    I decided to explore the silent apartment, focusing more on the smells than anything else. I didn¡¯t get close to the red door, which was closed this time.

    I opened the balcony and removed my shoes to dip them in the pool. It was freezing, but it didn¡¯t matter much to me. Snow had melted those last few days, and I regretted the crunching sound it made under my step.

    I could hear the city life downstairs, like in a faraway dream.

    It reminded me of an older life.

    The temple I lived in was on top of a small hill, giving a perfect view of the city on the plains below. You wouldn¡¯t call it a city nowadays, rather a large village, but at the time, <em title="Syriac-language romanization">N¨©nw¨¥ was the center of the world. I wasn¡¯t allowed to go outside very often, but whenever I did, the view gave me the same feeling. So beautiful yet so distant. Like two worlds that would never reach.

    I shivered, my imperviousness to cold not perfect, the cold water getting to me.

    As I got back up and tried to get my feet back in my shoes, I realized I had changed forms without realizing it.

    Probably because I was thinking about this body¡¯s past. It was getting unsettling easy to switch from one form to another, I needed to be careful not to do it in front of others by accident.

    I felt no desire to change back though, I just picked up my shoes and walked back inside, barefoot. The water on my feet created small puddles where I stepped.

    I went back to my frame, unconcerned. I had the presence of mind to put an alarm on my phone before 4 PM before looking back at the blank sheet in front of me.

    Beauty and luxury. Happiness and fame. Those were the things that apparently reigned in this place.

    I knew otherwise.

    I remembered how Diamond looked at King. How she was scared of it.

    The age-old battle of desire and fear.

    Even with the flourishes and the splendor, the questions remained the same.

    The clothes were too baggy. I dropped some of them on the floor and picked up the pencil made for female me.

    I began drawing. One line.

    The composition was centered around people this time. Eyes, specifically. Looking at each other, while at the same time looking away.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a portrait though, more abstract, the colors would be exaggerated. I wanted to describe truth, not reality.

    I needed colors, I realized.

    I foraged inside my large bag of art goodies and got out my painting equipment.

    The main color would be dark red, passion, fear and anguish. Avoiding anger, as it was only incidental.

    I changed forms multiple times, mostly drawing one character as Igris and the other as Ray, even though I felt the need to switch it up from time to time.

    I was staring at it now. It felt done, but I wanted to put in some more. No, it would be too much. I gnawed on the tip of my pencil, dripping a mix of dark and red all over my leg.

    My phone rang.

    I jumped on the ceiling, which was an almost too literal depiction of what should only be a metaphor.

    I had twenty minutes to clean up the mess I had created in this room that wasn¡¯t mine.

    I was already in Ray¡¯s body, at least.

    Colors all over the floor. Check.

    Water in front of the balcony window, which was still partly opened by the way. Check.

    Clothes all over the place. Check.

    I stopped looking at my work and tried my best to eliminate all evidence of my madness.

    The first one was harder to handle than the other two, and unfortunately, King arrived ten minutes earlier than announced, and I was still scrubbing the floor.

    ¡°Hi, Ray?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow, still clothed in police uniform.

    ¡°Hello. Sorry about your floor, I forget all my manners when I paint.¡± Or dance, I remembered the gay club scene vividly.

    ¡°No worries. It¡¯s not my flat. Didn¡¯t know we hired another maid though.¡±

    ¡°Erm. Yeah. Tell Diamond I¡¯m sorry, then.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not here?¡±

    ¡°No, he had an appointment, and he didn¡¯t tell me when he would be back.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dang. I wanted to ask him something, I¡¯ve got an unexpected night shift.¡±

    ¡°Phone?¡±

    ¡°Still in my locker.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I can send him a message if you want.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice of you, thank you. Can I see?¡± She didn¡¯t wait for my answer to get closer to the painting. I had created it by looking at the apartment, so it was facing away from the entrance, and she had to move around me to get to it.

    ¡°You should wait for Diamond.¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? You need to take it back, though.¡± She stopped in her tracks.

    I didn¡¯t answer immediately, and just got back on my feet, almost the same size as her now.

    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± I said.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s way too expensive a gift, Ray, you¡¯re aware at how much your paintings sell right now, yes?¡±

    I grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± I repeated, not managing to hide the annoyance in my voice.

    ¡°Fine. If you insist.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to bother her that much. ¡°I can¡¯t wait though.¡± She passed next to me and went to stand in front of the frame.

    I didn¡¯t try to stop her, but still winced at her reaction.

    She seemed¡­puzzled. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s¡­erm good. What does it have to do with this place, though? It¡¯s about lovers, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°You should ask Diamond.¡±

    ¡°What? You painted it!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. It¡¯s still too fresh.¡±

    She was looking confused and angry. ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t destroy it, please.¡±

    ¡°What? Of course I won¡¯t!¡±

    She was still staring at it, conflicted feelings visible on her face. I felt the need to divert her attention from it.

    ¡°We were invited by an Elder, by the way.¡±

    She finally ripped her eyes away from my canvas and stepped away. ¡°Yes. We know. Don¡¯t worry about it, he just wants to talk to Marie and her girlfriend. I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s the story about that, by the way. I was certain you were together. Then I¡¯m informed she¡¯s a lesbian. Makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still not going to answer that.¡±

    She had a displeased look. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re lucky about Diamond and his rules when I¡¯m in the flat.¡±

    ¡°I still worry about Marie¡­and her girlfriend.¡± Technically not a lie?

    ¡°Yes. Understandable. But we were promised they would be untouched. The girlfriend is a mystery though, can¡¯t you tell me more about her? Igris, isn¡¯t it?¡± As I didn¡¯t answer, and just fidgeted my fingers around, she continued. ¡°We¡¯re aware of her, and that she¡¯s part of the census, somehow, but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. ¡°How¡­?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve seen her come and go from your flat. No info on her, whatsoever. Hunter contacts got her name and we know she¡¯s registered through other means.¡±

    ¡°How did they¡­?¡±

    ¡°Secrets.¡±

    ¡°Dang.¡±

    ¡°Not funny when it¡¯s the other way around, is it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.¡± I smiled back at her.

    ¡°Cheeky brat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡± I said for the second time.

    ¡°Sure, be careful on your way out. And don¡¯t worry about the Elder, he¡¯s one of the old ones, he follows the rules, and never breaks his word.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I felt slightly relieved.

    ¡°Not when he swears to murder you and your entire race.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t relieved at all anymore.

    ¡°He only did that twice, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Her eyes darted back on my painting. Her eyes frowned once again.

    ¡°I¡¯m really going, now. I¡¯ll send the message to Diamond, he¡¯ll know you won¡¯t be there.¡± I said.

    ¡°Thanks, have a safe return.¡±

    ¡°And you. Be careful.¡±

    I came back to the flat with a taxi, using the long road to write a thank you message to Diamond, and telling him about his girlfriend working the night. But anxiety was twisting my insides as I thought about King¡¯s words.

    It would be fine, wouldn¡¯t it?

 Tainted Church

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Marie had asked me while snuggling herself closer to me. It was freezing, as the sun had left our sky for quite some time now, and my body was warm.

    The square was quite magnificent, just as she had told me, but I wasn¡¯t enjoying much of it.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re really sightseeing.¡±

    ¡°King said we¡¯ll be fine, wasn¡¯t she? So why not enjoy ourselves before meeting the big baddie?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how.¡±

    ¡°Look at me.¡±

    I did as she ordered.

    She gave me a giant smile.

    ¡°Now look at the lights, look at the buildings!¡±

    Even in the middle of the night, the square was still lively. It was surrounded by brick buildings, all restaurants or shops. No neon lights, everything was illuminated by large lamp posts. The inside of the shops was completely ordinary, though, and it had bridled our desire to do any shopping. We were sitting on one of the many benches around the large sculpture/fountain in the middle of the cobblestone plaza.

    In front of us stood the church, it looked like a European church on all points, except it lacked the stained-glass windows and the gargoyles.

    I knew from my art lessons gargoyles were mostly only present on Cathedrals, but I still felt it lacked gargoyles.

    All in all, it felt fake.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± I said honestly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like the square?¡±

    ¡°No, the square is really nice. I mean the church.¡±

    The two hands of the giant clock were edging closer to the number twelve. It wasn¡¯t even written in roman numbers.

    ¡°It¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°The place is only ten years old, of course it can¡¯t have the same feeling as the real thing.¡± Marie explained.

    I remembered now why I never went here; a teacher had told us the story of how and why this place was built.

    ¡°All of this, it¡¯s for marketing purposes.¡±

    Marie giggled. ¡°What do you think its purpose was during the middle ages?¡±

    ¡°Well, religion? So that everything is centered around the church.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and the catholic Church has never been interested in money, as everyone knows. You have to enjoy its beauty without forgetting its flaws.¡±

    ¡°Wise words.¡±

    ¡°A drunk guy told that to his friends after I slapped him.¡± Marie informed.

    ¡°You had to ruin it.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    We looked at each other.

    The sound of an artificial bell broke the moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Marie held my hand. ¡°Scaredy wolf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared about me.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The church was supposedly closed at this hour, but the large wooden doors had not been locked.

    As we entered the church, the square behind us seemed to close down, and the lights outside went out. Inside, it was well lit, with electrical spotlights, and everything was rather sober, an altar in front of twenty or so rows of benches.

    There was a second floor, behind us and on the left side. It was where the organ was. And multiple vampires, considering the rancid smell of blood.

    They were well hidden, nowhere to be seen.

    The only visible person aside from us was sitting on the first row, facing away from us.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a child?¡± Marie whispered to me.

    ¡°In appearance, yes. It doesn¡¯t smell human though.¡±

    I was not going to tell her how old he smelled.

    ¡°Ah fuck, children always scared the shit out of me in horror movies.¡± Even though Marie said that, she was still holding herself perfectly straight, showing no fear at all.

    ¡°Well. Let¡¯s go.¡± I said conclusively.

    We came closer to the boy. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and considering his frame, it made him look cute.

    HE¡¯LL BE FUN TO HUNT.

    Hush. Diamond could hear you before, shouldn¡¯t you shut up?

    HE IS NO PART OF THE MOON.

    Uh, uh? I prodded for more.

    No answer.

    ¡°Hello.¡± The child looked at us. He had extraordinary eyes, of the color of waves. His voice was soft, calm. ¡°I¡¯m pleased with your punctuality, it¡¯s one of the many forgotten virtues of this era.¡±

    Marie held my hand a bit tighter. Creepy, said her eyes to mine.

    ¡°Sit down.¡± He ordered.

    We did as he asked, still maintaining a fair distance. I placed myself between him and Marie. The position was awkward, as we were all facing the same direction.

    But as I turned my head to the left, he was gone.

    I heard Marie gasp.

    He was now standing in front of the altar.

    ¡°So many forgotten virtues.¡± He said to the sculpture of Jesus on the cross.

    He turned around. I was still grasped by his unbelievable eyes.

    He stared us down.

    ¡°Human. Both of you. Strange.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was certain Ray received help, somehow, but it didn¡¯t come from you two, that is certain.¡±

    Great, it seemed like my cover was okay.

    ¡°Still, some mysteries remain. Mainly about you.¡± He looked directly at me. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Igris.¡± I answered.

    ¡°That is a lie¡­no¡­partly the truth. You should know I learned the ways of language centuries ago. Not telling me everything is¡­unwise.¡±

    Well fuck, pardon my language, but telling him everything seemed suicidal. I was now between an unbreakable rock and a hard place made of diamonds.

    ¡°I do rather prefer to be called Gray.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    For a fraction of a second, he showed surprise.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how this Ray likes to be called as well?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He smiled, closing his eyes at the same time, the rest of his face inhumanly still.

    ¡°I will not play games with you for long.¡±

    I felt Marie¡¯s hand grasp mine harder.

    ¡°Then ask better questions.¡±

    As soon as I finished my sentence, he was in front of me.

    It was hard to believe such a small body could be intimidating. Even sitting, I was taller than him. Still, he was. Power pored out of his skin, his eyes took a darker tint, his suit stretched under the strain of the muscles underneath, unbefitting of a child.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand who I am.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a vague idea.¡± I didn¡¯t back down. Marie was very stiff beside me, holding her breath.

    Yeah, I shouldn¡¯t provoke, I know, but what was I supposed to do? Answer and die?

    LIE.

    I don¡¯t like lying, and even then, he¡¯s seeing through us somehow. Just like me maybe?

    LIE. The Beast repeated.

    I felt the words escape my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m nobody. My family is dead, I¡¯m considered dead, my identity is lost.¡±

    He visibly backed down, going back to the altar, walking towards it normally, this time.

    ¡°I see. Why not tell me that in the first place?¡±

    Had I lied? I felt the Beast, but the words had been mine. No, I had not lied. As Igris, this was all the truth. But I was not only Igris. I was too confused as to why he had not spotted the half-truths this time.

    As I did not answer, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    Power flew towards me. In a manner I knew all too well. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to tell you anything.¡± I answered his compulsion.

    As soon as I said that, his power receded. I wasn¡¯t his concern anymore. I couldn¡¯t enjoy that fact for long, as his eyes fell on Marie.

    ¡°What about you? Is there anything you are hiding?¡± Power crept again, not in my direction.

    Marie¡¯s mouth began moving without her control.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything, but Gray¡­¡±

    ¡°How fun!¡± A childish voice interrupted the desperate situation. It was definitely not coming from the Elder. This one seemed feminine in nature. I had the horrible feeling I had heard that voice before.

    Someone was on my left, where the Elder had sat before. I had not heard, smelled, or seen anything.

    The Beast itself showed surprise.

    ¡°What are you doing Licky Licky?¡± Said the girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, that had popped out of nowhere. Her appearance was what you would expect from a young teenager. She was clothed in a posh school uniform but was squatting on the bench rather than sitting on it, which wasn¡¯t very classy. She had the perfect adorable face, with freckles and big green eyes.

    She smiled at me.

    Her teeth were serrated as if every single one of them had been perfectly limed.

    The contrast between this and everything else was terrifying, but I was barely registering it.

    Because I had met her before.

    Almost five thousand years ago.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t answer.

    DANGEROUS.

    ¡°You¡¯re like me!¡± She exclaimed childishly. ¡°Licky Licky, where did you find this one?¡±

    ¡°Astarte.¡± The Elder didn¡¯t look pleased. ¡°I asked you to refrain from interrupting my business. Multiple times.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± She just brushed him aside, unconcerned. ¡°But seriously, this one¡¯s special, can¡¯t you see?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°No. I believe it¡¯s just you.¡±

    She pouted. ¡°You should be more open to new things, Licky Licky¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t mask his annoyance at the surname this time. ¡°¡­She¡¯s a predator, this one. What surprises me is that I¡¯m sure I saw her before. But I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten such a beautiful one.¡±

    I felt the need to hide and run but knew I couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Gray, you need to let go of my hand. You¡¯re crushing it.¡± Marie suddenly spoke.

    I looked at her, then immediately realized how my grip was hurting her. ¡°Oh no.¡± I released her from my grasp.

    She didn¡¯t bother answering and just looked at the girl behind me.

    ¡°Hello. I am Marie. Nice to meet you.¡± She said extremely politely.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m Astarte. You can call me Arte. Or Ass.¡±

    Did the millennia-old creature just ask my girlfriend to call her Ass?

    ¡°I will go for Arte if you don¡¯t mind. Ass is not polite, and Gray here does not like bad words.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re cool.¡± Arte gave Marie a big smile. My best friend did not move or react, but I knew otherwise. The hair on the back of her neck betrayed her fear.

    ¡°Stop with the pleasantries.¡± Said the Elder looking like a child. ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s a predator?¡±

    ¡°She seems meek and acts shy, but can still hold her ground, and even answers your questions with impudence.¡±

    ¡°They are cattle, they do not understand.¡±

    She giggled. Her teeth made a screeching sound as she did.

    ¡°See! You¡¯re too close-minded Licky Licky. Let me show you.¡±

    As she finished saying that, I felt like an explosion struck my head. The back of the bench behind me shattered in pieces and I flew towards the church entrance. I was still in the air when I registered what had happened.

    I turned my body instinctively but couldn¡¯t stop myself from hitting the stone pillar between the wooden doors.

    ¡°Oops. I thought she¡¯d dodge that. My bad.¡±

    ¡°ASTARTE WOULD YOU STOP KILLING EVERYONE?¡±

    I felt broken rocks behind me and saw stars dancing in front of my eyes. Looking at the strength of Astarte¡¯s strike, I should have been dead, but I felt no pieces missing.

    ¡°Oh my god, Gray. Please.¡± I saw Marie run towards me. The expression she had on her face was one I hated profoundly.

    ¡°I PROMISED NO HARM WOULD BE DONE ON THEM!¡± Alik was continuing his ramble.

    Marie¡¯s anguish disappeared as soon as she saw me through the dust cloud.

    But the harm had been done.

    I was furious. The Beast was furious.

    My growl pierced the whole room, stopping everything and everyone except Marie, still running towards me.

    Alik and Astarte looked towards my rising figure, with totally different reactions.

    He was astonished.

    She looked ecstatic.

    ¡°Hah! I knew it!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You could have hurt Marie.¡± I was angry.

    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s pissing you off?¡± Astarte said laughingly.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how to handle my strength.¡±

    ¡°Seems like I was tricked. I don¡¯t like being tricked.¡± Alik wasn''t looking happy. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who killed Jeanne.¡±

    ¡°Oh, stop being so pouty. She just survived a direct hit! Isn¡¯t that cool.¡± Arte responded.

    My growl got deeper.

    ¡°How did you do it? Did you trap her?¡± Alik wasn¡¯t listening to Astarte anymore. Seemed like a bad plan, for me or him, I wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Gray. You¡¯re looking very threatening right now, maybe calm down a bit?¡± Marie pulled my right sleeve. Fear was filling her voice.

    ¡°Stay behind me.¡± The words left my mouth almost as a snarl, but she understood.

    ¡°Okay. Please be careful.¡±

    I felt slightly better. The vampires would come from upstairs, but they hadn¡¯t moved, probably because Alik had not given the order yet. It would come any minute now.

    ¡°Wait do you think you can win?¡± Astarte suddenly exclaimed looking at my calculating gaze.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft, whatever she is, she knows that that is not happening.

    I need some help.

    No. It seems the right place for you to learn.

    ARE YOU FUCKI¡­

    Astarte had disappeared from my vision. I reacted on the spot, kicking the air with unbelievable speed. I felt my feet connect with something right in front of me, and a small body flew, hit the ground, and ricocheted on the western wall, piercing right through the stone.

    ¡°HAHAHA.¡± Screech. Screech. Sound of her teeth grinding on each other.

    Astarte¡¯s body was half inside, half outside the church, and looking like a horrendous rendition of a broken marionette.

    It didn¡¯t seem to bother her, as she just stood back up, her neck breaking back in place.

    ¡°Oh God.¡± Marie whispered.

    ¡°You can!¡± She said happily. ¡°Alik! She¡¯s slow, but damn, she¡¯s strong!¡±

    What happened.

    I AM PART OF YOU. OUR KNOWLEDGE IS SHARED.

    Was that martial arts? Cool, I knew kung-fu. No, Tae-Kwon-do I immediately rectified.

    Not the time, we had the exorcist¡¯s girl on steroids right in front. But unexpectedly, it seemed she had enough, and just gave me¡­a thumbs up and a wink?

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally lost it.¡± Alik simply said before doing a strange hand gesture.

    Alarms sounded in my brain.

    ¡°Oh, come on Licky Licky, you know better than not to listen to me.¡±

    But it was too late. Massive bodies fell down from the second floor, one I recognized immediately, but the others remarkably similar.

    ¡°You lied to me, cow.¡± Said our vampire visitor two nights prior.

    ¡°Marie.¡± I said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want any help? I¡¯ve got a killer right hook.¡±

    I looked at her. She gave me an apologetic look.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I sighed. I looked at the seven vampires, not counting Alik and Astarte, facing us.

    ¡°Seems like you won¡¯t hold your word. She¡¯s human though, don¡¯t attack her.¡±

    I asked Alik politely.

    He seemed pretty furious and was unresponsive.

    ¡°I shall kill anyone who tries.¡± I promised.

    My eyes were bothered by the sight of Astarte, who was now on top of the railing of the second floor, clapping her hands excitedly. Most of her clothes were shredded to pieces, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    The first one to attack was our messenger, he went in for the kill on both of us at the same time, enough strength in both his extended palms to crash steel and bones alike.

    WEAK.

    One of his hands was constricting my head, the other I had stopped with my right arm.

    He had attacked my best friend.

    He looked at me with newfound terror, as however strongly he gripped, pulled or pushed, I did not budge, and he could not move.

    ¡°I gave you my word.¡± My left hand flew, fueled by rage and HUNGER.

    His skull was like soft snow and his head scattered all over the holy place.

    His body fell on the ground, listless.

    ¡°What was that sound?!¡± Marie was holding on to me for dear life.

    ¡°You closed your eyes. Good.¡± My voice sounded foreign to me, but it did not matter. I was pleased by her foresight. I would reward her when it was over.

    Now six vampires faced me, Alik turned towards Astarte, I did not know what those two were doing, but not having to face Astarte was good news.

    My enemies were more hesitant to move, I could not transform though, as it would leave Marie defenseless.

    I had to find a solution, as with such a small body, shielding her would be hard.

    I picked the body on the ground and ripped the heart out of its chest.

    I took a bite out of the putrid blackness.

    GOOD.

    That seemed to do the trick, pure fury and disgust filling the eyes of my enemies.

    They all attacked simultaneously. I threw the body at them as a distraction, picked Marie in my arms, and jumped towards the now deserted and unlit square. They were fast but did not know how to move in shadows.

    ¡°Hiiiii!!!¡± Marie couldn¡¯t help it and opened her eyes. ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡± I took some distance, still jumping away from the six vampires who had lost me from their view. However, they stared, my silhouette was out of their reach. I was out of their perception, and Marie was correctly staying still, letting me hide her from view as well.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Said one of them.

    They would not find us in time.

    In the middle of an open space, I was still invisible.

    In front of Marie, I began to change, once again.

    She put both of her hands in front of her mouth and tried not to scream.

    She muffled her voice at my breaking bones.

    She stared in silence as my flesh ripped.

    And when I finally howled, she kneeled once more.

 Death under the howling moon

    (Marie''s POV)

    I was hidden behind the fountain. Gray had spoken no words, but his actions had been more than clear. He wanted me to stay here.

    I didn¡¯t like the act of the poor frail princess, but I knew when I was out of my depth.

    Seeing him transform had been an atrocious experience.

    It was terrifying, and I had been closer this time, I could actually see the agony it made him feel.

    And now, I didn¡¯t know if it was still Gray who was in charge.

    He howled to the moon, acting like a normal wolf.

    Except he definitely wasn¡¯t.

    Humans always try to rationalize events beyond their understanding. After those few weeks, I had second-guessed my memories about how big Gray¡¯s wolf really was; it couldn¡¯t have been that tall, it was the fear and the adrenaline of the moment.

    No, Gray the wolf was gigantic, not leaving any doubts that it was a mystical being rather than an exceptional animal. His pelt was grey with specks of white, and once more, I felt a mix of terror and awe as I watched him stretch and move.

    The beast had stopped its prayer to the lunar heavenly body and tilted its head down to watch me.

    It was hard not to anthropomorphize the look it gave me. I wanted to believe it was Gray telling me something, like he was happy I stayed silent, but it could also very well have been the Beast, doing something I could not understand with a human point of view.

    It did not matter though, as the wolf¡¯s attention was quickly turned towards the vampires getting closer to us.

    His howl hadn¡¯t exactly been discrete, but it would have been hard to pinpoint the location.

    I could only see one of the vampires, coming from the west, he hadn¡¯t seen me or the wolf yet, which was absurd. He was only twenty or so feet away from us (~8m), close enough that I could see the white of his eyes even in the darkness of the recently closed plaza. Even then, his vision seemed to pass next to us, not able to focus on little me or the giant wolf.

    As I looked at him with anguish, I felt the reassuring form of Gray vanish from my sight.

    The realization that the giant scary wolf was reassuring to me was a shock, but nothing close to the shock of it just vanishing in thin air.

    As soon as Gray was gone, the vampire saw me.

    I could see him grinning, and I backed off against the brick structure of the fountain behind me.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I pleaded ridiculously. I didn¡¯t like my reaction, and I got pissed at myself on the spot.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found the human cattle!¡± Shouted the vampire. ¡°Her fucking friend is nowhere to be seen though.¡±

    That pissed me off even more. ¡°If you knew her, you¡¯d know she¡¯d never leave¡­¡± I stopped.

    Wasn¡¯t that the point?

    He slowly came closer to me, enjoying the extra time he was giving me, like the creepiest of sadists. He knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to get away.

    I suddenly had the urge to look behind me, but that part of the plaza was empty. Coming from the church were the other monsters in the flesh of man.

    My eyes were grabbed by something else, upwards.

    I refrained a gasp, I had been acting scared well enough, and settled on saying: ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    On the top of the fountain, which was not particularly big but had a nice tall sculpture of a dancing mermaid, stood the wolf. It was up there like a glorified god. In full view of everyone, yet with no one even registering its presence.

    ¡°Nothing impossible for us.¡± Answered the vampire edging closer to me. Falsely believing I was talking to him.

    I turned back to look at him, newfound confidence running in my veins.

    ¡°If you touch me, you will die. Know that it shall be no one¡¯s fault except your own.¡±

    I knew how to talk, and my tone made him stop for a few seconds, but he then continued creeping closer, nonetheless. ¡°You¡¯re a funny one. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll only hurt you a bit. We¡¯ll kill you in front of your dyke bitch.¡±

    I sighed and took the small golden cross in my right hand.

    ¡°God¡¯s not going to help you know.¡± He could reach me with his arms now.

    ¡°It depends on what you call a god.¡± I answered sadly.

    I only partly saw what happened next, but it felt like a macabre version of the claw machine in arcades. Where the wolf was the claw and the vampire¡¯s head the prize.

    Blood splattered all over my face.

    The supernatural creature was missing everything above his collarbone, and I saw what was left of him fall onto the ground like a flaccid ragdoll.

    I really wanted to vomit or scream, but the adrenaline helped me keep my mouth shut.

    The next seconds were fuzzy. I heard angry shouts, and three of the five remaining vampires flew at unbelievable speeds directly at me.

    Which was ridiculous of them.

    I was clearly not the dangerous one here.

    But still, in a slow-motion-like state, my brain understood that the rapidly advancing bloodsuckers were thinking that I was the one that killed their friend.

    Gray had positioned himself back on the fountain.

    Was he using magic or something? Was the last coherent thought I had for the next few minutes, as I stopped thinking about anything when, one by one, in rapid succession, the attacking vampires lost flesh, limbs, and organs.

    Blood was spraying everywhere, but it felt like most of it was drenching me.

    Their screams were haunting but didn¡¯t last long.

    Only two remained. I could not see what was passing through their mind, as the wolf finally stepped down its self-made altar of death, and positioned itself between me and the other, obviously less dangerous, monsters.

    ¡°WHAT THE HELL!¡± One of them shouted in unparalleled horror.

    Then, there was no one left alive on the square except me.

    The two vampires and Gray had vanished. He was hunting.

    After a few seconds, the bone-piercing shriek of one of them, echoing through the streets, informed me of the fate that had befallen on them.

    I stood there, warm blood that was not mine falling on the cobblestones beneath me and reaching my flesh through the many layers of clothing I was wearing.

    Minutes felt like hours.

    I saw a naked Gray as Igris calmly walk back next to me and take me by the hand.

    She was holding jaws in her other hand and was even more covered in bowels and blood than I was.

    She walked back towards the church, with me in toe, as I was way too out of it to stop her.

    As I examined her more closely, she turned around to look back at me.

    Her eyes were golden, and she gave me a wolf-like smile.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been helpful. We shall reward you accordingly. Just a little more patience.¡±

    That¡¯s when I got my bearings back.

    ¡°Is that Gray or the Beast talking?¡±

    She stopped, just in front of the entrance. Alik and Astarte were clearly still arguing inside, not interested in any way by what had happened outside.

    ¡°Both. The Beast is just¡­sharing.¡± I saw the hesitation, felt the growing unease.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Gray.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m definitely traumatized, but you¡¯ll hate yourself for all this so much more when it¡¯s over. Please remember at least this, you had no other option.¡±

    Gray/Beast blinked, then nodded at me.

    We entered the church.

    Both of the unnatural children stopped talking and watched as Gray threw the jaws at the feet of Alik.

    ¡°Stay here.¡± She ordered. She forced me to sit down on the furthest away of benches, not hiding her anxious look when she realized how drenched in blood I was.

    It seemed the Beast could not hide her humanity completely, this was good.

    I would obey, for now.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait for my prince to kill the dragon. This time. Next one, I¡¯ll throw fireballs and everything, better not leave me on the sidelines again.¡±

    Gray tilted her head in a very canine way. ¡°Fireballs are a great firepower boost; it would be foolish of us not to accept.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. Was that the Beast being serious or Gray trolling me? I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    He didn¡¯t wait for me to analyze him further though, as he turned around and walked towards Alik.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The Elder was patiently waiting.

    Gray stopped at the second row of benches, and just pointed at the maimed vampire parts on the ground. ¡°I did as I promised. If you continue with your worship of order, you shall be next.¡±

    But Alik was not impressed in the least. ¡°So? You¡¯re a mage of nature? Something like that? Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t heard the wolf outside. The only thing you¡¯ve done is give me the right to destroy you. You¡¯re proven to be the one killing Jeanne and her progeny, in a matter that disrupts the First Law. As regent of the North American territory, it is my duty to get rid of you.¡±

    ¡°You are wrong about her, Alik. A mage wouldn¡¯t have survived my hit.¡± Astarte had lost her smile and was looking at Gray with great interest. She didn¡¯t seem aggressive though, which, considering Gray almost broke my hand when she had seen her, should be good news.

    ¡°It does not matter what she truly is.¡± Alik removed the top of his tuxedo. The child like vampire had the upper body of an Olympian. Muscles were bulging out of everywhere, making him suddenly bigger than he really was.

    ¡°Go Licky Licky!¡± Astarte was encouraging the young vampire from the second floor.

    He picked up the large altar behind him with one hand and threw it towards Gray.

    She didn¡¯t even bother dodging. The rock and wood broke all around her, and a cloud of dust surrounded her.

    Alik didn¡¯t wait, and disappeared from my view, only for me to see him emerge from the dust cloud where Gray had stood seconds prior.

    ¡°Above, Licky Licky.¡± Warned Astarte with amazement in her voice.

    I watched as Gray¡¯s form fell from the ceiling above, maybe thirty feet high.

    How the hell had she¡­?

    But thoughts about the feasibility and physical prowess needed had to wait, as the action was happening faster than my eyes could see. I had to guess most of it.

    The Elder looked above him, and dodged Gray¡¯s attack in the nick of time. Once again, dust and rocks flew everywhere.

    The Elder came closer to me now, but he wasn¡¯t noticing my presence, fortunately.

    Gray had disappeared again.

    ¡°What the hell is happening, Astarte?¡±

    ¡°Dunno. Definitely not a mage though.¡± She seemed to have fun.

    As he was looking around, his eyes fell on me.

    ¡°Come here.¡± The little vampire said menacingly.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡± I informed him very matter of fact-ly.

    ¡°I think the girl is right, Licky Licky. And I like her.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt her, but I hate hide and seek.¡±

    I began moving on my right, as the bench was blocking my back, but he was incredibly faster than me.

    As his hand gripped my arm, I couldn¡¯t stop a shriek of pain as he held it way harder than a child could have.

    But then I stopped. His hand and part of his arm was still gripping me, but it wasn¡¯t attached to the rest of his body. It fell on the floor.

    Alik looked at his severed member with surprise.

    I watched Gray, on the other side of the bench, licking her bloodied left hand.

    ¡°SO PREDICTABLE.¡± I shivered at her rough voice; it had been the Beast speaking this time for sure.

    ¡°You hid behind your friend?¡± Alik asked. A new hand had begun replacing his lost one already.

    ¡°She¡¯s so tasty, everyone wants a piece of her. But she¡¯s mine.¡±

    Alik threw a punch towards her, but it was slower than before, as even I could see it.

    Gray didn¡¯t even dodge, and just took the blow on the cheek like it was a feather.

    Alik couldn¡¯t hide his shock, then, realizing something, he looked at his torso.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got two hands.¡± Informed Gray.

    I watched his torso as well. A hole, terrifyingly chirurgical in nature, had appeared around the middle of his chest. Gray took a bite out of a blackish piece of flesh in her other hand.

    He fumbled back and fell on his belly. Dark blood flooded the stone ground underneath. He began crawling back towards the center of the church.

    ¡°Astarte!¡± He shouted.

    Gray walked behind him, showing her naked body ostentatiously, flexing and enjoying what seemed like a perfect relaxing evening. ¡°Impressive. You can survive without a heart.¡±

    ¡°ASTARTE!¡±

    ¡°What? I told you not to do it. A few centuries old, and you think you know everything already. You should have taken a step back when I said I didn¡¯t know either, but NoOoO, you have the Law. Urgh.¡± Finally answered the supernatural teenager.

    Gray began almost dancing, coming closer and closer to her prey.

    ¡°By bringing order you think to preserve the world. The only thing you preserve is unchanging violence, rules of destruction and stagnant water.¡± Gray put her foot on his back. She turned him around to face her. ¡°You hurt Marie.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill her.¡±

    I saw doubt in Gray for a fraction of a second.

    ¡°You are an agent of Order.¡±

    ¡°The world needs order!¡±

    ¡°The world needs balance. Balance is the perfect amount of chaos. Order is unnecessary when you cherish death and life the same way. You are everlasting, but you do not change.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t do anything, or maybe I didn¡¯t want to do anything. Gray would hate herself if she just finished someone so defenseless, but, wasn¡¯t it necessary?

    Gray lifted her right palm in the air, ready to strike. ¡°What is the point of immortality if you never change?¡±

    Before she could kill him, Astarte teleported right in front of her. Gray quickly stepped back, but Astarte¡¯s hand gripped Gray¡¯s jaw, and forced her on her knees.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard those words before.¡± The immortal said.

    For the first time, I was fearful for Gray¡¯s life. ¡°Gray!¡± I shouted.

    (Gray POV)

    ¡°Gray!¡± Shouted Marie.

    The strength of the millennia old monster in front of me prevented me from moving adequately. I stood very still, waiting for the opportunity to break her grasp. At the same time, the anguished voice of my lover made me slowly emerge from the trance-like state I had been in.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± Astarte didn¡¯t bother with Marie, only gazed upon my face. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there an Oracle in Nineveh that looked just like you?¡±

    ¡°So what? Never heard about doppelgangers?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of them. It¡¯s a myth though, as in my now five thousand five hundred years of existence, never have I met one. So¡­¡±

    She spoke in Assyrian. ¡°I bought the rights to share your bed once. Do you remember that night?¡±

    The memory forced itself to the surface, and I could not stop myself from reacting.

    ¡°Oh yes.¡± She spoke English again. ¡°You¡¯re the one. You were beautiful then, but nothing close to what you look like now. What can feel like a human, and still survive for five thousand years?¡±

    Now.

    I kicked Alik body under her, he grunted and hit her on the legs, making her lose her balance slightly. She eased her grasp, enough for me to jump back.

    ¡°What you¡¯ve told me haunted me for centuries, Oracle of Chaos.¡± She seemed unfazed.

    I looked at Marie, who was questioning me with her stare at what was currently being revealed but also showing me that expression of anguish and fear I hated to see so much.

    ¡°If I ask you to run away. Will you?¡± I asked of her.

    ¡°Never.¡± My best friend answered.

    I stared back at Astarte. Her childish demeanor was gone. She was in deep thoughts, searching for long-ago memories.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I told you.¡± I told the girl that was once revered as a living god.

    ¡°I was tired of all the fuzz in Babylon, and I needed holidays. I was told by¡­I don¡¯t remember who¡­that a beautiful Oracle gave so strange prophecies, even the grand priests couldn¡¯t understand them. So, I came to Nineveh, and asked to meet you. How sad you looked. I wanted you. You resisted me, saying an Oracle needed to be pure. Or maybe that was another one, I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to touch your childish body.¡± The horrible scene went back in full, without Ray¡¯s exterior point of view, the emotions would have overwhelmed me.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! How ridiculous, I was considered quite the beauty in those times. How sad those changes about the age of consent. It adds some kink, I guess.¡±

    I did not say anything.

    ¡°So, I can¡¯t let you kill Licky Licky here.¡± She kicked him in the head as a way to point at him, which made him grunt once more. ¡°And I want you again.¡±

    ¡°NO.¡± I swore.

    ¡°You can¡¯t touch her.¡± Shouted Marie at the same time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you both. Then I¡¯ll kill the Oracle.¡±

    ¡°Why?!¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I said. You¡¯ll be fine, you¡¯re ¡®protected¡¯ after all. But she needs to go, her words were¡­¡±

    ¡°How futile is your way of life, claiming it is pleasure while it only brings boredom.¡± I said in Assyrian, then, in English. ¡°Is that what I said?¡±

    She gave me a furious look. ¡°So, you remember now. Scratch what I said before, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±

    She disappeared from view, but the Beast had taught me much already. Maybe it would be more correct to say he made me remember.

    The faster they went, the harder it would be for them to dodge. My foot flew in the sky, I couldn¡¯t see her, but I felt the changes in the air.

    My heel struck her skull, but she did not fly away this time, grabbing my arm to stay in place.

    Most of her face was broken, but it did not stop her. I took a punch in the gut, but I was forced to stay in place, and took a second hit on my chin.

    My razor-sharp nails instinctively went to cut her neck, but it wasn¡¯t deep enough to rip off her head.

    I dodged her kick by moving forwards, but then she dodged mine by jumping on my shoulder.

    Less than a second had passed.

    She had let me go, so I took a bench, and threw it around. It flew and broke some of the lights. As I dodged some new strikes by pure instinct, I used an opportunity to break the remnants of light sources. The church went pitch black, except candles around the altar.

    ¡°Smart.¡± Approved Astarte.

    She looked at me. We had taken a fair bit of distance now.

    She smiled at me. I returned it.

    She blinked. I was gone.

    ¡°Oh, very nice. Where did you learn that?¡±

    ¡°I HUNTED. NEVER HAVE I STOPPED LEARNING.¡±

    ¡°Magic? No. It¡¯s way crazier than that. It¡¯s just the perfect art.¡± Astarte was analyzing the situation with amusement now.

    ¡°Nothing is perfect. There is always better.¡± I countered.

    ¡°I have no idea where you are, I know you¡¯re there, but it could be in front of me or behind, nothing gives it away. Guess I¡¯ll just take the hit in the face¡­Or I¡¯ll have a guess.¡±

    She moved, once again looking like teleportation, right above Marie, exactly where I was.

    I couldn¡¯t dodge the kick and struck the ground hard.

    Marie ducked down, but it was way too late. ¡°What the hell!?¡±

    ¡°Trying to get away with her, weren¡¯t you?¡± Astarte stood between me and Marie.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± I warned.

    ¡°What? Of course not, don¡¯t worry about that. I just want some fun, nothing more.¡±

    Anger rose inside me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you some fun, then.¡±

    Fifteen minutes.

    For fifteen minutes, we battled it out.

    Marie hid in a corner, but both I and Astarte protected her from the flying debris and avoided any fight close to her.

    Maybe it was because of that, but after ten minutes, my anger settled down, and what was a death fight slowly transformed into a normal spar.

    Whatever damage I did to her, she regenerated instantly, and even if every hit I took hurt like hell, I did not bleed.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­some¡­impressive defense you¡¯ve got¡­ here.¡± She panted.

    ¡°And¡­you¡¯re¡­a¡­monster.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I saw in her eyes she was ready to attack again. She had tells, old ones, that informed me where her next strike would come from. She feinted too, but I had analyzed her enough, soon¡­

    ¡°STOP IT.¡±

    Marie was now in the middle of the church, looking like she had enough.

    ¡°This is clearly going nowhere, and you¡¯re destroying one of my favorite parts of the city.¡±

    Now that I looked around, it was a miracle the church was still erect, as half of its walls were gone.

    ¡°Erm, Marie, move, please? You know, crazy child monster.¡±

    ¡°Well, no. You may be crazy stronger than everyone else, but right now, you look like two junkies having a fit. As it is my job, I shall stop any such behavior.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a junkie. I¡¯m basically a living god.¡± Astarte pointed out.

    Marie turned around and just looked at her.

    I saw Ana in that move.

    ¡°You¡¯re a junkie. If you want me to call you the God of Junkies, Ass, be my guest.¡± She finally said.

    ¡°Erm.¡± Was Astarte¡¯s only response.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a corner for ages. I was scared at first. Now I¡¯m furious. Freezing, blood all over me, now with a second layer of dust on it, becoming almost deaf because of all the fucking explosions going on everywhere. And for what? You want to rape, us, oh big god of Junkies?¡±

    ¡°Uh, No.¡± Astarte answered, now clearly confused as to what was happening.

    ¡°Good. Did you have your fun?¡±

    ¡°Erm, yes?¡±

    ¡°Good. Could I go take a shower, now? And I don¡¯t know, you two continue your battle another time? In like two centuries when I¡¯m long gone and dead?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill for a while, I guess.¡±

    ¡°GOOD!¡± She turned to face me now.

    At the same time, I heard sirens and blinking lights appearing behind me in the city square.

    ¡°You!¡± She didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel.¡±

    ¡°Erm. Horrible. I want to vomit. I was kicked hard, and I¡¯ve got a killer headache.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad. Let¡¯s go take a shower, I need relief.¡±

    ¡°Yes M¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Call me M¡¯am once again¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry Marie.¡±

    I followed her outside.

    Cops and strange black cars had invaded the location, ten or so men and women in police uniform, as well as some wearing military garbs, were coming to our position.

    ¡°Oh. What now!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°Hunters, I guess.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Do you think King is there?¡±

    ¡°Probably?¡± I answered hesitantly.

    ¡°PERFECT.¡± She didn¡¯t seem that happy.

    I was right, from the people coming towards us, King was one of them.

    ¡°Wait, lower your guns. Those are the humans that¡­¡± She shut up when she saw me naked, and both of us covered in blood.

    ¡°Are you two alright?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Marie answered vehemently. ¡°I want to go back home. Give us a lift back home.¡±

    ¡°Okay... Wait for a second, we need to check if you¡¯re hurt.¡±

    Before Marie could kill what was almost our friend, I intervened. ¡°We¡¯re fine, but Marie is well¡­in shock, if you want information, just talk to Astarte inside.¡±

    ¡°As¡­ta¡­rte?¡± The other hunters around us immediately ran towards the church, and some medical staff followed them with stretchers and first aid kits.

    ¡°Hunter, what the hell is happening here?¡±

    An old man, with more weapons, blades, and grenades than clothing, came to meet us.

    He had scars all over him and had no hair on his face or head.

    ¡°Sir, those are the two humans that were to be interrogated by the elder tonight.¡± She did not salute or anything, but by the tone of her voice, he was definitely the man in charge.

    I would have liked to introduce myself, or at least make myself look like the most normal person in the world in front of him, but I was covered in blood, most of it around my mouth, naked, and more importantly, Marie was ready to burn the whole world to get inside warm water.

    I could feel the air boiling around her as I was thinking about it.

    ¡°Sorry sir, I need to bring them back home. They need a shower. Astarte is supposedly involved.¡±

    ¡°Shit. Sure, go, I want their testimony ASAP though, got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go talk with the old god, then.¡± He said as he left us.

    King had officially saved the world.

    ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re still alive. And call me Lily, I¡¯ve seen you naked now.¡± She gave me a wink.

    Was she flirting with female me? No, she was trying to hide her nervousness.

    ¡°Are you flirting with my girlfriend?¡±

    Uh oh.

    ¡°No, no, sorry Marie. You can call me Lily as well.¡± And she winked at her too.

    Marie actually cracked a smile.

    As it was the second time in a row she saved the world, Lily King was now my new hero.

 Breakfast at dawn.

    At this hour far into the night, the ride back to our flat took only fifteen minutes. It had been a silent one, with the occasional glance from King in our direction through the driving mirror. She was in police uniform, but the Uzi in a holster stuck to her leg wasn¡¯t part of the reglementary equipment.

    She had given me a warm medical blanket to cover up, but blood was still dripping on the car seat.

    I hoped she wouldn¡¯t be the one asked to clean it, it would have been a lousy reward for saving the world twice in a row.

    As we arrived at our flat, Marie and I stepped out, simply thanking King before leaving.

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± She reminded us through her open side window. She drove away hurriedly, back in the city center¡¯s direction.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Marie said to me in the elevator. She grabbed my bloodied hand with hers.

    ¡°Me too¡­Marie?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this again.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Get between me and a millennia-old monster.¡±

    She gave me an angry look but sighed instead of exploding.

    ¡°You were being hit over and over, and neither of you seemed to want to stop, even though it all was ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°She could have been offended and just murder you here and then, I¡­¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have. She asked me to call her Ass, not the kind of thing easily offended people tell you. And before you say she¡¯s not a ¡®people¡¯, she is. I¡¯m more and more convinced that what King said is true.¡±

    The elevator doors opened. And we both stepped out.

    ¡°What part?¡±

    ¡°That most of those supernatural creatures are and remain human. You may have all your great powers, but you¡¯re all still as dumb as the average Joe.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested.

    ¡°What. You¡¯re telling me you weren¡¯t taken by the fight at the end?¡±

    ¡°I was constantly worried about you!¡±

    ¡°I know. But you were having fun, too. Even though she was hitting you with dynamite-like punches.¡±

    We opened our locked door and stepped into the entrance.

    ¡°It was the Beast¡­¡± I began, then stopped myself. ¡°Maybe not.¡±

    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s why I acted as I did. I believed what I said then. You were acting like teenagers having a fit, so I intervened with the appropriate response. Reminding you both of your responsibilities and being firm.¡±

    ¡°Sounded more like An¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t finish that sentence.¡±

    ¡°Sorry M¡¯am.¡± I teased her foolheartedly.

    She gave me a deadly stare, then kissed me voraciously.

    ¡°Shower.¡± She ordered.

    ¡°Y..es.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in charge this time.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    The flat¡¯s bell rang at 7 am that morning.

    Marie grunted next to me, clearly unwilling to go see who the psychopath waking us up at this hour of the day was.

    ¡°Is that King?¡± I asked myself, putting some clothes on in a hurry.

    I went into the living room and was faced with a rather terrifying sight.

    In order of the least problematic to the most:

    My front door was broken, fully opened, with the lock completely turned into dust.

    A very angry-looking vampire Elder was standing in the entrance, his wounds from the night before seemingly vanished, and wearing another tuxedo that didn¡¯t fit such a child-like creature.

    Last but not least, was Astarte sitting on my dining table, surrounded by luggage, wearing sunglasses like a teenager going on holiday.

    ¡°Heya! I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve got a free room!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Was I still dreaming, and could I get out of this nightmare somehow?

    ¡°Astarte. She broke the First Law.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Alik had said that for the first time.

    ¡°Pshh, don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s why I came, I¡¯ll check up on her, so she won¡¯t do anything bad!¡±

    That was a lie.

    ¡°Second chances have been removed; she needs to be executed.¡± Alik was looking at me with pure hatred in his eyes, but I felt the feeling was more towards the living nightmare currently checking my apartment.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you destroy Jeanne?¡± Astarte¡¯s voice had suddenly shifted, deeper and accusatory, and I saw Alik¡¯s body stiffen. She smiled, showing her full row of sharkish teeth. ¡°It¡¯s a bit small, but I¡¯ll only stay here a little while.¡± She then said cheerfully.

    That wasn¡¯t a lie but wasn¡¯t reassuring in the least. What was a little while for a five thousand five hundred year being?

    ¡°Hi.¡± My brain finally managed to bring words to my lips. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I told you silly! Did I hit you too hard last night?... I had so much fun, and your lover made such an impression on me, I wanted to come and live with you two! Ah shit, I wasn¡¯t supposed to say that in front of Licky Licky.¡±

    ¡°AS IF IT WASN¡¯T OBVIOUS!¡± Screamed the Elder, his anger refueled. ¡°Astarte, you gave your word you would stay put for a while.¡±

    ¡°When was that?¡±

    ¡°FIVE HOURS AGO!¡±

    ¡°With the angry-looking human full of scars?¡±

    ¡°YES.¡±

    ¡°I remember, don¡¯t get so touchy about it. It¡¯s why I¡¯m here. If I¡¯m bored, I do oopsies, but with those two, I¡¯ve got the feeling I won¡¯t be bored. So, no oopsies! Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°STOP TALKING TO ME LIKE I¡¯M A CHILD!¡±

    She giggled and waved her hand at him. ¡°You can go now, oh, and bring someone to repair the door, I can¡¯t live in a place without a door!¡±

    I was 99.9% sure she was the one who had destroyed my front door. Also, that last part had been a lie.

    Alik slowly turned around and left, not before punching a hole in my wall.

    ¡°You¡¯ll repair that too.¡± Astarte noted.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡± The vampire Elder, who was apparently responsible for the supernatural beings of North America, proceeded to rip the guardrail of the corridor into scraps of metal and stone in a fit of rage, then vanished away.

    ¡°He¡¯s so fun.¡± Astarte said, her expression like that of an old grandma talking about her grandchildren.

    I had to sit down but was stopped by Marie coming behind me.

    ¡°Gray? Did you hear anything crazy like Astarte being in our flat? Or is it just me hallucinating in my sleep?¡± She passed next to me and saw Astarte.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    I winced.

    ¡°Sorry Gray.¡±

    ¡°No worries, I¡¯m thinking the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Nice body.¡± Astarte commented, looking at the partly nude Marie. Then, before any of us could react, she clapped her hands. ¡°Who wants breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Those pancakes are to die for.¡± King was hungrily eating the remnants of our breakfast. Astarte had left an hour ago, and they hadn¡¯t crossed paths.

    Probably for the better, as me and my best friend were still hoping for a collective hallucination.

    As King took a bite out of the pancakes that should not exist, I sipped my tea. Lavender, to calm your nerves. I was thinking that it was not working.

    ¡°Who cooked those? Marie?¡±

    She shook her head left and right.

    ¡°Igris?¡±

    I did the same.

    ¡°New roommate?¡± As we did not answer, she continued. ¡°I know what occurred yesterday must have been shocking, but I need to know everything that happened.¡±

    She took another bite out of the pancakes.

    ¡°We had a disagreement with the Elder.¡± Marie began.

    ¡°Not possible, you would both be dead.¡± She pointed towards her with her fork, coated in maple syrup.

    ¡°So Gray here kicked his ass.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± King suddenly stood still.

    ¡°Marie?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, Gray.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°What the hell happened to you two?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    But Marie wasn¡¯t caring about King¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°So, Astarte then recognized her, and protected the child demon.¡±

    ¡°Uh? Wait.¡±

    ¡°They fought for a while, and when I realized they would not stop, as they were evenly matched, I just interrupted the fight to go take a shower.¡±

    There was a short silence, before King seemingly understood: ¡°Damn you¡¯re both delirious.¡±

    ¡°Astarte accepted, and we thought that was it. But then she came this morning and proclaimed herself our new roommate.¡±

    ¡°Astarte is one of the strongest creatures out there, feared like no other. I don¡¯t know what happened yesterday, but in no way is what you said possible.¡±

    At the moment she finished that sentence, like a karmic event written in stone, Astarte was back, with new bags and luggage.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve got company? Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m just moving, in then I¡¯m gone for the day, I¡¯ve got to tell everyone you¡¯re my new friends.¡±

    And she went in what was previously Stan¡¯s room.

    ¡­

    ¡°By the way, she made those.¡± I felt the need to say, as I pointed at the new piece of pancake on her fork.

    King, in a very dignified manner, put the fork back on her plate, and simply said: ¡°You¡¯ve spiked my pancakes.¡±

    ¡°Astarte¡¯s pancakes.¡± Marie was hiding a smile as she said that, enjoying the teasing a bit too much.

    ¡°Marie.¡±

    ¡°What? Am I supposed to be nice? We were just looking at a wall for two hours, I¡¯m more shocked than when you went all wolfy!¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been two hours, my phone says 10 AM.¡±

    ¡°That makes three hours.¡±

    ¡°Time is relative.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please! Tell me we¡¯ve been in a bad sci-fi trope this whole time and that the fake teenager who wants to fuck, or kill, us both, isn¡¯t currently putting a double bed mattress in Stan¡¯s room!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you.¡±

    While we bickered, King got her phone out, hand trembling: ¡°I need to call my superiors.¡±

    ¡°And tell them what exactly?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Erm¡­well...¡±

    ¡°You just saw it, and you can¡¯t even believe it, just finish the pancake, and we¡¯ll tell you everything. Hiding my nature isn¡¯t needed anymore.¡±

    ¡°HOU! Hou! Wait for me to be done before that part, I want to know too!¡± Shouted Astarte through the flat.

    I put a hand across my face. ¡°Sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    After a brief moment of heavy silence, King spoke.

    ¡°So. What is it you have to tell me?¡±

    ¡°What Marie told you was the truth, even though it was missing the gruesome parts.¡±

    ¡°Those are unneeded.¡± Marie explained. ¡°You were only protecting me.¡±

    ¡°I still killed. Again.¡±

    ¡°Who did you kill?¡± The lieutenant asked. ¡°And you¡¯ll have to explain better than that. I know Marie, but I don¡¯t know you, Igris, or Gray as Marie calls you, like Ray Dunkelbaumen.¡±

    ¡°One thing at a time.¡± Marie intervened. ¡°We had the meeting with this creepy kid, but it did not go as planned.¡±

    ¡°He tried to force Marie into revealing who I was with compulsion, but then Astarte arrived, and things got messy.¡± I continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal when¡­¡± King stopped herself mid-sentence, probably realizing it was a bad idea to say anything bad about Astarte while she was in the room next door.

    ¡°So, Alik sent his goons after me, and they tried to hurt Marie, so I killed them.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I shall come to it.¡±

    I then recalled the rest of the events of last night.

    ¡°¡­and that¡¯s when you arrived. Quite late by the way.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°There was a team in place, but they fell back once Astarte¡¯s whereabouts had been established. It was supposed to be my day off, yesterday, by the way. But everyone got mobilized. Took some time.¡± King explained.

    That meant the team of Hunters in the city was of at least thirty people, but not much more. King wasn¡¯t lying when she said the underworld wasn¡¯t big.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful story, and it explains the state both of you looked like last night.¡± She continued, unaware of my inner calculations. ¡°But it¡¯s still impossible. People who can single-handedly defeat an Elder are very, very few, and fight evenly with Astarte, even less so.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of that.¡± I answered. ¡°But yes, I¡¯m not completely human since Jeanne abducted me.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Jeanne abducted you too? Is that how you and Ray met? Where is he by the way? Shouldn¡¯t he be living here?¡± King asked, confused.

    Marie sighed. ¡°Yeah, we should begin with that.¡± She took a sip of her coffee and held my hand.

    ¡°Yes. Probably.¡± I felt uneasy, having revealed my secret only to Marie. I would have liked Stan to be the second and last one, but it didn¡¯t seem it would be the case.

    ¡°You have to let go of my hand though, Marie.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to show it?¡±

    ¡°At this point, what else am I supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d warn her first.¡± She reminded me.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Warn me about what?¡±

    ¡°Igris is going to transform, it¡¯s rather, impressive and weird, to say the least.¡± Marie answered her.

    ¡°Transform?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, something fun is happening!¡± Astarte seemingly teleported on a chair next to us.

    ¡°PRETZELS.¡± Marie shouted.

    King also jumped at the sudden appearance.

    ¡°Do you want some?¡± Astarte asked.

    ¡°What?¡± Marie responded.

    ¡°Pretzels.¡±

    ¡°No, it''s just that Gray doesn¡¯t like foul words.¡±

    ¡°Mhh, strange. Who taught you to dislike them?¡± The question from Astarte was awfully specific, eerily so.

    ¡°¡­my brother.¡±

    ¡°In any case, Astarte, as we talked before, you coming here is also to our advantage, and we accepted that. But if it¡¯s to give me a heart attack, I¡¯d rather you leave.¡±

    Astarte gave her an understanding look. ¡°Sure, sorry, I¡¯ll limit my movements so you can see them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Wait, how, what?¡± King was clearly on the verge of losing it, so Marie and I felt bad.

    ¡°We talked with her this morning and came to an understanding. It is the reason why we can reveal Gray¡¯s secret.¡± Marie began.

    ¡°Basically, if we accept Astarte as our flatmate, she¡¯ll protect us from harm.¡± I finished.

    ¡°That¡­is unnecessary. The Hunters would have protected you Igris, you¡¯re human enough.¡±

    I smiled sadly.

    ¡°You¡¯re already supposed to protect me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for whatever reason, the Census has your name written inside.¡±

    That was weird. Maybe the Census wasn¡¯t just a large book.

    ¡°Whateeeeveeeeer. Come on, just show what you are!¡± Astarte pouted.

    King visibly tensed, but she too, watched me.

    ¡°So, you can use illusion magic to transform?¡± She guessed.

    ¡°Nope. Marie?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes sorry.¡± She removed her hand from mine.

    I changed back into Ray¡¯s body.

    I hated doing that while I was clothed, some parts became too big, others too tight.

    ¡°WHAT THE¡­¡± King fell from her chair but aptly rolled back on her feet.

    Astarte just whistled in amazement. ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Gray.¡±

    ¡°W¡­w¡­wha¡­?¡± The lieutenant was searching for words.

    ¡°So yes, she¡¯s my girlfriend¡­and boyfriend, I guess. I suppose it answers your questions, Lily.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t magic per se.¡± Astarte examined me, coming closer. ¡°You are clearly two different persons, but with the exact same energy signature.¡± She had stopped acting like a teenager and was now very seriously studying me.

    ¡°But¡­ it''s impossible!?¡± King finally said.

    ¡°Pshh. You¡¯re young, I see impossible things happen every twenty years or so. This one takes the cake, nah second to the moon landing maybe; In any case instead of refuting it you should be proud witnessing it.¡±

    ¡°So. I¡¯m Igris and Ray. I found a wolf pelt with Igris¡¯s soul stuck inside at Jeanne¡¯s home, and it fused with me. It seems both of us were Conscients, destined to be one but separated by five thousand years.¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it. That¡¯s why you feel so young as well, even though you should be my age.¡± Astarte analyzed.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    King slowly came back towards us and sat back down on her chair. She took another bite of the pancakes.

    ¡°Those are really good.¡± She said half-mindedly.

    ¡°Thank you. I had an incredibly good chef friend one century ago, he made me reconsider the beauty of food.¡± Astarte explained.

    ¡°You must have killer stories.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°I rather prefer those without killers. You can¡¯t have fun when the thing is dead.¡±

    ¡°Great, so at least you¡¯re not a necrophiliac.¡± I provoked.

    She looked at me, all childishness gone, a giant smile on her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful.¡±

    I shivered. ¡°Not what I meant, we just don¡¯t know each other, and I¡¯ve got a dark sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°To answer your question, no, I¡¯m not a necrophiliac. I¡¯ve killed some of those, though. I was the guardian of the dead for a while.¡±

    Marie had stars in her eyes. ¡°I have to hear about that!¡±

    ¡°Marie, she tried to kill me last night.¡±

    ¡°So did Natasha last week, and we¡¯re still friends. You¡¯ll get over it. Imagine what she could teach us!¡±

    ¡°And there is the Satan worshipper I know and love.¡±

    Astarte giggled. Her teeth screeched together. ¡°You two have nice chemistry. I¡¯d like to see you fuck sometimes, has to be explosive.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have nice chemistry. And no, you won¡¯t watch us fuck or participate. In any case, you¡¯re the second person who asks, so you¡¯ll wait the line.¡± Marie firmly answered, but with no anger. She probably felt that Astarte wasn¡¯t being serious this time.

    ¡°I can wait.¡± The age-less creature answered.

    That was ominous.

    King cleared her throat. ¡°So, you¡¯re the same person. And the only known full Conscient in history. Not talking about the prophecy and all that, it still doesn¡¯t explain how you beat Alik. Or Astarte.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t beat me, we agreed on a temporary draw.¡± Astarte smiled at King.

    ¡°¡­I meant no offense.¡± The police officer very respectfully answered.

    ¡°None taken. And you mark a point, child, she had the fighting technique, and the hunting technique, of something way older, maybe even older than me. So, there is still a missing piece in the puzzle.¡±

    ¡°Erm, ok, we¡¯ll explain.¡± Marie countered. ¡°But what¡¯s with the prophecy?¡±

    ¡°Psshh, bunch of nonsense. Translated from the original prophet¡¯s language, it says a Conscient whole will bring the end of times.¡±

    ¡°¡­Erm¡­¡± Marie opened her mouth then closed it.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, aghast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Prophecies, as Gray probably knows, are fake.¡± Astarte said.

    I bit my lip. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Prophecies were always vague, so that the chances they were true, under one or another interpretation, would be high. But there didn¡¯t seem much room for second readings here. ¡°Were those the exact words?¡±

    ¡°Nope. In that language, bring can also mean watch, begin or end. And the end of times is basically a bad transcript of the Christian Apocalypse. And before you ask, yes, it was a real prophet.¡±

    ¡°Oh good, I was scared for a second.¡± I thought Marie was doing sarcasm, but no, she was visibly relaxing.

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. How is me potentially bringing or watching, or even ending the Apocalypse a good thing?! It means there will be one!¡± I stood up, angrily. Had the Beast said something like that, or Jeanne? I couldn¡¯t remember. But I didn¡¯t want to be the harbinger of Chaos, like my inner monstrous self.

    ¡°Because in it of itself, the Apocalypse is a good thing.¡± Marie explained.

    ¡°The end of the world? A good thing?¡± I looked at my girlfriend, breathed, then sat down. I wasn¡¯t an expert in religion, and she knew much more about it than I did. If she was so calm about it, there had to be good reasons. And she would explain everything to me.

    ¡°It is a time of crisis and change, but it doesn¡¯t say everyone dies or anything like that. Bad things happened, but it forces people in becoming better, and at the end, we create a paradise where the dead come back to life.¡±

    ¡°That sounds pretty bad.¡± King interjected.

    ¡°The zombies only appear way later, when they tell you the dead come back to the living, at least in the bible, it means resurrection.¡±

    ¡°Gray?¡± Astarte looked at me, a creepy grin on her face. She knew some things, so many things, and she wanted to share one with me.

    ¡°To punish you for the truth you stuck into my soul all those years ago, so shall I.¡±

    ¡°Arte, don¡¯t hurt my boyfriend/girlfriend.¡± It was Marie¡¯s time to stand up.

    ¡°I shall do no such thing. You follow truth, right, Gray?¡±

    ¡°I believe in it, yes.¡± How she knew, I did not know. But with her knowledge of people over all those years, that she could guess wasn¡¯t even farfetched.

    ¡°It made me angry, your words, but it also helped me, much later.¡±

    ¡°You had no reason to try to kill me, then.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, but I saw your strength, I needed a taste.¡±

    Crazy millennia monster.

    ¡°Who would you resurrect, even if it meant bringing chaos to the world?¡± She asked me innocently.

    My body trembled. I first thought about my brother, but no, it was a long time ago, I had done my grieving.

    I saw the future. My future, for a fraction of a second.

    The table broke under my grip.

    ¡°Seems like you know what¡¯s going to happen, then, Oracle.¡± She grinned.

    ¡°Arte, could you please refrain yourself?¡± Marie angrily looked at her, then put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. ¡°Gray, you alright? Don¡¯t bother with what the creepy teen is saying to you. And leave my furniture alone.¡±

    King gave her a shocked look, then went to look Astarte, seeing how she would react to that insult.

    The creepy teen only gave a creepy smile. ¡°I really like you Marie. How fun things are going to become around here because of you.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I said honestly. ¡°I do ask for the truth, and sometimes it¡¯s not fun to hear. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±

    ¡°No need for that.¡± She smiled at me tenderly and kissed me.

    It shocked me as the feeling was unlike before.

    It was the first time it had happened under Ray¡¯s form, I realized. She realized it too and quickly backed off, her expression uncertain.

    ¡°So, you end the world, potentially, I don¡¯t believe in it, but others do. It was a good idea to keep this a secret, Gray.¡± King said.

    ¡°Thank you?¡±

    ¡°How did you beat Alik?¡± She repeated.

    ¡°Do you know the story of the Beast?¡±

    Astarte¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°The wolf howl last night! I had forgotten! The way you hunt! Jeanne¡¯s pelt! OH MY GOD YOU¡¯RE A WEREWOLF.¡±

    I cringed really hard at the sudden reverting into childishness from Astarte.

    ¡°SHOW ME SHOW ME SHOW ME!!!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± King asked.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    Astarte was now jumping around everywhere.

    ¡°I missed it last time, I was SooOoo pissed! Thank you thank you thank you!¡±

    ¡°You like wolves?¡± Marie guessed.

    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite animal!¡± Astarte was now looking like she was eight years old.

    ¡°Well sure, why can¡¯t the five thousand five-hundred-year-old have a favorite animal.¡± I asked no one.

    ¡°Show me!¡±

    ¡°Sure, outside. It¡¯s dangerous though, that¡¯s the last secret.¡± I said towards the lieutenant, Astarte not listening to me anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve got a third soul inside, one of formerly the Beast, some sort of giant wolf creature with an unfortunate worship towards chaos.¡±

    King looked frazzled.

    ¡°And you can transform into it? Does it have control over you?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, but it¡¯s pretty tame after I had a nice hunt. I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    After all, with all that happened since yesterday, it had said nothing. I could swear it was sleeping, digesting the rotten things it had forced me to eat the night before.

    ¡°WOOOOOLFFFF!¡± Astarte chanted.

    I sighed. Cohabitation would be hard on me. Marie would adapt, as she would. My drawing projects were going to suffer, though.

    It reminded me about my piece at Diamond¡¯s apartment. I would have to ask King about it sometime.

    King and Astarte went outside, King taking a reasonable distance from the revered goddess of old.

    As I was lost in thought, Marie brought me my coat, and painkillers.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll help. For, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡±

    ¡°The kiss?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Why should you be sorry?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, it just felt the right thing to do, I¡¯ve never¡­¡±

    ¡°Marie. I don¡¯t like lies, even when they¡¯re towards yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± She shut up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the park.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± I knew this conversation would have to come, one day or another, but now was not the time, and I wasn¡¯t going to push when we were not alone.

    Surrounded by three women of very different ages, I walked to the park to transform, once again.

 Opened scars

    We were in the usual ¡®transformation¡¯ clearing near the park, and I swallowed two painkillers.

    Astarte was looking at me with impatience.

    ¡°Are you sure there is no one near?¡± I asked her again.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    I sighed, not enjoying what would come next.

    ¡°Marie, stay close to King.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± King interrogated.

    ¡°Security reasons.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t attack you, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re afraid.¡± King said back.

    ¡°Why would you attack me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I know I won¡¯t hunt Marie, and with her next to you, I think you¡¯ll be extra safe.¡± I explained.

    ¡°And me? And me?¡± Astarte jumped around.

    I raised my eyebrow. ¡°You definitely need protecting, sure.¡±

    ¡°Stop talkiiiiiiinnnngg.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    I pictured my wolf self.

    The feeling came searing inside my spine. The medicine did not change a thing, and for a few minutes, I refrained shouts of pain and agony.

    I didn¡¯t like the sun, high in the sky. The moon was far away, and I felt sleepy.

    I looked at my surroundings, Marie was tearful, and King had her mouth wide open.

    My instincts forced me to come back to the most dangerous thing around.

    Astarte was screeching like a bad pop boy band fan.

    ¡°It¡¯s even better than I imagined! You¡¯re like¡­huge! Look at that fur! Those muscles. Definitely a male wolf but¡­three times the normal size! Oh my god! Can you howl?¡±

    I looked at her, annoyed. I sneezed. Then, as I had concluded that she was not an immediate threat, I decided to lay on the ground. I yawned and let myself bask in the sun.

    ¡°It seems¡­tame?¡± King said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen it so¡­relaxed before either.¡± Marie stroke the tears off her eyes.

    ¡°Can¡¯t¡­resist¡­¡±

    I felt a hand in my fur. Astarte was stroking me on the side of the belly.

    I growled.

    She smiled wildly but took a step back. ¡°Definitely not tamed.¡±

    ¡°Gray? Are you ok?¡± Marie got closer, albeit timidly.

    ¡°How the hell is this possible.¡± Said King.

    Clic.

    Did Astarte just snap a selfie?

    ¡°You do selfies?¡± Marie asked the same thing out loud.

    ¡°Why not?¡± The five thousand and more year old answered.

    ¡°It is not safe to do this¡­¡± King had a disapproving tone but was carefully choosing her words.

    ¡°Pshh, you shouldn¡¯t worry too much, I could even post it on my Instagram and it would not pose any problems.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got an Instagram?¡± Marie was looking more and more incredulous.

    Cute.

    ¡°Mh mh. It¡¯s perfect to pass the time.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t post the giant wolf on your Instagram.¡± King said, a drop of sweat running down her forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put the hashtag special effects in the picture.¡±

    ¡°No. Please.¡±

    ¡°Fiiine. I¡¯m taking pictures though. And I¡¯m definitely having it as a poster.¡±

    Clic Clic.

    King was close to having a nervous breakdown, and Marie turned around to try to comfort her.

    The cute thing had shown me her back.

    I reacted by pouncing on it.

    Marie shrieked very audibly but was quickly muffled by my fur on top of her.

    ¡°Oooh! He¡¯s playing!¡± Astarte took more pictures.

    ¡°Marie!?¡± King immediately drew her gun.

    Was she challenging me?

    I growled.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m fine!¡± Marie shouted, but only I could hear her.

    To King¡¯s credit, her body may have been trembling under my threat, but her hand stayed steady.

    I felt Marie bite me.

    I jumped back, freeing her.

    ¡°You assh¡­¡±

    I gave her a big lick.

    ¡°EEEEEWWW¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous.¡± Astarte commented.

    The hunter was still aiming at me. It wasn¡¯t a danger, but I really didn¡¯t like this test of domination, she was even looking at me in the eyes.

    It took two steps towards her, but Marie got between us.

    ¡°King. Gun. Down.¡±

    It took a few seconds for the lieutenant to understand the concept, but she did as was asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it in the eyes.¡± Astarte had teleported next to her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Little one, don¡¯t believe one second I¡¯ll come to your help if it decides to eat you.¡±

    Hunter gulped, then broke eye contact.

    I yawned, knelt back down, and looked at Marie.

    ¡°I¡¯m all sticky.¡± She looked at me directly, but it didn¡¯t bother me coming from her.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Astarte noted.

    Clic.

    ¡°Transform back so you can apologize.¡± She ordered.

    The human was getting slightly cocky, so I gave her a big lick.

    ¡°AAAAAAHHHH FUCK YOU.¡±

    I put my paw on her sternum and pushed.

    She fell out of balance, and I pushed her to the ground, careful not to hurt her.

    I then proceeded to lick her more.

    She tasted nice.

    ¡°AAAAAAARRRGHHH STOP. I YIELD. I YIELD.¡±

    Clic, clic.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we help?¡± King asked the age-old being.

    ¡°Why? They¡¯re clearly having fun!¡±

    ¡°One of them is¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do a thing to stop it, anyway.¡± Astarte raised her shoulders.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s stronger than you!?¡± King asked, terrified by the prospect of a new, more terrifying monster in her city.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s a wolf. I don¡¯t hit wolves.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Of course.¡± King was now done with reality. She took a cigarette, sat on the ground, and lit her tobacco-filled drug.

    Marie had stopped resisting, and was now accepting her fate, so I considered the lesson learned.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t insult the wolf next time.¡± Astarte told her.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I swore.¡± She was covered in my saliva.

    ¡°¡­Uh?¡±

    ¡°He did that because I swore.¡± Marie explained. ¡°Can you transform back, now?¡±

    I yawned. It would have been better to just sleep for a while, but some part of myself reminded me we were next to a park, with joggers and dog-walkers, and them seeing me would be bad.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I pet it first?¡± Astarte asked.

    ¡°You mean again? Sure, lose an arm, be my guest.¡± Marie pointed towards me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tame it somehow.¡± The fake teenager promised.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gray, not an it.¡±

    ¡°The energy signature is slightly different, though.¡±

    ¡°If by that you mean he¡¯s different in wolf form. Yes, he¡¯s feral, but I assure you, it¡¯s still Gray. He¡¯s got that look in his eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­interesting.¡± Astarte took a picture of Marie.

    ¡°Hey!¡± She protested.

    ¡°It¡¯s for souvenirs.¡±

    I decided it was time to change back. The pain was horrible, but more tolerable than when transforming into the wolf. It took some time to catch my breath.

    Marie brought me back my clothes, hiding me from Astarte or King¡¯s view.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    She had used them to wash some of my saliva.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I nodded.

    ¡°You should wash your teeth as a wolf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Beast to consider buying a giant toothbrush.¡±

    ¡°You big, empty pumpkin.¡±

    I laughed at the made-up insult.

    ¡°Not going to swear?¡± I put my jeans on, the feeling of wolf saliva on them clearly not comfortable. I was stuck on the butt part.

    ¡°You¡¯re Igris right now.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you even tell anymore?¡±

    I bit my lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    I changed back to Ray¡¯s body and put the jeans on.

    Marie looked at me with a funny look.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her.

    She was angry now.

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Marie, this is a forbidden answer.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Nothing. Are you okay? I¡¯m fine. And the worst of them all: Haha.¡±

    ¡°People are coming.¡± King had come towards us.

    ¡°Yup. Smelled them.¡± I answered.

    Astarte was looking at her phone, a loving look in her eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡± I informed her.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got things to do, as I said before. I¡¯ll be back tonight. Do I need to prepare something for dinner?¡±

    I had a hard time getting to understand the five-thousand five-hundred-year-old propose cooking services, but finally managed to say: ¡°No, It¡¯s my turn tonight.¡±

    ¡°Good. See you soon. Marie, you too!¡±

    ¡°Erm, yeah, sure, see you soon.¡±

    And she vanished in thin air.

    ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time understanding what¡¯s happening right now.¡± King noted.

    ¡°You want to go back to the apartment? I can prepare a hot chocolate or something.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll take the day off. I¡¯ll be fine tomorrow. Or next week. Or some other time in the near future.¡±

    And King left us, walking slowly towards the parking lot. I saw her text someone as she disappeared behind the thick vegetation.

    ¡°Look at us, abandoned, full of slime. Everyone is going to look at us funny.¡± Marie commented.

    The sun was high, the grass and vegetation was reclaiming its right. Winter was ending.

    ¡°Strange times are ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°I think I know what I¡¯ll draw next.¡± I said.

    ¡°Nice?¡±

    ¡°It is about you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    I looked at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the flat.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you go first, I¡¯m hiding my face behind your back.¡±

    I smiled, but my mind was already focused on a line, darkish and white. A truth and a lie, the only possible answers, a fake duality that needed to be revealed.

    ¡°So? Do you need me for something?¡±

    We were back at the flat, and after a quick shower, I had brought my best friend inside my room.

    ¡°Yes. Remove your clothes.¡±

    ¡°Ok?¡± She did as I ordered, uncharacteristically shy. ¡°If this is a new way to get inside my pants, I assure you, it¡¯s unneeded.¡±

    I didn¡¯t react to the provocation.

    ¡°Sit on the chair, in front of the white wall.¡±

    ¡°Are you doing me nude? That¡¯s uh¡­I don¡¯t know if¡­¡±

    But I was gone already, entering her room.

    ¡°Hey?!¡±

    I came back with her large mirror and positioned it so it could reflect the light of the sun outside and make nice shadows on her body.

    ¡°You¡¯re in your artist mode, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    I was searching inside my bag for my crayon, a brush, and the color grey.

    When I looked back up. She was gone.

    ¡°Marie!¡± I shouted, confused by the disappearance.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret. I¡¯m there. I¡¯m going to be there a while, and knowing you, you won¡¯t even think about drinking. I brought water.¡± She gave me a pet bottle, that I immediately put on the ground, and she left another one behind the chair she sat on. She took a pose and began exclaiming: ¡°Draw me like one of your¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to sit?¡±

    I changed into Igris and removed most of my clothes.

    ¡°Oh. Yeah. Forgot about that quirk of yours.¡± She gave me a funny look.

    That was the one.

    I began drawing.

    She sighed and stared at me.

    As I did now when I was in a trance, I switched bodies multiple times. As some parts needed to be expressed through Ray and others through Igris. Marie had not said anything, trying her best to let me concentrate.

    After a few hours, I gave her an annoyed look.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Why the long face, then?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the truth.¡±

    ¡°Uh uh? Am I that ugly in the truth?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you¡¯re perfect.¡±

    ¡°Coming from a girl in this killer of a body, I don¡¯t know how to take it.¡± It was true I had taken Igris¡¯s shape right now.

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    That shut her up.

    ¡°Come here.¡± I continued. She stood up and came to see my piece.

    Her first reaction was fright.

    ¡°Gray, you know it¡¯s not true.¡±

    The painting, as usual with my current style, was of mix of abstract and realism.

    Marie was looking at me, in a way similar yet different than the look she had given me those last few hours.

    In the mirror on her left, black and white were filled. The black on the top was rugged, hard, and on the bottom, it was soft and curvy. It created an effect on the white in the middle, where the higher you looked, the rougher the nothingness looked, while the lower you looked, the softer the color, or lack thereof, seemed.

    The rest of the scene was empty, except Marie. She wasn¡¯t perfectly drawn, and there were some parts of her you could only guess through the shadows the mirror created.

    Her eyes though, were a singularity, as they were the only thing filled with something other than black and white.

    She saw grey. Her expression was indescribable.

    ¡°What do you see?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­attracted to you as a man.¡± She lied. ¡°I¡¯m a lesbian.¡± She said the truth.

    ¡°You know I can tell when people lie.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± She lied.

    ¡°You are, but not to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! You¡¯re wrong!¡±

    ¡°Marie, I love you.¡±

    ¡°I know! I love you too! But I¡¯m a lesbian! Mom sacrificed her relationships with so many people because of me. She chose me! What if¡­¡± Tears were falling down her cheeks.

    ¡°Marie. I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯m not like you. I can only show the truth, I don¡¯t know how to make people accept it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the truth¡­¡± She went for the door, but I stopped her. ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Gray!¡±

    I kissed her. She punched me in the boob.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± She pulled away.

    ¡°Marie. Take a step back. I can¡¯t help you... But you can. What would you say to me if I was in your shoes? How would you help me? You¡¯d help me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± She stopped for an instant, her tears ceasing. ¡°I¡­would tell you to stop being a drama queen.¡± She winced. ¡°No. That¡¯s what I would say if I was angry at you. I¡¯m saying that because I¡¯m angry at myself.¡±

    ¡°Mh mh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d tell you it doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever label you put on yourself, it cannot encapsulate the truth. I¡¯m always arguing about that with Jay. Man, woman, lesbian, straight, black, white. Who cares?¡±

    ¡°Lots of people care.¡± I answered.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s all fake. All false labels. All things we learned and were taught to believe in. But it¡¯s not reality. You¡¯re Gray, that¡¯s the only truth. If you¡¯re a lesbian but you love a man, so what?¡±

    ¡°And you are Marie.¡±

    She sat on my bed. ¡°But my mom¡­It broke her¡­seeing my dad like that¡­all because I was different. What now? ¡®Sorry mom, in the end, I¡¯m going out with a guy?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a guy. I¡¯m Gray.¡±

    She looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m so selfish.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re selfish because you think about your mother?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to disappoint her!¡±

    I sat next to her.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be disappointed. We can¡¯t even tell her anyway.¡±

    ¡°GREAT! So, I¡¯m an asshole AND a liar. I don¡¯t even understand why¡­transform into Ray.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I did as she asked.

    ¡°See. You¡¯re practically naked, and I don¡¯t feel a thing.¡± She added. ¡°But¡­¡± She kissed me.

    I realized the feeling of her lips on mine was not so different now that I could concentrate on it.

    ¡°But shit.¡± She broke the kiss.

    ¡°Yup. Language though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, give me a break.¡±

    I transformed back into Igris. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a lesbian.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Marie.¡±

    She looked at the ground in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°Throwing back my words right at me, I see.¡±

    ¡°You taught me that.¡±

    She grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll need to think about it.¡±

    ¡°Mh mh.¡±

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± She looked me in the eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re sexy when full of snot and tears.¡±

    ¡°Ew.¡±

    I kissed her again.

 Living with millennia-old creatures is...normal?

    A week passed. Stan had come to meet our new room neighbor Friday evening, which provided a great amount of stress to both Marie and I, but Astarte had acted¡­quite natural. He was taken aback by her teeth and apparent age, and gave us strange looks all evening, but it went well.

    Stan¡¯s parents were the ones who sold the apartment to Astarte, indirectly, through the building agency offering them suddenly a more than great offer.

    Stan had been furious at first, but he had calmed down when given a new apartment with the money, as his parents had actually invested most of it for his new flat.

    We teased him about it extensively, as he was now living with his girlfriend in one of those ¡°high class¡± apartments. By high class it meant fifty square meters, it was still student standards of living, after all.

    Astarte had been more than accommodating during this last week, which had surprised me.

    Marie only comment on the subject had been: ¡°It¡¯s harder to say no to a friend.¡± She seemed to like the fake teenager though, as she was always taken in by her crazy stories.

    Right now, the fall of Carthage was my personal favorite.

    That and they played videogames together.

    My girlfriend and the scary deified being were playing some sort of far west game together, taking turns, as it was apparently solo.

    I didn¡¯t really see the point, and the excessive violence bothered me, but as long as she was happy, I was too.

    Two days after Stan¡¯s visit, Marie informed me of another stress-inducing evening in the making.

    ¡°Natasha is coming tonight.¡± She was looking at her phone inside what was more and more becoming our bed. I hadn¡¯t slept in my room for ages, and it was just becoming my painting studio. On that note, contrary to my fears, Astarte hadn¡¯t bothered me at all and had even given me tips about color gradients.

    She apparently worked in a textile factory during the 19<sup>th</sup> century.

    ¡°Natasha? That¡¯s sudden. Did she decide on her own or asked you first?¡± I asked, still sleepy. The clock showed six in the morning.

    ¡°She asked, I just accepted.¡±

    ¡°When did she send you the message? I don¡¯t see her as the early jogger type.¡±

    ¡°Five in the morning, probably end of the night for her. She¡¯s not answering, so she must be sleeping right now.¡±

    ¡°Why the visit? You think something happened with her boss?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to worry about my friend. No, she¡¯s fine, I asked her if anything weird happened, but apparently, except an old god coming to drink inside the club, nothing.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t tell you about it, I didn¡¯t want to know.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s way too calm.¡± I seemingly changed subjects.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Our roommate.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. Can we do something about it?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    She raised her arms in the air. ¡°Nothing to worry about then.¡±

    ¡°What a great life philosophy.¡±

    Marie pinched my nose. ¡°No cynicism allowed on these premises.¡±

    I grinned.

    ¡°So, Natasha, why is she coming then?¡±

    ¡°She wants to get closer to you, definitely, and she understands you won¡¯t be coming to the club regularly, as I told her you didn¡¯t like those places much.¡±

    Marie had gone to the club once this past week, without me. I didn¡¯t mind it at all. She asked me if I wanted to come, and I had refused. She always sent me messages the whole night so I never worried. Cute and thoughtful.

    ¡°Why accept the sexual predator then?¡± It was my attempt at a nickname for the demoness.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re way worse a predator than she is, and because it¡¯s not the only reason. She wants to check up on me, she¡¯s worried by me being suddenly in a serious relationship.¡±

    ¡°She told you that?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    But Marie knew, nonetheless. I scratched the back of her spine.

    ¡°Stop that, it tickles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to have her for dinner, but what about Astarte?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have my friend for dinner.¡± It¡¯s not what I meant, and Marie knew it, but the pun made her grin. ¡°Arte is busy tonight.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°She smiled when she was talking about it.¡± Marie gave me a bothered look.

    ¡°Let¡¯s never ask about it then.¡±

    ¡°My reaction exactly.¡±

    ¡°It could be a gaming convention, you never know.¡±

    Marie laughed softly.

    Natasha was thirty minutes late, the clock showed seven-thirty PM.

    ¡°Is that normal¡­?¡± I asked Marie.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯ll be there soon now, this late is her personal minimum.¡±

    My nose tingled, and perfume I recognized filled my nostrils.

    ¡°She¡¯s downstairs.¡±

    ¡°You heard her?¡±

    ¡°No, too much noise at this hour, her smell though, is easy to spot.¡±

    ¡°Creep.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Five minutes later, the sound of heels echoed in the exterior corridor.

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s her.¡± Marie heard the footsteps as well.

    She opened the door before Natasha could ring the bell.

    ¡°Nat, come in.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m finally invited in your den, how nice.¡±

    ¡°You did it first, I felt obligated.¡±

    ¡°Is Igris there? I¡¯m only ten minutes late so¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re forty minutes late.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    I watched the two women enter the living room, still trying my best in rolling the sushi.

    ¡°Igris! I¡¯m happy to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I had to stop as I got a full view of what she was wearing. It was skimpy at the club, but well, it was the club. I was expecting something less revealing.

    I was clearly wrong.

    The opened leather jacket was the only normal piece of clothing, she had a transparent red fishnet shirt and a velvet, dark, bra underneath. The leggings were also in leather, with chains on the side, and very form-fitting. Her noisy boots with heels were the stereotypical goth footwear. I gave a glance towards Marie.

    ¡®When you said she was coming here to seduce me, were you not joking?¡¯ I tried to send out mentally.

    She stared at me back, clearly not answering my question, because her answer was more like: ¡®What were you just looking at?!¡¯

    ¡°Wait, you live here?¡± Natasha suddenly asked me.

    ¡°Yes?¡± I responded, almost pointing at my paint-filled t-shirt only acceptable indoors. Should I have worn something better to welcome our host? Definitely, but I only prepared with a 48h notice.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we tell you last time we met?¡± Marie said.

    ¡°Maybe. Too much happened that day, I must have forgotten. Are you making your own sushi?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it''s nothing special, it¡¯s cheaper to do them yourself, it just takes time to prepare the rice. Nothing close to the real ones, though.¡±

    ¡°They look professionally made.¡± Natasha complimented.

    ¡°You can sit at the table, I need to roll and cut two more batches and we can eat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of sushi.¡±

    ¡°I eat a lot.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Only muscles though.¡±

    My clothes revealed my bare arms, but the rest was rather loose-fitted, so she couldn¡¯t know about my six-pack. Probably for the better.

    I continued my kitchen work, while letting Marie catch up with her friend.

    ¡°Hannah is single now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? What happened with Yue?¡±

    ¡°Cheated on her.¡±

    ¡°Dang, I¡¯m not close to Hannah, but that sucks.¡±

    ¡°I may be the one at fault.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I did not fuck Yue, but well¡­¡± Natasha was scratching the back of her head. ¡°I did a ritual, you know, for magic last week, and sometimes, the energy goes a bit awry, and hits other people.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What happens then?¡± Whenever anyone talked about magic, I could almost imagine Marie¡¯s ears perking up like a cute pup.

    ¡°Well, they go sexy time.¡±

    Marie facepalmed.

    ¡°Nat¡­¡±

    ¡°It feels good to be able to tell someone, I feel really bad about it. Could you help me get them back together somehow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a counselor!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you that, just¡­you know¡­help me find a way to explain to Hannah it wasn¡¯t Yue¡¯s fault?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± I announced, cutting the conversation short.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Natasha watched as I deposited plates of sushi, sashimi and maki sushi in front of her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it another time.¡± Marie finished talking and broke the one-use wooden chopsticks into two pieces.

    Dinner went well, and Natasha talked about her magic and some mishaps of her past. Some were quite funny. Some were frankly disgusting.

    ¡°That last one was horrible, Nat.¡± Marie noted. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry anymore.¡±

    ¡°My master plan worked; I have more sushi for myself!¡± Her chopsticks fell towards the plate of salmon, but I was faster.

    ¡°Hey!¡± She looked at the piece of salmon she had gone for disappearing in my mouth. ¡°You already ate three times what Marie and I did combined!¡±

    ¡°I like fresh fish.¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°Where did you find it, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Marie and I made a friend who fishes as a hobby.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cool, you¡¯ll have to introduce me sometimes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Diamond Shell.¡± Marie said like it was nothing.

    ¡°Haha, good one.¡± Natasha reacted, but as she looked at Marie her smile faltered. ¡°Wait, really?¡±

    My girlfriend only raised her shoulders, not saying anything else.

    ¡°I hate it when you do that.¡±

    Marie blew her a kiss.

    ¡°Hey, those are mine, give it back.¡± I said with fake anger.

    ¡°Come and get it.¡± Teased the sex witch with a wink.

    ¡°Nat¡­¡±

    ¡°What! He started it. No, you did!¡±

    ¡°It was just a warning.¡±

    ¡°Good. By the way, no connection in any way, but I got you your magic lessons!¡±

    ¡°Fuck yeah!!!¡± Marie exclaimed, sending some sticky rice in the air with her suddenly raised hands. ¡°Sorry Gray¡­¡±

    ¡°My ear is bleeding.¡±

    Natasha looked at us with questions in her eyes but asked nothing.

    ¡°Both of you free Tuesday morning?¡± She said instead.

    ¡°I am, but you¡¯ve got lessons, no?¡± I asked Marie.

    ¡°They are cancelled.¡±

    ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°Since now.¡±

    ¡°Are those not the super important ones you can¡¯t skip?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be deadly sick.¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh.¡± So, me transforming into Igris wasn¡¯t good enough to skip them, but magic lessons were. Interesting, interesting.

    ¡°Where and when?¡± Marie ignored me.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Thanks for the evening. Igris, the food was delicious¡± and before Marie could intervene, she kissed my cheek.

    ¡°Nat!¡±

    ¡°Tally Ho!¡± The ¡®demon¡¯ tried to flee.

    ¡°Wait. Nat?¡± I stopped her.

    ¡°Yup? Want that three¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Shouted my girlfriend.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Did you have any problems with your boss recently?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s super busy lately, I only heard from him once this month. He wanted to know about old myths, things like that.¡±

    Marie and I gave away the exact same forced smile, with clenched teeth and anxious laugh.

    She looked at us both. ¡°Seriously, what the hell is happening here. What kind of mess are you two¡­¡±

    As she said mess, a ding sound was heard and Astarte, with five or six bags filled on the brim in goodies, star-shaped sunglasses on her nose, and a t-shirt where ¡°I love Star-Wars¡± was written on, got out of the opening elevator doors.

    The was blood all over the dark t-shirt, invisible to the eye, but the smell very easily recognizable.

    We all gave her a shocked look, but Natasha¡¯s was clearly also terrorized.

    ¡°Uhm.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Natasha, right? The succubus?¡± Astarte gave her the usual sharkish smile.

    Natasha immediately bowed down. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Pshh, don¡¯t do that, you¡¯re Marie¡¯s friend, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Natasha stood back up, and then stopped moving completely, trying her best to imitate a frozen statue.

    ¡°You seem nice. But I guess you¡¯re the one taking my spot in the line.¡±

    Natasha looked at us, then back at Astarte, confused a small word considering her face.

    ¡°Natasha, meet our new roommate.¡± Marie said, the most naturally possible. ¡°Who apparently went to a¡­Star Wars convention?¡±

    ¡°Yes! How fun it was, such chaos! Such violence! Never seen it since the Great Fear in 1789! And they didn¡¯t even take LSD beforehand!¡±

    ¡°Uh uh?¡± I was still focused on the blood. There was a lot of it but coming from multiple sources. What the hell happened?

    ¡°Guess you were right about the gaming convention¡­somewhat.¡± Marie said out loud.

    She couldn¡¯t see the blood. Was Astarte such a big fan she had killed everyone there to steal their goodies? No, there was not that much blood, and only on her t-shirt.

    ¡°Can I pass?¡± Astarte asked us, as we were blocking the passageway.

    ¡°Of course.¡± In her hurry, Natasha almost passed over the new temporary railing.

    I caught her by her fishnet and let Astarte through.

    ¡°Want to play tonight?¡± Astarte asked Marie as she went inside.

    ¡°No, thanks I¡¯ve eaten too much, I want to zone out with Gray.¡±

    ¡°Pfuh, wait I smell raw fish. Sushi?¡±

    ¡°There is some for you, but you have to make them, I thought¡­¡± I began.

    ¡°Did you follow my instructions?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I may have asked the millennia monster cooking advices, but who would remember that very vain part of myself?

    ¡°It was good then. I¡¯ll make myself some.¡±

    And she disappeared inside.

    ¡°What¡­the¡­FUCK!¡± Natasha shouted.

    I winced. And Astarte could still hear us, I was sure of it, so Natasha shouldn¡¯t have lowered her guard already.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we wanted to end the evening early.¡± Marie explained.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. That, that¡¯s¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a preview of our mess now.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh my god. I thought I had a good idea of what was going on. Shit Marie, just¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, she¡¯s been nice until now. She was the one who taught Gray to make sushi.¡±

    Hey! Don¡¯t remember that!

    ¡°Gray.¡± Natasha repeated the word. ¡°Not Igris. You call Ray Gray as well. How do you distinguish, Marie?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± I answered instead of my best friend.

    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t want to know more, I¡¯m still unreliable.¡±

    ¡°No worries, it doesn¡¯t even matter anymore. But, I¡¯m not telling you because it¡¯s not my secret to share.¡± Marie told her.

    ¡°I got it, I got it. No worries. I¡¯ll be going now. Don¡¯t piss the old god off, please. I want to fuck both of¡­¡±

    ¡°Piss off!¡± Marie kicked her gently on the butt.

    And Natasha fled.

    ¡°Such bad influence on your language, this young lady is.¡± I said in a posh British accent.

    ¡°Would you ever forgive me, grandfather?¡± Marie answered in a way worse rendition than mine.

    ¡°No, you shall be punished.¡±

    ¡°Oooh.¡± She said with a dramatic hand in front of her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make sure Astarte didn¡¯t kill anyone first though.¡± I continued in a more serious tone.

    ¡°It was a Star Wars convention.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s that supposed to mean.¡± I conceded.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the Star Wars community, then.¡±

    I gave her a confused look.

    As we entered back inside, Astarte was cutting sushi at unimaginable speed.

    ¡°Cook your rice for twenty more seconds and rinse it with less water next time.¡± She commented while her eyes were focused on the task at hand.

    ¡°Got it¡­did you kill someone?¡±

    ¡°Plenty. Not today though. With time, I¡¯ve gotten tired of endings.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to bother the being of old any more, and Marie and I went back to her/our room.

 Magic 101

    ¡°Magic!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Gray! Magic!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Why did this trip feel like bringing my kid to D*sn**l*nd?

    The taxi had just dropped us off outside the city, in the coniferous woods surrounding the eastern border of the city.

    The whole state was quite rural in nature, and you didn¡¯t need to drive long before meeting forest and fields alike.

    We were in a in-between here. In front of us was the beginning of the dark forest I did not know the name of, and behind were large fields of corn. At the center of this boundary, we stood, facing a beautiful house and a greenhouse.

    I said the house was beautiful, but that was just a personal preference. It gave the feeling ghosts lived inside, and so most people would have said it was creepy, and maybe I would have too if it was night. Under the sun of the awakening spring, it was only peaceful to me. It seemed like a lived-in house and was an old building, but its condition was pristine.

    Our teacher, well mainly Marie¡¯s teacher, hadn¡¯t asked us to visit her house though, and we walked towards the greenhouse.

    Natasha had said our teacher would be young, but that was in comparison with other U magic teachers. Our teacher¡¯s name was Illy, and she was, according to Natasha, a forty-year old-ish nature witch with a husband that worked at NASA.

    If that wasn¡¯t a killer duo, I didn¡¯t know what was.

    Marie had texted the middle-aged woman quite a lot since she had gotten her number, and the greenhouse was where we were expected to come.

    ¡°Is someone there?¡± I asked in my best horror story rendition, as we entered the opened glass door.

    The inside was not as green as you would expect a greenhouse to be. It was actually very colorful, most of the flora inside were flowers with crazy color distribution, and even stranger plants. Some had the roots seemingly inverted out, others had Morningstar-like leaves, and one was quite large, had two legs and was giving us a big smile.

    Wait no, the last one was a human being in a green dress, my bad. Her hair was disheveled, she was a bit on the heavy side, she had earth all over her face, and had very sharp hazel eyes.

    ¡°Welcome! Welcome, to my humble about!¡± She began, fumbling on her words. ¡°Oh no. I meant to say to my humble abode. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She gave us a very worried look, like we were going to go away on the spot. ¡°I¡¯m so excited, no one wants to learn about nature magic anymore, and then new U babies. Just for me! Please don¡¯t leave.¡±

    I immediately liked the middle-aged woman a lot, but maybe not for good reasons. She was acting like a rabbit, and my stomach was rumbling.

    Marie had heard the noise, and she cleared her throat, before giving the witch a nice, reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving before I¡¯ve learned everything there is to know about nature magic, don¡¯t be worried!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Marie, right? So great! I¡¯ve never had anyone so motivated to learn! And you¡¯re Igris, right?¡±

    I blinked a few times and looked down. Yup, I was in Igris¡¯s body. ¡°Yes, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, you want to be called Gray, Marie told me that in her message, sorry, I forgot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯re very happy you¡¯ll teach us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you want to use magic too? I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be good for me to try¡­¡± At her face crumbling in sadness in front of me, no warning could have stopped me from changing the end of my sentence with ¡°¡­but once can¡¯t hurt¡­right?¡± That last part was directed to the darkness within me.

    IF YOU CREATE TOO MUCH CHAOS, IT BECOMES ORDER AGAIN.

    The Beast actually answered me. It was already gone, and the sentence didn¡¯t help me in any way, but it was something at least.

    The witch had no idea of what was happening inside me, and just squeaked in joy. ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you! Come on then, join me.¡± She urged us with her hand to get closer.

    Two small spaces had been made in the long rows of plants, though a leaf was still sticking out from a larger one and was poking my nose annoyingly.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll introduce myself, I¡¯m Illy, or Mrs. Fenwood, it¡¯s my husband¡¯s name, and I like to be called Mrs. Fenwood, but I¡¯d prefer you call me Illy. That¡¯s how my friends call me, and I would love for us to become friends.

    Her jovial attitude was hard to resist, and I cracked a smile. Marie had been smiling non-stop since we had arrived, so it was harder to say in her case.

    ¡°You can call me Marie, Illy.¡±

    ¡°And me Gray.¡±

    We had said that already, but well, it was difficult not to introduce yourself once someone had done the same.

    The witch made little happy movements with her fists. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve dreamed about this so much! So, you¡¯re here to learn about magic.¡±

    Marie¡¯s ears perked up. I grinned.

    ¡°There are many types of magic." The witch began immediately, maybe as excited as Marie was. "But there is also only one. Wait, that¡¯s confusing. I mean the energy is the same for everyone, but the techniques to gather it are endless.¡±

    ¡°Energy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If you¡¯ll stay for dinner, you¡¯ll ask my husband, he¡¯s way more knowledgeable about it than I am, but he believes magic is coming from another dimension.¡±

    ¡°Cool! Sci-fi and fantasy mixed into one!¡± Marie was already fangirling. I simply waited for the exciting stuff to happen.

    ¡°Basically, you can only use your own magic, but everything has only very little magic in it, the human body being no exception to the rule.¡±

    ¡°No genetics involved?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, nothing is equal in this world. But in magic quantity, even if you had three times as much as someone else, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough to do... this.¡±

    She opened her palms, and inside, a tiny water droplet emerged, then grew bigger and bigger, until it was the size of a baseball. She made it hover over a plant, then the water fell down on it.

    ¡°Gray! Gray! It''s magic!¡± Said the little girl who had stolen my girlfriend''s place.

    I wasn¡¯t going to ruin the moment by saying it would have been faster to use a watering can.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun!¡± Illy said to us cheerfully. ¡°But that¡¯s a really basic spell, usually only used for training. That¡¯s why it will be the one I teach you first.¡±

    ¡°But we can¡¯t do it, because we don¡¯t have enough magic?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s where the real individual differences take part. Your ability to harness magic from external sources. Interestingly, actions, more than living things, create the best magic source. As I get my magic from growing plants and brewing potions¡­¡±

    ¡°Potions!¡±

    ¡°¡­I am called a nature witch. Or a plant demon. If you¡¯re a sixteenth-century inquisitor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten to tell you about that.¡± I joked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That I¡¯m a sixteenth-century inquisitor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Oh!¡± She started laughing. ¡°It¡¯s so rare for someone to joke about that in the U, it feels good to have people so simple. Oh, I didn¡¯t mean simple in a bad way, I meant¡­¡±

    I laughed wholeheartedly myself. ¡°I¡¯ve got it, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°So, where was I¡­¡±

    I stopped listening for a second, just to check if Marie was still breathing or if she was just staying still and being too overly excited to do anything else.

    I gave her a look, and she turned around to face me, a giant smile on her face.

    ¡°Magic!¡± She said for the two-millionth time.

    Still alive.

    ¡°¡­so you need to gather energy through a magic-creating action, and transfer it inside yourself.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± I remembered some of the effects magic had on the human body, as Natasha had explained to us before.

    ¡°Yes and no. Magic in and of itself is perfectly safe. We can stock as much as we want inside our body, our capacity is almost endless. What¡¯s dangerous is the process of gathering it. Once magic is inside you, not moving, it¡¯s safe. But when you¡¯re pulling it inside, that¡¯s where if you go too fast, bad things happen.¡±

    ¡°Is that why demonologists get their brain fried?¡±

    She was initially frozen in place at my intervention, but quickly recovered.

    ¡°Oh, no, demonologists are very bad, did you meet one?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± We had met way worse.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Good. And to answer your question, yes. Demonologists open a constant pathway through the magic dimension, or hell, as you would call it if you were¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­a fifteenth-century inquisitor.¡± I finished in her stead.

    ¡°Hahaha, no silly. Sixteenth, during the fifteenth they would have called it¡­wait a minute I forgot¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now! I want to learn magic!¡± Marie was almost having tantrums now. Would I need to change her diapers soon?

    ¡°Yes, of course. So, we¡¯ll be using my plants here. You have to draw this sign here.¡± She turned around and pulled out an old book from a library hidden underneath roses I hadn¡¯t spotted before.

    She put the book in front of us on the makeshift desk, and pulled out a pen, darkish ink, and paper made from a strange material.

    ¡°The paper, I make myself out of the plants here, and the sigil you¡¯ll need to copy is very old. Given to me by my mother, who was given it by her mother, and so forth for fifteen generations.¡± She flipped through the large book. It was extremely old, the simple leather covering it completely discolored, as you would guess, but had no dust like in the movies. Probably because it was used all the time.

    ¡°That¡¯s where your innate ability counts. Sometimes, people can draw the sigil perfectly, and have no result, and sometimes, a botched attempt gives great results.¡± She gave Marie and me a very hopeful, yet frightened look.

    The sigil was a simple circle, with straight lines going towards a flowery pictogram at its center.

    ¡°I won¡¯t bother you with the meaning of the sigil right now, just know it¡¯s different depending on the way you want to extract magic. Natasha, for example, would need to draw a different one, preferably with blood, on soft skin, and then have sex with the person she drew it on.¡±

    The word sex coming from this innocent-looking and acting nature witch bothered me slightly, but then I realized she and Natasha had almost the same age and were most likely friends. Marie had told me, you had to fuck Natasha to be friends with her, so I needed to change my opinion of the nature witch.

    I now imagined the woman as sweet and loving, but with sexy leather underwear in her drawers.

    I realized I had done nothing for thirty seconds, and Marie had almost finished her drawing.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Gray?¡± Illy asked me.

    I blinked myself out of my reverie.

    ¡°Yup, no problems, I¡¯ll just wait to see how it goes for Marie first.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Almost¡­Done!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°Let me see.¡± The teacher came closer to my girlfriend. ¡°Yes, very good. I¡¯ve got a good feeling about it.

    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Marie said excitedly.

    ¡°You have to put it on your heart, just slip it under your clothes, sigil on the skin, and think of a flower that grows here. Just look at it and picture it in your mind. Only one though! That¡¯s very important. You¡¯ve never pulled magic in before, so your magic¡­¡± She hesitated on the next word. ¡°Ermmm¡­ tube? Conduit! Your magic conduit is small. If you break it, moving magic will spill into your body, and it¡¯ll be very bad.¡±

    Great, life-threatening risks, here we come. ¡°Marie?¡± I asked her even though the answer was obvious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Don¡¯t worry. One plant. Pick one for me Gray.¡±

    I looked at the teacher, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all.¡± She answered my unasked question.

    I pointed my finger at the strange plant in front of me, the one with the inverted roots.

    ¡°That¡¯s no flower.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect. The Ungodly One has a very scary name, but it¡¯s perfect, as it¡¯s edible, and grows slowly, so pulling from it gives little magic content.¡± The teacher approved.

    ¡°Here goes.¡± Marie said, as she slipped her paper beneath her clothes.

    Nothing happened at first, then the plant¡­shifted?

    Yes, it moved slowly. Was it¡­wilting? It was my enhanced senses which let me see it, as the shift was so microscopic, it wouldn¡¯t be noticed by a normal human being.

    ¡°Perfect, perfect!¡± Illy said. ¡°You can stop now, or the plant will stop growing in the future.¡±

    Marie removed the paper. ¡°I don¡¯t really feel¡­¡± The paper in her hand just scrunched up unnaturally, and the sigil disappeared. ¡°Cool.¡±

    ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t happen with the sigils drawn on humans.¡± I noted, seeing the crunched paper.

    Illy laughed. ¡°It does. But with the same strength, so it just feels like a tickle to the human skin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good.¡± I answered before realizing that my teacher¡¯s sentence meant that she had most likely experienced it firsthand.

    New revision needed, maybe she had a sex dungeon inside her house?

    ¡°Your turn.¡± She urged me to draw.

    A bit anxious, I began reproducing the form on the book on my plant paper. Well, I corrected myself, all paper was plant paper, but this one was from another plant.

    A few strokes was all it took.

    ¡°Wow, that is¡­elegant.¡± She said.

    ¡°Show off. She¡¯s a painter, no fair.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m slightly less hopeful, actually¡­¡± Illy said with a very sad expression.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just try. Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± I did the same thing that Marie did, and put the sigil on my chest in front of my heart. It was beating slowly, unmoved by my mental anxiety.

    ¡°This.¡± Marie pointed at what looked like a small palm tree.

    ¡°Usually people pick flower, you both seem to prefer sturdiness over exterior beauty. It¡¯s good, very good. Those plants aren¡¯t hurt much by the ritual.¡± The teacher noted.

    ¡°We hurt the plants?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± She seemed bothered, for an instant. ¡°We¡¯re taking from the energy of growing, so if you take too much, they¡¯ll just stop growing.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they wilt?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a very different branch of magic.¡± That was a lie. But Illy wouldn¡¯t say more about that subject, as she changed it almost immediately:¡°Gray? Are you concentrating?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± I pictured the small palm tree in my head. The lie would wait for now.

    The palm tree did not move.

    ¡°Could you remove the sigil from your chest, please?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    As I did, the paper in my hand did¡­nothing.

    The sigil was still there.

    ¡°As I feared.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Gray here just isn¡¯t lucky, she¡¯s not attuned with nature magic at all, she¡¯ll have to try other rituals to gain magic.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Marie exclaimed. ¡°But it makes no sense she¡¯s a wo¡­¡±

    I coughed very loudly.

    ¡°¡­wonderful ecologist!¡± My girlfriend finished.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s just how it is. I can still teach you the spell I showed you, though. It will only be a small droplet for Gray, but she¡¯ll be able to use it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it bad if I use all my magic like that?¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t be depleted of your inner magic.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this energy? How can you not deplete it?¡± Marie asked.

    Illy scratched her head. ¡°I can¡¯t explain that part to you, it¡¯s my husband¡¯s theory. What I know is that external magic that you make into your own is like fuel, once you use it, it¡¯s gone. But your inner magic never changes, from birth till death.¡±

    ¡°And your husband has a scientific theory about how it can be like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s very smart.¡±

    If he were at NASA, like Natasha told us, he would be, that¡¯s for sure.

    Illy clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s start. Give me your hands.¡±

    I went to stand next to Marie and gave my hand to the nature witch. Marie did the same.

    ¡°It¡¯s super easy when someone shows you the way, look.¡± Illy said.

    I felt something move inside our teacher, or more like appear then move, it felt weird. Not a smell, not a sound, nothing we could register with our five senses. Still, it existed, and we could feel it.

    ¡°Epic.¡± Marie said out loud.

    I had to admit, it was pretty cool.

    ¡°See what I do with this, now.¡± The thing changed, and something in my brain suddenly unlocked.

    In front of Illy¡¯s face, a ball of water was floating.

    She let go of our hands, and it fell on the ground.

    ¡°Your turn now!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this!¡± Marie shouted. Even though I wasn¡¯t touching her, I had the same feeling as with Illy. Something inside my girlfriend popped up.

    ¡°Erm¡­what then?¡± Marie asked out loud.

    ¡°You have to use your head and picture what you want to do with the energy. Right now, you can only do the one thing I taught you, so just find it inside your brain.¡±

    Marie had a pensive look for a while, then: ¡°Does it have to be a picture?¡±

    ¡°No. Not at all, but it¡¯s really rare¡­¡± Illy began.

    I felt the energy morph, recognized the feeling inside my own brain, and Marie was now faced with a floating ball of water.

    ¡°OH MY GOD GRAY LOOK!¡±

    My ears for heaven¡¯s sake! I gave her an annoyed look; she didn¡¯t care one bit.

    After a few seconds of Marie happily playing with her small ball of water, it began falling on the ground in slow motion. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She said with heart-breaking sadness, as her magic fell apart.

    ¡°Hey look, there is still some there.¡± I pointed at the little droplet in the sky.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s your inner magic, the rest was used up. The plant and sigil couldn¡¯t give you much, only for a simple spell, after all. Gray, your turn.¡± Illy explained before turning towards me.

    ¡°Ok¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this Gray!¡± Marie had stopped her own spell, and was encouraging me.

    ¡°I¡¯m only going to get the droplet experience anyway; I¡¯m not having much hope.¡±

    ¡°Anything can use magic once they¡¯ve been taught how to. I¡¯ve taught it to you, so now you can use it.¡± Illy encouraged me as well.

    ¡°Here goes¡­¡± I repeated Marie¡¯s words.

    I tried making the energy appear.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s funny, I can sense Gray¡¯s magic even though I¡¯m not touching her, is that normal?¡± Marie said out loud.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Illy was now blushing.

    ¡°Oh no.¡± I guessed the following sentence.

    ¡°That¡¯s rather private Marie.¡± Our magic teacher answered.

    ¡°Erm, why?¡± My girlfriend asked.

    ¡°That effect is called the body fusing effect, and only happens for a few hours after sex.¡±

    Marie¡¯s blush came in a deep shade of merlot red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got nothing against gay people¡­¡±

    Well yeah, she knew Natasha, so she probably didn¡¯t have any problems with anything sexual, really. You deviant, dungeon filled with sex toys middle-aged married woman. Wait, maybe she was even a mother? She felt like a mom, really, but it was none of my business.

    ¡°Let¡¯s skip that. Can you use the magic, Gray?¡± Illy asked.

    I concentrated again. I felt the sliver of energy in my core, but it felt¡­partial.

    ¡°Dunno, I¡¯m trying but¡­¡± The energy began popping up as I said that.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Marie weirdly said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re shiny.¡±

    ¡°Shiny?¡± I asked absentmindedly, as I was focusing on the image of a bubble of water in front of me.

    ¡°Shiny?¡± Repeated Illy as well. Before repeating louder ¡°SHINY?¡±

    Something deep down laughed.

    Oh no.

    In front of me, a pool of water suddenly stormed out of nowhere, making me completely lose my focus. I was instantly submerged inside the flood, as were Marie and Illy. The spell instantly stopped, but the whole greenhouse was already flooded. Water burst out of the single door but miraculously the glass panels didn¡¯t break. The water took its sweet time to surge out of the greenhouse, and finally, I found myself on the earthy, now muddy ground, a few meters away from my initial location.

    ¡°Is everyone ok?¡± I asked loudly.

    As Marie was laughing, I had an answer, and Illy moved closer to me, a worried look on her face.

    She was perfectly dry.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Did you lie? Have you done rituals before?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I see. Well, that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Conscient, though.¡± I tried to give her an explanation to the phenomenon.

    ¡°I know, but that doesn¡¯t come into play here. Not according to what I¡¯ve read, at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your greenhouse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret.¡± She gave me a reassuring look. ¡°The walls may be glass, but I warded them long ago, I need to check the plants to stop them from drowning, though.¡± As she said that, she moved towards a fallen lotus flower ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± She whispered as she put it back into its bowl.

    I got back up in a splish splash sound, and saw Marie come towards me, still laughing.

    ¡°That was so¡­magical! You¡¯ve made my day Gray!¡±

    ¡°Not jealous?¡±

    ¡°About what? You failed, extraordinarily so. But it was great, nonetheless.¡±

    I smirked.

    She wasn¡¯t looking at us but Illy interjected, mostly still talking to herself: ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it was a failure, but the magic involved is unnatural. Maybe a curse¡­only an old god would be able to handle such power, and to put it on a curse? Makes no sense.¡±

    I winced.

    ¡°Do you think it''s¡­?¡± I began.

    Marie denied it, shaking her head, then whispered to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand Arte, but on this specific point, I¡¯m pretty sure of myself. She¡¯d definitely do that, just to have a laugh, but then she would have gotten out of her bush by now.¡±

    I agreed with Marie, being sneaky didn''t seem like Astarte''s type of action.

    ¡°Do you have an idea what happened?¡± I asked our magic teacher.

    ¡°Mhh, wha? Oh, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll ask around. It¡¯s really strange though, as even if you were a demonologist and had immense magic flowing constantly through you, the spell wouldn¡¯t have gotten bigger than what you pictured it should be.¡±

    ¡°Great. Another mystery surrounding me.¡±

    ¡°At this point, one more, one less, who cares anymore?¡± Marie added.

    ¡°Is that supposed to help?¡±

    ¡°Nope. It is funny though.¡±

    ¡°Meany.¡±

    ¡°Ow. I¡¯m so hurt.¡± She gave me a sarcastic look.

    I growled.

    Her face changed immediately, and I gave her a wolfish smile.

    ¡°You¡­¡± She began pouting.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the lesson, I¡¯ll have to stay here for a few hours, we can continue afterward if you want.¡± Illy said, unconcerned by the noises behind her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Illy, I need to fix what I¡¯ve done.¡± I answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility as a teacher.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it is, let me help.¡±

    She finally turned around to face us. ¡°That¡¯s really sweet of you. If you really want to, you can take this bucket here and a sponge, and try to remove the excess amounts of water, and put the plants back on their roots. Don¡¯t touch the flowers though. Some are poisonous. Let me handle those. Oh, but before anything else.¡± She moved her hands in the air.

    Warm air vented around us in a frenzy. The flow was unnatural, finding the entrance of our clothes to flow all around and inside. In a few seconds, we were both dry.

    Marie had an enormous grin. ¡°That¡¯s useful!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach it to you then. Do you want to wait inside my house, Marie? My daughter will be back in an hour or so, but you can take anything you want and rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, no. I¡¯ll help you clean as well.¡±

    ¡°But you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just too excited to continue to learn, the faster everything is cleaned up, the happier I will be.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you! If only Rose was so¡­anyway. Thanks to you both. Marie, you can help Gray then.¡±

    Marie and I nodded and began sponging away the remnants of my disastrous spell.

 Magic 102

    ¡°Gray, you shouldn¡¯t try casting spells, at least until I ask around a bit more. But it doesn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t teach you. No dangerous spells though.¡±

    We had taken back our place in front of the desk, and our lesson had resumed.

    ¡°As you saw, teaching and learning magic is extremely simple, you need to know the spell, touch someone while using it, and he¡¯ll have access to it for the rest of his life.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean that even if you¡¯re a nature witch, you could use the same type of magic Natasha uses?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. As I said, there is no type of magic, just ways of gathering it. And that is usually how we define ourselves. Some witches, or family of witches, specialize in one or another spell, and some ways of gathering are more effective than others.¡± She seemed shy all of a sudden. ¡°The reason why nature magic is so¡­well¡­unpopular, is because it¡¯s a really weak way of gathering energy. It¡¯s the safest but¡­ if you look at Natasha and I, we¡¯re both the same age, but she still looks like a twenty-year-old¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Marie put her hand over the middle-aged woman¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Illy, honestly, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a more caring and nicer teacher. I can¡¯t promise you I¡¯ll only be a nature witch, as¡­well¡­I need to be able to get myself out of trouble and I may need a lot of magic for that, but your explanations are really clear, and your magic is super cool.¡±

    Illy gave her a bright smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the nature part, I¡¯ve delved in plenty of different ways of gathering over the years, so I know what it is to be young. It¡¯s just, I like this path. I don¡¯t want to outlive my husband for fifty years, and this method just makes me strong and healthy, while still aging normally with him.¡± The confession seemed so spontaneous and wholesome, it actually made me tear up slightly, so I looked away.

    I had the urge to paint her and her husband now, but I wanted to meet him first.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually so sweet.¡± Marie told her, slightly emotionless.

    ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s get back to it.¡± Illy said before continuing the lesson. ¡°So, just by taking my hand, I¡¯ll teach you plenty of the spells I know. If you make friends with other witches, you could always ask them to teach you their spells as well.¡±

    That sounded too good to be true.

    Marie had come to the same conclusion: ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­idyllic?¡±

    Illy gave a sad smile. ¡°It¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be. We¡¯re not many, and no fighting is allowed within a coven. After the second world war, fighting between covens has been banned as well.¡± She sighed. ¡°But yes, most witches will ask for an exchange of knowledge at least. I¡¯m not partisan of this selfish way of doing. So many gathering methods and spells have been lost over time, just because some stubborn witch didn¡¯t want to teach what she knew.¡±

    I made a mental note for later to ask Astarte to tell us about the World War II from the U¡¯s point of view, that seemed like a great story.

    Our teacher continued talking: ¡°That is something you have to promise though. You won¡¯t use magic to do bad stuff or fight other witches.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have asked that at the beginning?¡± Marie very justly remarked.

    ¡°I¡­forgot¡­¡± Admitted Illy.

    I laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll use my scary water-making abilities to make people¡¯s pools overflow!¡± I said with a villainous voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Illy, I shall stop her with the same water-making abilities!¡± Marie couldn¡¯t resist one-upping my maniacal fantasy: she had said that with an overexaggerated heroic voice.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Then Illy began laughing again. ¡°I always forget you two are new to this world. You have to be careful though, lots of U members take things way too seriously. They¡¯ll believe you. Could you promise me though, that you won¡¯t do bad things with my magic?¡±

    I stopped smiling, and very seriously answered. ¡°I shall not use it for evil deeds.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll only use it to defend myself or my loved ones.¡± Marie said solemnly, but with her smile still there.

    ¡°Thank you. But please, use it to teach others too. Well. only U members of course¡­sadly.¡±

    She had whispered that last word, but I understood what she meant. Even the simple water magic she had taught us could save every arid country from starvation or desertification in a snap. But goodhearted witches like Illy weren¡¯t allowed to teach it, in fear of human persecution and the inflexible First Law from the U.

    I changed the subject. ¡°How do you create magic then?¡±

    ¡°From scratch?¡± Illy perked up. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question! By perfectly understanding the concept you want the energy to transform into. The best example is actually pyromancy.¡±

    ¡°Pyromancy?¡± Marie said excitedly.

    ¡°Yup. I know a few spells, but they consume way more energy than most, so I¡¯ll refrain from showing them to you. They are quite dangerous too, as you would expect. But basically, before science discovered atoms, and how heat propagated, there had been only one recorded family of pyromancers in human history, who disappeared during the roman empire, if my history is correct. Once science discovered atoms, the spells were almost immediately found again, and now most witches can use one or two pyromancy spells.¡±

    ¡°You need¡­science...to create magic?¡± Marie asked, astonished.

    ¡°Well, yes, basically. Most spells have been discovered with trial and error, but with scientific basis and research, it makes discovering new spells oh so easy. Let me demonstrate with something safer than fire. I¡¯ll teach it to you at the same time.¡± She held out her hands.

    As I grabbed her left one and Marie the other, the nature witch closed her eyes. I felt the energy appear, just like before, but this time, it took a different shape. It was wrong to call it that, as it was not visual in any way, but I could not explain it better.

    Once again, something in me just unlocked, like it had always been there.

    The old book on the table closed on its own, then began levitating towards the shelf hidden behind the roses, where it just put itself back in place.

    ¡°Telekinesis!¡± Marie said loudly.

    I winced.

    ¡°Yup. This one is super useful, as you would imagine, and doesn¡¯t cost much in terms of energy, as long as the object isn¡¯t too heavy. And it was only discovered in the 19<sup>th</sup> century.¡± Illy explained.

    ¡°Imagine tidying up the kitchen!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°Yeah, doing everything from your couch¡­ you¡¯ll get obese.¡± I commented.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that¡­¡±

    Illy scratched the back of her head. ¡°She¡¯s right though, you shouldn¡¯t use it to get out of your chores, or you¡¯ll quickly look like me.¡± She said with a saddened voice.

    ¡°Oh Illy, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± I began.

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m fat. I¡¯m trying to get thinner, but I got too used in using magic, and it''s really holding me back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not that fat.¡± Marie said with her usual tactfulness.

    ¡°Marie¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Illy sniffed loudly. ¡°No, no. You¡¯re not upsetting me, it¡¯s true. I could use a spell to get rid of it but¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a spell to get rid of fat?¡± Marie and I said at the same time.

    ¡°What do you need to know something like that?¡± Marie said to me with a mean look.

    ¡°What? I could gain weight.¡±

    ¡°This is so much something Ray wouldn¡¯t have cared about before.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to pin the fault on me, you asked the same thing.¡±

    Illy interjected: ¡°Erm¡­I don¡¯t really know what you two are talking about, but yes, there is a pyromancy type spell which can burn fat.¡±

    ¡°Pyromancy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. It hurts a lot, burning fat is quite literal, in this case.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± I was much less interested in it, now.

    ¡°What is it, though?¡± Marie persisted.

    I sighed out loud.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you another day, it¡¯s more complex, and more demanding magic-wise, so you¡¯ll need to grow your conduit a bit before you can use it.¡±

    Marie¡¯s smile fell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you plenty of papers, and a plant though, take magic from it every day for one minute, until¡­this weekend good for you?¡±

    Her smile came back. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be delighted!¡±

    ¡°What about you, Gray?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but I probably won¡¯t participate though. I have to work.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a painter, right? Like a digital artist or something?¡±

    ¡°Nope, old-fashioned one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s rare.¡± Illy said nothing else.

    I smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°Yup, best way to piss of his dad, that was.¡± Marie explained.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Oh, you were rebellious?¡± Illy asked.

    ¡°Were?¡± Marie laughed.

    I growled.

    This time, Illy noticed the inhuman sound, and looked at me funny.

    ¡°Did you make that noise?¡±

    Fortunately, before I could answer, another voice made its apparition.

    ¡°Mooom? Did you use my computer again?¡± A teenager penetrated the premises of the greenhouse.

    ¡°Rose, Honey! I told you to wait for my lesson to be done.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I need my computer.¡±

    In front of us was the absolute quintessential teenager. She had a cutesy face, contrasted heavily by the piercings on her nose and ears. She had short black hair, a t-shirt with ¡°fuck the police¡± written on under a dark sweater with an obscure band name and her jeans had one too many holes.

    ¡°Where are your beanie and scarf, honey?¡±

    ¡°Forgot them at school.¡± That was a lie, I noted.

    Marie and I said nothing, observing the scene.

    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s¡­¡± Illy began, then looked at us and contained her anger. ¡°The computer is in the kitchen, I used it to look up some recipes.¡±

    ¡°Why not use your phone?¡± The teenager asked aggressively.

    ¡°Rose. Don¡¯t talk to me like that. You know it¡¯s written too small on my phone, and me and your father were the ones who paid for your computer anyway.¡±

    ¡°You mean dad paid it. You¡¯re just the housewife.¡±

    ¡°Rose! Get out! We¡¯ll have a talk together later. You see I have guests, and you can¡¯t even say hi!¡±

    The teenager finally looked at us.

    ¡°Hey.¡± She said with a flat voice.

    ¡°Rose.¡± I tilted my head.

    ¡°Hi, little bundle of originality.¡± Said Marie with a mean smile.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°What?¡± Rose said angrily.

    ¡°What?¡± Answered Marie innocently.

    ¡°Rose! Go to your room.¡± Illy interposed herself and tried to sound authoritative.

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The moody teen left, not impressed in the least.

    Illy looked back at us. ¡°I think this means the end of today¡¯s lesson. Sorry. I¡¯d understand if you don¡¯t want to stay for dinner. My son never gave me any problems, but Rose is¡­well she doesn¡¯t listen to me anymore.¡±

    ¡°She does.¡± Marie countered. ¡°Just with a five-year latency.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Illy asked, almost hopeful.

    ¡°I was like her when I was younger. Gave my mom hell. I feel really bad about it now, but I remember most of what she told me at the time, and try to better myself now.¡±

    Illy gave us a sad look.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­She liked learning magic so much when she was younger, but since¡­It¡¯s just different, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°In any case, we¡¯ll stay for dinner. I want to meet your husband.¡± I decided.

    ¡°Oh, Henry is a genius, you¡¯ll see. I¡¯m really happy you¡¯ll be there. We¡¯re so isolated from everything, we barely get any visitors, and Henry usually works at home, so he doesn¡¯t have many coworker friends.¡±

    ¡°What does he do, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Software programming. He coded some of the lines in the Mars Rover, you know!¡± She said extremely proudly.

    That was pretty cool, undeniably.

    ¡°In any case.¡± She continued. ¡°I need to begin cooking. You like steak?¡±

    The word alone made me salivate.

    ¡°Yup, we¡¯re not vegetarians.¡± Marie answered in my stead, giving me a grin.

    ¡°Oh! Before I forget.¡± She foraged a plastic bag from out of the foliage and looked inside it. ¡°Great, it was spared. Here Marie, ink and paper. I prepared one for Gray too but¡­¡±

    ¡°Not really useful. No problem, I understand.¡±

    ¡°And also, take the Ungodly One.¡± She took the inverted root plant and gave the whole lot to Marie.

    ¡°Oh. Wait.¡± Said my girlfriend, suddenly her hands full.

    ¡°Perfect. She needs water every day, but not too much. Put it in a bright spot too, if you can. But don¡¯t let too many people see it, it¡¯s not supposed to exist. You can follow me inside now.¡± Illy continued undisturbed.

    ¡°Want some help?¡± I asked my girlfriend.

    ¡°Yup, take the bag, don¡¯t touch the Ungodly One.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Way too creepy name for you not to destroy the whole universe just by holding it.¡±

    I laughed, took the plastic bag, and followed Illy outside.

    We took a little gravel road towards the back of her house. We passed next to a large vegetable garden and fruit trees, that were already blooming flowers, quite unnaturally for this early in the season.

    ¡°Magiiiic.¡± Marie had noticed the same thing I had.

    We entered the house taking little stairs leading to a veranda, itself connected to a large kitchen. It was a rather stereotypically American inside the house, except there were vegetables and plants everywhere, and a large cat sleeping on the kitchen counter.

    ¡°Morpheus! Your manners!¡± Illy reprimanded him.

    The cat looked at her with the characteristic look of disdain only cats had mastered.

    ¡°Shoo, shoo!¡± She continued.

    The cat was black, with white only on his paws, making it seem like socks. It daigned to move, albeit slowly, and dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Hi, little one.¡± Said Marie kneeling towards him awkwardly with the plant in her hands.

    Morpheus went to sniff her, but then looked at me with pure horror, hissed, and fled like a cruise missile upstairs.

    ¡°What got into him?¡± Illy asked out loud.

    I was grinning wolfishly.

    I stopped immediately as Marie was staring at me.

    ¡°Gray. You feel proud of yourself?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do a thing.¡±

    ¡°Hm hm.¡±

    ¡°Better like that, anyway, he¡¯s always begging for food when I cook, or tries to kill me by tripping me.¡± The now apron-wearing housewife said while washing her hands.

    ¡°He¡¯s cute.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s cat, so even though it is cute, you should be careful around it.¡± She said with a sad smile on her face.

    ¡°Do you need some help in the kitchen?¡±

    Illy turned around almost angry. ¡°No! You helped me way too much, and you are my guests. Please go wait in the living room, there are plenty of texts about magic, and you can put the plant on the table!¡± And just like she had with the cat, she shooed us away, driving us to the next room.

    It was a living room and it was the definition of homely. Leather couches, a television up on the wall with a chimney beneath it. Beautiful tapestry on the ground giving the place a warm fuzzy feeling. It was rather messy, books, magazines, some forgotten clothes like a beanie and a scarf, and lots and lots of family pictures were scattered around.

    As I checked the picture, I could guess they had a family of four, the son seemed older than Rose, and there was a picture of him with a medicine diploma in his hands.

    ¡°Gray, look!¡± Marie had put the plant on whatever space there was left on the little table and was showing me an encyclopedia about old creatures that should have been myths.

    ¡°Nice.¡± I looked at the books and magazines dropped a bit willy-nilly everywhere myself.

    Witch magazines n¡ã537, Margaret¡¯s renowned compulsion resistance elixir.

    Housewives, how to cook asparagus.

    Scientific American, Habitat on Mars for 2050?

    I even saw a book written in Latin, which had to be a spellbook, because, it was written in Latin?

    ¡°Hey Marie, look at what I found.¡± I showed it to her. ¡°Magic book?¡± A smell coming from the top of the stairs in the next room informed me we were being spied on by a nosy teen.

    My best friend giggled. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s obviously a Latin version of Antigone.¡±

    ¡°Anti¡­oh the Greek tragedy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t read much but I do know the classics. Why is it in Latin if it¡¯s Greek?¡±

    Rose decided to make her presence known, or that was what she believed.

    ¡°Mom tries to learn Latin.¡± She climbed down the stairs. They led to the house¡¯s entrance, but there was no door separating it from the living room, so she just walked straight to us.

    She dropped on the couch by jumping over it.

    ¡°Rose, was it?¡± Marie sat down on some type of comfy chair. I recognized the voice as professional Marie. She really couldn¡¯t stop herself.

    THAT IS WHY SHE IS LOVED BY CHAOS.

    I wasn¡¯t ready at all for the Beast¡¯s intervention and was so startled I dropped the Greek tragedy on the ground.

    I didn¡¯t bother asking IT what it meant. And just picked up the book.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Hey, careful with that.¡± The teenager provocatively reprimanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, sorry.¡±

    Marie gave me a look like she knew there was something more, but let it slide.

    ¡°So, Rose. How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Fourteen. You?¡±

    Fourteen with piercings?

    ¡°Twenty-two.¡± Marie answered.

    ¡°And you just begin magic now? Good luck ever getting good, especially with my mom¡¯s trash Gathering.¡±

    PUPS SHOULD BE BROKEN ONCE OR TWICE.

    Marie¡¯s look in my direction told me I probably didn¡¯t have a very reassuring expression on my face.

    Fortunately, the teen was still talking to Marie, mocking her mother¡¯s way of life.

    I was afraid though that I would soon have to hunt something. Maybe if I went in the woods for a day or two, IT would be satisfied.

    The low grumbling laughter inside my body wasn¡¯t giving me much hope.

    ¡°¡­you want to get good? Use nature magic correctly. Look!¡± Rose was showing off a rune, written on the same type of paper we had used before. She put in under her clothes and extended her hand towards the Ungodly One.

    ¡°Wait, what are you¡­?¡± Marie tried to stop her.

    The Ungodly One began wilting, if you could call it that, and I had the strange feeling of it¡­losing something.

    It was dying, at an alarming speed.

    Marie had not realized. I intervened, moving fast in front of her and my plant.

    ¡°Stop it CHILD.¡±

    The sudden rumble of my voice surprised even me, not to talk about the teenager who jumped on her seat, completely unprepared for the speed of my movement.

    ¡°Wow what the fuck bitch?¡±

    I winced.

    ¡°Anyway, look. Same thing my mother taught you, but two hundred times more effective. I can throw two or three fireballs with one plant.¡±

    I remembered the lie Illy had told us before. Pieces of the puzzle were clearer. It seemed nature magic wasn¡¯t as innocent as we originally thought.

    Marie did not care about that for now and had gotten up to examine the Ungodly One. ¡°Oh my god, my plant? What have you done!?¡± It wasn¡¯t dead, but barely hanging on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom has plenty, she¡¯ll give you another one.¡± Said the teen.

    ¡°That was my plant. Gray had chosen it for me!¡± Marie never lost her patience when she was in professional mode. It had taken Rose less than five minutes to break that rule.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Is that your boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the girl in front of you.¡±

    I was still towering her, but she was not understanding how close the Beast was from my skin.

    It had no desire to kill, but to teach a lesson. I wasn¡¯t sure it would change a thing.

    ¡°Oh, she can just pick another one for you then, no?¡±

    I gave her a grin, she looked at me quizzically.

    ¡°Gray¡­¡± Marie began. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was to stop me from eating the child, or to encourage me.

    The sound of keys in the front door broke the tension in room.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡± The teenager changed her tone completely, jumped over the couch, and went to hug what was obviously her father.

    Henry, if I remembered his name correctly, was a tall, scrawny man, almost completely bald, with round glasses, a dark long jacket, and a rather spy-ish looking black mallet. He had to be in his fifties.

    ¡°Rosy, how are you? How was school?¡±

    ¡°Boring. Everyone is dumb.¡±

    ¡°That is simply not the case, you have to stop saying that.¡± Her father wasn¡¯t saying that with much authority at all.

    ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡± Rose turned around. ¡°We have¡­guests.¡± As I saw her expression, I was quite shocked to realize that the cat''s level of disdain had just been reached by a human.

    ¡°Oh yes! New members of the U, how exciting! My name is Henry Fenwood, but please, call me Henry.¡± He gave us a blinding smile and extended his arm towards me.

    I shook his hand, and Marie stood up from her plant to shake it in turn.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gray.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m Marie.¡±

    ¡°How did you like your first delve into the magic world?¡± He asked us.

    ¡°Extraordinary.¡± Marie immediately answered. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to know more about it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe my wife didn¡¯t tell you, but I am researching about it in my spare time, if you have any questions¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, plenty! I can¡¯t wait to see what someone from NASA could do to explain such a difficult concept!¡± Marie interrupted him.

    He seemed a bit shy, suddenly. ¡°Oh, It¡¯s nothing big like that. I just code on my computer. I¡¯m a little cog in a large picture.¡±

    I watched him, then looked towards the kitchen where Illy was cooking dinner, then finally stared at the demon child.

    There had to be real witchcraft at work here.

    ¡°What¡¯cha looking at?¡± Rose taunted me.

    I breathed deeply.

    ¡°Rose, speak respectfully, please.¡± Henry turned around to face her daughter.

    ¡°Dinner is ready in twenty minutes! My love? Is that you I hear?¡± Illy shouted from the kitchen.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late!¡± He went to kiss his wife in the kitchen, and with no words, through the opened door, I saw the tender expression he gave her.

    Something took me by the throat, a powerful desire to take this precise instant and paint it.

    My decision had been made; I would come here with my painting equipment.

    The taxi ride would be hell. That was if the Fenwoods even said yes in the first place.

    ¡°Rose, go dress the table in the dining room.¡± Said her mother.

    The teenager in front of me sighed with exaggerated exasperation. ¡°Yeess¡­¡±

    She left, and Henry came back, sitting in the comfy chair where Marie had sat before. The both of us took the couch.

    ¡°First of all, do you know the basics of physics? Energy, mass, rules surrounding the thermodynamics?¡±

    Wait, that was the basics? I hadn¡¯t been taught that in high school.

    ¡°Yup, but Gray is going to have a harder time with it. He¡­She read C.Clarke, so she has some concepts.¡±

    ¡°Oh, science-fiction is nice, you read a lot?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve personally read every Asimov¡¯s book there is, some of C.Clarke¡¯s as well.¡±

    Henry seemed pleased and bounced back on it.

    ¡°Well, in terms of science, Clarke is way better, but Asimov¡¯s idea is actually how I began thinking about magic differently.¡±

    ¡°You mean that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Oh, you¡¯re a true fan.¡±

    Marie scratched her head.

    ¡°You ok, Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yup, still following. I¡¯ll call it quits when you¡¯re talking about quarks.¡±

    Henry gave me an apologetic look. ¡°Well, if I wanted to be precise, I would need to talk about quantum particles, but I¡¯ll try to simplify.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said honestly.

    ¡°So, you know that magic comes in two facets. Inner magic, that is an absolute constant, except when you die, and outside magic, created through actions, and similar to that of any normal fuel, except it¡¯s invisible and undetectable. Or, well, very difficult to detect.¡±

    ¡°Still following.¡± I added.

    ¡°Shh.¡± Marie gave me a look.

    I sighed.

    ¡°So, basically, this magic is not part of this world.¡±

    ¡°Something like a parallel world?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°No, no. Even though Multiverses are a very serious theory, it wouldn¡¯t be another world, per se. It¡¯s just outside of our four dimensions.¡±

    ¡°Wait, four?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The fourth is time.¡± Marie said with her eyes raised in the sky.

    ¡°Hey! How am I supposed to know?¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that.¡± I saw the expression in her eyes, she was teasing me. I put my hand on her thigh and growled quietly.

    She said and did nothing, but her cheeks took a pinkish color I liked very much.

    ¡°Yes, even though it is a rather incorrect way of portraying dimensions. You could as well say the fourth dimension is mass. Or speed.¡± Henry continued, unaware of the silent exchange between me and my girlfriend. ¡°In any case, and that¡¯s where I¡¯ll have to talk about quantum particles, magic is linked with something that exists outside of the human perception. Or human instruments.¡±

    ¡°Wait, like dark energy?¡± Marie¡¯s eyes shimmered in excitement.

    She had this look for things other than magic? I cursed. I would soon become a full-time babysitter.

    ¡°Exactly. Magic would be this dark energy. And the fact that it can become a constant explains why the universe doesn¡¯t stop expanding. Magic is created through action; the act of the expanding universe would continually fuel more magic into continuing the expansion.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Wait. I¡¯m lost.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Sorry Gray, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. I¡¯m mixing two theories here instead of explaining clearly. So, if inner magic and outer magic are the same, inner magic should also be created by action, but then it shouldn¡¯t be constant. As magic only exists in living beings, an explanation would be that the nervous system, constantly active, is the thing that creates this event.¡±

    ¡°Which would explain why taking too much outer magic fries your brain.¡± Marie added.

    ¡°Exactly. Though it suffers one fatal flaw.¡±

    ¡°When we use magic, it doesn¡¯t light up in the brain.¡± I intervened.

    He looked at me silently for a few seconds. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned: two flaws. The one I was thinking about is that, if you use too much magic, you should still be able to deplete the magic created by your nervous system, even for a few instants. But it¡¯s always perfectly constant.¡±

    ¡°So those two types of magic are not exactly the same then?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And the next theory¡­well, it¡¯s farfetched. I would need a whole team to study it, but only three members of the NASA know about the U, and we don¡¯t have access to the right equipment. I sent my idea to a witch working at the CERN, but she¡¯s having a hard time persuading the scientists there to test the idea, as she cannot tell them why.¡±

    ¡°The CERN?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Marie confessed.

    ¡°It¡¯s the scientific research lab with the largest hadron collider in the world, in Europe.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m dumb I knew that¡­¡± Marie said out loud.

    ¡°No, no. It is normal you forgot, they are pretty quiet because some of the public believes they¡¯ll create a black hole and destroy the earth.¡± He said with slight desperation in his voice.

    ¡°Wait? Is that possible?¡± I asked, nonetheless.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible.¡± Henry answered.

    ¡°Almost?¡± Marie and I exclaimed loudly.

    Henry laughed quietly, which clearly informed us we had been had.

    ¡°There is no danger. In any case, that second theory is what I believe is the closest to the truth, at least right now.¡±

    ¡°What is it, then?¡± Marie pulled for more.

    ¡°You have to understand, it is far from being proven.¡±

    ¡°It sounds way too interesting for you not to tell us, now.¡± I interjected.

    He laughed, then continued talking. ¡°Yes. Basically, inner magic is dark energy linked to a quantum particle that is unalterable.¡±

    Really, I thought I was smart, but I had understood nothing. Unalterable, ok: that cannot change. But I had expressively asked to avoid the quantum particle part.

    Marie didn¡¯t seem to fare better. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it is complicated, even though I am already oversimplifying. We found out that some particles are linked with others. If one moves, the other moves. It doesn¡¯t matter how far away they are from one another; the effect is instantaneous. This specific particle would be one linked with dark energy, only found in living things. It would also have a strange law, that would make it unalterable. As such, the linked dark energy, or inner magic particles, wouldn¡¯t be allowed to change either.¡±

    There was a long silence.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that basically be the soul?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Oh. Well. I don¡¯t really like talking about religion, but as it only exists in living things, you could call it that, I guess. I would rather say it¡¯s the spark of life, something like that, and even then, that¡¯s completely unscientific.¡±

    I saw the gears inside Marie¡¯s brain running wild.

    ¡°You realize you could be answering the question of the origin of life?¡±

    Henry gave a timid smile. ¡°No, not at all. If my theory is correct, it still wouldn¡¯t answer how those particles came to be. They are far from following the order of the world. It goes completely against the laws of thermodynamics, for example.¡±

    ¡°Dinner is ready!¡± Said Illy, stopping our conversation in its tracks.

    Which was probably for the better, because Marie seemed to need the time to digest the information.

    I needed to understand most of it first, but I was sure Marie would help me out.

    Probably by giving me books to read but, I didn¡¯t dislike science-fiction, so it would be okay.

    Right now, my nostrils were quivering in pleasure over the sweet smell of steak.

 As they love

    I had devoured my steak, and even though Illy gave me puzzled looks as my table manners were not quite up to par with what was normal, she had not commented on it. She and Marie were talking about the witch¡¯s past. I only listened, and Henry had intervened once or twice to say something nice about his wife.

    Rose had been sent away after ten minutes, as she was mocking every word her mother said.

    It seemed to please the teenager, who had left the table with dinner in hand, to eat alone in her room.

    I didn¡¯t care, as I had been eating. Now that I was done, I was eying Marie¡¯s still half-full plate.

    ¡°Gray. Stop it.¡±

    I whined and gave her puppy eyes.

    ¡°Here! Damn mutt¡­¡± She gave me a part of her dinner.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I exclaimed, overjoyed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the appetite.¡± Henry noted.

    ¡°My mom said the same thing, he¡­she¡¯s unbearable when it comes to food.¡± Marie sighed.

    ¡°I love steak.¡± I stated simply.

    ¡°It makes me really happy, so don¡¯t mind what they say.¡± Illy was on my side. She then picked up her glass of water.

    They had stopped talking about her past apparently. I felt it had been really interesting, something to do with Natasha and her being orphans, but well¡­steak.

    ¡°So, is death magic and nature magic the same thing?¡± I asked out of the blue.

    Marie facepalmed, and whispered: ¡°And I¡¯m the one with no tact¡±, at the same time

    Henry grimaced and Illy¡¯s water went the wrong way, as she began coughing violently.

    ¡°How?¡± Illy asked with a terrified look.

    ¡°Your daughter gave us a demo in the living room. I¡¯m afraid the Ungodly One is in bad shape.¡±

    ¡°She told you it was death magic?¡± Henry questioned.

    ¡°No, but seeing the effect on the plant, as well as the usage of the same rune we had, is enough to extrapolate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her.¡± Illy said a bit too seriously.

    ¡°Love, no, you¡¯re not. We have to have a talk with her.¡± Said Henry quietly, not sure of himself.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work!¡± Illy contained herself, then sighed very loudly. ¡°Sorry about that¡­¡±

    ¡°We all have our problems, don¡¯t feel bad about it. Look, me and Gray have both daddy issues.¡± Marie reassured her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call it that.¡± I pinched my nose. ¡°And compared to you¡­I just can¡¯t stand my father, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sad¡­¡± Illy said. ¡°Why is that?¡±

    The question took me a bit by surprise, even more so was that I was currently in Igris¡¯s guise, and her/my father, was long dead. Would it pose a problem to talk about Ray¡¯s dad in this form? I decided to trust them. They were not the kind of people to go and dig deeper without asking first.

    ¡°He acts completely unemotional. Always rationality first. Money, success, happiness. All numbers to him. My choices should always just take this into account.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Illy couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.

    ¡°That¡¯s why she chose painter. Completely ridiculous decision. Pissed hi¡­her father quite a lot.¡± Marie added.

    ¡°Hey, it is working out in the end.¡± I countered.

    ¡°And now your father sends you congratulation messages and it makes you furious. Daddy issues.¡±

    She was right, annoyingly so. I gave her a grumpy look, then changed the subject.

    ¡°So, death magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Illy began. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to scare you away. If you use the rune I gave you, but instead of focusing on the growing aspect of the plant, you concentrate on the life part, you¡¯ll take a lot more energy and quickly kill it.¡±

    ¡°Could this be used on something other than plants?¡± I pushed further.

    There was a long silence, both Henry and Illy feeling quite bothered by my question.

    It was Henry who decided to talk first. ¡°Yes, if you changed the rune slightly, and used blood instead of ink, you could use it to take away energy from animals.¡±

    ¡°¡­any kind of animal?¡± Marie wasn¡¯t as excited as she usually was when magic was involved.

    Illy closed her eyes. ¡°Yes. Even humans. You would need human blood and a lot of witches to survive the amount of energy a murder creates, but it is possible. And has happened. You understand I didn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t have told us, we only met today.¡± I agreed with her decision to hide it.

    ¡°No. I trust you. You won¡¯t use nature magic that way.¡± Illy looked certain of herself.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± My girlfriend said, appreciative of the faith she had just been given.

    ¡°Is there any way to counter the effect?¡± I questioned.

    ¡°No.¡± Was Illy¡¯s immediate answer.

    ¡°In a way.¡± Henry responded at the same time.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an option!¡± Illy blurted.

    ¡°No, but it is possible.¡± Henry countered. He then looked at me. ¡°You could kill all the witches involved in the ceremony, grab the stolen energy back, and forcibly put it in the sacrifice¡¯s corpse. It would take some luck, but it should theoretically work if done fast enough.¡±

    ¡°How is that not an option? The people doing the sacrifice would be responsible, no?¡± Marie was clearly doing devil¡¯s advocate here.

    Illy sighed. ¡°Except it takes many witches for such an act, and some of them would probably be forced into it. It is the most condemned act in the whole U.¡±

    ¡°You could force¡­?¡± Marie gasped.

    ¡°They would just need to be linked with the rune. An immobilization spell is enough.¡± Illy continued, her tone of voice quite sad.

    We stopped talking about it and changed subjects.

    Mostly on me coming to paint Henry and Illy the next weekend, and on Marie¡¯s next lessons.

    The dinner ended on a positive note, they agreed to be painted.

    They called a taxi for us, and we were now waiting for it at the entrance.

    ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± Marie said to the couple.

    ¡°Oh no, the pleasure was all mine.¡± Illy said wholeheartedly.

    ¡°Yes, you are smart kids, it was fun having you, and I can¡¯t wait to get painted.¡± Henry continued.

    I laughed, embarrassed. ¡°My paintings can have¡­strange effects on people sometimes, so don¡¯t talk too soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s related to me being a Conscient, I think.¡± I confessed.

    ¡°Oh, yes, I heard about that, it didn¡¯t even come up! I¡¯d like to know more about it next time.¡± Henry was an eclectic, that was certain, as he had the same sparkles in the eyes as Marie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand much about my condition, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    I heard the taxi coming up in the driveway.

    ¡°Oh, Marie, let me fix up the Ungodly One before you go.¡± Illy suddenly exclaimed, putting her hand over the plant Marie held.

    Suddenly, it perked up.

    ¡°Why the hand gesture?¡± I finally realized she had always followed a spell with a specific hand movement.

    It wasn¡¯t Illy who answered, but her husband.

    ¡°When you know lots of spells, you have to make sure you visualize the correct one. Linking a spell with a specific movement makes it certain you¡¯ll use the right one.¡±

    ¡°Oh cool. I¡¯ll link my water spell with water-bending moves!¡± Marie said excitedly.

    ¡°A bit slow, no?¡± I countered, imagining the convoluted dance needed for a large water balloon floating around.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a kill-joy.¡±

    ¡°The taxi is here; you shouldn¡¯t make it wait for you. I¡¯m excited to see you on Sunday, the both of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Illy, Henry, a good evening to you.¡± Marie and I repeated.

    The days before our next meeting were atrocious.

    Because Marie couldn¡¯t wait, and she was being insufferable.

    ¡°I¡¯m not insufferable!¡±

    ¡°Oops, did I say that out loud?¡±

    She hit me with the couch¡¯s pillow.

    We were currently watching Astarte¡¯s favorite movie, the Thing, Carpenter¡¯s version, and I was fighting off my unease at the paranoia-driven story by saying silly things.

    Fortunately, Astarte was not listening to me, standing on the ground, slightly too close to the television screen. She was being very silent, only repeating some of the important dialogues out loud.

    ¡°You did transform your room into plant-land.¡± I continued the teasing, careful not to speak too loudly.

    ¡°There is a bouquet of flowers you gave me, the Ungodly One, and two others. It is not plant-land.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t get satisfied with only one magic source?¡±

    ¡°That is not why. I have done it not to hurt the plants too much, and I don¡¯t want to take anything from the Ungodly One after what it suffered.¡±

    The creepy, inverted roots plant that defied the laws of nature was apparently our new pet; Marie was weirdly attached to it.

    ¡°I know. I know.¡±

    ¡°Shut up now, if you¡¯re scared, you can just take my hand.¡±

    ¡°Me scared, pfuh!¡± I said as I took her hand.

    I forgot to be a bother for the rest of the movie, enthralled by the story unraveling in front of me.

    At the end of it, I whistled in admiration. ¡°Wow, that was¡­¡±

    Astarte finally turned around, looking at us. ¡°Good eh? A witch helped with the special effects, no-one realized.¡±

    ¡°That explains why it¡¯s so¡­disturbing.¡± Marie added.

    ¡°Oh, the original design has not been tinkered with, it''s really as the director intended. Just, with a little more gut than possible.¡± Astarte corrected. ¡°The witch who did that had lots of problems with the U law afterward. I had to bail him out. We¡¯ve been friends since then.¡±

    ¡°Him?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Well yes, witches can be men as well as women.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make them mages, or warlocks?¡± She countered.

    ¡°Nope. Every living thing can use magic if they are taught how to. Those are called demons or witches.¡±

    The statement made me realize something. Wouldn¡¯t Henry be able to use magic, then? I kept the question in a corner of my mind, as I would soon be able to ask him myself.

    ¡°Arte, can you use magic?¡± Marie inquired.

    The old god gave us a sincere smile¡­a rather unsettling one because of the teeth.

    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m a rather good witch. I just can¡¯t be bothered with the rituals and everything, so my magic is almost always depleted.¡±

    ¡°What kind of magic do you use?¡± Of course, Marie had to push for more, it was magic talk after all.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Insufferable.¡± I exhaled.

    She pinched my sides, and I couldn¡¯t stop squeaking.

    Astarte had a very childlike giggle, and answered the question: ¡°Pretty much everything, over the years. My favorite is succubus magic, or terror magic.¡±

    ¡°Terror magic?¡± She wouldn¡¯t ask about succubus magic; we had that one well understood already.

    ¡°It¡¯s the gathering of magic through the creation of the emotion of fear in others¡± Arte explained.

    ¡°That sounds¡­logical.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°A rather effective way. You¡¯d need some training though Marie, you¡¯re not exactly threatening enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, I¡¯ll stay with nature magic for now.¡±

    Astarte smirked, not saying anything else. ¡°I can¡¯t teach spells, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± We both said.

    ¡°My brain is too different from a human¡¯s, it¡¯s easy for me to understand it, but the opposite is not true.¡± She said that with such a grin on her face, I had to retort: ¡°You¡¯re serious or you¡¯re just showing off?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to know!¡± She jumped on her feet, bowed down, and concluded with; ¡°Lovebirds, I say goodnight. I hoped you enjoyed the evening.¡±

    ¡°Very much. It was a great movie, Arte.¡± Marie answered honestly.

    ¡°Yup, thanks.¡±

    She gave us a meaningful look where the meaning was only understood by herself, then she vanished.

    ¡°ARTE!¡± Marie yelled.

    ¡°Sorry! Forgot!¡± We heard coming from Arte¡¯s corridor.

    ¡°Sleep?¡± Marie poked my sides.

    I growled.

    As I got out of the shower and went to enter Marie¡¯s room, I realized it had changed slightly.

    The plants were still packed next to the window, to get the maximum amount of sun, but on the wall over her desk, stood my painting of her.

    I had given it to her and hadn¡¯t seen it since.

    Marie was looking at it from her very ostentatious gaming chair, while drying her hair.

    ¡°Let me help.¡± I approached as she gave me her hairdryer with no words.

    I saw her close her eyes as I gently massaged her hair with my fingers and warm air.

    ¡°You hanged it?¡± I asked.

    She didn¡¯t answer my question. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten better at this.¡±

    ¡°What? Hair drying?¡±

    ¡°Hm Hm.¡± She acquiesced.

    ¡°I am half woman.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in Ray¡¯s body, right now.¡±

    I gave a quick look at myself.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even realize.¡±

    ¡°Nope. You want me to change?¡±

    I saw her shoulder tense up, so I stopped moving my hands.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I continued moving.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I meant I¡¯d like you to stay as Ray.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at the painting.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Mh mh?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I call myself, I¡¯ll always only be Marie?¡± She barely whispered.

    ¡°To me, that is the undeniable truth.¡±

    ¡°What if¡­¡±

    ¡°Marie, you don¡¯t have to decide now.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I want to.¡±

    ¡°Marie! Gray! How happy I am to see you again!¡± Illy came to our meeting, as I was still unpacking my stuff from the taxi.

    When it left, Marie had been hugged, and as Illy came towards me, it seemed I was next.

    ¡°Henry is inside. I hope you won¡¯t need us for too long though, I need to teach Marie, and Henry has some work to do.¡±

    ¡°No, no. You can begin your lesson with ease, I need to prepare. Find the right spot where to put the two of you and so on. For the time, I won¡¯t do a full portrait, so if one hour is not too long¡­¡±

    ¡°One hour?¡± Illy shouted back.

    ¡°Erm, yes?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Henry is¡­well, no worries, having a painting of the two of us has been a dream of mine for quite some time, so I¡¯ll make him agree.¡± She had a decided look. ¡°By the way, if you stay for dinner, one of the senior coven members will be joining us tonight, so It¡¯ll be the occasion to see the ins and outs of the witch world.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    I wasn¡¯t as enjoyed by the idea of a powerful witch at the table, hunting frenzies and all that.

    ¡°I hope she won¡¯t turn us into frogs.¡± I said jokingly.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a he. And he can¡¯t do that. I think.¡±

    ¡°Very reassuring.¡± I grimaced.

    Marie didn¡¯t seem to care one bit; she was already heading towards the greenhouse.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± I said to her.

    ¡°Kissy kissy bye bye!¡± She said without looking at me.

    ¡°Insufferable¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a cute couple.¡± Illy told me before joining my girlfriend.

    I entered the house, with some effort, as I had my hands full. Sounds and smells inside informed me the place was empty except for Morpheus and Henry. No demon child in view. Nice.

    I found Henry quite easily, as he was working on his computer in the living room.

    ¡°Hello Henry.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Gray? Hi! Sorry I can¡¯t stop right now¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries, no worries, stay there, I¡¯m just finding the right spot for my equipment.¡±

    ¡°Do what you need to do.¡±

    He reminded me of myself when I was in a trance.

    As I explored the house, my feet came back naturally to the veranda. With a full view of the greenery outside, lots of sunlight, I needed to squeeze myself a bit in the kitchen to have a good angle and I was blocking the passageway. Nonetheless, this was where I was supposed to sit.

    Preparing took an hour, and I went to the greenhouse to inform Illy I was ready.

    ¡°Ah Gray!¡± She said as I entered the place.

    Marie was looking extremely concentrated on the bubbling water sphere floating in front of her.

    ¡°Continue training like that Marie. Remember, the more precise you can be, the less energy you waste.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± My girlfriend said, strained.

    ¡°Is she going to be okay?¡± I asked as Illy got closer to me.

    ¡°No problem. Well, actually, yes there is a problem.¡± She began whispering. ¡°She has way too much energy. She definitely overdid the ritual. She could have been hurt pretty badly.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I know, she assured me she felt perfectly fine, and that she knew when to stop.¡± It hadn¡¯t been a lie, so I had not delved deeper, but now, I was worried.

    ¡°Oh, she knows when to stop, she¡¯s very talented, or lucky depending on how you call it. But continue checking up on her so that she doesn¡¯t get overconfident. If she had the same magic conduit my husband has, she would be deadly sick right now.¡±

    She left the greenhouse and I followed her outside.

    ¡°Does that mean Henry can use magic?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a witch, of course. I taught him myself. Unfortunately, he¡¯s one of the unlucky ones. Not as bad as you, but close. He can¡¯t draw much magic from rituals at all.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. He is content with what he can do¡­he¡¯d be a bit scary if he had lots of magic, to be honest.¡± She smiled proudly.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°With his understanding of physics? He discovered some spells no one else can use.¡±

    ¡°I thought you could teach spells to anyone once you knew them, did he not¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he taught me, I¡¯ve just got no idea how to visualize them, so I can¡¯t use them!¡± She smiled widely.

    So, there were some limitations to spellcasting.

    I wanted to see the spells Henry could use now, but if it was going to rob him of the very limited energy he had, maybe I needed to abstain.

    ¡°Where do I need to go?¡± Illy asked me as she entered the veranda.

    ¡°Well, here, actually.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s my favorite room in the house. After the bedroom of course.¡±

    ¡­ I would not raise questions about that particular subject, nor the disturbing wink she had given me¡­

    ¡°Henry! Come here!¡± She shouted.

    ¡°Wait a second¡­¡±

    ¡°HENRY!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­yes.¡± He arrived hurriedly, a smile on his face. ¡°Sorry, I was taken by¡­¡±

    ¡°Sit here.¡± His wife ordered authoritatively.

    If only she acted like that with her daughter, I thought rudely.

    The tone didn¡¯t seem to bother Henry at all. He sat in the veranda after having circled around my blank canvas.

    I took the opposite route and sat on a borrowed stool in front of the white rectangle.

    I concentrated on the scene before me.

    There was a little metal table, slightly rusted, covered with gardening equipment and what I recognized as mint sprouts. The couple had taken a position on metallic chairs of the same style as the table and were looking at me very stiffly.

    This wouldn¡¯t do, my brows furrowed.

    ¡°You look like penguins with sticks up their bum, you don¡¯t need to stand still.¡±

    My rather sudden change of speech pattern surprised the both of them, but they tried their best to look more relaxed.

    It still wasn¡¯t the scene I wanted.

    ¡°How did you two meet?¡± I asked.

    Illy gave me a large smile, then looked at her husband lovingly.

    ¡°Oh, well, he was my physics teacher at university. I hated him at first.¡±

    ¡°You did not hate me.¡±

    ¡°No one understood a thing you said! I needed good grades to keep my scholarship and you failed my first test!¡±

    ¡°Which forced you to come to the extra lessons and get better.¡±

    ¡°I had no time for that!¡±

    ¡°Still, you improved.¡±

    ¡°I almost failed my other courses because of it. I hated you.¡±

    ¡°Not true. I was the youngest PhD of the faculty, and with no baldness. You fell for me immediately.¡±

    ¡°I did not! I fell in love with you when you tried to fight the Magmalin with a fire extinguisher!¡±

    ¡°I admit, it was pretty heroic.¡±

    The story was getting rather interesting, but I stopped listening. Both of them had forgotten I existed. They only smiled, held hands, laughed together. The whole beautiful world of green behind them was almost sad in comparison.

    I began drawing.

    Once again, the color would be essential here. The centerpiece was dual, as it was a couple. I began with their flaws, weirdly enough. I didn¡¯t know them enough to be able to recognize all of them, but I didn¡¯t need to know. I was only painting.

    Then came their expression. I think I switched bodies once or twice, but they were so taken by their story, they had not noticed it. The colors were vibrant. The style I had chosen was closer to impressionism, with only part of their face being realistic.

    As I finished their faces, I didn¡¯t need them anymore. Fortunately, I was under Igris¡¯s guise when I addressed them: ¡°You can go.¡±

    ¡°But we haven¡¯t finished our story!¡± Illy complained.

    She stopped when she saw some of my clothes on the ground.

    ¡°Oh. Poor Marie.¡± She addressed her husband. ¡°You can be such a pain when you¡¯re concentrated on your work, but this one looks even worse.¡±

    ¡°Mhhh.¡± Henry answered.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Me? Nothing. Oh, I forgot I needed to fix the car.¡± Henry fled the scene.

    ¡°Men¡­¡± She then spoke to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to see how Marie fares, see you soon! Try to dress up before five O¡¯Clock, Rose will be back then, supposedly.¡± As I did not answer she sighed and left the room.

    I was alone with my piece. But the piece was not about me, it was about the presence of this house. The love it had stored inside the walls.

    As usual, I didn¡¯t know when I finished. I just slowly emerged from my daze. My first observation was that I was not naked, and apparently still a woman.

    Good.

    Only underwear though.

    Bad.

    I tried to dress up, but I smelled my favorite scent in the world and knew it would be too late.

    ¡°Gray! Really?¡± Marie came from the veranda towards me. ¡°I want no comments on my magic craze for a least one month. Look at you!¡±

    I growled, and instead of putting my T-shirt, decided to remove my bra.

    Marie gave me a big stare, her mouth wide open.

    I grinned, then put my clothes back on.

    ¡°How¡­someone could have seen you!¡±

    ¡°Wolfy ears.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    The reddish color of her face wasn¡¯t all anger, and I liked it a lot.

    She realized it, and just mumbled: ¡°No fair¡­¡±

    My nose informed me we were no longer alone.

    ¡°Gray? Have you finished?¡± I heard the housewife call from the house entrance.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I looked at my canvas. I was surprised it was¡­ just beautiful. No bad feelings inside it, the piece felt like a good representation of what I had felt and seen.

    I could interpret some of the parts I had considered as the ¡°flaws¡±, but they were so heavily overtaken by the rest, it made them almost proof of the happiness flowing around.

    ¡°Here.¡± Marie gave me a glass of water. As I drank it, she examined the piece of art. ¡°Nice.¡±

    Illy, followed by Henry, arrived from the front of the house.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finished already? Can we see?¡± Asked Illy.

    ¡°Of course.¡± I moved away to let them have a clear view.

    Both of them stopped on the spot.

    ¡°This is extraordinary.¡± Commented Henry with a shaking voice.

    ¡°Oh! Oh!¡± The nature witch broke into tears. ¡°Oh, Thank you Gray!¡±

    I felt a little warm inside, and Marie snuggled my left arm. ¡°Seems like they like it, isn¡¯t it great?¡±

    I looked at her, she was giving me a proud smile.

    Henry and Illy, stuck in her husband¡¯s arms, got closer to my painting.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen something so nice done for the both of us.¡± Said the nature witch through happy sobs.

    ¡°It¡¯s not so¡­¡±

    ¡°Please! It¡¯s precious to us, you have no idea.¡± Henry stopped me.

    ¡°Oh¡­well. I¡¯m happy for you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say you were that good.¡± Henry continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that good. It¡¯s just a gift. The base material was just really¡­¡±

    Henry scuffed at me. ¡°Nonsense. People would pay fortunes for something like that. I would like to say I can¡¯t accept it, as it is too much. But I honestly can¡¯t.¡±

    Marie squeezed my hand.

    We stood there for a few minutes, before some noise broke the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m baAack!¡±

    ¡°Welcome home honey.¡± Illy said.

    ¡°Why is everyone here?¡± She gave me and Marie a mean look as she arrived closer.

    ¡°Look at what Gray painted for us!¡± Illy moved away to show her child.

    Rose was taken aback at first and couldn¡¯t hide her initial shock. Then, her face took a somber turn and she just said. ¡°Lame.¡±

    There was an icy silence.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Illy asked, her tears drying up instantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s lame. Just wow, you¡¯re so in love. Lame.¡±

    Henry, with no words, let go of his wife and came towards us.

    ¡°We should move away.¡± He warned.

    ¡°What?¡± Me and my girlfriend asked.

    The freezing atmosphere suddenly became boiling as Illy snapped.

    ¡°THIS IS ENOUGH FROM YOU YOUNG LADY. YOU WILL BE RESPECTFUL¡±

    ¡°Pfuh, and what are yo¡­¡±

    We never heard the end of Rose¡¯s sentence, as she was catapulted through the air, a flash of black and pink fusing in front of us then promptly defenestrated. Two of the kitchen windows exploded from the impact, and Rose¡¯s body flew out in the garden outside.

    ¡°¡­¡± Me and Marie said.

    A furious Illy went stomping towards the veranda, very delicately picked up my painting to put it out of the way, then continued outside.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± I exclaimed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Henry reassured us. ¡°It was long overdue.¡± He very much didn¡¯t reassure us.

 Magic 103, or why not to piss off a witch inside her own house.

    ¡°Did she just kill her?¡± Marie exclaimed, worried about the rude teenager.

    ¡°Of course not! Rose is a fully-fledged witch; she always has a basic barrier up.¡± Henry continued.

    As to prove his statement, a young voice shouted from outside.

    ¡°What the fuck mom? You ruined my shirt!¡±

    The voice of Illy was calmer, but still audible to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, it is only proof you are slacking. When was the last time you trained? You think that because you have more magic than me, you can act like you¡¯re better than everyone else?¡±

    ¡°You just took me by surprise! You¡¯re shit, and your nature magic is even lamer than that painting!¡±

    Marie got towards the veranda to see what was happening, she could not hear everything like I was.

    I followed her closely. No way was I letting her out of my sight during a potential magic fight. That and the veranda was the best viewing spot.

    The afternoon sun was slowly transforming into an evening sunset, and the star was basking the well-maintained garden with warm, crimson light.

    Two women were facing each other in this land of vegetables.

    Rose was raising her arms up in the sky, shouting angrily at her mother, who was looking more contained after her telekinetic outburst.

    ¡°Why should I even listen to you? You¡¯re just a shitty housewife.¡±

    ¡°I am a very good housewife¡± Corrected Illy. ¡°And also, a much more experienced witch that you should respect. Finally, I am your mother and if you continue with that attitude, I shall punish you.¡±

    Rose cackled. ¡°And do what? Send me to my room?¡±

    Illy didn¡¯t move, but I perceived a flow of something emerging from her. Nothing as clear as to when I was holding her hand, but closer to the compliance thing the vampires did. It was not directed at me, so it was hard for me to understand the feeling perfectly.

    Underneath the feet of the trumpeting teenager, I saw the earth shift. Instants later, a green and brown vine surfaced at an unbelievable speed. Before Rose could react, it crept and circled her legs, then pulled violently. She fell face-first into the muddy ground.

    ¡°I see how it is.¡± The vegetal ropes darkened and shriveled, and the teenager got back on her feet. Her angry face was covered in carrot patch dirt.

    Swiping her mouth clean, she then, in a very flamboyant and exaggerated way, moved her right hand in front of her.

    Once again, I could sense the magic being used before it appeared.

    An increasingly big fire tornado materialized from Rose¡¯s palm, setting a course straight to engulf Illy completely.

    Who didn¡¯t seem to care, as she did not move an inch. The tornado just suddenly changed directions, as if sucked towards the sky. As a strange gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, making the leaves and the women¡¯s hair rise, I concluded the nature witch had just created a vacuum up in the air. Her hair fell back on her shoulders, and she stepped where the blazing inferno had just passed, while doing a slapping motion with her hand.

    A new vine got out of the ground, a few inches away from the teen, and grabbed her neck to pull it towards another plot of farm. I heard a vicious crunch and winced, but it was only a zucchini broken by Rose¡¯s fall.

    ¡°Fuck! Stop that!¡± Said the teenager, trying to get rid of the vine.

    Marie gave an anxious look towards Henry, who was making coffee while looking at the scene from the still intact windows on the right side of the kitchen. He was next to where my painting had been put to relative safety.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop them?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°If you think you can, be my guest.¡± He answered, serene.

    Rose had managed to get back on her feet again. In a very grandiose manner, she crossed her hands in front of her.

    At the exact moment she did that, a rumbling noise began.

    But before the spell launched, Illy acted.

    At least that¡¯s what my senses told me. I could feel the energy coming from the two women, and knew things were happening, but Illy was barely moving, not telegraphing her moves like her daughter.

    Out of nowhere, a large bowl of water fell on Rose¡¯s head, very reminiscent of the spell Marie and I had been taught.

    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± The teen began before the rumbling noise got even stronger. Sparks emerged from her arms.

    A terrifying zap of lightning broke the atmosphere of the setting sun, a flash of light illuminating for a fraction of a second everything surrounding Rose.

    Who had fallen again and was spasming on the ground.

    Her erratic movements quickly ceased, and she seemed unharmed, but she had a fazed look on her face.

    ¡°All that powerful, show off magic¡­for what? No point in killing things to get more magic if you can¡¯t use it in the first place.¡± Illy commented disappointingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! You know all of my moves!¡± Rose had regained her senses and was currently trying to get up.

    ¡°When you fight someone, don¡¯t give them such obvious tells, even if it makes casting more difficult for you. It¡¯s just the basics. I taught that to Marie today. It is her second lesson. You¡¯ve had thousands.¡±

    Marie tugged my shirt. ¡°Gray? Can you stop them?¡±

    ¡°If it gets dangerous. I can.¡± I said with absolute confidence. ¡°But I think Illy is in control. You should concentrate on the fight; you¡¯ll learn from it.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I thought my teacher was the kind type.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Natasha¡¯s friend, she had to be more than meets the eyes.¡±

    Marie snorted.

    While we talked, mother and daughter outside were circling each other.

    ¡°You¡¯ll just run out of magic before me.¡± Rose taunted.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already used ten times more than me; you¡¯re reaching your limit.¡± Illy countered.

    The teen suddenly stopped moving, and a large number of thorny roots got out of the ground, surrounding her mother like she was in a jungle of giant roses. The teen had not moved to cast this time.

    ¡°Much better.¡± Her mother approved. ¡°You¡¯re excellent at using nature-based spells.¡± She complimented.

    That seemed to piss off Rose: ¡°Shut up!¡±. The roots stretched themselves, growing higher and higher, but also creeping away from Illy. Then, with terrifying harmony, struck like whips towards her.

    I smirked.

    By doing that, Illy had disappeared, hidden by the unnatural foliage.

    The sound of the roots tore the air, but I felt it had hit nothing else than empty space.

    ¡°Shit. Fucking coward.¡± Rose swore, realizing the same thing I had.

    A vine appeared, once again, breaching the ground in front of her to grab her arm. This time though, the teen was prepared and simply sidestepped to dodge the attack¡­just to be grabbed by another vine coming from her blind side. Her face met the ground once again. But it didn¡¯t stop there. New vines got out of the ground, pulled her back on her feet, then smashed her face over and over again inside the vegetable farm. It felt like a bad rendition of a marionette show.

    After a few minutes of this spectacle, Rose began crying. ¡°Enough! I¡¯ve had enough¡­¡± She sobbed.

    Her mother emerged from the dirt, as if it were opening up and pushing her out. Her clothes and face seemed pristine of any stains. ¡°Good. You will remember this lesson.¡±

    ¡°I hate you.¡±

    The woman towering her daughter showed a pained look at those words, but her expression quickly switched to one of determination.

    ¡°Maybe. But I love you. I won¡¯t let you ruin your life. As of now, you¡¯re banned from using death magic, and you¡¯ll help me with tending the farm¡­ A fire tornado. What did you think? You only learned it last year¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Rose was still on the ground, enveloped in a thick layer of mud, and had clearly lost the will to fight, contrary to her words.

    ¡°Is that a no?¡± Her mother threatened.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it¡­¡±

    ¡°Also, you¡¯ll join me and Marie to her lessons during the weekends.¡±

    ¡°What!? She¡¯s a nobody who just arrived in the U!¡±

    ¡°Which is extremely rare. You don¡¯t understand how lucky an opportunity this is for us. Anyway, it is not to help her, it is for you. You clearly need to start over from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°No fucking way am I...¡±

    Her mother raised a finger. I felt the energy appear.

    ¡°Sure¡­please don¡¯t.¡± Rose sobbed again.

    ¡°Perfect.¡± The energy receded. ¡°Now go take a shower, dress in something that doesn¡¯t make me want to repair it immediately, and join us for dinner. You know who joins us tonight, I want only smiles and respectful tones.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not that dumb.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Rose got back on her feet, one last time, and dragged herself back inside.

    ¡°Hope you enjoyed the show¡­¡± She said as she passed next to us.

    ¡°You¡¯re privileged to have such good parents, Rose. Even if you don¡¯t realize it now.¡± Marie responded with a smile.

    ¡°Shut up, rookie.¡± I winced but refrained the menacing growl surfacing in my throat; the teenager had said that with no real spite.

    ¡°Rose, you¡¯ll wash the mud you¡¯re putting everywhere.¡± Henry noted.

    ¡°¡­yes dad.¡± She sighed.

    And leaving muddy footprints in her wake, Rose went upstairs.

    ¡°Will you stay for dinner?¡± Illy asked us as she was dusting off some dirt on her mimosa-patterned dress.

    ¡°Erm. Sure?¡± Marie nodded, not sure how to act anymore.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this a bit rough?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I think I needed to do this since long ago. It¡¯s the only way to get a message across her thick skull. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m the one responsible for this particular trait of personality. And I feel extremely happy. This painting is beautiful. I¡¯m happy no glass shards fell on it. I didn¡¯t find decent meat at the market yesterday though Gray, is fish okay?¡±

    ¡°Erm. Sure.¡± I repeated what my girlfriend had just said.

    ¡°Marie?¡± Illy asked her.

    ¡°Yup. Fish okay. Just to be sure, you¡¯ll never fight me like that, right?¡±

    Illy gave her a big smile. ¡°Not until I teach you a few protection spells first.¡±

    Henry arrived and gave his wife a cup of coffee. ¡°Good job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks love.¡±

    They both looked at my painting for an instant.

    ¡°Where should we put it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say on the wall in the living room.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you do something for the windows¡­and the mess.¡± Marie gently reminded them of the glass shards all over the ground on the other side of the room.

    ¡°Yes! This is perfect for you Marie, use your telekinesis spell to put them in a bin, I¡¯ll repair the window.¡± Illy said.

    Marie looked at the ground littered with broken glass. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s slightly dangerous so you¡¯ll be extra concentrated, and all the pieces are small and different, so a very good training exercise. The more you use a spell, the better you visualize it and use it.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­¡±

    ¡°Marie?¡± I would not miss this opportunity.

    ¡°What?¡± She said defensively, looking at me with suspicion.

    ¡°Magic, am I right?¡±

    She burst into laughter. Then stuck out her tongue.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to read magic encyclopedias about monsters in the meantime.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Find me a bin first.¡± Marie countered.

    ¡°You can find one in the closet here.¡± Henry pointed me towards a door.

    I sighed.

    ¡°So, who is your other guest tonight?¡± I was back on the couch, an open book in my lap, with Henry proofreading something on his computer.

    ¡°Belfor Marak. He¡¯s one of the stronger members of the coven, he¡¯s in charge of Law business.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that Natasha¡¯s work?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, not at all. She¡¯s a magic consultant. She¡¯s involved with the First Law, but only because she¡¯s Alik¡¯s magic consultant.¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯ll have to tell him the truth?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Mr. Marak is well¡­ he makes sure we don¡¯t break the laws, but he is not as severe as the vampires considering the punishment if we fail.¡±

    ¡°¡­wouldn¡¯t that go against this ¡®no second chances¡¯ policy of the U world?¡±

    Henry stopped looking at his computer screen and lounged back in his comfy chair.

    ¡°Yes. But witches have always been an in-between. We are normal humans, and many witches have used magic long before the creation of such a thing as a U world. Stories of magic and prophecies have existed since the dawn of time. Even now, there is a large proportion of magic users who are not part of the U world.¡±

    ¡°¡­a bit like Oracles.¡±

    Henry gave me an interested look. ¡°Oracles? That is the old name we gave Conscients, isn¡¯t it? Even though both are quite different if I remember my lore correctly.¡±

    I laughed, embarrassed. ¡°I really don¡¯t know much. I¡­I think I would have been called an Oracle, a long time ago, but my powers are fairly different I guess.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, it is just a hunch.¡± I had been the only one who prophesized by drawing and dancing. Was that the difference? ¡°But I think you¡¯re right, Oracles and Conscients are very different things.¡±

    Henry hummed with approval. ¡°Yes, yes. The only reason why we consider both the same thing is because of their natural resilience to compliance-type spells.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a spell? I thought it was something vampires did¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s using magic. Vampires excel at it, as it is the only spell they have ever been known to use.¡±

    ¡°So, saying vampires can¡¯t use magic is¡­¡±

    ¡°Mostly correct, with one specific exception, only true with old individuals. Simplistic, as with all things, but yes, you could say that.¡±

    No wonder magic felt similar to the compliance power then.

    ¡°Could you tell me a bit what a Conscient is, then? What you can do?¡± Henry questioned me with great interest.

    ¡°I can try. It¡¯s just, so weird. I go into trances sometimes, where I see things of the past, the present, the future. Some forgotten truths or well-hidden lies. And I can use art to express it, to reveal it.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­probably not surprising Conscient don¡¯t usually live long then.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is a rather well-known prophecy of the end of the world surrounding them, and your¡­I don¡¯t really know how to say it otherwise but, your kind was hunted because of it for eons. If to that you add the ability to reveal secrets, it is understandable why they are short-lived.¡±

    I grimaced.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Henry apologized. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you will be short-lived. Times have changed, most of us don¡¯t believe in such legends, and even those who do have stopped hunting Conscients, because we have realized that as there has never been two living Conscients at the same time. Them fusing is impossible.¡±

    I smiled, not wanting to lie.

    ¡°Still, you and Marie should be careful with Mr. Marak, he could teach you lots about the coven and how it works, even some really rare spells, if he likes you. But he is one of the more traditional practitioners.¡±

    ¡°Which means?¡±

    Henry cleared his throat. ¡°We are not exactly friends.¡±

    I understood perfectly. I sighed.

    The evening wasn¡¯t going to be exactly pleasant, if I had to guess.

 Inquisitive Evening

    Marie crashed down on the couch next to me.

    The living room was empty of anyone else, Henry was setting up the table and Rose was still showering upstairs.

    ¡°I¡¯m destroyed.¡± My girlfriend exhaled. ¡°No more energy, vessel is sinking.¡±

    ¡°You are such a beautiful shipwreck.¡±

    She punched me gently in the shoulder. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have an interesting dinner.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Seems we have a witchier version of an Elder vampire coming to eat with us.¡±

    ¡°Urgh, Illy was talking about him while I was cleaning the kitchen. You want to leave?¡±

    I pursed my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I trust Illy and Henry not to tell too much and it could be a good opportunity for you.¡±

    She scuffed. ¡°If what Illy told me about him is true, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll like us. Maybe if you were¡­Ray.¡± She whispered. ¡°And we were dressed as Haute-bourgeoisie, we would get somewhere.¡±

    ¡°That bad? Henry wasn¡¯t as foreboding. I¡®m not worried, but If you think we need to go¡­¡± I repeated.

    ¡°No. Illy is already cooking for us, and I¡¯d like to learn more about the coven, especially its bad parts¡­So, in the meantime. Whatcha reading?¡±

    I showed her the chapter I was currently on, talking about trolls.

    ¡°Of course, you would research about your ancestors.¡± Marie teased.

    I bit her ear.

    ¡°Hiiii.¡± She squeaked, her face immediately taking a tomato-color. ¡°Gray! Stop that!¡±

    ¡°You tease, I tease back.¡± I gave her a grin.

    ¡°Not in public!¡±

    I growled. ¡°You look too tasty for me not to.¡±

    She grumbled and got back to the book. ¡°You perverted wolf¡­no fair.¡±

    Her ear was once again ripe for the taking, but I decided to let her off the hook, Illy was in the neighboring room, after all.

    After twenty minutes of us looking at the crazy creatures hidden in this world, I heard a car parking outside. ¡°Seems our fun is up.¡± I warned my girlfriend.

    She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s sit around the table already. We need to take the best spots in case we have to escape.¡±

    ¡°I like how you think.¡±

    ¡°¡­this is Gray and Marie, Gray and Marie this is Mr. Marak.¡± Illy had finished introducing us to the dark-skinned, very tall and fit-looking man dressed in an elegant reddish and brown three-suit piece. He had soft features, but his eyes were blue as ice.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Misses. I¡¯m sorry to ask, but what would be your family names? I don¡¯t like to call people by their first names.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t extended his hand towards us, requesting this sudden information while depositing a beautiful long coat and scarf in Illy¡¯s extended arms.

    He was giving us a sharp look, his gaze looking at me in particular longer than necessary.

    Illy looked at us quizzically but went to hang the coat somewhere in the house.

    ¡°Mr. Marak.¡± Henry entered the room before we could answer the witch.

    ¡°Mr. Fenwood, how do you do?¡± The tall man had a slight British accent.

    ¡°Good, everything as usual. Sorry about the window in the kitchen, my wife and I repaired it up as we could, but it¡¯s still not really pleasing to the eye.¡±

    Just like my flat¡¯s window from almost a month ago now, the damage in the kitchen had been patched up with cardboard and wooden planks.

    ¡°Yes, I noticed. Recent, I guess? Something to do with your new magic students?¡±

    Henry looked at us while laughing. ¡°Them? No, of course not. You can sit back down, by the way.¡± He told us. As we sat back on the chairs closest to the kitchen and veranda exit, Henry looked back up to the witch. ¡°An educational necessity with our daughter, that is all.¡±

    Mr. Marak gave him a pleased smile.

    ¡°Oh. Good, I was told she was being troublesome at school, I¡¯m happy I didn¡¯t have to intervene personally.¡±

    Henry couldn¡¯t hide the shiver traveling down his spine. At least, he couldn¡¯t hide it from me.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s very good, isn¡¯t it?¡± He forced himself to smile back.

    ¡°By the way, how can I call you two?¡± The dark-skinned man asked us again.

    ¡°I only answer to Marie.¡± My girlfriend said with a strange smile.

    Mr. Marak scrutinized her. It made my protective side immediately emerge, and I had to stop an aggressive snarl from piercing my lips.

    Finally, he just asked: ¡°Are you catholic?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Marie answered simply.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Miss Marie. What about you?¡±

    He looked straight at me.

    ¡°You can call me Gray.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Which is not your family name either.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I saw your signature on the portrait in the living room, it is a striking piece.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He gave me a weird smile. Illy finally came back, Rose in toe.

    ¡°Miss Fenwood, it has been so long, I barely recognized you.¡± He exclaimed with fake enthusiasm at the youngest among us.

    The teenager had her head down and answered in a very soft voice. ¡°Hi Mr. Marak.¡±

    She immediately went and sat down next to me.

    ¡°Good spot.¡± I whispered to her. ¡°Third best place to flee.¡±

    She gave me a surprised look, and I responded with a conniving wink.

    For the first time, the teen gave me a somewhat decent response, as she genuinely smirked at my joke.

    ¡°Illy?¡± Mr. Marak asked the housewife. ¡°What delicious things have you concocted for me this time?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, just a normal salmon dish.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! Just as I had guessed. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll sit here.¡± He went to the end of the table.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s almost ready, so you won¡¯t have to wait long.¡±

    Henry sat between Mr. Marak and his daughter and began serving him red wine.

    ¡°So, you two are the newest arrival in the U world. Not too disorienting?¡± Mr. Marak had a large smile, it seemed normal conversation, at first glance, but I knew best, and so did Marie, as I saw her tense slightly.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m lucky to have Gray with me, we¡¯re helping each other out.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Yes, and there is your best friend, Ray, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mr. Marak continued for her.

    The question was strange and made me immediately suspicious.

    How much did he know? King hadn¡¯t told anybody, as far as I knew. It had been a few weeks since the reveal, but she had only sent me one message since; as long as I did not make waves, she would hide my secret, because I was right, if the hunters knew, I would not be protected by them anymore.

    Not that it mattered with Astarte right now; but trusting the old god¡¯s whimsical nature was clearly not a synonym of sanity.

    In any case, this man seemed to know more about us than he should have. Alik, maybe? Both of them were enforcers of the First Law, after all.

    While I was lost in conjectures, Marie was answering with no hesitation.

    ¡°Yes, Ray is a big help as well.¡±

    ¡°Where is he right now?¡± Mr. Marak asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s working today.¡±

    ¡°Painter as well, same brush name as you?¡± He was looking at me this time.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Marie continued for me. ¡°She and Ray are related, even if she¡¯s not a Dunkelbaumen. I would ask you don¡¯t ask more on this particular subject; we are not free to answer your questions.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Mr. Marak raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°You would need to ask our new roommate first.¡± Marie smiled.

    At those words, Mr. Marak laughed wholeheartedly. ¡°Good. You are smart, I like you already.¡±

    Henry and Rose stayed silent, but the NASA employee was now looking at me with questions in his eyes. ¡®Roommate?¡¯ was written clearly in his pupils.

    Illy arrived with the cooked fish, and for a few minutes, tension receded as we ate.

    It didn¡¯t last long, as I hadn¡¯t yet finished my second fish that Henry¡¯s curiosity got the better of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Marie, but why should he ask your roommate¡¯s permission?¡±

    Me and my girlfriend both winced, but I felt it was my turn to talk. ¡°It should be well known already, but someone rather powerful has taken us under her protection.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Who? Gione?¡± Henry looked at Mr. Marak.

    He shook his head left from right. ¡°No, the coven has not involved itself with those two, as they were too heavily involved with the Elder for us to take action without it seeming like an act of rebellion.¡±

    Illy looked at Mr. Marak, then the both of us, realization, or an emotion akin to it, growing on her face.

    ¡°Wait, Nat told me a crazy story. She was drunk. It can¡¯t have been true.¡±

    Marie scratched the back of her head.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Illy began freaking out.

    ¡°My love?¡± Asked henry.

    Mr. Marak acted immediately at the surge of emotions coming from our teacher. His energy grew, reaching for the nature witch. It was a heavy, powerful sensation, impossible not to notice.

    TASTY.

    Shut up!

    But Mr. Marak didn¡¯t feel the appearance of the beast, his energy went to Illy, who immediately calmed down.

    Her shock receded, and she cleared her throat.

    ¡°Thank you, Sir. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Illy apologized to the dark-skinned witch.

    ¡°Mom?¡± Rose asked, worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing darling. Could you leave us for a moment?¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t fin¡­¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± There had been no aggressiveness in Marie¡¯s tone, but the teenager understood it was not the time to be conflictual, and she just took her plate and went back to her room.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t need to leave.¡± Mr. Marak observed.

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about Astarte, I¡¯d rather she didn¡¯t know.¡± Illy continued.

    ¡°Astarte?¡± Henry asked, clearly not recognizing the name.

    I hid a bit of surprise, as I thought everyone in the U knew her. At least she acted like that.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an old being, many believe and have worshipped as a god. She¡¯s unpredictable, dangerous, and terrifying. Being protected by her is¡­¡±

    ¡°The main reason why I¡¯m here tonight, I couldn¡¯t let this occasion slip.¡± Mr. Marak continued.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t tell you they would be here.¡± Henry noted.

    ¡°Not necessary, I looked it up in one of my books, I knew they would stay here for dinner.¡±

    Illy fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Marie, Gray. I should have been more respectful towards you. You should have told me¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± I began. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to freak everyone out. Me and Marie understand how feared our new roommate is but honestly, right now, she really is just that. A roommate.¡± The atmosphere around the table improved slightly at my words.

    ¡°Still, the only people Astarte is known to hang out with have¡­some particularities.¡± Mr. Marak countered.

    ¡°And we have some. But isn¡¯t it in the U etiquette not to delve too deep?¡± I continued.

    ¡°Yes. As it is in the U tradition to make sure no secret can be hidden long.¡± He retorted.

    That sentence was weirdly close to the one the Hunters used.

    ¡°Anyhow. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He carried on. ¡°I know enough and won¡¯t risk insulting the God-Child¡¯s protection. Marie, you would be much welcome in the coven, as for Gray¡­Illy told me you were unable to draw magic and your spells were chaotic at best. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother you?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll mean you¡¯ll never be a member of the coven, though, I¡¯m sorry to say.¡±

    Illy immediately jumped on her seat. ¡°How! Even Henry had no problems getting in?¡±

    ¡°This and that is a vastly different matter. A little and no magic is an enormous difference to us. It poses no problem for her though, as Astarte is in charge of her protection.¡±

    ¡°I¡­but¡­¡± Illy continued.

    ¡°This shall be all on that subject.¡±

    And this concluded the dinner, as the rest happened in heavy silence, making even me almost lose appetite.

    The Fenwoods called a taxi for me and Marie, as we refused a lift back from Mr. Marak.

    The aforementioned witch was now on the verge of leaving. He had already said goodbye to everyone, even to Rose who had come down just to give her farewells. Then, as he passed through the living room to go to the house¡¯s entrance, he stopped in front of my painting. He slipped a smartphone out of his pocket and took a picture without asking.

    ¡°A beautiful painting.¡± He noted.

    Very unnaturally, he then went in my direction (I was going to the couch, as I needed my usual post-eating nap time) and gave me a handshake.

    I felt energy creeping up in his fingers.

    Gentle breeze on the infinity of the ocean.

    Nothing happened.

    For a split second, his face showed an indescribable expression. Then, he smiled, and simply left without a word.

    Me and Marie were sitting together in the living room, as were Henry and Illy.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I really didn¡¯t think he would go all Spanish inquisition on you like this.¡± Henry apologized to us.

    ¡°Ironic, as he¡¯s a witch.¡± I commented.

    Illy had a somber look. ¡°You should be careful Gray, maybe he isn¡¯t as opposed to the idea of hunting Conscients as we thought.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will try something as long as Astarte is here.¡± Marie noted. She was squeezing my fingers. ¡°Not that anyone could do a thing when I¡¯ve got wolfy you.¡± She whispered to me.

    I smirked but didn¡¯t answer as I was digesting.

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy, by the way. Nat even told me, but I just didn¡¯t believe it.¡± Illy continued.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand how I was not made aware of a demi-god living in our city.¡± Henry scratched his chin.

    ¡°It¡¯s not well known, especially for those who like you have not been raised in the U world since a child. Astarte is a living myth, not a demi-god. She is feared and respected.¡±

    ¡°Why not tell me about it?¡±

    ¡°You do know the stories about the king-eater, no?¡±

    ¡°The one you told the kids?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s her.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Henry looked at us. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve got a hell of a roommate.¡±

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to hear this story.¡± Marie continued. ¡°My little doggie here is tired, and our taxi should be long now.¡±

    Did she just call me her doggie? I would let it slide, for now.

    I yawned.

    ¡°Did anyone tell you, you act very animal-like sometimes?¡± Henry asked me.

    I grinned. ¡°Humans are animals.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± He smiled back at me.

    I heard the sound of screeching tires on pebble.

    Time for us to get back to our den.

    -------

    ¡°Never play chess against a wolf.¡±

    The little boy looked at the Child with Jagged Teeth. ¡°¡­Why not?¡±

    ¡°A wolf cannot play chess, that would be silly. It¡¯ll just eat your hand when you go for its king.¡±

 Missing Friend

    ¡°I can¡¯t find her anywhere.¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t in her apartment?¡± I had to shout to overcome the loud ¡®music¡¯ that was currently banging my head like a sledgehammer. Marie¡¯s gay club wasn¡¯t for me. I was getting groped without my consent, the sounds were blazing my eardrums off and the smell of sweat and sex was overpowering everything else.

    Marie gave me a worried look, unrelated to my discomfort.

    I had accepted to return here because of something that had happened last night.

    A few weeks had passed since our meeting with Mr. Marak, and everything had been¡­uneventful. Well, as much as it was conceivable with an old god as a roommate.

    There had been a ceremony the week before, where some people invited themselves inside our tiny apartment to give her offerings and pray in her name. They were all dressed in white silk gowns and nothing else. Ten individuals, almost naked, all in our living room.

    She had obviously not warned us beforehand, and if I hadn¡¯t smelled them and heard their creepy singing, Stan would have witnessed it all. This had happened after our restaurant evening with him. We were hoping we could tell him Marie and I (as Ray) were dating as we invited him back to have a last drink. The plan had gone out of the window, maybe for the better, because explaining to him that Marie was still also technically going out with Igris would have been a pain.

    Still, after quite rudely sending him off, Marie and I had experienced a really weird ceremony.

    Astarte had apologized for the event, albeit with a giant toothy smile on her face as she did.

    But, if we forgot about that episode and the one where a creepy necromancer came to my classes to ask me for some blood, everything had been smooth sailing.

    Until the night before. For lack of better words, I was frolicking in bed with my girlfriend when she received a text message from Natasha.

    When we woke up the next morning, in other words today, the message had disappeared.

    Which was weird, we both remembered the buzz of the smartphone, and even though I hadn¡¯t seen the screen, Marie was certain it was a message from her succubus friend.

    She had tried to contact her all day, to no avail.

    We were not that concerned at first, as Marie had explained to me that Natasha often didn¡¯t answer her phone. Still, since Marie had entered the U, Natasha had been more responsive.

    So, to reassure my girlfriend, and also me, we had decided to go back to the gay club, as we knew she was living there, on the third floor.

    We had taken the subway to go there (urgh), as at those hours of the day it was the only reliable way to get to the city center then arrived at the club.

    We asked around. The barman and the bouncer told us Natasha had been here two days ago, but neither yesterday nor tonight.

    Marie then decided to go knock upstairs. I had refused to follow, because to get to the third floor, you needed to go through the second.

    ¡°No-one there.¡± Marie repeated her findings. I was sitting at the bar and had fought valiantly to keep her seat away from creeps wanting a piece of my ass.

    ¡°Is it really that weird?¡± It wasn¡¯t the first time I asked her the question.

    She took a few seconds to think.

    ¡°I¡­no. Natasha has always been a fickle one. I often stopped hearing from her for weeks. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°We talked a lot recently.¡± She confessed.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I said with no jealousy in my voice.

    Wait, was I growling?

    ¡°Stop that, Gray. It was mostly to talk about you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I repeated, now worried.

    ¡°¡­I wanted some advice.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I said with interest.

    ¡°Anyway, not now.¡± She cut me off.

    Dang, sounded juicy.

    ¡°Since I found out about the U, we have been much better friends. Now that I know who she really is, she¡¯s much more open than before.¡±

    Didn¡¯t seem you could get much more open than¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t finish that sentence, you know what I mean.¡± She threatened.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything!¡±

    ¡°I saw it on your face.¡±

    ¡°I have the perfect poker face.¡±

    ¡°Your eyes are a dead giveaway.¡±

    ¡°Only to you.¡±

    She smiled, but the happy expression quickly fizzled away. ¡°In any case¡­I feel something happened.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll go check out upstairs. See what my wolfy powers can find.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What the hell was she doing?¡± I asked out loud.

    ¡°Well, I think it was a fi¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need an answer!¡± I stopped my best friend from explaining what we had witnessed on the second floor.

    ¡°You asked!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±

    Marie grinned, but her expression once again faded away, as we arrived at Natasha¡¯s front door at the top of the stairs.

    I knocked heavily on the door. ¡°Nat?¡±

    ¡°There is a doorbell.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°Oh, oops.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you hear or smell anything?¡±

    I pressed the button next to the door. I heard a rather classic ¡®ding dong¡¯ inside, but nothing else.

    ¡°Too much noise downstairs, and my nose is stuffy after the subway and the club, I can¡¯t be sure.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Dang. What do we do?¡±

    I saw Marie¡¯s expression. She was scared, I didn¡¯t like seeing her like that.

    ¡°Remember, you tried your best to stop me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If we get caught by the cops.¡± I hadn¡¯t studied law to break it, but well, things change.

    I took the handle and pushed. The lock mechanism gave out immediately, and parts of the wall holding the door together visibly cracked.

    ¡°Gray!¡± Marie shouted, appalled.

    ¡°What? You have any better idea?¡±

    Marie gave me a confused stare, grabbed her nose between two fingers, sighed, then answered: ¡°No. I don¡¯t. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to have to apologize, you know.¡±

    ¡°Of course not! You tried your best to stop me!¡± I stepped inside.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Too late, I looked back at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect Nat to have an alarm, at least not technological in nature. But Illy taught me about protection spells to ward your home and things like that.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel anything.¡± I honestly answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Or bad. Witches should have wards.¡± She knelt and examined the wooden planks at the entrance of the flat. ¡°Look.¡± She said.

    I did as she asked and looked at the wooden planks. The one plank under the door was¡­different. It looked like lightning had passed through it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I stared questioningly at my girlfriend.

    ¡°I have no idea. I would need to ask Illy. Maybe you broke the ward¡­ but you would have felt it, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    I had explained to Marie what I felt when someone else was using magic, obviously, and that was what she was talking about.

    ¡°Maybe. If it¡¯s a magic trap or something, would it feel the same, though?¡±

    ¡°Same energy, should be.¡±

    ¡°Then this.¡± I pointed at the burnt plank. ¡°Didn¡¯t happen today. It¡¯s older, feels like it would have been warm.¡±

    We sat there in silence.

    ¡°Would be funny if she just arrived now and saw us crouching in front of her entrance like this.¡± Marie noted.

    The image was funny, but I didn¡¯t smile. ¡°Marie, I think you may be right about Nat. Something is wrong.¡±

    Marie gulped. ¡°¡­let¡¯s explore the rest of the flat.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Everything was neater than in my memory. The dinner table next to the kitchen counter was still there, and the room clearly also served as a living room, as there was a television with an old gaming console in another corner. But the place looked cleaner and smelled eerily pristine. It was still messy, games were not organized, some cd¡¯s were not in their cases and dirty dishes were piled up in one of the sinks.

    Two large books were still opened on the little buffet in front of the TV. Her bedroom was also a mess, clothes everywhere, and even a phallic sex toy right next to her bed.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Something is not normal here.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Really? Everything seems ok to me?¡±

    ¡°No-one is here, that¡¯s for sure, but more than that¡­it smells like no-one was ever there in the first place.¡±

    Marie gave me a quizzical look.

    ¡°No odor whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you go to someone¡¯s house, you¡¯d expect it to smell like him or her, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it was last time we went here, everything smelled like Natasha, and was mixed with lots of other body odors.¡±

    ¡°Which wouldn¡¯t be surprising.¡±

    ¡°No. What is surprising, is that now, I can¡¯t smell any body odor at all.¡±

    Marie sat there, in the middle of the living room, thinking heavily.

    ¡°Could someone have cleaned everything?¡± Marie had a very worried look now.

    ¡°No. I would smell the detergent, or the chemicals used.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just your nose being dysfunctional?¡±

    ¡°No, the lack of smell helped, my nose is fine now. The dishes, the badly closed garbage bag under the sink¡­every object smells what it should, but it¡¯s like they were all handled by robots. Also, there is no dust anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡± Marie swore.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a free pass. I really hope Nat is okay. Call Illy, I¡¯ll call King, we need some help here.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to call King? She has been pretty clear she didn¡¯t want anything to do with us anymore.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what she said, but yeah, I know what you mean. I think it¡¯s necessary, though.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± She got her phone out of her pocket.

    ¡°Not here, we¡¯re still technically breaking and entering.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    We both left the flat, and Marie closed the broken door behind her.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point in that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Shh, I need to visualize the spell.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow, then felt energy coming out of her core. The spell she used clicked in my head, even though I wasn¡¯t touching her.

    Magic that makes you feel you shouldn¡¯t enter somewhere, I learned.

    Something like a shimmery wall appeared in front of the entrance, then disappeared.

    ¡°Cool.¡± I honestly admired.

    ¡°You learned the spell, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yup. I could also tell how much magic you have stored, it¡¯s good, you¡¯re being careful.¡±

    ¡°Thanks mom.¡± She raised her eyes up in the air.

    ¡°I would never dare take Ana¡¯s position away from her.¡± I sternly answered.

    ¡°Dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°What? Dumbass is not a bad word.¡±

    ¡°Really? Since when?¡±

    ¡°Since you became one.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. Let¡¯s leave and make our calls.¡± I reminded her.

    Once outside the club, this was exactly what we did.

    ¡°King?¡±

    ¡°Gray.¡± The lieutenant¡¯s voice had picked up after the third ring. It wasn¡¯t very late, only 10PM, but that was quick. ¡°I hope it¡¯s important, but at the same time, I really hope you¡¯re just prank calling me.¡± Behind her, I heard the sounds of an office.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have something to ask of you.¡± I continued.

    ¡°Quickly then, I¡¯m busy right now. Just don¡¯t talk about your¡­well about that on the phone.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say the U was involved with the NSA.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Okay. It¡¯s not about that anyway. It¡¯s about Marie¡¯s friend, we believe she has disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Kiddo, call the police then.¡± She said, annoyed.

    ¡°She¡¯s part of the U.¡±

    ¡°Oh. If she¡¯s normal, I¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a witch.¡± I cut her off.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­not optimal, but we can still help. You should call their people first, though.¡±

    ¡°Marie is doing this right as we speak.¡±

    ¡°Why not wait for their help? They are extremely good at cleaning up their own mess.¡±

    ¡°Because this specific witch is not liked by the coven much.¡±

    I heard someone else speak behind King. ¡°A second, chief.¡± Then: ¡°Say that again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure the coven would help her.¡±

    King didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Shit.¡± She finally exclaimed. I winced. ¡°Natasha is Marie¡¯s friend?¡± She continued.

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t believe we ever told you about her.¡±

    ¡°No, I know about the Elder, remember? Obviously, I would know about his M consultant. Being employed by him is not something I would recommend.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but she is just¡­¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve met her before. She¡¯s a nice gal. Tell you what, I¡¯ll ask around. Wait for my call tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lily.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you. It is my job.¡±

    ¡°You deserve even more thanks then, for doing your job conscientiously.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    And she hung up.

    The street in front of the club was empty. A cold breeze passed through my hair. A few months ago, it would have made me shiver.

    Marie was still talking on the phone, a few meters away from me, illuminated by the dimly lit streetlamp, coloring her in a yellowish haze.

    ¡°¡­yes¡­thank you Illy. No, I understand.¡± She quickly removed the single tear falling from her cheek and came towards me.

    ¡°She hasn¡¯t heard from her either, she¡¯ll help us, but she can¡¯t ask the coven, Nat is not part of it.¡± Marie explained to me.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s getting too real, Gray. I¡¯ve got a horrible feeling¡­¡±

    I hugged her.

    ¡°I¡¯m here. We¡¯ll find her.¡±

    She sniffed. ¡°Yes, I know. I would just like it if we found her alive.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me she¡¯ll be fine, can you?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t promise you that.¡±

    ¡°If Alik did something to her¡­¡±

    ¡°Would you want me to kill him?¡±

    She looked up at me. ¡°Your eyes are not yellow.¡±

    ¡°No, but they could be.¡±

    ¡°I would never ask anyone to do such a thing. I¡¯d want justice, not vengeance.¡±

    ¡°I had better luck with King.¡± I finally said to her.

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡±

    ¡°Seems like our favorite lieutenant knows Nat, and she¡¯ll ask around to find her whereabouts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice of her.¡±

    ¡°When I told her that, she basically told me it was her job and to shut up.¡± I smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s what a really good person would do.¡±

    And now we would wait for her message.

    It came the next day, during the end of the afternoon.

    Marie hadn¡¯t gone to her classes and was trying to think about something else by playing video games. As usual, Astarte was absent during daytime, but she shouldn¡¯t be long now.

    ¡°Marie?¡± I walked to her.

    ¡°Yes!?¡± She paused her game immediately.

    I sat down next to her on the couch.

    ¡°Look.¡± I gave her my phone.

    On the message King sent me was written: ¡°My contact says she¡¯s fine. A special assignment from Elder A. Probably unavailable for a few weeks.¡±

    This should have brought relief, but neither Marie nor I felt reassured.

    ¡°What about the apartment, then?¡± My girlfriend asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to explain to the police officer we had broken in someone¡¯s house.¡± I explained. ¡°But what King¡¯s contact told us doesn¡¯t make sense with that, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°Illy told me about the wooden plank, it¡¯s what would happen if a ward activates.¡±

    ¡°I know, you told me this morning already.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Still, if they say she¡¯s gone for a few weeks, it means they know where she is.¡±

    Marie gave me a questioning look. ¡°They could just be making an excuse up and have no idea either.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°Something dumb.¡±

    ¡°Gray¡­¡±

    ¡°If they took our friend, I¡¯ll take her back.¡± I promised.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your plan is, exactly, but I¡¯ll help.¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°Not this time, you¡¯ll get in my way.¡±

    ¡°I can use magic!¡±

    ¡°Not well enough. And you can¡¯t use wolfy invisibility powers.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my friend!¡± Marie protested.

    ¡°And maybe she is just doing a special mission for Alik and needed her house to look weird for it to work. The vampire doesn¡¯t have anything against you, just me. Let¡¯s keep it that way.¡±

    ¡°You sound like your father when you talk like that.¡± She lashed out.

    ¡°¡­ I know.¡± I answered calmly.

    Marie had a pained look. ¡°Sorry Gray. I didn¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I know you didn¡¯t mean to hurt me. If the truth bothers me that much, it¡¯s not your responsibility.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about others, it¡¯s not the¡­¡±

    ¡°He does as well. As long as those others is me or my mother. Mostly him, though.¡±

    ¡°Being logical isn¡¯t wrong.¡± Marie continued.

    ¡°I know.¡± I repeated. ¡°And in this case, that¡¯s what we need to be. Collected and pragmatic.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you for caring about my friend and trying to help her. But I don¡¯t want you to be hurt.¡±

    A childish voice echoed in the room. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m almost certain that I¡¯m the only one in North America who could do that.¡±

    The short girl with the exterior appearance of a teenager, clothed in a private school uniform, was removing her shoes in the flat¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Arte!¡± Marie exclaimed. ¡°When did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just now. Entered the flat. With keys. Slowly. You two okay?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t heard her at all, testimony to her skills.

    ¡°Hey Arte.¡± I said.

    ¡°Gray. You two in some trouble?¡± Astarte reformulated.

    ¡°No, not us. Marie¡¯s friend.¡± I responded.

    ¡°The one who beats me in line?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡± Marie answered.

    ¡°Too bad. Licky Licky doing his things again? I¡¯ll let Gray handle it. If you transform though, send me pics.¡± The God-Child sat down on a chair next to the dinner table, and opened a plastic bag with¡­three kebabs inside. ¡°What are you looking at? My turn for dinner this time, no?¡± She explained.

    ¡°You bought¡­kebabs?¡±

    ¡°Friend of mine came to school today, made those for me. Could never find the right amount of spices for those bad boys. I suspect he puts drugs inside, but he never told me his recipe.¡± She took a bite out of one of the kebabs. ¡°Sit down and let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m famished, and I do have some news as well.¡± Astarte announced.

    ¡°I hope not as bad as my friend disappearing.¡± Marie went and sat next to Arte, who gave her the smallest of the three-aluminum covered Middle Eastern dish. It was still the size of her forearm.

    I sat on the other side, and Astarte gave me the biggest one. ¡°Smells delicious.¡± I noted.

    ¡°It is.¡± She answered arrogantly.

    As I removed the aluminum sheet and bit inside the meaty oriental sandwich, I gave out a slight moan of pleasure. ¡°Mother of Jesus, that¡¯s exceptional.¡±

    ¡°Mhh.¡± Astarte responded. ¡°Still, this friend of mine brought me unfortunate news, and I¡¯ll need to leave for a week or two.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Marie subtly asked for more.

    ¡°An old acquaintance of mine has¡­need of me. She has apparently reached the end of her lifespan.¡±

    There was a long silence at that declaration.

    ¡°Arte? What does that mean?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°It means she went crazy, and that I¡¯m the only one who can put her down.¡± The child¡¯s voice went very dark and deep.

    I bit in my kebab, not knowing what the right words were.

    But Marie knew. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Arte.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it hundreds of time, you should worry about her.¡± She joked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I can¡¯t imagine how hard it must be to bury everyone you ever met.¡±

    Arte stopped eating and looked at Marie for a few seconds. I couldn¡¯t see her expression.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She simply said. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for a while. I need to go to China.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± I acknowledged.

    ¡°Call me if something happens.¡± She continued.

    I had the feeling things were going to happen.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been called away by accident, Arte.¡± I felt the pull of a trance.

    The God-Child finally looked straight at me, an animalistic smile on her face.

    ¡°No, me neither. This thing with your friend, just as I need to leave¡­But it does not matter. If they made Xiwangmu lose it just to make me go away, I shall not leave this act unanswered. Still, I have to go.¡±

    ¡°We understand.¡± Marie said. ¡°Go help your friend. We¡¯ll take care of things here. We shall call you only if we really must.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you can send me pictures of Wolf Gray as well, please.¡±

    ¡°¡­sure.¡±

 Chapter 31: At the summit, declaration of war.

    ¡°I¡¯m still really not sure if it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sneak in the building, I¡¯ve got no other choice.¡±

    I had just finished re-explaining to Marie what I was planning to do this evening. In front of me was her computer, and a plan of the city with pop-ups of a nice-looking glass skyscraper. This was where, according to Astarte, Alik lived. I was a bit sad he wasn¡¯t living in an old giant crypt somewhere. It would have been easier to break into.

    ¡°I thought you could use your wolfy powers.¡± Marie retorted.

    ¡°Not possible.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, as the knowledge is not mine, and the way the Beast taught me is not something quite relatable to humans.¡±

    ¡°A bit like we learn spells?¡± Marie tried.

    ¡°No. Not at all. IT just gave me its experience, its failures and successes as a monstrous hunter. It¡¯s not magic, I can¡¯t just move in front of trained vampires in a fully lit boulevard and not be seen. In darkness, maybe, if I didn¡¯t need to move much, certainly, but there¡­no.¡±

    ¡°Just going through the front door doesn¡¯t seem the most sensible solution, though.¡±

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m pretty sur I can beat them if the situation calls for it. So why not just go ask Alik where Natasha is directly? I¡¯ll know if he lies. It¡¯ll be a piece of cake.¡±

    ¡°With you involved, I do not believe that one second.¡± Marie noted sadly.

    I closed the internet navigator and turned around on the gaming chair to face my standing girlfriend.

    ¡°Nothing bad will happen to me. I¡¯m worried about you though.¡±

    ¡°I used all my magic to put crazy strong wards, and Illy came this morning to check and improve them. I¡¯ll be fine alone for one evening.¡±

    ¡°You should just have left with Illy.¡±

    ¡°And endanger her and her family? Out of the question. You¡¯re being overprotective.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Still, this could all be an elaborate plan for you to be separated from me.¡±

    She sat on my knees and kissed me. ¡°I¡¯ll be ok. I promise, I¡¯ll have my phone on the ready.¡±

    I groaned, gently pushed her away, and began dressing myself in more decent clothes than just a t-shirt and pajama shorts. I had been drawing today and had forgotten to dress in the morning. Astarte had left at dawn for the airport.

    It had been three days since Natasha¡¯s disappearance. Time was working against us, but we couldn¡¯t have acted faster. I needed the night to think about our next move, and then once decided, had to wait for the sun to set to go meet the Elder. Apparently, sun was detrimental to vampire¡¯s health, albeit not as ashy as depicted in the movies. Going during the day would be unfruitful, as they would be hiding in their little coffins. At least that was the info King, doubled by Astarte, granted me.

    I didn¡¯t doubt Alik¡¯s coffin would be little, but I doubted he had a coffin at all.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go as Ray.¡± Marie informed me.

    ¡°What¡­ oh!¡± I was currently in my male form, so I transformed into my female self immediately. ¡°Better not reveal that aspect to Alik, wouldn¡¯t help with the parleys.¡± I approved.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell anymore, can you?¡± Marie asked me.

    ¡°Whether I¡¯m Ray or Igris? Is that bad?¡± I stared at her. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had questioned me about that.

    She scratched her head. ¡°No, not at all. Sorry. I just don¡¯t see how it doesn¡¯t bother you. As a psychology student, I don¡¯t understand it. But I guess human mind theory is hardly applicable to you.¡±

    ¡°I still feel human. To put it simply, it doesn¡¯t feel weird for me to be Ray or Igris, both feel perfectly natural, so I just don¡¯t care about it, especially now that you¡¯re fine with it.¡±

    ¡°I must admit, it sometimes feels like I¡¯m two-timing.¡±

    ¡°With myself.¡±

    Marie grinned. ¡°With yourself.¡± She repeated before continuing, more seriously. ¡°You¡¯re right though, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m completely fine with it yet, but I¡¯m getting there. Which is weirding me out because I¡¯m human and I feel I shouldn¡¯t just roll with it so easily.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel the same. You adapt to creepy child roommates, a werewolf partner and magic lessons faster than anyone in the world.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°You can say that because I¡¯m the only one who has to adapt to that. Obviously, I would be the fastest in the world.¡±

    ¡°I think that the fact that you can adapt at all is pretty epic.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You should wear a skirt.¡± She said out of the blue.

    ¡°Erm, why?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got the perfect legs, show them. Helps in negotiations.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure Alik is going to be interested. I would also rather not look sexy in front of a thing with the appearance of a kid.¡±

    ¡°Still, put up a skirt, it¡¯ll make you look confident.¡±

    ¡°You just want to see me in a skirt.¡±

    ¡°Busted.¡± She lied.

    She ruffled in her drawers, then held out a knee-high darkish skirt to me, with cute white polka dots scattered randomly on the fabric. I was going to say something, but Marie¡¯s hand holding the piece of clothing was shaking. I had seen her wear this skirt before, but I didn¡¯t remember on which occasion.

    She saw my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from my mom. It¡¯s precious to me. You can adjust its size easily.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Why do you want me to wear it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d hate it to be stained or broken.¡± It was the truth, but her fluttering eyes betrayed her own confusion.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight with it, then.¡± I deduced.

    She gulped audibly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fight. I just want my friend back. Even if¡­¡±

    I smiled and grabbed the skirt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t seek revenge in your name. I¡¯ll take the handicap, they need it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Gray.¡± She looked at the ground, shameful.

    ¡°Love you.¡±

    ¡°Love you too.¡±

    And with a determined gaze, I left the flat.

    ¡°Wait! I need to open up the wards!¡± Marie followed me towards the entrance.

    ¡°Hey! You ruined my cool exit!¡± I complained.

    ¡°Stop being a child, let me remember Illy¡¯s instructions.¡± She passed me and knelt in front of the flat¡¯s threshold.

    I felt a click in a brain, and then I knew how to open my own wards. Which was weird because I didn¡¯t know the spell on how to create aforementioned wards.

    ¡°Uh.¡± I said out loud.

    ¡°Stop stealing my spells, Gray.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t help it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please be safe.¡±

    I kissed my girlfriend, then left, just as the last rays of the sun disappeared under the western horizon.

    I took the taxi to a neighboring street, it forced me to wait in traffic, but I wanted to have my senses untouched by the foulness of the city subway.

    After an hour or so, I arrived in the posh part of the city center. Natasha¡¯s club was only a bloc away, but this part of town felt quite different. The streets were wide with large, expensive-looking buildings. They were not exactly skyscrapers, but were constructed in glass, and I found each one of them blander than the other. It felt like a horizontal level of Tetris.

    Marie would have been proud of my video-game reference, but honestly, who didn¡¯t know Tetris.

    As I walked on the boulevard where the Elder¡¯s building was, I saw a noticeable difference from the other high-end streets. Even larger, with an alley of trees in the middle, tons of chic hotels everywhere, most of them wooden or brick based. On this street stood the only skyscraper of the city bloc, rising well over everything else around.

    Completely rectangular, with tinted glass panels, straight to the clouds. Impossible to climb, with no access to the roof, and with a more than likely crazy sophisticated alarm-system. There was only one entrance, one which I was getting closer to.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Marble-like steps, twenty or so, brought you to glass doors, themselves bringing you to a rather generic looking reception, albeit large and very empty.

    There was no-one outside, but two men in classy uniforms were standing guard at the doors. Further inside, a young woman was sitting at the reception desk.

    At least there were no metal detectors, or I would have been tempted to reenact a scene from an old action movie.

    Wait, was Matrix old? Did that make me old?

    As I questioned my age, I arrived at the entrance, and pushed one of the glass doors.

    It didn¡¯t budge, at first. Lost in thought and a bit nervous, I pushed harder.

    The glass exploded, shattering all over the floor.

    ¡°Oops.¡± I said as I finally observed the neighboring door with ¡®pull¡¯ written on it.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± One of the two men exclaimed as they moved professionally to intercept.

    They were human, strangely enough.

    I raised my hands in the air, as one of them was reaching for a handgun hidden in his tuxedo-like jacket.

    ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t read the sign!¡±

    ¡°Girl, you better explain who you¡¯re affiliated with if you don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been expected James, let her in.¡± The woman at the reception said calmly.

    ¡°M¡¯am?¡± The one who was speaking had reddish hair and blue eyes, showing his likely Irish ancestry. Even though he smelled definitely human to me, he was, as all the vampire goons I had met before, tall, with quite the muscles, and large as a professional American football player.

    ¡°The boss was expecting her to come¡­even though he didn¡¯t tell me she would be destroying our facilities.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make a mess.¡± As I continued walking, dodging the pieces of sharp glass on the ground, I realized the reception lady, unlike the two guards, was a vampire.

    She had the perfect looks of the sexy stern secretary, but I recognized the unnatural beauty as to what it really was, a deadly honey trap. She didn¡¯t feel sexy, she only felt dangerous to me.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been expected. That saddens me a bit, I thought my plan was smart.¡±

    ¡°Breaking our door?¡±

    I put a shameful hand on my cheek. ¡°No. Sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Our Master did not inform me of anything else, so I couldn¡¯t answer you honestly, I apologize for the jesting.¡± She said with absolutely no emotions. ¡°Benjamin, clean that up, will you? And James, would you please bring the lady to the penthouse?¡± For a fraction of a second, the vampire broke her exterior professionalism to look me over, but then looked back at her computer screen, and seemingly lost all interest.

    The Irish looking guard walked quickly towards me. ¡°This way.¡± He directed me. I followed him around the reception area towards four lifts. There wasn¡¯t much to see, everything was in a white-grey color, no paintings, no carpet, no other color. I would have defined this whole floor as sterile and aseptic.

    ¡°This one.¡± He pointed at the only lift with a keyhole next to it.

    The elevator doors opened without him touching the device, so I deduced it was remote controlled from somewhere.

    The inside of the elevator was much different than the reception room. It was all in red carpet, from bottom to top, and a large mirror with golden contours was hung on the back of it.

    Did vampires have reflections? I felt like I should know the answer. They had to, because if not, this thing would have been a dead giveaway.

    ¡°So, what are you? Vampire? Hunter? You don¡¯t feel like a witch.¡± As soon as the elevator began moving, my guide began talking to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s rather impolite to ask, no?¡±

    He raised his shoulders. ¡°Everyone can tell at first glance I¡¯m a human, I feel it¡¯s just fair.¡±

    I gave him a smile, and he visibly blushed.

    I ignored the fact that I had inadvertently flirted with him and answered honestly.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Conscient. My name is Gray. Nice to meet you James. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re this casual, considering your boss.¡±

    He grunted, not looking at me anymore, his gaze fixed to the door.

    ¡°Good to meet you too. I¡¯ve got a good eye for people, and someone who honestly apologizes for showing off her strength feels like someone I could ask questions without it endangering my life.¡±

    He was much more educated than the previous goons I¡¯ve met. Although all of them had been vampires, maybe the transformation made them dumber?

    ¡°Seem like you¡¯re a smart man, why work for the bloodsuckers?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer. Numbers ticked higher and higher on the elevator monitor.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Conscient?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I have not the faintest clue.¡±

    ¡°Seems fun.¡± I didn¡¯t know if he didn¡¯t believe me or if he was being sarcastic, but I was liking my guide more and more. Which would be sad if I needed to fight my way out.

    I pinched the seam of my skirt. I had two reasons to avoid fighting now.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting there, don¡¯t piss off the boss.¡± Then numbers had reached fifty, and the doors opened up.

    ¡°Too late for that.¡± I retorted as I stepped out.

    This floor was the complete opposite of the bottom of the building. I was standing in a corridor going left and right, with wooden doors and the architecture of something akin to an old house on the left, and on the right, glass panels showing a beautiful balcony, private pool, miniature golf course and an elevated bar.

    In front of me, two giant ebony doors, opened, a magnificent red carpet urging me inside the giant room.

    It was an office, eight times the size of what it should have been. I walked inside.

    A statue of Venus on my left, probably millennia years old, was the first thing I saw, then the library, basically replacing walls as it surrounded the whole room. At the end of this literary paradise, at the far end of the room, a magnificent colored window, big as something you would have seen in a cathedral, dominated, showing the full view of the northern part of the city. In front of the architectural prowess stood a desk, where a lone child was working, piles and piles of papers stacked around him, multiple times his height in size.

    As I got closer, Alik put his swan pen back in its black ink bottle and came to stand next to the furniture barely smaller than him.

    ¡°Igris. Or should I say Gray?¡± He smiled at me.

    No aggression in his posture, but his words¡­

    ¡°Gray.¡±

    ¡°Just how Ray Dunkelbaumen asks to be called as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You should be proud of yourself, Miss Gray, this enigma of yours was so inconsiderate of my intelligence, I didn¡¯t realize the stupidity of the answer until recently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not following. I¡¯m only here to ask you about my friend.¡±

    ¡°Miss Desire. Yes, I know.¡± He didn¡¯t lose his smile.

    ¡°Desire? Natasha¡¯s last name?¡±

    ¡°Well, it is the name she has chosen in this decade, yes. You¡¯re not much of a friend if you don¡¯t even know that.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe Nat had called herself Desire. Well no, I believed it way too easily.

    ¡°We¡¯re only acquaintances, to be honest. But I like her, I just came to be reassured about her whereabouts.¡±

    Alik tapped his desk with one finger rhythmically.

    ¡°Yes. Miss Natasha¡­is unavailable for the moment. She¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even try to hide the ominousness of his sentence.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means she¡¯s not dead.¡± Tap. Tap.

    He didn¡¯t lie. But I saw it in his eyes, he had done something to my favorite succubus.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°Me? Nothing.¡±

    Half-truth, half-lie.

    I growled.

    His expression changed noticeably. ¡°Fascinating. I hade some time to think after our first encounter, and I must say, I was really far of understanding exactly what you were at the time. Miss Desire has helped clear up some of the fog that was obstructing my vision, but she was rather¡­unagreeable doing so.¡±

    My brain worked quickly. What could Natasha have told him? What¡¯s more, why would she try to hide it? I looked back at the last time we spoke, after she had met Astarte¡­She had realized something.

    I sighed.

    ¡°So, what dark secret have you uncovered, Licky Licky?¡± I taunted.

    For a fraction of a second, his face took an inhuman aspect, and he hissed at me. Then, his normal childish face was back to normal.

    ¡°Do not call me that.¡± He said with unnatural calm.

    ¡°Would you do something that goes against Astarte¡¯s protection?¡± Whatever he knew, he had no idea I could see through his lies.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± He lied.

    ¡°And you¡¯re not related in any way as to her sudden voyage in China?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even made aware of that.¡± He lied again.

    Shit. Pardon my language.

    ¡°Give Natasha back.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I have to make sure¡­¡±

    ¡°I am the same person.¡± I interrupted him.

    ¡°What?¡± He gave me a puzzled look.

    ¡°I am Ray and Iglis. Both Conscient in one body, just as that old prophecy said. I¡¯m the one who brings apocalypse yadi yada. You know the truth, now release her.¡±

    His eyes took a very dark tint. ¡°You don¡¯t understand at all what this means. You¡¯re not the bringer of apocalypse, that is something only younglings like you think is a bad thing. No, what you bring is the exact opposite of everything I ever stood for.¡±

    ¡°And that would be?¡±

    ¡°When two become one. When true Oracle listens to the reflection of the sun. Chaos shall come. Loss shall roam and rules forgotten.¡± He recited.

    ¡°What meaning have you found in that? It doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡± I asked provocatively.

    ¡°It¡¯s a translation from old Sumerian, of course it doesn¡¯t. It means a full Conscient doesn¡¯t bring the apocalypse, it just brings chaos and destruction. You understand why you can¡¯t be left alive.¡± He didn¡¯t move, nor was his posture aggressive.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the most likely way to realize a prophecy is to try and stop it? If you really believe I need to be stopped, why are you not attacking me, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll come. Astarte won¡¯t be back for at least a week. I¡¯ll have plenty of occasions until then. And you are right about the prophecy part. We have thought about it and found a solution. Do not worry about that.¡±

    He had made a mistake unknowingly. He had said ¡°we¡±. The witch coven, or Mr. Marak alone, I was certain he was involved in this. Why he was helping the Elder with his violent crusade seemed evident as well, if they realized I was a ''real'' Oracle.

    ¡°I could just kill you now.¡± I stated, not showing what I had just learned.

    ¡°Something you shouldn¡¯t be able to do and is still a question your friend needs to answer. In any case, the plan is already in works, my death wouldn¡¯t change a thing.¡± He calmly explained.

    ¡°Let Natasha go, in that case. She doesn¡¯t know why I¡¯m strong. I haven¡¯t shown her anything.¡±

    He looked at me with great interest. ¡°Really? I wasn¡¯t able to tell truths from lies before with you, why should I trust you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, let me propose a deal. I¡¯ll give you Miss Desire back in exchange for that specific information.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think long about it. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ve got a deal.¡±

    He acquiesced, and with no order from his part, a hidden door behind the library opened. A  Frankenstein-like monster, humanoid but seemingly stitched up from bottom to top, completely naked but a complete of genitalia, pulled a half-naked, bloody woman I could only identify by smell, as her face was so swollen, so blue and violet, it was unrecognizable.

    ¡°Nat!¡± I couldn¡¯t refrain a shout from my mouth from escaping. She was still alive, but her heartbeat was weak.

    KILL HIM

    No. NOT YET.

    I was looking down at the ground, or more specifically at the cute polka dots on my skirt. I calmed down. My gaze went back to Alik, and I stared directly into his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that.¡±

    ¡°Not while you¡¯re alive.¡± He promised back. ¡°Your part of the deal, if you won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got the power of the Beast in me.¡± I answered with no hesitation.

    ¡°Gevaudan? The wolf monster in France? Yes, it makes sense, Jeanne had its pelt. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to beat me in a one-on-one at the time, though.¡± Alik nodded.

    ¡°It got stronger with age I don¡¯t know what else to tell you. I¡¯m strong, and that¡¯s where my power comes from, I¡¯ve given you what you wanted.¡± I felt the monster inside me getting closer and closer to my skin.

    Alik took a moment to think, then gestured at the stitched-up abomination with his index finger. Natasha gave out a painful moan as the giant thing dropped her on the carpet and disappeared back into the hidden door.

    ¡°This is satisfactory. You¡¯re definitely hiding something else, but it¡¯s much more than what my ex-magic advisor could have informed me about. Have a nice evening, Miss, or Mister, Gray. It¡¯ll be the last one you¡¯ll have. Forever.¡± And he sat back on his desk.

    ¡°You were already aware she did not know anything.¡± I accused him as I picked Natasha¡¯s unconscious body delicately from the ground.

    ¡°Evidently. The magic elixir she took has since long lost its effects. She had no way of resisting my compulsion.¡± He answered without looking up.

    I left the room, showing my back to him.

    He wouldn¡¯t attack now. Nor would I.

    I had a week to survive, until Astarte arrived.

    I had no doubt I would succeed, but I wasn¡¯t sure Marie would make it this long. I wasn¡¯t even sure Natasha would make it through the night.

    I exited the building with no problems. James, the Irish guard, gave me a strange look as I carried my friend away.

    I sent a message to Marie, as I didn¡¯t have time to call her.

    The body on my back needed urgent intensive care, and I would not wait for a taxi or an ambulance.

    I ran to the closest hospital.

 Curse of Yçœ‰r

    I had the absurd thought that all hospital ceilings looked the same. Maybe not visually, but on a deeper level, they all represented the same thing.

    Marie got out of the room where Natasha was sleeping. My girlfriend was still dressed in pajamas. She had quickly added a dark leather vest and my white scarf on top to keep warm.

    After bringing Natasha to the ER, I had answered the nurse¡¯s questions in a rush, finally cutting her by saying I had already contacted the cops and would be back. She didn¡¯t believe me, and tried to stop me as I left, but I didn¡¯t want Marie to be left alone. We came back to the hospital together. King was already there.

    We had few words, the lieutenant was in a terrible mood, and so were we.

    She had taken my statement in a very professional way, swore three or four times, then went back to the police district.

    For us, there was nothing else to do than to wait.

    It was barely the middle of the night when I had arrived at the hospital. Now, as my girlfriend left Natasha¡¯s room, it was almost morning.

    Marie was sobbing uncontrollably. I got up from the uncomfortable plastic seat to gently hug her.

    ¡°What did they say?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She¡­they don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll wake up. They can¡¯t do an MRI because she wasn¡¯t insured, but the doctor told me she¡­¡± She cried silently in my arms for a few seconds before continuing weakly: ¡°Her spine is broken. Even if she gets out of coma, she¡¯ll most likely never walk again.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything, but something very dark rose from within me.

    CALM DOWN. CHAOS WILL COME FOR THEM.

    You? You tell me to calm down?

    I DO NOT CARE ABOUT OUR MATE¡¯S PLAYMATE. ONLY MY MISTRESS AND THE HUNT.

    Fuck y¡­

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    Marie¡¯s voice broke my internal conversation.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re holding me too tight.¡±

    I released my grip.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t fight them, did you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She grabbed the golden necklace in the shape of a cross that never left her neck. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She forced herself to say.

    ¡°I could have killed all of them.¡± I noted flatly.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the right thing to do. And would you have been able to do it while still protecting Nat? While still bringing her to the ER in time?¡±

    The question took me by surprise. I thought about it before answering.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m no savior. The Beast¡¯s knowledge doesn¡¯t include protecting or saving.¡±

    Marie stopped sobbing and swiped her tears and dripping mascara off her face, leaving an ugly smudge of dark under her hazel eyes.

    ¡°Do you think they could still go for Natasha? Or my mother? Stan? Your mom and dad?¡± She had a certain look, a burgeoning resolve.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But looking at your expression, you have the answer to that question already.¡±

    Determination had replaced her sadness.

    ¡°You told me how Alik acted. He¡¯s a fanatic. Fanatic of laws and order. He won¡¯t kill someone who¡¯s being closely watched by humans. He won¡¯t break the First Law to attack or kidnap humans who know nothing of the U.¡±

    I thought about what she said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how I see it too. Why go for Natasha and not also your mother or mine? They would have been good informants, absolutely incapable of resisting compulsion.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Which means¡­he will follow the three laws.¡±

    A sudden realization shook my brain. ¡°Wait doesn¡¯t that meant that¡­Marie, did Illy answer you?¡±

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. Hospital tried to call her as well, she¡¯s Nat¡¯s emergency contact. Wait. You don¡¯t think¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shit. We need to move.¡± I began walking, but Marie lagged behind.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Gray, I¡¯ve cried too much, I¡¯m dead tired, I can¡¯t even put a foot in front of the other without¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡± I picked her off the ground with ease.

    ¡°Princess carry, really?¡± She protested while blushing heavily.

    ¡°This or the potato bag carry.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being Cinderella.¡±

    As I carried my girlfriend out of the hospital in hasty steps, she got out her phone.

    ¡°Calling Illy?¡±

    ¡°No, a taxi, we need to¡­¡±

    ¡°No time. Sorry about that, but we¡¯ll be running.¡±

    I began trotting towards a dark part of the hospital parking.

    ¡°It¡¯s outside the city!¡± She said way too loudly, mere inches away from my ears.

    ¡°Exactly why I need to run.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    I was in the covert darkness of the shadows, no cameras around. I gently deposited Marie on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯ll go on my back. Keep my clothes safe.¡± I began undressing.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± She protested, while picking up the clothes I threw at her.

    I smiled, I loved this about her. She would always protest when she didn¡¯t agree with one of my decisions but would never try to undermine it if she didn¡¯t have a better option. As I removed my bra, she gave me a lecherous stare.

    ¡°Really? Now?¡± I complained.

    She grinned weakly at me, as if the previous expression had been exhausting to her. But then, she very seriously continued: ¡°I¡¯ll always look at you like that.¡±

    I looked at her for an instant. Then threw her my panties and began transforming.

    ¡°My god I thought I was going to die.¡±

    I snorted mockingly. If I had wanted to kill her, she would be dead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t snort at me.¡± She threatened the giant grey wolf almost twice her size.

    She had grasped on my fur for dear life, as I dashed through the vanishing night, replaced by the beautiful tint of the red and orange glow of the eastern sun. In the city, I couldn¡¯t move as fast, I needed to avoid the lights, the cameras and the gaze of early joggers.

    But once outside the city, only faced with never-ending corn fields, my muscles could push to their limit, pushing me further beyond what any car could.

    I needed to be careful with my mate on my back as to not accelerate too fast. The mixture of fear and excitement I could smell on her was much better than the one of sadness and anger from before.

    She was setting her trembling legs on the cobbled road of Illy¡¯s old traditional American home.

    Even with the rising sun, it was still dark enough to be certain there was no light coming from inside the house.

    I thought about transforming back into my human form.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Marie stopped me. ¡°Something is wrong.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how my mate could know that, as I neither smelled nor heard anything, but she had instincts even my wolf-self respected immensely. She had noticed I was going to transform back into human with no signals, for example.

    I began stalking around the house.

    No signs of forced entry.

    Marie stepped on the house¡¯s porch. ¡°Illy? Henry? Rose?¡± She shouted.

    My ears perked up as I heard a grunt.

    Marie entered the house in a hurry.

    ¡°Oh my god, Henry? Are you okay?¡±

    I didn¡¯t see what was happening, but I was picturing Henry fall over in the living room.

    ¡°Marie? Yes. I¡¯m fine¡­though¡­Mr. Marak took away Illy and Rose. We just let him in. He broke coven rules, I didn¡¯t think¡­¡±

    Marak? As I suspected, the Elder and the witch were colluding.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Can you stand?¡± I heard Marie continue inside.

    ¡°Stand? Yes. Though, you have to leave, I¡¯m safe, don¡¯t worry about me. Belfor never saw me as a threat, he¡¯s already forgotten about me. You though¡­ they sent a Y¨¹r to get you.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°Take the book. A Y¨¹r. Remember that. It¡¯s a curse that takes the shape of a monster. You need to leave, right now.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The Beast experience did not inform me of what a Y¨¹r was. It had heard the term before, but only knew it was an extremely unpractical curse, and never faced it in the past. Seems that things had changed.

    NEVER HUNT BLIND.

    For once, I agreed wholeheartedly with IT.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave you like this!¡± Marie retorted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! I¡¯ll call you. I¡¯ve got Illy¡¯s phone. You need to run away.¡±

    I looked towards the forest.

    Something had moved.

    I growled.

    ¡°What if this Y¨¹r thing goes for you!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, the book will tell you enough. You¡¯re honestly putting me in more danger by stating there, Marie. Is Gray here with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, don¡¯t separate. Don¡¯t use magic on it, it¡¯ll just become stronger. Take my car if you¡­¡±

    ¡°No need. The Encyclopedia, right?¡± Henry didn¡¯t respond audibly, but I heard Marie pick up something from the living room, then run towards the front entrance.

    ¡°Gray? Where are you?¡±

    I was behind the house but couldn¡¯t exactly warn her other than by growling again.

    The thing in the forest wasn¡¯t big, but it moved abnormally, I felt the need to keep my eyes on it.

    ¡°Here you are! We need to¡­what¡¯s happening?¡±

    I turned around. She was looking at me with scared, puppy eyes, firmly holding the monster encyclopedia we had skimmed through before in her arms.

    I heard the thing move in the forest.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Marie was seeing it directly, and her eyes grew in fear, her instincts reacting before her brain could distinguish what she had perceived.

    I did not have time. I picked her up in my mouth and began running away.

    ¡°AAAAAAAH! IT¡¯S ME! DON¡¯T EAT ME!¡± She shouted inside my maw.

    Silly one. I did not want to eat her.

    I wanted to run.

    I did not look at the Y¨¹r, and just flew towards the city, Marie¡¯s shouts reverberating in my throat.

    After running for three long minutes, I stopped and let Marie go.

    ¡°What was that for!?¡± She shouted. ¡°Eww, I¡¯ve got wolf saliva everywhere.¡±

    I needed to talk to her so I transformed back.

    She looked at me painfully as my bones and flesh screamed agony.

    I gasped for air as I fell on my knees. I then raised my head to look at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t watch me change.¡± I reprimanded.

    ¡°I shall not turn a blind eye to the suffering of my lover.¡± She refused.

    I grinned.

    ¡°Fine.¡± She got out my clothes, some of them more spared from saliva than others. ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯ll need to transform back.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not as fast as I am, but it is still following us. We need to rest and prepare.¡±

    ¡°Was that what I saw? I¡¯m not sure what¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we go to the city then? In full view of everyone?¡±

    ¡°Alik, or Marak subordinated by Alik, wouldn¡¯t have sent us something that would so easily break the first law. We need calm and quiet to read the book.¡±

    She was already reading through its pages.

    ¡°We already read like half of it last time, and I don¡¯t remember anything called a¡­ Ah dang, it¡¯s in alphabetical order.¡±

    ¡°Explains why we did not see it then. In any case, I¡¯ll transform back, you¡¯ll mount me again, and we¡¯ll go somewhere relatively safe.¡±

    ¡°And where would that be?¡±

    ¡°I have a dumb idea.¡±

    ¡°Great, very reassuring. Care to share this time?¡±

    ¡°Miran¡­Jeanne¡¯s old coastal house. I think it is up for sale at the moment.¡±

    ¡°You want to hide from the vampires, by going to an old vampire lair?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Marie sighed, then nodded. ¡°This is brilliant. It could go two ways you know that don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Either horribly well or horribly bad. A bit dichotomic don¡¯t you think?¡± I commented.

    I heard some sort of slushing noise in the distance, like a mixture of liquid and solid rasping and crushing the corn in its wake.

    Marie was going to retort something, but I cut her before she could begin talking.

    ¡°No time for discussion, we need to move.¡±

    And I transformed again.

    When I was done, the sound had gotten much closer. Less than a mile away.

    I laid down and lifted up my chin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll mount you with pleasure.¡± Marie joked nervously.

    Once more or less saddled, I began running to the west.

    I had a general idea as to where Jeanne¡¯s house was, but I would rely on my nose to find it. I remembered the forest surrounding it.

    I ran again.

    ¡°Oh my god, it''s even scarier when I can see around me.¡± Marie said out loud.

    ¡°This shitty place.¡±

    I finished putting my clothes back on. I didn¡¯t want to be as Ray here, which was good because the feminine clothing forced me to be Igris.

    ¡°It is rather beautiful, to be honest.¡± I answered Marie.

    ¡°You look nervous.¡± She noted.

    I had never seen the house under daylight. It was modern and grand. The steps leading to the entrance were magnificent, and even though the garden had been left in a rather self-sustained way, it was still a perfect expression of money and fame.

    The front door felt new and repaired and was clearly cheap compared to everything else.

    Marie climbed the stairs with no doubts, and I followed her, feeling weird.

    She turned around. ¡°Gray? You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. That¡¯s normal. Take my hand.¡±

    I did as I was instructed and felt slightly better.

    ¡°This is an ugly front door.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s new. I think she broke it when she killed the¡­¡± I had a brief flashback.

    WE ATE HER.

    The Beast¡¯s sentence removed some of my fear.

    Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t do that.

    MAKES YOU WEAK.

    Makes me human.

    WHICH YOU ARE NOT.

    ¡°The Beast is making me feel less scared.¡± I informed Marie.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°Your emotions are your own, no one should tamper with them.¡± She agreed.

    ¡°IT says I¡¯m not human.¡±

    ¡°Well, IT may be right, but that doesn¡¯t mean you lost your humanity. Tell the Beast that.¡±

    ¡°It can hear you.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not answering.¡± The Beast had receded in my depths.

    ¡°Pffrr. Can¡¯t handle being wrong. Can you open the door?¡±

    I inspected the wooden frame.

    ¡°I could, but I can hear the beeping sound of an alarm system. Let me sneak in.¡±

    ¡°No! Not this time!¡± Marie exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve got the perfect thing for this.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Henry taught me a cool spell.¡±

    ¡°Is it going to explode?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Watch!¡± As usual when someone used magic, I felt the energy surge out of the witch, in this case witch in training, but then it took a shape I had never seen before. It felt extremely complex, but I didn¡¯t learn it this time.

    ¡°Dang, it feels cool.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t learn it?¡±

    ¡°Nope. It''s been too long.¡± I gave her a heavy stare.

    She laughed.

    ¡°So. You failed? Nothing happened.¡± I observed.

    ¡°You can break the door now.¡± Marie refuted me.

    ¡°Erm?¡±

    ¡°No alarm system anymore.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± I didn¡¯t hear anything anymore except the sound of her breath and the rumbling of her heart. I pushed the frame. It broke instantly, even a normal person could have broken in easily.

    ¡°Welcome to the devil¡¯s house.¡± I said out loud.

    ¡°Psh, that¡¯s my room¡¯s name, don¡¯t steal it.¡± Marie stepped inside.

    ¡°Marie! Let me go first!¡±

    ¡°Too late!¡±

    As I entered in turn, I had a shiver run up my spine, and waited for an alarm to blare¡­but nothing happened.

    ¡°What exactly did you do?¡±

    ¡°I fried the electrical system.¡± Marie explained.

    ¡°The whole system? Just like that? Don¡¯t you need massive amounts of energy to do that?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not at all. Henry taught it to me, he has to be able to use them too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand why Illy told me he would have been scary if he had more magic.¡±

    As I talked about the nature witch, a somber expression passed on Marie¡¯s face.

    ¡°I hope she¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Marak wouldn¡¯t hurt her. They seemed to know each other well, he even called her by her first name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s good or not¡­¡± Marie stepped inside the room on her left. ¡°Ew, what¡¯s that?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to enter there, but I couldn¡¯t let Marie out of my sight either.

    The place had¡­changed. It was almost empty now. No more giant tv, beautiful glass table, and most of the pelts had gone. A few were still there and had shocked Marie.

    ¡°Pelts. Deer, bear, and a¡­coyote?¡± I recognized.

    Marie had a disgusted look. ¡°I know your wolf self likes to hunt, but please, if we ever have a house together, don¡¯t decorate it with dead animals. It is creepy.¡±

    The three pelts that remained whispered to me, in no discernable way.

    They screamed silently.

    They begged with hushed voice.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this where¡­?¡± Marie asked.

    ¡°Yes. But right now, it is just the pelts¡­I can hear them.¡±

    Marie clearly shivered at those words. ¡°Oh my god this is more than creepy now. Did we really have to come here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna burn them.¡±

    ¡°The pelts?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they need¡­release.¡±

    ¡°Sure, if it is important to you, do it. I¡¯ll be reading the book about our deadly killer coming to murder us while you burn dead animals, is that all right?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°It was sarcasm.¡±

    ¡°It is important to me.¡±

    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s freezing here, I¡¯ll go upstairs, want to check first?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing alive or half dead lives here, I would have smelled or heard it.¡±

    ¡°So if it¡¯s dead, you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s already finished decomposing then no, I would not know.¡± I concentrated on my task, I began pulling the pelts out of the wall, and put them in the large empty fireplace.

    ¡°Reassuring. Skeletons are not out of the question then. Well, if you hear me scream, tell my mom I was assassinated by a skeleton king or something epic like that.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I answered with a deadpan voice.

    It took me ten minutes to find a lighter for the fire, then I set the pelts ablaze. The fire spread extremely quickly, and as the souls trapped within the since long deceased leather left, I almost felt gratitude.

    I climbed up beautiful marble and metallic stairs, to find my girlfriend in an empty room, except for a couch and a bookshelf without any books. It had only one window, facing the garden, which was quite little, and the walls were soundproof.

    ¡°Seems like Jeanne liked to have some privacy to read.¡± I noted.

    ¡°Everyone has some qualities, even the worst of monsters.¡± Marie answered me without raising her nose out of the book.

    ¡°What does it say?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, the Y¨¹r? It¡¯s pretty bad. It wasn¡¯t hefty in details, so I was checking up the Y¨¹rmungrand, much more interesting.¡±

    ¡°Uh, uh.¡± I sat next to her. If she had to avoid the subject and joke around, it had to be pretty bad.

    ¡°You can look for yourself.¡± She sighed as she gave me the book.

    The page I was reading was about a gargantuan sea serpent the size of a continent, who was, according to native Americans and African tribes, responsible for spitting out the continents.

    ¡°That¡¯s Y¨¹rmungrand.¡± Marie explained to my confused gaze.

    I flipped to the previous page. As my girlfriend had said, the Y¨¹r entry wasn¡¯t exactly prolific in information.

    It was barely two pages, with multiple illustrations taking half of it.

    Those were already bad news.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see well, but I saw its shape. It¡¯s definitely the human-based one. It looked like that at Illy and Henry¡¯s house. I hope it left him alone.¡±

    I began reading the description, not focusing on the images too much.

    This is a curse, needing a sacrifice of blood, flesh and magic to cast. Once the ritual done, the curse takes physical form. It chases what constitutes it. If it has been summoned with murdered dogs, it will hunt the dog(s) it sees when it forms, and nothing else. Once the dead prey(s) is/are incorporated inside it, the Y¨¹r shall turn to dust. This has always been used by vampires and necromancers, but considering the difficulty of the ritual and the time it takes to create, as well as the need for the Y¨¹r to see the target as it is summoned, it has always been impractical at best. Unfortunately, since the invention of high-resolution pictures, this last hurdle has been overcome, and the Y¨¹r curse has been used more and more over the years¡­

    I felt Marie¡¯s head rest on my shoulder and looked at her for an instant. She had her eyes closed.

    ¡­As it is not alive, the Y¨¹r cannot be killed, nor escaped. It cannot be trapped by normal means and absorbs magic spells to become bigger. To a non-witch human, the Y¨¹r seems like a spot of darkness moving through the corner of the eye. This way of moving is similar to the Gedradon (see page 145 for more information about this way of concealment) but the Gedradon is a little spot, while the Y¨¹r can often impede a whole section of the peripherical vision.

    To the trained eye, the Y¨¹r can take many forms, but is always some shape of blood and grime, mixture of liquid and solid. The shape it takes depends on the sacrificed creature (See examples above). It kills by suffocation, as it enters the respiratory system and fills it with pieces of flesh and bone. It is unknown as to how the Y¨¹r finds its prey, but it is relentless.

    Human-based Y¨¹r¡¯s are extremely dangerous, and the victims used in its summoning can often be recognized by their ripped faces dangling on the extremity of the Y¨¹r¡¯s ¡®hair¡¯.

    If you have been cursed with a Y¨¹r, seek immediate help from your coven.

    ¡°Well.¡± I looked at the representation of the Y¨¹r based on human sacrifices. It had the shape of a big human. But the torso was just coagulated blood, and its arms and legs were pieces of flesh and bone stitched together with red liquid strings.

    Its head as well was just a mass of flesh and blood. The artist had depicted its hair as ridiculous tentacle-like appendices, with screaming faces on its ends. I was appreciative of the artistic rendition, but that was the only good thing I had to note.

    ¡°I really wish I had killed Alik now.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t¡­ have changed¡­a¡­¡± Marie tried to answer me but was dozing off on my side. We hadn¡¯t slept for almost twenty-four hours now, and even though I could have easily gone further, fatigue was getting to me too.

    ¡°Sleep. We¡¯ll need it.¡± I decided.

    ¡°Mh¡­is it really ok¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s necessary. You need to rest. Considering how long it took to catch up to me before, we have well over eight hours.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been slow. Far from it. I was just fast.

    Still, we were clearly out of our depth, and listening to the Encyclopedia¡¯s advice wasn¡¯t going to help. No coven to rescue us.

    ¡°Cannot be trapped by conventional means.¡± What did that mean? What would be unconventional?

    My eyelids were getting heavy, and the sound of Marie sleeping on my side made me want to close them completely.

    I put an alarm for six hours later on my phone, then tried to rest as well.

    I was in darkness. A pitch-black mist around me. As I looked at myself, I was Gray, both Igris and Ray in one, strange form.

    I felt something large move forwards.

    ¡°Beast.¡± I looked at the stalking figure, facing the only thing clearly visible. Red eyes the shine of death.

    ¡°SOON, MY MISTRESS SHALL COME.¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡±

    ¡°I DID NOT DO SUCH A THING. YOU ARE SIMPLY GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO CHAOS.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°IT IS NOT MY PURPOSE TO GUIDE, I SIMPLY FOLLOW.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, if it''s just to say a bunch of nonsense, leave me be.¡±

    ¡°YOU MISUNDERSTAND.¡± The giant wolf moved closer to me, suddenly visible in full.

    But it didn¡¯t act aggressive or threatening, it simply sat in front of me, and closed its eyes.

    For a while, neither of us moved.

    ¡°Are you¡­sleeping?¡±

    ¡°DREAMING FOR THE FUTURE. I CAN SMELL HER ON YOU.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s her? Your mistress? Chaos? How can Chaos have a smell?¡±

    ¡°HUSH. SOON. RIGHT NOW? YOU NEED TO GO DEEPER. SLEEP NOW, ORACLE OF CHAOS.¡±

    ¡°Wait...¡± But I sank into the blackness, and soon, I stopped thinking altogether.

    I dreamt of the ocean at night.

    Inside it shined the moon.

 Rotten flesh

    My phone rang its usual ear-piercing melody, breaking my restless sleep.

    Marie squirmed uncomfortably on my sides, grunting in annoyance.

    I shut down my phone, and pure silence filled the void.

    ¡°Marie, wake up.¡± I softly shook her.

    ¡°Mhh.¡±

    I moved her head away from me with care, left the couch, and opened the little window to the outside.

    Noises and smells from the forest reached me in a gust of wind.

    It was one PM, and some birds were singing, having come back early from their migrating trip of winter.

    The sun shined high.

    The air smelled of budding plants and fallen rain. Water had fallen from the sky when we slept, but the clouds had dissipated now.

    The Y¨¹r wasn¡¯t there yet, I had taken a large margin with my alarm. Because of that, our rest wouldn¡¯t be much, but it would have to be enough.

    As I looked at the coniferous forest, I thought about what we should do.

    This Y¨¹r was slower than me, we could easily outrun it for a week, and wait for Astarte to come back. She¡¯d probably have a solution.

    Something was wrong.

    Would Alik really expect us to fight the thing? And even if he didn¡¯t know how fast I could really run, a plane would have had the same effect.

    Something in this Encyclopedia was missing, some vital information that made this Y¨¹r even more dangerous than it seemed.

    I went back to the couch and read the chapter on it again.

    ¡°Still alive.¡± Marie mumbled.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Seems we found ourselves a viable solution. Running away.¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking about that. Doesn¡¯t it feel¡­weird?¡±

    Marie raised herself up, stretching her body.

    ¡°You¡¯re a nice pillow, couch though¡­not soft enough. My body is aching.¡±

    ¡°Mh mh. Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°None. Obviously, we¡¯re in for a bad surprise, but what it is? I¡¯m hungry and thirsty.¡±

    ¡°I doubt the sinks are working.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check. I don¡¯t suppose we¡¯ll find food.¡±

    ¡°In a vampire lair? I don¡¯t think we want to find food.¡±

    She nodded and left the room.

    I read the entry again.

    Unconventional means. That had to be the solution.

    ¡°Marie?¡± I shouted. ¡°You left your phone here. Can I call Henry?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°CAN I CALL HENRY ON YOUR PHONE?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Said my girlfriend down the stairs.

    I opened up her phone, and called the contact named ¡°Illy-sensei <3¡±.

    Cringe.

    After two rings, I got an answer. ¡°Marie?¡± A masculine, anxious, tired voice answered.

    ¡°Nope, Gray. You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Well no. I¡¯m trying to find where Marak sent Illy and Rose. I went to our friends in the coven but¡­they also disappeared. Even Gione is not answering.¡±

    ¡°Gione?¡±

    ¡°It is one of our oldest witches she¡­¡±

    ¡°I got it. Call Lily King, she¡¯s a police lieutenant, ask for her help. I don¡¯t know how much time I have Henry, so we need to cut it short.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. You managed to escape the Y¨¹r, that¡¯s a relief.¡± He didn¡¯t sound relieved but still extremely worried.

    ¡°But for how long? I¡¯ve read the entry in the Encyclopedia, but it doesn¡¯t tell me what we need to do.¡±

    ¡°No? I thought it might¡­ I was going to ask Gione about it in detail, she would have known, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s missing. Great. What can you tell me, yourself?¡±

    ¡°Not much. I¡¯ve never witnessed it directly. Until this morning, at least. It passed next to the house to follow you. It¡¯s not a pretty sight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the drawings, I imagine.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill it, and it morphs into liquid when you hit or trap it, so that is useless as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°It gets stronger as time passes, as it absorbs the inner energy of the things it passes through. It doesn¡¯t take everything, so it¡¯s not usually killing anything or being noticeable like that, but it grows exponentially. There is a famous story where to escape the curse, a coven created a flying house for the target. He lived there for a week. The Y¨¹r grew bigger and bigger and faster and faster. At some point, it became unstoppable and large as a mountain, reached the house and the target, then disappeared into nothingness.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s the catch... We can run away for now, but the more we wait, the more impossible it becomes to stop.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be stopped.¡±

    ¡°The book tells of unconventional ways of doing so.¡±

    ¡°I¡­I have honestly no idea.¡± He lied.

    ¡°Henry, you just lied to me.¡±

    The phone sizzled in unresponsiveness for a few seconds.

    ¡°¡­I know a way, yes. But you have to believe me, it won¡¯t work in those circumstances.¡± That was the truth.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just tell me? It could give me an idea for something else.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t, I assure you.¡±

    I heard the resolve in his voice. I sighed.

    ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t push deeper then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Gray.¡±

    ¡°If Marie dies because of you, I won¡¯t let this pass.¡±

    ¡°I¡­My solution is as likely to kill Marie as the Y¨¹r.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll find something else. What about you? Can we help somehow?¡±

    ¡°Not with the Y¨¹r on your tracks.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Contact me if you have any news, we¡¯ll do the same.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye Gray, be prudent.¡±

    ¡°The same to you.¡± I shut down the phone.

    I sighed again and scratched my head.

    I heard the footsteps of Marie getting closer.

    ¡°Water is still running.¡± She announced as she entered the room, giving me a glass of water.

    As I drank, she asked. ¡°What did Henry say?¡±

    ¡°Basically, we won¡¯t be able to run for long, it grows bigger and faster exponentially. It shifts into liquid when you hit it or trap it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s bad news.¡± She sat down next to me. ¡°Let me read it again now that my brain is almost functional again. I¡¯d kill for bacon and eggs...¡±

    I showed her the book.

    ¡°Unconventional means, uh? Author couldn¡¯t tell us what those were?¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°I¡¯d hazard a guess he didn¡¯t know himself.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t even dream of a life on the road with you. Too bad.¡±

    ¡°I think we need to call our joker.¡±

    I showed her the contact I popped up on her phone.

    She grimaced. ¡°I agree.¡±

    I called Astarte.

    She did not answer.

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± I began, then immediately received a call back from her.

    ¡°Ni hao!¡± A young teenager voice shouted.

    ¡°Arte?¡±

    After two seconds, she answered.

    ¡°One and only! Didn¡¯t want to make you pay for the long-distance call.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡± I said flatly.

    It took some delay for her to respond again.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I know. My business is finished, and I should have been back shortly, except someone sabotaged my plane.¡±

    ¡°Alik send us a Y¨¹r.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see. A good idea, except it¡¯ll probably only kill Marie.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not die by gore asphyxiation.¡± Marie started talking as well.

    ¡°¡­Hey! How are you Mar?¡± Arte said cheerfully after a few seconds.

    ¡°Horrible, I haven¡¯t eaten anything in twelve hours.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pfff, Millenials. You can easily survive thirty-six. You have water?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be back way before you die of hunger, don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°I think the point is that we worry about a curse trying to asphyxiate us.¡± I reminded the millennia-old being.

    ¡°¡­yes! That¡¯s a bad one. You¡¯ll figure something out, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°Wait, can¡¯t you help?¡±

    ¡°¡­Nope, I¡¯ve got no idea.¡±

    ¡°Know someone who might?¡± I asked.

    ¡°¡­Plenty. No one trustworthy though.¡±

    ¡°You never had a Y¨¹r try to kill you before?¡± Marie said in disbelief.

    ¡°¡­Well of course! But I just stopped breathing for a decade or two, it left on its own one day.¡±

    Marie and I facepalmed.

    ¡°Nice Arte, very helpful.¡± I noted.

    ¡°¡­I told you I couldn¡¯t help! You¡¯ll be fine, the Y¨¹r is just the distraction, to tire you out, what¡¯s next is more... Sorry, I need to go.¡± Her tone suddenly became serious.

    ¡°Wait, Astarte!?¡± Marie shouted.

    But the smartphone only answered with a succession of beeps.

    ¡°Great.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fucked.¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°Language.¡±

    ¡°Fine! We¡¯re doomed.¡± She corrected.

    ¡°Let¡¯s read the entry again, and brainstorm.¡±

    My girlfriend pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    We had gone through the same sentences over and over, with no luck.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m pissed, I¡¯m scared, I¡¯ve got no ideas Gray!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m pretty stumped as well.¡±

    I realized the forest had grown quiet.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Marie froze. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°In the forest somewhere.¡± I concentrated harder. A sloshing noise in the distance. It wasn¡¯t going straight for us. It was¡­making circles around.

    ¡°The hell? It¡¯s not acting like it''s written in the books.¡± I realized.

    ¡°Great, so our only source of information is unreliable.¡± Marie exclaimed sarcastically.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave for now. We can go back to Illy¡¯s home, maybe I¡¯ll be able to track Marak¡¯s scent and if we find him¡­¡±

    ¡°Torture info out of him?¡± Marie raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, if he¡¯s holding the other witches hostage, we could free them and ask them for help.¡±

    ¡°It could work. But it brings us back to what I asked you before: did you smell him this morning?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it likely you could have missed it?¡±

    ¡°Possible.¡±

    ¡°But¡­?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely.¡±

    Marie sighed. ¡°If it¡¯s not attacking us, I¡¯ve got something else to propose.¡±

    ¡°Uh uh?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet it.¡±

    ¡°No way you¡¯re getting close to that thing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but I think we need to understand what we¡¯re facing. And two brains will be better than one. Do you think you can still outrun it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, the Marak plan is definitely out then. Gray, let¡¯s go, we have no time to lose.¡±

    ¡°You stand behind me at all times.¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel better.¡±

    We had decided to take a quick walk into the woods.

    I was carrying Marie on my back. She was the one who asked, as her shoes were not made for muddy forest soil. We had stopped talking, as even she could hear the eeriness of the complete surrounding silence.

    Only one sound echoed occasionally through the trees.

    My girlfriend could hear it now.

    She was breathing faster.

    I could smell the Y¨¹r. Blood and putrefaction.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting closer.¡± I informed.

    ¡°You¡¯re certain it¡¯s not moving towards us?¡± Marie asked. ¡°It¡¯s not laying a trap, is it?¡±

    ¡°I thought this was your idea. And it stopped moving altogether. It¡¯s staying there¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m having second thoughts.¡± She gulped.

    ¡°Too late now. I¡¯ll go on my own if you want.¡±

    I saw something red in the distance.

    ¡°Not a chance.¡± She reinforced her grip around me.

    ¡°It¡¯s there.¡± I informed again.

    ¡°Yeah¡­I can see it too.¡±

    I approached the monster carefully, one step at a time. The more we advanced, the more we could distinguish it through the foliage.

    ¡°This thing is atrocious.¡± Marie whispered.

    We could see it clearly now, from two hundred feet (60m) away.

    It was tall, half the size of the surrounding coniferous trees, but scrawny, made of a reddish mass of red and brown that neither seemed liquid nor solid. It was built like a man, except it was like a stickman figure with no features.

    The hair was the worst, as even at that distance, you could see ripped faces hanging from it.

    It was not walking around us anymore, but the tendrils that served as arms were grabbing plants and trees, sucking the energy out of them.

    ¡°Look.¡± Marie pointed. ¡°It¡¯s made like a road.¡±

    She was right, vegetation had been sucked out of existence on its left and right, probably where it had circled around.

    ¡°Why is it not moving anymore? Is the house warded somehow?¡± Maire tried.

    ¡°No, I would have felt the energy¡­¡±

    As I talked about magic, I concentrated on it.

    ¡°We¡¯re too far away but I think I know what is happening, but I need to get closer.¡± I had a hunch.

    ¡°Ok¡­¡± Marie said, unsure.

    ¡°You¡¯re still following?¡±

    ¡°Always.¡±

    We stepped closer. The sounds it made were stronger and stronger. And it felt like it was¡­reaching for us. Its arms were trying to pull all the branches and leaves between us and it.

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    I concentrated.

    There was¡­magic, stopping it in place.

    ¡°It¡¯s being held there.¡±

    ¡°What? By who?¡± My girlfriend asked.

    I recognized this energy. ¡°Marak.¡±

    ¡°Why would he help us?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not. He could just release it right here and now, and it could catch up to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­shouldn¡¯t we leave then?¡±

    ¡°No. No sudden moves. Marak isn¡¯t anywhere near, he can¡¯t know we¡¯re here. Now why did he stop the Y¨¹r?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Arte tell us it was just a distraction? Aren¡¯t they just using it so they can prepare whatever¡¯s next in peace?¡± Marie deduced. ¡°By the way, how is it held in place with a spell if Y¨¹r absorbs magic?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it can¡¯t absorb the magic that created it¡­But there wasn¡¯t this energy around it this morning, it was really going for us. Why the change?¡±

    ¡°¡­what if they realized what Astarte said? That it wouldn¡¯t be able to kill you, and decided to go straight to plan B?¡±

    I stopped to think.

    King had told me about it.

    ¡°Or what if they heard it¡­they could easily have listened in on our phones.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Great. Just means we¡¯re trapped here now. If we leave the house, how much do you bet it¡¯ll start chasing us again?¡±

    ¡°Not betting but¡­¡± I stopped. The Y¨¹r was acting strange.

    It was fighting against the spell holding it into place, pushed by its core reason of existence. I could feel the energy around it, it would not move, so the Y¨¹r tried¡­something else.

    Red liquid squirmed out of it and fell on the ground.

    Marie and I looked in disgust, until we saw the liquid take a more viscous form, and squirm towards us. The Y¨¹r was trying to circumvent the spell that stopped it from coming closer, and it had apparently succeeded.

    ¡°Gray!¡± Marie shouted in horror.

    ¡°Saw it. Hold tight.¡± I began running back, but the piece was crawling fast.

    It was small in size, but that wouldn¡¯t prevent it from entering your lungs and clogging your throat. The mental image was more than disturbing.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Marie was looking erratically behind her. ¡°It is still following!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯ll be able to outrun it once we¡¯re out of the woods but¡­¡±

    ¡°Go back to the house! I¡¯ve got an idea!¡± Marie exclaimed suddenly.

    I didn¡¯t try to discuss and ran towards Jeanne¡¯s coastal house.

    We burst inside through the broken entrance and Marie jumped off my back and landed on her feet.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Kitchen!¡±

    I ran behind her, as she was rustling through cupboards.

    ¡°What are you looking for!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I saw it when I was looking for a glass of water¡­its¡­¡±

    I heard the sound of liquid sliding up the home¡¯s stairs.

    ¡°Marie!¡±

    ¡°Here!¡± She handed me a large jar.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do with that?!¡±

    ¡°Trap it inside of course!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s anything but unconventional!¡±

    ¡°Do it!¡±

    I ran towards the entrance, red liquid flowed on the ground. As it got closer to me it drained itself back into a globule the size of a fist.

    I walked back, the jar opened in front of me, waiting for the right moment.

    It came almost immediately, as the blob of flesh and blood launched itself towards my face.

    I had quicker reflexes and caught it midair inside the glass container.

    I closed the metallic and rubber lid.

    ¡°You got it?¡± Marie came closer.

    ¡°Stay away, it¡¯s resisting!¡±

    It was clearly smaller now that it was inside the jar, more solid for an instant, then, it took liquid form again and began forcing its way out of the lid.

    I held the latter in place with my hand, but I felt the piece of the Y¨¹r create gaps in the rubber, nonetheless.

    ¡°Gray!?¡± Marie was looking at me, looking around, trying to help.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to get away!¡±

    ¡°Hold it there, I¡¯ve got something!¡±

    I pushed even harder, as Marie went back to the kitchen.

    The liquid was reaching up, denying gravity, leaving the bottom of the jar empty as it forced its way on the lid.

    It was completely liquid, only taking a solid form to pierce and destroy the rubber.

    ¡°Marie!¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Bring it here!¡±

    I ran towards the kitchen.

    She was filling the sink with water.

    ¡°Flip it over the water, stick it to the sink grinder.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°The siphon!¡±

    Panicking, I turned the jar upside down, and pushed it very quickly in the sink. Water pushed the piece of the Y¨¹r partly inside the jar, and I stuck it over the sink¡¯s siphon.

    ¡°Now what?¡±

    The jar was only half filled with water, compressed air stopping it from filling completely, and floating up there was a fleshy, angry ball creature bouncing around with great force.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°What?¡± The thing was still fighting, if I didn¡¯t hold it in place, it would have flown away on the spot.

    ¡°It¡¯s not liquid anymore!¡± Marie explained.

    Still pushing down, I looked at the creature more carefully. True, it had taken its solid form completely.

    ¡°Yeah. So? It¡¯s still going to break the jar any minute now.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t take a liquid form if it is in water. Blood is mostly water, it would dilute.¡±

    ¡°Ok, great. What if you were wrong and it had just absorbed the water and gotten even bigger!¡±

    ¡°Only living creatures have magic, and that¡¯s what it supposedly absorbs.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking, if we hadn¡¯t established beforehand that the book was faulty, you¡¯d even be a genius.¡±

    ¡°Mostly adrenaline and sheer luck.¡± Marie smiled. ¡°What¡¯s genius, I hope, is the next part.¡±

    She moved next to me.

    ¡°Marie, it is still trying to break the glass.¡± I warned

    ¡°I know. I need access to the sink¡¯s controls.¡±

    ¡°Ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to open the siphon, and at the same time activate the grinder.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you want to¡­ It can¡¯t be killed!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not alive, yes. But can it continue functioning normally if it¡¯s ripped into pieces? Can it reconstitute itself like that? Henry told us that hitting it won¡¯t do anything because it¡¯ll take a liquid form when you do. Why dodge the hit if it has no effect in the first place?¡±

    I thought about it for a few seconds. ¡°It makes sense. It is a magic creature though, should we really rely on this thing working logically?¡±

    ¡°Magic shouldn¡¯t work against the law of physics.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... You ready?¡±

    ¡°What am I supposed to be ready for?¡±

    ¡°Grabbing me and running away if everything goes terribly wrong.¡±

    I laughed. Then the jar began cracking.

    ¡°No time, do it.¡± I ordered.

    She pushed a button, the siphon rose, water began flowing down, then she pushed another button and¡­

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡± I began.

    Marie had a terrified look. ¡°I fried the electrical system.¡± She finally remembered.

    ¡°God dammit¡­¡± The jar was almost empty of water, but quickly, I pulled it away from the siphon and pushed it directly on the metallic surface of the sink.

    The piece of the Y¨¹r was still in solid form, sloshing around in a quarter full glass container, cracking under the pressure of the aggressive red mass.

    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡­I have no idea. We need to rip it to shreds somehow, while it¡¯s in contact with liquid.¡±

    I looked at it.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Gray?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to my brother later for my language. I just really¡­ I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°This.¡±

    I turned the jar lid on top again, stopped the piece of flesh from escaping with my hand, then opened the tap and filled the container to the brink with water.

    The thing was pushing, even feeling like it was biting on my hand, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to hurt me whatsoever.

    ¡°What are you doing, Gray?¡± Marie said anxiously.

    ¡°Trusting you.¡± I put the jar over my mouth and let everything flow.

    ¡°OH MY GOD!¡±

    The piece of Y¨¹r tried to force its way into my throat but was stuck because of all the water flowing around it.

    I chewed.

    My eyes watered immediately. Smell and taste, rotten, moving flesh mixed with already putrid water attacked my taste buds and my nose.

    ¡°Stop! Gray! Stop that!¡± Marie tried to force my hand down, to no avail.

    I chewed and chewed, holding myself up the very best I could, refraining from vomiting multiple times.

    Every time I swallowed, it got worse and worse.

    After what seemed an eternity, I had emptied the jar.

    My stomach was rumbling, but whatever magic the curse had left, it wasn¡¯t enough to move anymore.

    I felt woozy and sat down.

    ¡°You dumbass! You absolute dumbass! Gray! Are you all right!?¡± Marie was looking at me desperately.

    ¡°Y..yeah. You were right. It stopped moving.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I was right or wrong! You could have killed yourself doing this!¡±

    ¡°Nah, it wouldn¡¯t have killed me, Astarte said so. Better for me to do that than for it to attack you.¡±

    ¡°Arte said it would PROBABLY not kill you. PROBABLY.¡±

    ¡°I took my chances.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not ready to go chew on the giant one. This is the most disgusting thing I¡¯ve eaten in my life.¡±

    Marie sat on her knees next to me and began crying. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself for my sake...¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­hey. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not hurt, it was just unpleasant.¡± I took her in my arms.

    ¡°What an understatement.¡± She said between sobs.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess. And I¡¯m not doing this for your sake. I can¡¯t stand the idea of you being hurt, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m doing this for myself.¡±

    ¡°Absurd rhetoric.¡± She sniffed loudly, hugging me close.

    ¡°It is the truth though. No one is allowed to hurt you except me.¡±

    ¡°Creep.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡± She sniffed again, more quietly.

    I laughed wholeheartedly. ¡°So unfair.¡±

    ¡°You almost died in front of me, I¡¯m allowed to be unfair.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t almost die.¡±

    ¡°I convinced you to do something that could have killed you.¡± Marie continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s true for every relationship in the world. We can be betrayed, we can die. We decide it is worth the shot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being cheesy now.¡±

    ¡°I ate a living curse, let me be cheesy.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Jeanne had toothbrushes?¡± I asked out of the blue.

 Dark Ocean

    Twenty-four hours had passed. The Y¨¹r hadn¡¯t sent other pieces of itself to murder us. We were waiting and planning. Marie had tinkered with the shredder in case we received another visit, and I had hunted two rabbits just outside the house.

    Cooking them without electricity had been a pain, but there was a fireplace in the house. Not my most brilliant dish for sure.

    I was regularly checking on our jailor, but it still couldn¡¯t get closer to us. Sometimes it circled around, sometimes it just stood there, in the middle of the forest, silently. As it couldn¡¯t move a lot, it couldn¡¯t grow either and its shape hadn¡¯t changed a bit. Maybe that was why it hadn¡¯t sent other globules to us.

    The night had been rough. Marie had barely slept, and I did not sleep at all, not when the curse was so close from us. I didn¡¯t know how Marak could hold on to the spell for so long, but apparently, he had found a way.

    Still, this couldn¡¯t be going on for much longer. The clock ticking was in our favor, not theirs.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get sanctioned for missing all my required lessons.¡± Marie said flatly. We were in the bath together, water hadn¡¯t been cut in the house, and Marie had warmed it up with some sort of basic fire magic. She didn¡¯t have much of it left, with no way of doing the nature ritual, as she had not taken Illy¡¯s glyphs with her. The rest of her energy was needed to make the sink shredder work, so this warm bath was our last piece of luxury.

    Talking about luxury, it could have been the definition of the bathroom we currently enjoyed together. Large, with a bathtub the size of a jacuzzi, and everything covered in marble and silver. It was extremely modern but had no windows to the exterior. As electricity was missing, it would have been mostly dark inside, but Jeanne was an old being from long before Tesla and Edison, and we had found lots of candles hanging around.

    The setting would have been extremely romantic, in an old American cheesy eighty¡¯s way, if there hadn¡¯t been a giant blood monster set out to kill us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s important right now.¡± I answered my girlfriend.

    ¡°I want my diploma.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll study witchcraft afterward anyway.¡± I retorted.

    ¡°I worked hard to get it. My mom paid for my tuition. I will never be able to tell her I¡¯m a witch, but at least she¡¯ll know I¡¯ve done my best at school.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°I get it. Still, it¡¯s the least of our worries now.¡±

    ¡°It is pissing me off.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Marie splashed water in my face.

    ¡°Hey! What was that for?¡± I protested.

    ¡°Mean boy.¡±

    I splashed her back.

    Marie didn¡¯t react and looked straight at the ceiling.

    ¡°What are we going to do? We can¡¯t exactly wait here forever, Gray.¡±

    ¡°We could. They have gotten the ire of Astarte, not us.¡± I noted.

    ¡°Nah, they¡¯ll act before that. Whatever Alik is planning, us being stuck here is part of it. I¡¯d like to mess with this plan of theirs.¡±

    ¡°And I would love to do it too if only we could leave this place. The question is, how?¡± I agreed with her.

    ¡°Well, let us review what we know: Magic is useless on it, except if it is coming from the magic that created it.¡± Marie said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t very well count on Marak, so that¡¯s out.¡±

    ¡°Shredding it while in contact with lots of water is effective. Or maybe you¡¯ve just got the stomach of a Tarrasque.¡±

    ¡°A what now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A Tarrasque. It¡¯s a monster in D&D, its stomach is basically a portal to death, and whatever falls into it ceases to exist.¡±

    ¡°Hard to get nutrients out of that. Seems like a waste of food.¡± I commented.

    Marie laughed. ¡°You¡¯re such a dingus.¡±

    I pinched her calves.

    ¡°Hiiii! Gray! Stop that.¡±

    ¡°Sorry not sorry¡­your theory is sound though.¡± I continued on a more serious tone.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got an interdimensional stomach?¡± She teased.

    ¡°No. Not that one. I mean about the fact that if it gets shredded to pieces, the Y¨¹r can¡¯t regenerate or move anymore.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s all. The two ¡®weaknesses¡¯ we¡¯ve found. The second is the most promising, but, how do you shred something two stories tall into little cubes?¡± Marie asked out loud.

    ¡°While making sure it can¡¯t transform into liquid.¡± I added.

    ¡°Yeah, this too.¡±

    I sank deeper into the large tub.

    ¡°Wait a second Gray! That¡¯s it!¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±

    ¡°We bring it to the ocean! We fight it in the ocean. Well, you fight it in the ocean.¡± She corrected with an apologetic stare.

    I grimaced. ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡±

    ¡°You transform into a wolf, go at large and rip it in pieces!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a shark.¡±

    ¡°In all those years, the Beast hasn¡¯t learned to fight in water?¡±

    ¡°A MOST INTRIGUING PROPOSAL.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Beast seems to like your idea.¡± I announced.

    Marie grimaced in turn. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure about my plan, suddenly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me neither. I still feel we¡¯re missing something. Why is this Y¨¹r thing so rare if it is that strong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, because it has only recently been used? No real point in summoning something if you¡¯ve already trapped the thing you want it to kill. Photographs only exist¡­¡±

    ¡°Pictures have existed for more than a century.¡±

    ¡°Not high-definition ones.¡± Marie retorted.

    ¡°Why would it need high-definition? It clearly doesn¡¯t have eyes to see.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it does? Maybe it can see everywhere with magic and that¡¯s how it hunts?¡± Marie proposed.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I was so close, I felt I almost had it, but couldn¡¯t find it. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll try your plan.¡±

    Both of us stood inside the garden, I was already naked, ready to transform.

    ¡°You stay on my back at all times, until the fight begins.¡± I ordered.

    ¡°Yes. And then I can always use vines to rise above the water, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Vines?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Illy taught me her signature spell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to learn that one.¡±

    ¡°What for? If you ever used it, you¡¯ll just create an absurd vine rising above the clouds to the kingdom of giants.¡± Marie teased.

    ¡°Too much sarcasm. Not good for your skin.¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Marie grinned. Unlike her tone, she was nervously grabbing her arm with the other.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I like using sarcasm when I¡¯m stressed out as well, Marie. It¡¯s alright.¡± I tried to reassure her.

    ¡°I know.¡± She took one long inspiration. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    I began transforming.

    We fused through the trees. I was feeling so at ease in those woods. Except the game was scarce, where birds and mammals should have been frolicking in this birth of spring, nothing. Everything was scared, hiding or fleeing the monstrosity breaking the sanctity of the forest.

    It was north of us, which was good because we, were going west.

    I ran and ran, jumping across cold flowing water, trees and rocks, while Marie was holding for dear life, probably scared by the idea of hitting a branch and falling off.

    Which wouldn¡¯t happen. Silly mate.

    When we arrived on the rocky shores, a tumultuous sea met us with a gust of wind and seawater.

    ¡°Ok, this seems colder than I thought.¡± Marie commented.

    I grunted. Why did she think I didn¡¯t want to do this?

    ¡°I got the message, Gray. If we get home, I¡¯ll make you free hot chocolate for the rest of the year.¡±

    I growled appreciatively; this trade seemed fair.

    Marie laughed silently, then held on to me tighter.

    ¡°It is still not here? Seems you¡¯re still faster than it.¡±

    Yes, Marie was right.

    I could hear it though; it was less than a mile away. I could feel it sucking away its surroundings, like a giant leech.

    The book had said it didn¡¯t kill things around it, to better sneak and hide from the view of normal humans. It didn¡¯t seem to care here. Marak had to be controlling it somehow, making it even more dangerous than just a consciousness-ridden curse.

    This was weird. It was almost invincible, would stop at nothing, and was even versatile enough that it could be controlled for long periods of time?

    My nose tingled.

    I growled at Marie.

    She understood and slipped away from my back to fall on her feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go hide next to the water. Give it hell.¡± Marie tried to encourage me, but her voice was riddled with anxiety.

    She climbed down the slippery rocks with care, finding a little alcove next to the waves. I could still see her, but she was well protected from all sides by the large boulders and could jump into the water if desperate. Which I would rather not see happen, as even if the sea was not raging, it wasn¡¯t calm either. With the temperature of the water, no normal human could hold on long inside the treacherous blue immensity.

    My right ear flinched.

    It was close now.

    ¡°Squish. Glug. Squish.¡± The reddish absurdity got out of the edge of the forest. A beautiful fir crunched on its own weight behind the Y¨¹r, its trunk rotten to the core.

    The monster had grown, but not by much.

    It ran towards us, or at least it had the semblance of a run at us. It was balancing itself in a morbid way, as if a dead marionette of a human being pulled towards us.

    I went towards it.

    I needed to bring it towards the water, and I didn¡¯t want it to go for Marie.

    As I got close, I couldn¡¯t refrain a sneeze. With my fully transformed nose, its smell was more than disgusting. The blood it was carrying with its unholy curse was since long rotten, and some of it had coagulated, chunks flowing around its swirling insides.

    Something was weird.

    It was going for me, but not straight at me. I was only thirty yards away (27m) and could feel the energy flowing around it. Marak¡¯s energy was clearly still around, but it wasn¡¯t doing anything to it anymore, it had free reigns.

    Instincts kicked in.

    The curse wasn¡¯t interested in me.

    That made no sense, but I had no time to lose, it was barely ten yards (9m) away from me now and going for someone behind me.

    My paws launched themselves before I even understood what was happening.

    In two long strides I had jumped down to join my girlfriend on the coastline.

    On top of the rocks, the Y¨¹r had followed, and it reached towards us with extending, floppy arms. Tendrils of liquid and flesh spiked out of him, going at us fast.

    ¡°Gray what¡­¡± Marie didn¡¯t have time to realize what was happening.

    I grabbed her by her leather jacket, and catapulted her in the air, towards the sea.

    I couldn¡¯t dodge the fleshy tentacles, and it felt like hundreds of metal rods smashed on my left side.

    They did not pierce my flesh, but I yelped in pain, and got projected on the ground. A wave of cold water hit my back. At the same time, I heard the splash of Marie falling in the sea.

    I immediately got back up on my legs, but the Y¨¹r had no interest in me, and it was already trying to follow Marie.

    I snarled and caught it between my jaws, recklessly trying to protect my mate, but just snapped my mouth in liquid, flowing out of my mouth. The creature had now overtaken me.

    I growled and jumped in the water, pursuing it.

    ¡°Gray! I¡¯m over here! What¡¯s happening?¡±

    A quick look in the direction of the voice showed me my girlfriend well above the water, a vine pulling her up by the waist.

    The Y¨¹r was only going for her, and she hadn¡¯t realized yet.

    It was splashing in the shallow waters, only twenty yards or so away from her.

    It felt less liquid, more solid now.

    One stride, and I was behind the creature, I bit down its semblance of legs, and this time, felt some resistance.

    The loss of its limb destabilized it, and it fell on its side. At the same time, it launched bloody spikes towards Marie again, who shrieked in fear, shielding herself with her arms uselessly.

    Fortunately, because the Y¨¹r was falling, the attack missed her completely,

    I jumped on it, viciously ripping it apart inside the water, but its left side swelled like a fleshy wave, and pushed me away, towards deeper ground. I couldn¡¯t reach the bottom anymore, but I was closer to Marie.

    The Y¨¹r rose, a new squishy leg bursting out of it. The pieces I had really gotten good fell out of him, magic dissipating, but the rest of my attack just transformed into flowing blood once out of the water, and it reconstituted itself in a fraction of a second.

    Barely a scratch, considering its size.

    It raised its arm again, this time, towards me and Marie.

    I dove, reached the bottom in an instant, and jumped out of the water, hovering in the air between it and Marie.

    Just in time.

    I felt the spikes hit me, once again.

    Something had to be broken after that impact, but It was the last of my worries.

    This wasn¡¯t going to work.

    ¡°Gray, let¡¯s get away!¡± Marie had arrived at the same conclusion.

    Unfortunately, I had launched her too far away, and I doubted I was faster than the Y¨¹r inside water. I thought it would have been weaker once completely solid, but unfortunately, with its ability to attack at medium range, the water was impeding my range much more than the Y¨¹r¡¯s.

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach Marie and protect her at the same time.

    My brain raged, I inspected the Y¨¹r, slashed a new attack of spikes out of the air.

    I didn¡¯t know how to get closer to my girlfriend. I had to concentrate on the unrelenting thing in front of me.

    As a matter of fact, I didn¡¯t have to do a thing.

    A thump, then and a warm and familiar thing landed on my back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Marie ordered.

    As I looked towards where she had been, I saw an empty vine disappear in the waves.

    She had launched herself towards me with magic.

    I felt her grab onto me with all her strength.

    I dodged a new attack of the Y¨¹r.

    It was stealing the energy of all the sea life around it, and launching flesh spiky tentacles towards us, but it wasn¡¯t moving forwards anymore. Nothing was stopping it, except maybe that it instinctually knew going deeper in the water would be detrimental to it.

    I swam backwards, dodging and biting.

    After a few yards, we were out of reach.

    It took one step forwards and stopped. Its tentacle-like arms moved away from us and began attacking fishes and algae¡¯s. It noticeably grew. Then took another step.

    So that¡¯s how it was. Too slow, though.

    ¡°What¡­pfff, urgh, salty¡­¡± Marie tried to talk, but despite my best efforts, I couldn¡¯t keep her out the cold sea water.

    ¡°What happened? Why did it only go for me at the beginning?¡±

    I growled. We couldn¡¯t really have a conversation in this situation.

    ¡°It definitely went for you in the house, why¡­¡± She coughed after a wave hit her straight in the face. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to hold on for much longer, I¡¯m freezing¡­¡±

    I whimpered in worry. I couldn¡¯t skirt around the Y¨¹r, it was very slowly moving deeper and deeper, but was following me left and right at the exact same speed I swam.

    We couldn¡¯t make it to shore. Well, I could. But I couldn¡¯t leave Marie here. She had no stamina anymore, and without my back to stay afloat, she would drown.

    ¡°¡­Gray¡­¡± Marie¡¯s teeth were shivering.

    I whimpered once again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t recognize¡­ you in wolf¡­ form¡­¡±

    ¡­since the invention of high-resolution pictures, this last hurdle has been overcome¡­

    Pictures.

    There it was.

    The thing that had bothered me before.

    The Y¨¹r was basing its hunt on two things: the type of blood that constituted it and an image of the victim.

    Why would Henry and Astarte not know much about it?

    Why, even though it seemed the perfect killing machine, was it not the mainstream way of getting rid of vampire or witches¡¯ problem?

    I grabbed Marie and put her on the water. She tried her best to float, even calling upon a vine, but only a tiny branch emerged from the water, quickly disappearing.

    ¡°I¡­won¡¯t¡­be able to float for long. Hurry¡­up.¡±

    I transformed back into Igris.

    I sank as the pain broke bones and flesh.

    Maybe I would drown.

    I did not know.

    After what always seemed like an eternity, my mind became human-like again.

    I was on the bottom, but still had plenty of air.

    My eyes adjusted themselves to this shadowy underwater.

    Marie had begun sinking.

    I felt utmost terror, but relinquished the emotion towards action.

    In two strokes I arrived at her level, grabbed her body by one arm, and reached for the surface.

    She was still alive, just having lost consciousness now but had swallowed some water already.

    I pushed her body above water, and swam directly towards the shore, and the Y¨¹r.

    As soon as I arrived ten or so yards away from it, the murderous curse raised its fake arms, which extended once again into long tentacle-like spikes.

    At first, it was easy to dodge. It was hard to say if the Y¨¹r was interested in me again, as I had Marie in my arms, but my gut feeling told me it was actively aiming at me as well, contrary to before, where it was just attacking me because I was in its way.

    But the closer I got to it, the harder it became to dodge its attacks, considering I had a half-drown Marie on my back and didn¡¯t have safe footing.

    ¡°Sorry love.¡± I had already decided on a plan.

    I pinched her nose and closed her mouth. I dove underwater with her beneath me.

    Spikes hit my back, forcing me to clench my teeth in pain. Some began tethering themselves around me.

    I looked at my lover¡¯s unconscious body sinking under me.

    I closed my eyes and concentrated.

    The largest bowl of water possible, above the water.

    I visualized the spell.

    Something akin an explosion.

    The fleshy tentacles on me were annihilated.

    Colossal pressure on my back, that pushed me into Marie and on the rocky marine floor.

    I held myself over my girlfriend, bracing the pressure of the water above to protect her.

    I continued visualizing the spell.

    More.

    Marie began convulsing under my grasp, grasping for air.

    It would have to do.

    I broke the spell.

    I took Marie out of the water as fast as I could.

    The Y¨¹r had washed away on the rocky beach.

    It was in pieces, but unfortunately, the pieces were large chunks still full of magic.

    As a gigantic amount of water receded in the ocean, the chunks stayed there. When all my water would be gone, it would transform into liquid and form itself back.

    I didn¡¯t have much time.

    But it would be enough.

    I fought the current of magic water driving itself back into the sea. It barely impeded my movement.

    My only thought was about Marie.

    Miraculously, as soon as we reached firm ground, she coughed out the water in her lungs and began breathing anew.

    ¡°Thank God.¡± I blessed everything and everyone.

    ¡°Gray?¡± She asked in a tiny voice.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Some people can still feel cold¡­Don¡¯t forget next time.¡±

    I smiled wildly, if she could still joke around, she would be ok.

    ¡°Sorry about that. I was so scared¡­ It''s not over yet. We need to go back to Jeanne¡¯s house. I¡¯ve got it. I know the Y¨¹r¡¯s weakness.¡±

    Marie didn¡¯t answer. I heard her breathe rhythmically on my back.

    Out of the corner of my eyes, the pieces of the Y¨¹r morphed into patches of red liquid, all of them regrouping once again.

    I ran towards the forest, Marie on my shoulders.

 Where they became one

    ¡°Dumbest idea ever.¡± Marie was laying down on the leathery couch of the empty reading room while I was standing next to the small window, alternating between looking outside and at her.

    ¡°Could have gone better, I¡¯ll admit.¡± I agreed.

    The Y¨¹r was back in the forest, trapping us again.

    After having fled the coast, I had reached the house long before it, even with Marie on my back. She had woken up soon after.

    That it had soothed my mind was an understatement.

    ¡°So, what did you find out?¡± She asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You said you found a way to get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You heard that?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°I know why the Y¨¹r isn¡¯t used that often.¡± I began. ¡°Or well, I¡¯ve got a theory.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it used sporadically because it is hard to create?¡±

    ¡°Since when are spells ¡®hard¡¯?¡± I retorted. ¡°Either you know them and can use them, either you don¡¯t know them or can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You still need to learn to control a spell, learn to get proficient in using it, and this one needs ingredients to work. What¡¯s more, it is not a spell but a curse.¡±

    ¡°How are those different from one another?¡± I countered.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Marie honestly answered.

    ¡°Henry told us, everything ¡®magic¡¯ is based on this dark energy thing, a curse shouldn¡¯t be different. For sure, having to sacrifice multiple humans to hunt one or two humans is costly, but Alik doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind to mind much about that kind of price. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t believe it needs living humans. Just human blood. Would explain the smell if the blood constituting it was rotten for months.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re reaching, Gray.¡± Marie noted.

    ¡°Maybe. In any case, let¡¯s assume it¡¯s not that hard to create, that it¡¯s super useful, that you can control it from long distances, that it¡¯s virtually invincible and has no thoughts of its own, so on and so on.¡±

    Marie shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s illogical. The Y¨¹r would be something commonly used if it was so good, Astarte and Henry would have been much more knowledgeable about it. The Encyclopedia wouldn¡¯t be so vague! Even the chapter after it, about a mythical serpent monster that no one has ever seen, is more detailed than the one about the Y¨¹r!¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± I agreed. ¡°Which means¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­which means you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m sorry Gray but¡­¡±

    ¡°Or that it actually has such a glaring weakness, vampires and witches who know the spell don¡¯t want to use it often.¡± I interrupted her.

    Marie gave me a quizzical look. ¡°Ok¡­that¡¯s possible. They don¡¯t want to use it, because each time they do, it risks revealing a method to render it completely useless.¡±

    ¡°That would also explain the lack of details in the Encyclopedia. It gives enough for people to be scared and not ask questions¡­¡±

    This theory made sense to me, and considering Marie¡¯s face, it was beginning to make sense to her as well.

    ¡°¡­because if they tried to remove every info about it completely, it would be suspicious¡­¡± She finished my sentence for me.

    ¡°See where I¡¯m going with this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say you¡¯re right. What would that weakness be?¡± Marie inquired back.

    ¡°Pictures. They use pictures. That¡¯s the weakness.¡±

    Marie¡¯s raised an eyebrow. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll play; Of course not, Ray, that is the discovery that made the curse stronger.¡± She said with a deadpan voice.

    ¡°Ah come on, sarcasm.¡±

    ¡°Gray, I¡¯m deadly tired, I almost drowned, and I haven¡¯t had sex in almost three days.¡±

    I grinned: ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stop torturing you then. You were right Marie, the Y¨¹r¡¯s hunting method, somehow, is based purely on physical appearance.¡±

    ¡°Oh! So, the creature sees the picture, but it doesn¡¯t hunt the picture¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­because the Y¨¹r has to hunt what constitutes it, in this case, human blood.¡± I approved before continuing: ¡°So, it hunts the only thing that looks like the picture AND that has human blood.¡±

    ¡°Its new prey.¡± Marie concluded.

    We stared at each other in silence for a short instant.

    Marie scratched her left temple. ¡°That would be a pretty glaring weakness, but I don¡¯t suppose a fake mustache would be enough¡­¡±

    ¡°Astarte said that, after twenty years, it just vanished. It can follow you wherever you are, so disguises would probably not work, but maybe the natural changes in your body and face would be enough.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Astarte immortal? She doesn¡¯t change.¡±

    ¡°She is immortal, yes. But cannot change? I don¡¯t know. Maybe she has an alternative form as a seagull, we never asked.¡±

    Marie¡¯s gaze rose to the ceiling. ¡°A seagull? That¡¯s the best you could find?¡±

    ¡°The Y¨¹r stopped going after me when I was wolf, you said it yourself. They didn¡¯t have a picture of wolf-me. And even then, the Y¨¹r doesn¡¯t have wolf blood, so it won¡¯t register me as potential prey. So, when I¡¯m a wolf, it has only one prey left, you. Which means¡­¡±

    ¡°Aha, you want to transform me into a werewolf! I knew this was coming! Noooo, don¡¯t bite me foul creature!¡± She dramatically countered.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve bitten you already¡­a lot. Didn¡¯t seem to work then.¡±

    ¡°Mhh. True, I forgot.¡± Marie lied ostensibly.

    ¡°As if. Pervert.¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really whispering it.¡±

    ¡°Meany.¡±

    We looked at each other.

    Marie broke the silence.

    ¡°So, what is your plan?¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­¡± I squirmed.

    ¡°Oh no.¡± Marie sighed. ¡°This expression¡­I¡¯m not going to like this at all.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­if the Y¨¹r has only one prey left when I¡¯m wolf, if it finishes hunting it, it should transform into ashes, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­right?¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ve hypothesized that it¡¯s not hunting you, it is just hunting something that looks like you and that has human blood.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°So why not just take a picture of you, put some of your blood on it, and throw it at the creature?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I coughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s your brilliant way of getting rid of it?¡± Marie stared at me.

    ¡°I guess?¡±

    She pinched the bridge of her nose.

    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± She sighed again. ¡°Why not. We use your phone, though. Also, lets try a picture of the both of us with my blood on it. Should work the same, right?¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­¡± I thought about it. ¡°It should, but why?¡±

    ¡°Because I won¡¯t be able to throw your phone precisely at the Y¨¹r from a safe distance. You¡¯ll have to handle that part. I can¡¯t imagine your wolf-self doing that. You know, no hands?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡±

    ¡°Great, I am still needed for something.¡± Marie closed her eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not serious, at least not completely. If this dumbassery works though¡­I¡¯ll really feel like an idiot.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it will work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain it will. How could something so dumb fail? Your phone though. It is more recent, makes better pictures, and, well, it is your idea, I¡¯m not taking responsibility.

    I laughed at the profound lack of confidence

    ¡°Selfie time?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Aouch.¡± Marie said painfully.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Not too much, you don¡¯t want to break your phone.¡± She remarked.

    I had made a small cut on her hand. Blood was pouring on the electronic device. I didn¡¯t like the liquid to be there. It belonged inside my girlfriend. Still, I covered my phone with it. It was turned on, showing a picture of the both of us, looking completely deadly tired over a nice leather couch in a blank room.

    ¡°It is waterproof.¡± I informed her.

    ¡°I doubt they tested that feature with blood.¡± She retorted.

    ¡°It is enough, I think.¡± I informed her.

    ¡°Perfect. Go then, nothing stopping you.¡± Marie urged me.

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you came with me.¡± I commented.

    ¡°When I was there last time, we almost died. You¡¯ll just be gone to throw the phone, see what happens, then come back. You were gone away longer hunting rabbits.¡±

    ¡°I was closer to you then.¡±

    ¡°You decide Gray. But I think if something goes wrong, I better not be in your way.¡±

    I thought about it for a few seconds.

    ¡°Ok. You stay. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I kissed her. ¡°It¡¯s not hurting too much?¡±

    ¡°Pfrrr, this?¡± She showed me her cut hand. ¡°It¡¯s already stopped bleeding; I¡¯ve done much worse to summon Satan in the past.¡±

    I laughed. ¡°I knew it.¡±

    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s a secret, don¡¯t tell my mom.¡±

    ¡°Stop kidding, she definitely helped you.¡±

    It was Marie¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°Go save the day, wolf.¡±

    She kissed me back, and I was gone.

    I ran as fast as I could. Every second I was away from her filled me with anxiety.

    The Y¨¹r had moved a bit. It was slightly closer to us than before, and significantly bigger. It was still stuck in place by Marak¡¯s energy. The witch had to have gotten help somehow. A magic item? He couldn¡¯t be controlling it all this time. Maybe he could share custody?

    I sighed, my questions wouldn¡¯t be answered and were a waste of energy right now.

    I unlocked my phone, making sure the picture was well lit. I had set it as my background image and my lock screen image.

    It was still covered in blood.

    ¡°Well, good, I guess.¡± I said to myself.

    I got closer to the Y¨¹r.

    I wasn¡¯t going to throw the phone, that would be too dangerous.

    Now that Marie wasn¡¯t there, I had free reign in my movements.

    I jumped towards it.

    It raised its arms, once again, trying to knock me out with its tendrils.

    Seems Marak couldn¡¯t stop its cursed murderous nature completely.

    This time though, I would not be hit nor grazed.

    I tried hiding, just to test what would happen. The Y¨¹r didn¡¯t care, aiming its fleshy tendrils towards me like guided missiles.

    The tree trunk I had used as cover exploded into chunks of wood.

    I was already gone.

    My fun over, I fused straight towards it, to a normal bystander, it would have seemed like I just phased next to it. Then, I punched its insides.

    However unnatural and weird this thing was, it couldn¡¯t react to my speed at all. It did nothing to attack or dodge my strike.

    It didn¡¯t need to.

    The fleshy, coagulated blood became pure liquid around my fist.

    I simply opened my hand.

    I dodged tendrils getting out of its core, trying to grab me. My backflip was clearly over the top, no one was even there to admire it.

    The Y¨¹r pulsed, trying to reach me again, then stopped mid-course.

    ¡°No way.¡± I said out loud.

    Inside it, I saw my phone getting pierced and filled with the reddish monstrous goop. It didn¡¯t last long.

    The Y¨¹r squirmed.

    Like a broken pool, its red and brown blood oozed out, falling with giant lumps of flesh on the grassy, mossy ground.

    Then it burst into ashes.

    ¡°Extraordinary. It worked. Talk about being anticlimactic.¡± I was almost disappointed.

    This had been way too easy.

    Remembering this was only the distraction part of Alik¡¯s plan, I ran back to the house, we needed to plan for our next move.

    ¡°Hey Marie!...¡± I began as I entered the house.

    Silence.

    Her smell was still there, but only weakly.

    She wasn¡¯t in the house.

    Another smell reached my nose.

    Natasha¡¯s.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    I followed the scent outside. Our comatose, potentially paralyzed friend had stood on the bottom of those stairs. Marie had gone to meet her, of course, back to the road where¡­ Nothing. No scent at all.

    ¡°No no no no no no.¡± This felt just like Natasha¡¯s apartment.

    Did she betray us? No, her wounds were real, she should not even be awake, so¡­Compulsion? Were vampires capable of something like this? I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    In any case, they had kidnapped Marie.

    Obviously to bring me to this trap they had taken so long to prepare.

    A ringtone in Jeanne¡¯s home.

    In less than a heartbeat, I was next to the landline. It had no electricity, and had clearly been disconnected, but still, it rang.

    I felt the magical energy around it. It was Marak¡¯s, once again.

    I could see the link of magic, piercing the ground, coming from¡­somewhere up north.

    I didn¡¯t pick up the phone.

    ¡°WE HUNT.¡±

    Marie

    What an idiot.

    To my defense, I had barely eaten and slept for days and almost drowned two hours earlier. Still, I had to admit I had done a rather imbecile thing.

    I had heard Natasha calling out to me, and after checking outside, saw her alone at the bottom of the marble stairs that led to the house. I¡¯m not proud to admit that, tired as I was, I hadn¡¯t even thought for a second that this was weird. I just happily waltzed out right in the open.

    The three vampire goons that were hidden next to her hadn¡¯t hurt me at all, but they hadn¡¯t left me any time to react either.

    I was now live bait.

    Gagged with a leather stripe, sitting in the back of a moving military jeep, with an enormous costume-wearing bloodsucker on my left, and on my right, Nat.

    Looking at her was hurting me.

    She wasn¡¯t there. Not mentally at least. Her eyes were blank, and she was still dressed in a simple hospital gown. The only thing you could see on her face was the expression of tremendous pain.

    She should not even be standing, and they had made her walk.

    What they did to her, it was so painful that even unconscious, her eyes were full of tears.

    I took her hand and squeezed gently.

    They had used her to bring me out in the open. Why though? I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend myself against this paranormal military operation in any way.

    Security? To prevent me from killing myself?

    I couldn¡¯t be sure. I was trying to guess a plan created by a being with centuries more experience than me.

    We were driving¡­north? I grit my teeth as Natasha let out an agonizing cry. Still expressionless, but tears falling down her cheeks.

    After fifteen minutes on the sinuous asphalt road, the jeep took a sharp right, following a muddy trail in the vegetation towards the center of the forest.

    Every bump made Natasha cry out more.

    I began tearing up as well.

    After much too long, the sun lowering through the horizon, we arrived at the edge of the forest, in what seemed a man-made, or maybe vampire-made, glade.

    They pulled me and Natasha out of the car. The grip of the vampire goons felt like a vice, and my left arm was almost ripped off its joints. Once barely standing outside, they let me go.

    I didn¡¯t believe for one second that I would be able to flee.

    A young boy in a magnificent dark suit teleported right in front of me.

    ¡°Hello¡­Marie.¡± Alik said with his usual calm and contained voice.

    I tried looking at my surroundings before facing the Elder. Multiple jeeps were parked around me, and between them was¡­Astarte?

    ¡°Heya Mar, sorry about that, seems I¡¯ve been had.¡± The millennia creature honestly apologized as she saw me look at her.

    My roommate was pinned on her knees. Half of her body was holes, where big metallic chains passed through, at their end, harpoons were stuck in the ground. She didn¡¯t show any semblance of pain despite the horrible state of her body.

    ¡°HH mm gdd, rte?¡± I tried to say through the gag.

    ¡°Oh, yes, of course.¡± Alik removed the gag from my mouth. ¡°Welcome.¡±

    I felt relief at my mouth being able to close again.

    I looked at Astarte again, but then focused my attention on Alik.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a terrible mistake.¡± I said to him with a trembling voice.

    He smirked. ¡°Really? I¡¯m surprised, I would have expected torrents of insults.¡±

    ¡°Gray doesn¡¯t like those; I¡¯m trying to contain myself. Feel free to feel thoroughly insulted.¡± My eyes darted towards the unresponsive Natasha, still standing there, like a robot awaiting orders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your witch friend, I won¡¯t kill her, she¡¯ll have her uses.¡± The vampire child had followed my gaze.

    ¡°You can thank me for that.¡± A dark-skinned witch said from afar.

    Belfor Marak was standing in a large circle, surrounded by other witches, some looked at me with disgust in their eyes, but the others felt as unresponsive as Nat.

    I saw Illy and Rose, but they had their back turned towards me.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we have no time for speeches. Elder, the Beast is coming, fast.¡± Marak announced.

    The Elder acquiesced, then, without losing any time with speeches, just turned around to face me once again.

    ¡°Walk inside the circle.¡± He ordered me.

    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to say no.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Walk inside the circle.¡± Power in his voice forced me to move against my will.

    I couldn¡¯t stop my steps and approached the circle.

    I looked at the witches as I got closer to them, most of them seemed¡­stuck in time? Illy and Rose were not moving at all.

    I heard shouting inside one of the jeeps. I recognized Henry.

    I looked at the circle where I was heading against my will.

    Bloody glyphs had been painted directly on the cut vegetation. It was hard to decipher, but I was certain this was the death ritual Illy had warned us about.

    They wanted to rid me and Gray of our soul itself, our inner magic.

    I stopped moving once at the center of the ritualistic circle.

    I tried my best to resist, but compulsion forced me to stay inside.

    ¡°Perfect. Now, with this, the monster should not be able to move her.¡± Marak explained to no one as he moved his hand.

    My whole body felt suddenly clutched and frozen in place.

    I could barely breathe.

    ¡°Licky Licky.¡± Astarte spoke as if half her body wasn¡¯t missing.

    ¡°Shut up, this will work, and we will have saved our world.¡± The Elder responded with anger at the nickname.

    ¡°And what now?¡± The imprisoned God-Child asked.

    ¡°Now we wait for the animal to save its mate.¡±

 Chaos

    I stepped towards Marie. I had picked up her scent again after following the magic of Marak for a few miles.

    I had to concentrate on the trail and couldn¡¯t run as fast as I wanted to.

    The odor was stronger now, she was close.

    Still alive.

    She was not alone. I could hear twenty, maybe thirty people around her and metal, the rattling of chains. Henry, Marak, Alik, Illy and Rose; I distinguished their odor easily. Astarte even.

    Why would Astarte be here? Wouldn¡¯t it mean it was over for them?

    No.

    I recognized the smell of her blood. The noise of chains was coming from her.

    My ears perceived voices in the distance. I hid in the shadows of the last specks of dusk.

    ¡°Licky Licky. I like you, but you know what¡¯s going to happen after this evening, don¡¯t you?¡± It was Astarte¡¯s voice.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I am familiar with your way of punishing betrayal. But I do not believe you will kill me, you never have. I shall accept your punishment, Astarte.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready for that. You never will. You¡¯d be better off putting me inside the circle with Marie.¡±

    The Elder didn¡¯t respond at first. ¡°Maybe I should. You broke the Laws multiple times¡­ But I can¡¯t. I¡¯m here to serve justice, and your actions have always had meaning beyond what I could understand. I am unable to judge you.¡±

    ¡°But you judge them? They have been normal humans for most of their lives, you only met them twice, when all of their world collapsed on itself.¡±

    ¡°I know. And the fact that they are humans, albeit strange ones, lets me judge them. I know how they work; I know what they¡¯ll do before they decide it themselves. Whether now or later, the Beast shall control Gray. It shall bring destruction in this world beyond compare. Prophecy or no prophecy, the monster needs to go.¡±

    ¡°Alik.¡± Astarte said with a serious voice. ¡°You¡¯re just going to fulfill the prophecy yourself.¡±

    ¡°No. You know this ritual. It brings death upon everything that lives. Even you couldn¡¯t survive it. It is forbidden for a reason: It can break any spoken law.¡±

    Astarte laughed, then spoke in a soft, cold manner.

    ¡°Oh, I know what this ritual does and doesn¡¯t. And everything you say is the truth. But don¡¯t you remember my words, child?¡±

    ¡°Do not call me that.¡±

    ¡°But you are. You are playing chess with a wolf, child.¡±

    ¡°Stories for kids. A lesson to be taken metaphorically, you said so yourself.¡±

    Astarte laughed again. ¡°Are you not old and experienced? You should feel the signs. Can¡¯t you see the sky? The air smells of things to come no one could predict.¡±

    Alik sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what you¡¯re talking about, as usual. I¡¯m sorry, Astarte, but I have to do this. We are the guarantors of peace and order. Such chaotic creatures are not meant to roam here.¡±

    I walked through the forest. I was taking my time, listening to the spoken words. Night had fallen, the moon was full. It would be red.

    The Beast was close to my skin, but I didn¡¯t let him control me.

    I was closer now, enough to smell another. Natasha. Weak, close to death.

    This shouldn¡¯t be¡­

    I did not understand what I was going to find out there.

    But I continued to go towards the center of the forest.

    Finally, I reached a large glade. It was a perfect unnatural circle, and inside it, humans, no witches I immediately corrected, were surrounding my girlfriend, in another smaller circle.

    It was filled with magic and runes.

    Marie was in the middle of it, unable to move. No restraints, only energy holding her perfectly in place.

    My senses went on high alert.

    On the other side of the clearing, Alik, surrounded by ten or so vampires and by an unconscious yet still standing Natasha, was talking to Astarte. Multiple jeeps surrounded them, on top of the vehicles, contraptions to hold the God-Child in place. She was on her knees, stuck on the floor by metallic harpoons piercing her body and sticking it in place with chains and powerful magic.

    I could see the flow of energy but did not know how to free her from it.

    I wouldn¡¯t bother for now. Right now, I needed to get my girlfriend out of there.

    I sneaked outside the forest. I made no noise. The moon made large shadows for me to move unnoticed.

    I saw Henry in the back of one of the jeeps. He was hitting the window to get out, but a quick compulsion from a vampire made him stop.

    I got closer to the circle, felt the tremendous magic inside.

    ¡°A FINE CREATION. KILLING THE WITCHES NOW WILL ACTIVATE THE RITUAL AND IMPROVE ITS CAPACITY.¡±

    I didn¡¯t care about the Beast¡¯s analysis.

    ¡°STEP INSIDE, ORACLE OF CHAOS.¡±

    I walked inside the circle. One of the witches I passed next to shivered in fear by reflex, the other didn¡¯t as much as budge a muscle.

    Five of the witches in the circle were here willingly. Illy and Rose as well as six others were stuck in place with the same spell that forced Marie to stand there. But the magic was much more powerful, putting them in a sort of stasis preventing them from seeing, hearing and talking.

    Further away, at the northern curve of the magic circle, Marak grinned.

    ¡°How nice of you to just walk right into our trap! Elder, it is there, as you predicted!... I was certain you would first kill us all, monster! Smart of you not to!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how he saw me, but everyone who could turned their gaze towards me.

    ¡°Gray! What the hell are you doing?¡± Marie exclaimed.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting you out of here.¡± I was in Igris¡¯s body but my voice was terrifyingly low.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t! Look at the rune on the ground! It¡¯s another version of the death thing! They are doing the forbidden ritual! Go away!¡±

    I moved fast, grabbed her hand and pulled, but she didn¡¯t move an inch.

    I saw the energy around her. If I pulled harder, she would still not move but lose a limb instead.

    I growled in anger and looked at the dark-skinned witch.

    ¡°Let her go.¡± I ordered.

    Alik appeared next to him. ¡°This can¡¯t be done, I¡¯m sorry. Begin the ceremony.¡± He ordered the witch.

    Energy reached out to me, coming out from Marak and the four other free witches. It was the same spell that trapped the others.

    Gust of wind on the ocean.

    ¡°As I thought, we can¡¯t immobilize the monster, Elder.¡± Marak informed him.

    ¡°No matter, begin the ceremony. It is an animal; it won¡¯t leave its mate.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. Does the young witch have to die as well?¡±

    ¡°It is unfortunate. I apologize for the loss of a promising recruit, but it is the only way to make the Conscient stay in place. An unfortunate collateral.¡± Alik calmly noted.

    Marak nodded and began concentrating. He knelt on the ground, picked up some grass and earth, and put it in front of his heart.

    I wasn¡¯t caring about them, only looking at my girlfriend, and how to free her.

    What should I do?

    The Beast was there. But it was staying silent.

    ¡°Gray!¡± Marie called out to me.

    ¡°Shh, let me¡­¡±

    ¡°Gray. Please, just leave.¡± She pleaded with tears in her eyes. ¡°It is my fault, I should have been more careful, I was just so happy to see Nat I didn¡¯t think¡­¡±

    ¡°Hush Marie. I¡¯m trying to concentrate.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have time, the glyphs are activating, you can feel them as I do. We knew from the beginning I would die before you. Don¡¯t follow me there. That¡¯s not how I want to go.¡±

    I looked at her. She was crying.

    ¡°Your death is your own.¡± I repeated her old words.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Yes. Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Well, I refuse. You are mine.¡± I couldn¡¯t contain my anger.

    ¡°Oh Gray, I always will be. Please, just¡­¡±

    Things happened fast.

    The energy holding the trapped witches weakened slightly, enough for them to talk again. ¡°Rose baby, please close your eyes. Gray please, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Illy asked me incoherently.

    The others began shouting and protesting, Rose began crying: ¡°Mommy? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    Marak¡¯s eyes opened, taking a reddish and ominous glow.

    Alik smiled. ¡°It is done. Checkmate.¡±

    The runes activated completely, sucking all life from within the circle. I grabbed Marie.

    The grass fell, became dark, withered, and died. Insects screeched and ceased to be, everything living was sucked out of existence, flowing inside the witches.

    Beast! Do SOMETHING! I shouted inside myself.

    IT only gave a sinister laugh.

    ¡°Gray, please leave¡­¡± Marie begged. Then, the spell reached us. Her eyes took a greyish tint, her lips moved: ¡°I lo¡­.¡± Then stopped mid-sentence, not to move again.

    I felt her body become heavy in my arms, free of the trapping enchantment, void of life.

    She was dead.

    Her energy flowed towards the witches, one of them grunted in pain as it was too much for him.

    I couldn¡¯t move, her body still in my arms. The spell reached me an instant later.

    A gigantic force began pulling for my lifeforce, trying to rob me of my essence as it had done to Marie.

    A single droplet in the vastness of an infinite ocean.

    Marak fell on his knees, as did Illy. Rose immediately lost consciousness. Most witches screamed in agony, pleading for mercy, squirming on the ground. Another began scratching her face in a terrifying rendition of pure madness.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± Alik shouted.

    CHAOS COMES. The Beast answered him, even though no one except me could hear.

    Illy shouted: ¡°Belfor! Stop the spell!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The dark-skinned witch protested ¡°We have to¡­¡±

    He looked up to me, still standing straight, holding the lifeless body of Marie in my arms.

    ¡°By all that is holy¡­¡± He stopped midsentence to scream in pain.

    ¡°STOP THE SPELL!¡± Illy ordered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Alik countered. ¡°The Conscient is still not affected by the ritual. You have to continue!¡± He was visibly shaken, not understanding at all what was happening.

    Marak waited for two more seconds. Illy fell unconscious after the first, and one of his neighboring acolytes took a knife out of its scabbard and stabbed himself in the neck during the second.

    The spurt of blood reached his face, and he stopped the spell.

    The energy around me receded. The glyphs scrunched up the grass and earth, then disappeared.

    Some witches gasped for air. Others didn¡¯t react anymore.

    Illy coughed violently.

    Their screams had ceased.

    I did not care.

    I looked at Marie.

    ¡°It¡¯s still alive! Belfor, what the hell is going on!?¡± Alik shouted.

    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t¡­¡± Marak was catching his breath.

    Only one witch was still standing, she looked young but felt old. She barely registered in my consciousness. It didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you have done, Belfor Marak.¡± She said before vanishing out of thin air.

    ¡°Licky Licky? What happened?¡± Astarte¡¯s asked with an interested tone.

    ¡°You!? Did you do something?¡± Alik left the ritual circle to go towards the God-Child.

    Marie¡¯s body was getting colder.

    ¡°YOU COULD JUST KILL ALL THE WITCHES. WIN BACK HER SOUL.¡±

    The Beast was tempting me. I hated IT, it had done nothing to help. I tried to ignore its words. But I remembered Illy¡¯s explanation. If I killed all the witches and regained the taken energy, I could bring Marie back¡­

    ¡°Gray¡­please¡­don¡¯t hurt Rose.¡± Illy had woken up already. She seemed to know what I was thinking.

    ¡°Why should I care? You killed Marie.¡± My voice had never been this cold.

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s sake, I have to rework on a whole new plan. Belfor, let¡¯s leave and regroup while the thing is still in shock.¡± Alik ordered while I was talking to the nature witch.

    I did not care what he wanted to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Gray. But Gione already teleported away. It¡¯s too late, even if you found her, Marie wouldn¡¯t come back.¡±

    THE LITTLE WITCH IS RIGHT, YOU KNOW?

    SHUT UP. IT¡¯S ALL YOUR FAULT.

    HOW SO?

    You influenced me. If I had left the circle, or never entered it, they would have had no need to kill Marie.

    NO, THEY WOULD HAVE KILLED HER IN ANOTHER WAY. ONE WHERE NOTHING COULD HAVE BROUGHT HER BACK.

    What? You know how to bring her back?

    NOT ME.

    My anger subsided, insane hope submerging me whole.

    Who? Tell me, I don¡¯t have much time.

    She was getting so cold already.

    ¡°Yes Elder, we should¡­¡± Marak talked back to Alik, but once again, I did not care about their words at all.

    ¡°Gray? Gray?!¡± Illy shouted at me.

    WHO!? The Beast began laughing.

    TELL ME.

    MY LOVE HAS BEEN FOREVER AND NEVER ENDING. BE MY MISTRESS AGAIN, COLOR OF THE MOON, AND YOUR MATE SHALL LIVE WITH YOU.

    I have no time for your riddles, Beast.

    CAN¡¯T YOU FEEL HER LOVE?

    What? No, I¡­

    The Beast showed me the ocean.

    The one inside of me, the infinity that cradled me.

    ACCEPT HER.

    I¡­I don¡¯t¡­

    OPEN YOURSELF TO HER COMPLETELY.

    Wasn¡¯t this the thing demonologist did? How would that help with¡­

    YOU HAVE NO MERE LINK WITH HER. YOU ARE HER.

    What? No¡­ How am I supposed to¡­

    EITHER DO IT OR MARIE WILL CEASE TO EXIST.

    The Beast showed me the ocean once again.

    The Ocean within me.

    YES. YES!

    Time stopped. Alik was waiting further away for Marak to join him. Agonizing witches were squirming on the ground. Illy was crawling towards her daughter. Astarte was struggling on her chains, fake smile on her lips, looking straight at Marie and me. She was giving me such a sad expression, as if she knew. As if she had known.

    The Ocean within me is dark.

    CHAOS HAS EVERY COLOR.

    I delved deeper within myself. Much deeper than before. Igris and Ray together could reach such depths, only them, only together, beyond where the Beast hid, beyond my past and future.

    There, I walked on infinite dark liquid.

    Except it wasn¡¯t liquid.

    It was alive.

    CALL HER.

    I felt what it was. Could not comprehend it.

    It had always been there. It was with every life. It was life itself. It was death.

    Please, help Marie. I begged her.

    CALL HER NAME.

    ¡­Chaos¡­

    <u>Illy</u>

    Rose was too young for this amount of energy. She was still breathing, but I feared for the worst. Half this amount of magic would have made most witches demented. If I hadn¡¯t done so many dumb things with Nat back in the day, I wouldn¡¯t be conscious right now, or I would be gauging my eyes out like Fiona there.

    I crawled once more, pushing my body to its utmost limit.

    Belfor was leaving, Alik supporting his side. He was followed by Ulrich and Jeremy, two of his damned witches that had survived the drain of magic.

    I knew Gray had been hiding things from us. But when the rune had activated, I, as well as all the other witches, had felt the energy she had.

    Belfor was in denial, but I was not. Gione, one of, if not the strongest North American witch had reacted the best way I could think of. She had immediately teleported away. She fled so not to incur the wrath of the girl we had angered.

    I doubted Gray would listen to me. She was still unmoving, in the middle of the ruined glyph, holding Marie in her arms. I needed to take Rose and leave, as fast as possible.

    Once again, I crawled forwards, using the recently acquired excess of magic inside me to help me move.

    ¡°Sorry M¡¯am.¡± A male voice came from behind me.

    I looked at him. A vampire, Alik¡¯s goon. ¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to get rid of the witnesses.¡±

    He had announced it as if he were going for a walk with his dog.

    No emotion, nothing.

    ¡°No¡­¡± I knew better than to beg with the bloodsucking monsters. I looked at my daughter for one last time.

    But before he could do anything, the clearing became clear as day. Except this daylight was grey, its shine impossible.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡± The vampire behind me said. ¡°The moon¡­¡±

    I raised my head. The moon¡­I couldn¡¯t hide my shock. The celestial body was three times larger as it should have been. It felt as if it filled the entire sky.

    Then, I sensed Magic.

    Not magic power or energy, just Magic. Pure, infinite.

    It came from Gray.

    I looked towards her.

    She wasn¡¯t there.

    In her stead, stood something magnificent.

    Something terrifying.

    Something that personified Magic was holding Marie in her arms.

    It gave her a light kiss on the mouth, then laid the body of my young student on the ground with immense care.

    Out of her gigantic shadow, an even bigger wolf emerged. He rose from nothingness. His fur darker than night itself.

    ¡°MISTRESS¡± IT said.

    She didn¡¯t respond. She crouched, then touched Marie¡¯s forehead and torso.

    It was a spell.

    Power grew.

    Impossible brightness filled my eyes, the rumbling of a giant explosion pierced my ears.

    And then everything went black.

 End of an era

    <u>Marie</u>

    I am on another planet, in the middle of a crater only a meteorite could have created. Except the moon is up in the sky, full and basking me in her glory, identical to the one on Earth, except, much, much larger.

    I remember I died. For a timeless moment, my mind had blanked, my heartbeat had stopped, and I had drawn no more breaths.

    Then, I was cradled back.

    I felt lethargic, my body unresponsive. As I took a deep, long breath, I managed to push my upper body up with my elbows.

    I was on Earth, in an unnatural basin that had blown away the stumps of trees, rocks, and dirt. Only sand and dust remained.

    ¡°Gray?¡± I called.

    Finally, my vision became clearer, and I saw further ahead. I could move my head slightly. I saw in the distance¡­people on the ground. They were¡­witches. Yes, those who had done this rite of death to kill my lover.

    Some of them were trying to get up, piles of sand and dust falling from their covered and bruised bodies. Most of them were not moving at all.

    In the corner of my vision, I saw a patch of black as night fur.

    I would recognize it anywhere. It had haunted many of my nightmares.

    I turned around.

    There IT was. The Beast, sitting silently, proving its strength simply by posing as a statue of death and doom.

    But something stood next to him. An impossible sight, giving me a sudden desire to kneel and revere.

    Akin to a giant, a sixteen feet tall woman was gently caressing the Beast on its head. She had to lower herself slightly to reach him.

    ¡°MISTRESS.¡± The monster of old basked in her touch.

    She had skin colored like moonstone, hair flowing down in a color so dark it seemed to absorb light itself. She was thin yet heavy, perfect yet flawed. As my gaze went higher and higher, I saw her face.

    She was looking directly at me. All colors and more swirled in her eyes. There was only storm, no pupils, nothing remotely human.

    ¡°Gray?¡± I repeated, pulled by an instinct I couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Marie.¡± Her luscious mouth, her impossible features, nothing moved as she didn¡¯t speak. Still, I heard her voice. It was something more terrifying than fear, something more beautiful than beauty.

    Under my hands, the sand morphed. I looked down, earth was rising, dark and fertile, full of blossoming flowers and grass, emerging from the sterile desert.

    ¡°Gray is indeed here, my lover. We shall return her to you shortly.¡±

    A tree grew out to my left, it rose to the skies, insects twirled around its trunk.

    I saw a flower wilt, replaced immediately by another one, one with a shade of violet that didn¡¯t exist.

    The dead witches were pulled deep under, replaced with trees of gold and silver, bushes with leaves on fire, and giant mushrooms of rainbow colors. Crystal blue water flowed from under the giantess¡¯s feet, forming a small pond where she and her pet stood harmoniously.

    ¡°I knew she was something special, but nothing quite like that.¡± I heard Astarte¡¯s voice. As I looked in her direction, I saw she was looking down on the crater where me and the impossible existed. She was still stuck on her knees but was currently getting rid of the harpoons that were holding her in place. It was easy now that the ground had become sand.

    ¡°Astarte, what is happening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It seems Gray saved you, and to do that, she transformed into... What is your name?¡± She asked the one who had brought me back to life.

    The being looked at her and opened her mouth: ¡°CHAOS.¡± The sky broke open, lightning pierced the clear night sky with a thunderous roar, as if planets collided or stars exploded. The sound itself was so loud, nothing subsisted, it was the first explosion, the creation and end of everything.

    Yet, nothing happened. My eardrums were intact, the Earth was still in one piece.

    Everything was peaceful.

    ¡°All right. Scratch my previous statement, I¡¯m blown away.¡± Astarte smiled wildly.

    ¡°Child of old, you have been cursed and blessed by me. Would you like to be relieved and join me in nothingness?¡±

    The being who called itself Chaos had spoken, once again without opening its mouth. It made no doubt to me she was talking to Arte, even though I had no way of knowing that, as her face was as immobile as one seen on a marble statue.

    Astarte couldn¡¯t hide her shock. She had stopped removing the chains holding her in place. ¡°I¡­If I had been asked that before, I would have accepted. But right now, I¡¯d like to see this one¡¯s story until the end.¡± She pointed at me.

    ¡°An answer filled with life. I shall grant that wish.¡±

    A gust of wind suddenly made my hair fly in front of my eyes, blinding me. When I looked at Astarte again, the harpoons were gone, her ripped clothes were gone, and her naked body was still, laying on the ground.

    ¡°Arte?¡± I said anxiously.

    ¡°SHE IS SLEEPING.¡± The Beast reassured me.

    I looked back towards the one who called herself Chaos.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    She was back to looking at me. She was giving me a warm smile.

    Emotions filled my heart. Love, adoration, and things I did not understand.

    Then she gazed at an invisible horizon, far away.

    ¡°Order has reigned for too long and my grasp has gotten weaker. I have seen the way of change, do you agree with it, Set?¡±

    ¡°OF COURSE, MISTRESS.¡±

    ¡°So it shall be.¡±

    I saw a squirrel in one of the trees, and the carcass of a tiny deer was laying on a wilting bush. All around me, life and death were happening at an impossible speed.

    Something¡­happened.

    Right when Chaos had spoken with no words, everything went still.

    The newborn forest was calm and had stopped expanding. It had conquered the sand crater in its entirety.

    The Goddess was petting the giant wolf again.

    ¡°It is time for us to¡­¡±

    ¡°You!¡± A voice went and perturbed the silence. Mr. Marak, as well as two other witches descended towards us, getting rid of the infant nature blocking their path with fire and earth spells.

    ¡°You are most certainly the bringer of apocalypse, you and your dog! But we shall protect this world! We shall vanquish you!¡±

    ¡°FOOLISH CHILDREN.¡± The Beast started moving.

    ¡°No. You have done enough. You can come back home.¡± I realized Marak and the other witches couldn¡¯t hear her words. Once again, I had no way to be sure, but for them to act aggressively against her when you could hear the power in her voice was absurd.

    The Beast howled to the moon.

    The three witches couldn¡¯t stop fear from shivering their bones.

    ¡°THANK YOU, MISTRESS.¡± The giant wolf became shadows and vanished inside the pond.

    ¡°He flees! Don¡¯t let the other creature escape!¡± The witches following Marak didn¡¯t seem as certain as him, but obeyed his order, nonetheless.

    They moved in unison, and a gigantic fireball burst out of Marak¡¯s hands, burning part of the forest in its wake, rocketing straight towards us.

    Chaos didn¡¯t seem to care, looking at me with a strange expression.

    ¡°Marie, behold this truth. They use my power but still serve order. It is as I intend, but you are my lover, and you may only serve me.¡±

    The fireball ceased to be. One moment it was exploding towards us, the other, nothing of it subsided. Darkness filling what was once so brightly lit.

    ¡°What?¡± Marak exclaimed.

    ¡°Sir, I think¡­¡±

    Another gust of wind.

    They fell to the ground.

    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡­my magic¡­¡± Marak said before collapsing.

    ¡°It is time for me to return. I shall be back when you and Gray join the stardust, but I will always be there.¡±

    And at that last sentence, Chaos transformed into millions of butterflies, birds, and little mammals, who fell and ran away from the pond, losing themselves inside the woods. At the center of them, unmoving, I recognized Gray. She was currently under Igris¡¯s guise. She hovered in the air for a short instant, completely naked, then fell in the middle of the pond.

    I finally recovered my ability to walk and ran with no real thought inside the cold water to pull my lover out of it. I almost fell and stumbled plenty, but I reached her.

    ¡°Gray? Gray?¡± I shouted, as she was unresponsive and had her eyes closed.

    I dragged her out.

    ¡°The hell have you done?¡± I asked her, not expecting any response.

    ¡°It is not important what she did, it is simply clear you both need to be annihilated.¡± A young voice answered.

    As I looked back up, I saw in terror that Alik had emerged from the foliage, probably biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to act. He wasn¡¯t as foolish as Marak and had not believed one second that he could face what Gray had become.

    ¡°Marie¡­?¡± Gray said my name weakly.

    ¡°Already capable of speech. Impressive, I don¡¯t doubt that''ll be the only opportunity I have to beat her.¡± Alik noted. ¡°Too bad you need to go as well, Marie. You would be the only living thing in more than two thousand years who has ever been resurrected from the dead. A shame you shall die again so soon after.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re okay¡­are Illy and Rose¡­?¡± Gray asked, not hearing the vampire at all.

    I cradled her head in my arms.

    ¡°Shh, everything is going to be okay.¡± I lied.

    Gray smiled weakly. ¡°That is a lie.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, harbingers of chaos.¡± Alik announced. He started running at a terrifying speed.

    I lifted my arm, calling for any magic I had left. I knew it was a lost cause, I had nothing¡­a vine reached for his body, he didn¡¯t even blink, and continued running like nothing was blocking his path at all.

    ¡°Useless.¡± He still charged right at us our defeat certain in his eyes.

    I created more vines. More than I ever thought I could use. This slowed him considerably, and he had to walk, while breaking the natural ropes off him.

    ¡°Please stop! You¡¯ve done enough! It¡¯s over already!¡± I begged, as he was still creeping closer.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be over when you two die.¡± He raged.

    ¡°Alik, right?¡± A male voice suddenly shouted.

    ¡°Who¡­?¡± The Elder looked at the one who had called his name.

    Henry was on our left, looking badly hurt, blood falling from his left arm, as he was only standing through the help of a tree he was hanging onto.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill the one who spared my wife and daughter.¡±

    ¡°And? You want to join them? I can feel your magic, witch, you are more than weak.¡±

    Henry laughed sadly. ¡°I am.¡±

    Alik sighed, then continued with his struggled walk towards me and Gray.

    He was only inches away now. He raised his hand high in the sky.

    ¡°Why take your time so much?¡± I asked him, knowing full well how fast he could have finished us now that he was close enough to strike.

    ¡°I take pride in my work.¡± Contrary to his neutral words, his expression betrayed the vicious and cruel joy he was feeling.

    ¡°Alik!¡± Henry shouted.

    ¡°Silence! You will be next!¡±

    ¡°No. This has to stop.¡± Henry said with a shaking voice.

    Alik looked at him again, annoyed. ¡°And you have to stop this nonsense, you can do nothing to¡­¡±

    Henry raised his injured arm. ¡°Sorry Illy.¡±

    It only lasted a fraction of a second, even less.

    I felt my body lose all its weight. Then it felt like it weighed tons, but not towards the ground. I was pulled towards Alik and so was Gray, who couldn¡¯t fight it. I grabbed her and the plants underneath me firmly in my hands. My body rose. My bones creaked. Flesh on me began ripping away. The forest bent inwards.

    There was no more light. No more moon, no more world.

    Pitch blackness.

    Then everything was back to its strange normalcy.

    Of the Elder, only ripped legs remained, standing where he had stood moments before.

    I had black spots in my vision, my eardrums were nearly ripped, my head was feeling like it had burst from the inside.

    ¡°Marie? Are you okay?¡± Henry shouted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°If you can respond, it¡¯s good for me. We need to leave, before the remaining vampires wake up.¡±

    ¡°I, I need help with Gray.¡± She was unconscious again and resting in my arms.

    Blood was dripping from my face and arms. I had wounds all over my body.

    He coughed violently: ¡°I don¡¯t think I can move anymore to be honest.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­I¡¯m fine I think.¡± Everything was hurting less by the second. The damage on my body was superficial. The feeling was strange.  ¡°Let me see if I can use telekinesis to move Gray.¡±

    As I tried, she hovered under my will. It had been too easy, and I didn¡¯t feel the usual loss of energy.

    The vines had been too numerous, strong enough to bother the Elder. But that was a question to be answered later.

    I carried the unconscious body of Gray with my mind, then helped Henry back on his feet.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± He said softly.

    ¡°Thank you! You saved our lives.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t let him kill you. Gray? I know you probably can¡¯t hear me, but Rose and Illy are fine. Injured, but in one piece. Thank you for rescuing them. I don¡¯t know what you did, but I¡¯m certain it would have been much easier just to murder them to regain Marie¡¯s inner energy.¡±

    She didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In a jeep, I dragged them to safety before coming to look for both of you¡­did you hear it? This word. Chaos. What was it?¡±

    As I suspected, he hadn¡¯t seen her, his view most likely obstructed by the cars and the vegetation. I shivered as I recalled the literal goddess that had become my lover. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s best you weren¡¯t there to see what was happening, I assure you.¡±

    ¡°What about Mr. Marak and the other witches?¡±

    ¡°Some of them are dead, but Marak and the others¡­something happened to them. They are still alive.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I was creating coherent sentences, but it was the best I could do, my concentration was focused on Gray.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Henry asked, using my shoulder to advance.

    ¡°To Astarte, she was up there, I¡¯d like to make sure she¡¯s fine, then I¡¯ll put Gray and you in the car and go look for Nat.¡±

    ¡°Marie¡­I don¡¯t think Natasha¡­¡± Henry began.

    I refrained a sob. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything else.¡±

    One step at a time, we left the forest of wonders and impossibility.

 Truth

    The night became Moon.

    Death vanished for a bit.

    A word uttered.

    It had been ages since I slept in my own bed.

    I didn¡¯t remember much of what had happened the day before.

    I felt weird.

    Different.

    I quickly realized that what I was feeling could be summarized as ¡®less contained¡¯.

    As I opened my eyes, my only mission was to see Marie.

    My scraps of memories told me she had died but then didn¡¯t. It made no sense.

    I tumbled outside, I could sense her, but didn¡¯t believe it yet. I went to the living room, and there she was, with Astarte drinking tea.

    I felt giant relief when I saw she looked perfectly healthy, but just her being next to the God-Child brought a jealous growl out of my throat.

    ¡°Gray! You¡¯re up!¡± My girlfriend didn¡¯t mind my bad manners and jumped out of her seat to meet me. I forcefully hugged her. That made me feel better.

    I couldn¡¯t even talk.

    After a minute basking in her warmth, Astarte cleared her throat and talked. ¡°Hey Gray.¡± She looked at me with a strange expression.

    ¡°¡­w¡­What happened?¡± I asked with a raspy voice.

    As I was told the story, memories flooded back to me. Some of which were not really mine.

    The reason why I was less in control was that the Beast was gone, leaving me just with a normal, giant wolf inside my head.

    Funny how the Beast was actually helping with those animalistic instincts without me realizing it.

    Of course, this was the least of my worries.

    I had been called Prophetess of Chaos multiple times in my life as Igris, it was my role, after all. I was the one who predicted the events that would change lives.

    Or apparently, I was the one actually causing them in the first place.

    The prophecy hadn¡¯t been taken literally enough.

    When it said that two Conscients would bring Chaos to the world, it meant exactly that.

    It wasn¡¯t a prophecy about the end of the world, but a prophecy on how to summon a God.

    And Chaos wasn¡¯t gone. Far from it. She was me.

    Deep within me, the dark Ocean was clearer than before, somewhere I could reach very easily.

    I had the ability to bring her back in a heartbeat.

    But if I did, everything would burn.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but that knowledge was certain.

    If she stayed in this world any longer than she already had, her mere presence would destroy the world.

    Or maybe she already had.

    What happened the night before had had consequences far beyond just us.

    It began with a word, one that had echoed everywhere on earth and beyond.

    The Chaos Event, as it would be later called, was a moment in history where everyone and everything heard the word that meant Chaos to them.

    Every sound recording apparatus collapsed at that exact same moment. For two seconds, every such device on earth and in the orbit of the planet failed, only giving back a strange and eerie crackle.

    The recorder on the Mars rover would reveal the same dysfunction.

    This unbelievable event created mayhem, of course. But as the phenomenon had been very short and with no real consequence, it should have been quickly forgotten, only studied by some scientists as something rare and unexplained.

    This forgetfulness would, of course, be largely helped by the law keepers of the Underworld.

    But the Chaos Event would never meet this fate, as it became the annunciator of the Eden Days.

    After the word was spoken, the second incident occurred. Estimated between twenty-two minutes and thirty-one seconds and twenty-two minutes and thirty-three seconds after the Chaos event, death itself ceased.

    For slightly more than two days, there were no records of any deaths anywhere in the world.

    Sick people were still sick, wounded people were still wounded. No one miraculously resurrected or stopped being hurt.

    They just did not die or suffer any fatal injuries.

    Those two and a half days were just a statistical anomaly, or that was how it was explained at the time.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Examples were plenty:

    A soldier-child in Africa, for having disobeyed his commanding officer, was sentenced to death. The teenager was put on his knees, and the warlord took his favorite machete to make an example for the other kids.

    As he had struck down his blade, instead of the soldier-child¡¯s neck, it had been the machete that had snapped.

    The war lord had taken another machete. It broke again. Then another. They all suffered the same fate.

    He had then, under the gaze of all his brainwashed soldiers, tried to shoot the condemned with his AK-47. The gun jammed.

    For ten minutes, everything he tried failed.

    He then decided to use his own fists to do the deed. In his twisted mind, he had to, because he was losing the grasp of his soldiers. The other kids were beginning to see the will of god or the involvement of witchcraft and were acting more and more rebellious.

    As he went to pummel the condemned child, the war lord tripped on nothing, hit his head on the ground and fell unconscious.

    The child-soldier used the opportunity to try and stab him in the back. He failed miserably and knocked himself out in the process.

    A fireman in Brazil with third degree burns covering his whole body had seconds to live. He survived an excruciating fifty-seven hours.

    A construction worker on top of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona fell from the scaffolding, a drop of 170 m (550 feet), directly onto rock pavement.

    He survived with no major injuries; his fall had been cushioned by three different flight of pigeons. In total, a group of an estimated four hundred pigeons had flown on the trajectory of his fall.

    Many of them died doing so.

    The Eden Days did not affect other animals, even though bio-marine whale and mammal scientists as well as some big ape zoologists claimed the opposite. Those claims would never be verified.

    The second event had created more than a little disorder. For two days, there had been no deaths, but after those, everything had caught up extremely quickly. Death tolls doubled, even tripled afterward. People died stupidly believing they were immortal and could do the craziest stunts with no repercussions.

    Others believed it was the end of times. They began questioning reality, science, everything.

    But the Underworld, even though it had not been spared by the chaos, reacted well. It found explanations, tried to calm the minds and stop the inquisitive ones to look beyond.

    Short term, it should have been impossible of course, but in less than a week, with the help of the vampire¡¯s compulsion and magic, people just began moving on.

    That is when the last event occurred.

    It would not be named for a long time.

    Every earthquake sensor in eastern Indonesia and east-southern Asia activated.

    The readings showed a cataclysmic event. It was far out, deep in the Mariana Trench, but even though the earthquake would not be dangerous as it was far away from any coasts, it would create a deadly tsunami reaching unprecedented heights.

    No wave came.

    Instead, in the sky stood something impossible.

    A sea serpent rose, reaching beyond the skies, visible from the eastern coast of China and the western coast of the United States alike.

    Saying it was big or gigantic was ridiculous. There were no words.

    Humans looked at the sky and did the only thing they could. They prayed.

    Governments tried to react, mobilize troops, but everyone knew.

    This was not a thing that could be fought.

    It stood there.

    As helicopters and boats surrounded it, as all the cameras of the world pointed towards it, as humanity finally saw its end, the creature lowered itself, and vomited earth and rocks in the ocean for one day and one night.

    People could do nothing else but stare.

    A new island the size of Madagascar was born between Japan and North America.

    Lots of videos surfaced of the creature¡¯s act.

    What would be remembered most was how careful and gentle it was, how little disturbance it had created.

    There were no tsunamis, neither when it moved, neither when it created land.

    It did not kill a single thing.

    Then, its work done, it spoke in a very deep, soothing tone. Its voice wasn¡¯t strong, and only the military boats and media outlets around it heard its speech. Every linguist around the world reacted, but before its words could be translated, it was already back inside the trench.

    As if it had never been in the first place.

    Except the island did not disappear with it. Unescapable evidence of what had transpired.

    Old Sumerian was established as what it had spoken. Translating it had been easy enough, but the repercussions of those words were more world-shattering than everything that had occurred before.

    ¡°My Mistress woke me to tell a truth. There is only humanity, but humanity is plenty more than humans. Magic exists, hidden from you since eons. Use her power wisely and rise beyond the stars, or don¡¯t and become dust. She shall not interfere.¡±

    After that, there was nothing the lawmakers of the U could do. It was decided to reveal the Underworld to everyone.

    For a while, Chaos reigned.

    North America¡¯s power structure shattered, as most of the high instances were revealed to be controlled by vampire compulsion. The Hunters used it to boost their ranks and strived, one of their leaders even got elected as president of the United States. Vampires fled. Witches very slowly made themselves known, but many stayed in hiding, not revealing their powers, even though they now could. They suffered from persecutions, as they were considered partially responsible for trying to brainwash humans into forgetting.

    South America became a bloodbath, war between the hunters and vampires killed with no respite, normal humans and U members alike.

    Europe suffered, but quickly adapted. Most likely because it was where the most powerful witches lived. They refused the fate that always befell them and took charge for once. They stopped any fighting between hunters and vampires, driving the more belligerent of them outside the borders. Then, they joined with normal human scientists, politicians and journalists to ease the transition into a new world. Many things burned and change was not easy, but the old witches acted well to avoid the mistakes of the past.

    China became the home for the biggest vampire coalition. In a way, it didn¡¯t change much, people were still controlled, albeit in a more violent and open manner. Hunters and witches were purged, in a silent, horrendous way.

    Most countries of Africa were not ready for the truth, and most there suffered a terrible price. People died, accused of being monsters. Sometimes they were; Many times, they were not. Nothing, not even vampires, could handle angry mobs of scared people. The strongest of the U fled, the rest perished.

    A rather unexpected thing was Australia. It handled the transition exceptionally well. Some suggested it was because of the absurd number of life-threatening creatures that lived there, a few more didn¡¯t change much. A more serious explanation was the rather low ratio of U residents per habitant, most of them witches. The magic-wielding humans also helped save the country from complete desertification, which greatly eased their insertion in the society.

    Then, things calmed, once again. New normality began.

    The world was faced with a truth, that it needed to change. But whether that change would be for the better or for the worst, no one could tell.

 Epilogue

    Chaos didn¡¯t spare us. She had saved Marie¡¯s life, but terrible things had happened to our friends.

    Due to the afflux of magic, Illy was weakened a lot and had to walk with a cane, and her daughter Rose lost her ability to speak.

    Marie had tried to continue her lessons with the nature witch, but felt the need to stop, at least for a while.

    My lover wasn¡¯t exactly a witch anymore.

    She had been linked to me through a magic conduit. This had not taken long for me and her to discover, as I could clearly see it, and I could share that vision with her.

    She had obtained the power all demonologists dreamt of, without suffering any side effects.

    There was almost no need for her to use rituals again, except if she wanted to use extremely powerful spells.

    And even though Illy did not mind this at all, Marie herself couldn¡¯t bear to show herself in front of the mute Rose.

    ¡°It is not fair.¡± She had confessed to me.

    I didn¡¯t agree, there was nothing we could do about how the events had occurred, and my lover was smart, she knew that perfectly well. But she needed some time to face this truth, and I respected her for being able to realize that.

    The price paid by Natasha was even higher.

    She had survived that night. Because no one could have died then.

    The respite of the Eden Days let the hospital treat her effectively, and they had done an operation that would usually be considered too risky.

    She got out of her coma.

    But the free and sexual woman stayed paralyzed.

    We had gone and visited her plenty of times at the hospital, and every time, the smile she had welcomed us with broke my heart more and more.

    She joked as she tried her best to buzz around in her wheelchair, saying that she would use telekinesis to move her legs and that it didn¡¯t matter.

    Marie didn¡¯t need my ability to spot lies to perceive that one.

    As for our enemies, well, they were no more.

    Astarte was pissed about Alik¡¯s disappearance. She had promised to punish him, after all. He couldn¡¯t have died, as no one could at that time, but he had seemingly vanished from existence.

    Marie and Henry knew what had happened to him. But Marie had refused to tell me. She even made me promise to never ask Henry about it.

    ¡°This is a secret, one that should not yet, if ever, be revealed. No matter what. You understand, Gray?¡±

    I felt the truth in her words.

    As for Belfor Marak... he had angered a witch that apparently shouldn¡¯t have been angered, his fate was supposedly set in stone.

    But this witch, Gione, didn¡¯t act upon her threat.

    She did not punish the man in any way.

    No one would.

    What was left of Belfor Marak was currently staying in a beautiful retirement home next to the western coast, twenty miles south of Jeanne¡¯s old house.

    Nurses didn¡¯t like taking care of him, unsettled by something that they could not perceive.

    I knew.

    That night, he had been stripped of everything that mattered.

    He looked like an old man now, but in truth, he was just something without inner magic. He was a living being without the basic thing that made him a living thing.

    An empty husk.

    Chaos hadn¡¯t punished him, at least, I knew she didn¡¯t see it that way.

    She didn¡¯t want Marie to use her power to create order, so she had shown her what would ultimately happen to all of those who did.

    My lover had not understood, at least not completely, which was normal. I couldn¡¯t understand Chaos with my human mind either, even though she was me.

    One thing was certain, Magic was a thing of wonders and disasters, and Marie wasn¡¯t allowed to use it to enforce laws. She could not use her powers to create Order.

    It would have helped if we understood exactly what that meant.

    <u>Ten days after the Chaos event.</u>

    We had watched the Y¨¹rmungand as it had disappeared under the horizon, just outside our flat, and followed the media coverage with Marie¡¯s smartphone.

    ¡°Do you understand what it said, Gray?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, what was it?¡±

    ¡°It revealed the Underworld to the world.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m almost sad it is gone. It was so beautiful.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Everyone in the state of Washington had been able to see the creature in the western sky. It was mostly a large shadow that sometimes hid the sun. Those times had been strange.

    People were silent, many just contemplating. There were no protests here, no violence and panic. People just stared in awe.

    Marie and I were hugging on one of the many parc¡¯s benches.

    The day after the events, Astarte had apologized for what had happened. She explained to us that when we had called her, when in Jeanne¡¯s home, to ask about the Y¨¹r, she was actually already back in North America, but knew we were being listened to. Her phone wasn¡¯t traceable, and she had acted as if she was receiving a long-distance call, but Alik was apparently aware of that and had already prepared a very elaborate contingency plan to capture her.

    The Eden Days didn¡¯t affect us directly, but some disturbances at campus prevented Marie and I from going to our lessons. Then came the mythical sea creature, and well, it would probably take another week for people to get over that, move on and act as if nothing ever happened.

    <u>Eleven days after the event. </u>

    Astarte spoke. ¡°The creature is well known, it was never found, but too many stories about it existed. People will handle that. To reveal the U to all though¡­we¡¯d better lay low for a while. Things are going to change. A lot.¡±

    We were sitting at the balcony, for the first time this year, it was sunny and warm outside.

    I was holding Marie in my arms, currently under Ray¡¯s guise and dressed in rather posh clothing. My girlfriend was dressed in a magnificent red and black long dress, had removed most of her piercings except one on her nose and had toned down her goth look considerably.

    The three of us had just heard the recording of the words spoken by the Y¨¹rmungand, and we were looking at the empty sky that it had filled before.

    ¡°What is going to happen?¡± I asked the God-Child.

    ¡°Impossible to say. Lots of people are going to die. Countries are going to burn. This one¡­I don¡¯t think things are going to be good here.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Marie also questioned her.

    ¡°You? Nothing. The both of you have done enough. To be honest, I won¡¯t do anything either. I could, but it is not my role.¡±

    ¡°But you are powerful. So am I, we could help.¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Power? Helpful? Hah!¡± Astarte mocked me. ¡°Power helps you with changing your life, and not always for the better, but changing the lives of others? Apart from killing them, no, it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Arte.¡± Marie continued. ¡°We cannot force anyone to change against their will. It doesn¡¯t work like that. We can only try our best ourselves, and hope it¡¯ll inspire others to do the same.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the point then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Astarte answered. ¡°I¡¯ve lived for more than five thousand years, and I¡¯ve got no clue. I¡¯ve seen a king burn all evildoers from his kingdom, and then there were only bad men left. I witnessed a child give up her only possession, a little doll made of wood and cloth, to the young prince who had everything. For one century the kingdom lived in relative peace. Does this make sense?¡±

    Marie¡¯s phone rang, cutting Astarte¡¯s story short. ¡°It is time.¡± She said.

    I grimaced.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Arte, you take care of the flat.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Have fun.¡±

    ¡°Definitely won¡¯t.¡± I said back to her.

    ¡°Come on. We have the chance to reveal the truth to the people we love. We thought we¡¯d never be able to!¡± Marie encouraged me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t love them.¡±

    ¡°Interesting of you to say that. Was it the truth or a lie?¡±

    I looked at Marie. ¡°It was a lie.¡±

    ¡°Of course it was. You may hate your parents, but that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t love them too. I¡¯m more concerned about how they¡¯ll react about me.¡±

    ¡°If my father says anything bad, I¡¯ll eat him.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Beast was gone?¡±

    ¡°Not the wolf.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately. I can defend myself, but thanks for the proposal. The taxi is waiting. Let us go.¡±

    ¡°This is going too fast, they heard about the U less than twenty-four hours ago!¡± I continued complaining.

    ¡°No. It is not.¡± Marie calmly retorted.

    ¡°And why not Ana first?¡±

    ¡°Gray, calm down. It¡¯ll be fine. Mom has had a crazy week at the clinic, she needs some rest. We¡¯ll go tomorrow. It is the time of truths, is it not?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Then stop acting like a child. And let us go.¡± My girlfriend took me by the arm and dragged me outside. ¡°Bye Arte.¡± I said.

    ¡°Goodbye, prophetess of Chaos.¡±

    I winced at that name but didn¡¯t retort anything.

    I was going to tell my parents everything. Show them how their son was not really their son anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± I confessed.

    The elevator doors closed.

    ¡°Me too.¡± Marie grasped my hand and smiled. ¡°But we are together.¡±

    I smiled back.

    /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Prologue

    The creature was magnificent.

    But this was an absurdity of a thought.

    He was facing an abject being.

    The embodiment of death itself.

    She was the Blizzard of Hi, a violent promise, an icy breath, freezing bodies and snuffing out souls.

    Still, he could not stop himself from contemplating her magnificence.

    The creature was three times his size. She seemed only made of bones and muscles. She had four limbs, similar to legs and arms. But at the extremities of those almost humanoid appendages, what she used as toes and fingers was far from it. On each hand, on each foot, eight long claws created some sort of arachnid-like tendrils. Her scaly skin was covered in frozen blood belonging to the unfortunate ones that had crossed her path. The solidified liquid formed a reddish veil around her.

    Her face, if you could call it that, was such a sight it could only have crawled out of the nightmares of the traumatized.

    In spite of all this, the real pinnacle of horror wasn¡¯t her blood covered body, wasn¡¯t her claws or dagger-like fangs. No, what would render you mad, what would haunt you beyond death, were her eyes.

    Her eyes were ocean blue, unfathomable and breathtaking.

    Sole token of beauty, pure and innocent, in the middle of a face that gave glimpses of hell.

    It was like seeing a euphoric child cooing inside a battlefield littered with dead bodies and rotting bowels.

    It was like seeing a happy, smiling mother swinging her dead baby by the foot.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    It had been the last request given to him by his kind.

    The echoes of the screams that had followed didn¡¯t last long, replaced by the ghostly whine of the wind rushing through the mountain pass.

    However, even after having fled, even after having stopped and hidden inside one of the numerous caves of the Canyon of Sables, he could still hear them scream.

    Why choose this cave and not another? He did not know. He did not even understand why he had ceased his running, why he had disobeyed.

    He never disobeyed.

    The only thing he knew now was this: She who never should have walked this earth was looking for him, the last survivor.

    He was certain of it.

    After what seemed like eternity, he saw her. For the first time he was able to admire the machine of death that, in her macabre glory, came to end her hunt. It wasn¡¯t a shadow around the campfire anymore. There, at the entrance of his sanctuary, she stood, unveiled by the glimmer of stars. Obsidian scales glazed in red were reflecting the silvery glow of the night.

    This is where he understood that this creature wasn¡¯t something that should exist.

    This is when he found her magnificent.

    ¡°I will fiiind youuuuu.¡± The monster¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t strident or cavernous. It was normal. You could have confused it with one of a woman or a child.

    He couldn¡¯t have imagined more terrifying.

    He made no noise, cowering himself further on the rocky wall of the cave.

    His sanctuary had become a prison, where he was waiting for his inevitable execution.

    The creature stepped once. Towards him.

    Something absurd happened. The creature¡¯s claws pierced the rocks like they were soft snow, sinking deep and fast, destabilizing the beast. She hit her head violently against a stalactite of ice, which broke instantly upon impact and shattered on the ground. After the deadly silence that had reigned until then, the noise was deafening.

    An abomination of a sound followed the noise of shattering ice, like chalk on a blackboard. It was the creature roaring in anger. Each time she tried to remove one of her grotesque limbs from the stone ground, another sank in.

    Ultimately, she broke free. She looked around, gazed upon the dark cave¡­then went away.

    Did she decide that the cave wasn¡¯t worth it anymore?

    He did not care; he could finally breathe again.

    The scene had gone from horrifying to ridiculous in an instant.